“I think it’s safe to say that they never involved a mind witch,” I mused. “My parents leaving me with a vampire was traumatic enough to kick the aether into overdrive.” A humorless laugh escaped me. “This sucks . . . I wish I could remember them.”
Hatter scoured the words, and he turned the page once, twice, three times, before he stopped. “There might be a way.”
I leaned forward, waiting for him to bestow the answer on me.
“An aether-blessed person who has lost recollection of a period of their life can recover it,” Hatter read. “When they break the protective hold of the aether, their memories will be freed.”
“Ugh!” I threw up my hands. “How does it expect me to do that? This book better have amazing instructions, ‘cause this is some real chicken and the egg shit!”
“It suggests that you find another aether-blessed fae who can help pry the aether out of you. Or . . .”
“What?”
“There’s also the chance that someone telling you about your past might break a few memories free. But the book warns that this method is more painful, can take weeks or months, and the person has to know you and your past very well.”
All the times Henri had told me about my childhood came roaring back.
“Can you do it?”
Hatter seemed to anticipate the question, because his response came out quickly. “We were friends, but I don’t think so. Your trauma is associated with your parents leaving, and the book details that the most potent memories will be the ones most likely to release the aether’s hold completely. So I might help you loosen the binds on your aether magic, but I wasn’t around for the most traumatic times. It wouldn’t break your memories free.”
He gulped, probably relieved that he wouldn’t have to be the one to put me through pain. “Unfortunately, now that Coleti is dead, the only other aether-blessed fae on Wonderland Island is the Red Queen.”
“I’m sure waltzing up to her and asking would go over swimmingly.”
A soft chuckle left Hatter’s throat. “Likely not.”
“And we can’t get off the island because of the kraken, right?”
“It’s extremely dangerous. The kraken has orders to stop anyone from leaving, and the queen’s dragon—the jabberwocky—patrols the skies. Herald was able to get off our island by transforming into a small bug and flying to mainland Faerie. But even then, we weren’t sure he’d make it. It’s a long journey.”
“And I don’t have the option of transforming.”
“There might be one other person on the island who can help,” Dum piped up and shot Henri a nervous glance. “In the Enchanted Forest.”
His spine straightened. “I forgot about him. You’re so right, Dum! That’s an option.”
My eyebrows knitted together. “I thought you said there weren’t any other aether-blessed fae—”
“He’s not a fae. He’s one of a kind, and one of the oldest magicals in Faerie. If anyone else knows anything about the aether, it’s him. The trouble is, he lives in a place where most don’t dare to go because it’s basically haunted and overrun with monsters—the Enchanted Forest.”
“Sounds cozy.”
Hatter smirked. “Try dangerous and terrifying, but I think it’s our best shot.” His eyes traveled to the book. “Or we could rely on this?”
“Both. Tonight, we move.” I gestured to the book. “Until then, I’ll be devouring that thing cover to cover. Others should too, even those who aren’t aether-blessed. This knowledge was dangerously close to dying on this island. That should never happen.”
“You need to sleep, too,” Hatter said. “At least for a few hours.”
“Good point.” I shimmied to lay flat on the ground. “And since you’re already in study mode, I’ll take the first napping rotation.”
Hatter chuckled. “But of course. Sleep well, Alice.”
The sun was setting as we continued our travels north. I’d surprised myself by sleeping for hours on end, while Hatter and the pixies took turns resting and keeping watch.
They insisted that it was fine that I’d slept so long, that out of everyone, I needed the rest most because I’d soon be trying to unlock my aether magic. Still, my guilt grew as the pixies snored loudly on my shoulders.
“So, how long until we find this guy?” I asked, trying to block out my guilt.
