My body broke and melted, a flimsy thing that had been eaten alive by Wonderland long ago.
The crowd was in awe, watching Wonderland bloom from within me. I fell to my knees in a heap of twisted bones that gave way to lilies and roses painted red.
Then suddenly, I was the White Rabbit. I took off, darting for the door, and running as fast as I could away from it all. After all, I was so terribly good at it.
Chapter18
Cheshire
My eyes tracked White Rabbit fleeing from the party and I growled in delight, taking a step towards the door. I did love chasing my bunny, and I especially liked what came after.
I heard Mad Hatter scramble away from me, teacups falling from the table and shattering.
“What are you doing?” Shaheen asked her, his voice thick with disapproval and judgement. I turned and saw her fisting a paring knife as she lunged at him. His eyes widened.
Everything in my body screamed to chase Alice. She always got away in this form and every millionth of a second was vital. With what just happened, there was a chance she might run from me forever, never come back here.
But Shaheen…
A growl came from me and I twisted, leaping and crashing into Mad Hatter. I felt her knife slide between my ribs and jerked back. My hand wrapped around the knife and pulled it out, blood gushed from the wound.
Mad Hatter’s eyes widened in fear as she saw it was me she’d wounded. She leapt up before taking off. I clicked my tongue and pressed my hand to the wound before rolling over on my back and bleeding on the floor.
Shaheen loomed over me.
“That was…something,” he finally said after searching for a word. “You aren’t dying, are you? I’d be irritated if I couldn’t be mad at you.”
“Oh please, my death wouldn’t end your need to be angry with me,” I said with a laugh. I broke off in a pained grunt and lifted my hand. Blood soaked the whole thing. Shaheen sighed and bent down with a cloth, pressing it to my wound.
“I have half a mind to think you did this just to manipulate me again,” he commented, bearing down on the wound a little harder than necessary. I hissed between my teeth. I was frustrated Alice was likely running further and further away and my head was a bit dizzy from the blood loss. The latter made my tongue looser.
“You know,” I started. “You weren’t right.”
“What about? Alice?” He sighed. “I suppose that doesn’t matter now, does it?”
“No, about Mad Hatter’s question.” My eyes dragged over his face, my gaze pooling in the cupid’s bow of his lips.
“Hmm, that you always give me what I want because you're the devil making me trade my freedom for continued sips of sin?”
“Well, I won’t claim that’s not true,” I admitted and he sighed, once again bearing down too hard on the wound. “It’s not the full truth though,” I gritted out.
“Oh? What’s that Cheshire? I’m almost afraid to ask.” His gold earrings dangled down as he pressed on me, the emeralds catching light and sparkling.
“It’s the same reason I took Hatter’s little knife,” I sighed and got up, pushing him off. It’s not as if I’d die. I was much too clever to do something like that. Vines appeared from under my skin, threading themselves through my wound as I stood. I wobbled a little then righted myself.
The Den was a mess around us, people scattering about because the mood had been ruined. The other tea party members had already grumbled and shuffled off once I ended up with a knife inside me. Undoubtedly they’d been concerned I’d cause a big, violent ruckus in my anger.
“Why did you take Hatter’s knife?” Shaheen asked with suspicion.
“Because Shaheen, there are only two people in Wonderland I seek to own. Two people I chased down and lured into my den. Two people I demand to stay close with whatever tactic is at my disposal.” I moved closer, looking into his dark eyes. My smile widened.
“I care for you, Shaheen. I find you to be such a curious creature.”
“Curious?” He asked, his eyebrows coming together as he thought about the implication of my words.
“What do you expect me to say? That I love you?” I asked and his eyes widened in shock before he looked at me in what seemed to be some version of terror. I laughed.
“Come now, Caterpillar, we must find our White Rabbit. I’ve made a mess and need help cleaning it up.”
