She leapt to the left, directly into Hatter’s path.
I raised the whip again, preparing to time my next snap so she’d run right into Hatter’s blade, when the witch sneered, twisted, and shot a barrage of magic at him.
Her power hit the unsuspecting Henri like a boulder. He fell to the ground, his body seizing. I saw red and, using the aether, muffled her face like I had with the bandersnatch. Then, mercilessly, I went for her, another conjured blade extended in front of me.
Before she could fight off the aether and turn to face me again, I’d slit her neck.
Hot blood splattered my cheeks and forehead, but for once in my life, I didn’t recoil at the sensation. I barely noticed it. My only concern was for Henri.
“Hatter! Are you okay?” I asked, fluttering over and kneeling at his side.
A groan assured me he was alive. I rolled him over so that his face was up. I gasped. That bitch had hit him right in the face with her magic. Whatever spell she’d used had caused an enormous amount of swelling, particularly around his eyes, which appeared sealed shut.
“Alice?” Henri wheezed. “What are you doing?”
“What? I’m checking on you, I . . .” I trailed off as what he meant to say hit home.
WhatwasI doing? I needed to be going after my aunt. Others had sacrificed everything for this moment, this chance. I needed to end it as soon as possible.
“Stay here, I’ll be right back.” I set his head softly on the sand, and burst out of my crouched position, into a sprint.
The queen was easy enough to find. She was in the thick of things, fighting any fae who dared to come her way. It seemed that half of her guards had regained their memories and had turned on her. But for some unknown reason, perhaps because they were just used to taking orders, the other half continued to fight on her behalf.
Not for long.
My wings snapped open, and I launched into the air.
“Cat!” I yelled.
The Cheshire cat appeared at once, flying alongside me as if he had wings. “You called?”
“We need to finish the queen. We—”
The cat held up his paws. “I’m afraid that’s all on you, Alice.”
If I’d been walking, I would have stopped dead in my tracks. I was sure he had reasons for not wanting to help, but what could they be? Of course, now was not the time to ask, so I moved on.
“Fine, I’ll do that myself, but I need your help with the soldiers.” I gestured to the melee that we were rapidly approaching. There had to be two dozen soldiers between me and my aunt.
The cat glanced down. “Fine.”
“Let’s go.” I zoomed toward her, my dagger raised, poised to strike.
A part of me hoped that she’d never see me coming. That I could end this bloodshed quickly. But another part wanted her to know it was me who was ending her reign—the daughter of the woman she’d killed.
All around, fae screamed and fought with everything they had. I heard the sounds of a swarm of pixies, bolstered by the twins’ commands, attacking soldiers with their tiny fangs. Cat battled in my periphery, appearing and disappearing as he ripped open throats and moved on.
But I set my sights on the Red Queen, who at that very moment was turning toward me. Her green eyes fell on me, and the hatred I saw there blazed through my soul.
I raised my dagger and extended my other hand, prepared to battle her with magic and steel.
“Alice!No!”
Before I had time to pinpoint the person calling for me, Isadora hurled herself out of the crowd. She flung her body straight at my aunt, fist-first, and with a punch upside the jaw, knocked the Red Queen out cold.
I stopped flying as if someone had slapped me.
As the queen fell, others stilled too—disbelieving what had happened. A small, unassuming brownie had taken on the powerful Red Queen.
