I walked past them without a word. The door shut behind me with a heavy thud. Guards would be stationed outside—there was no sense in trying to escape.
I took in the room. Soft bed. Clean linens. A wardrobe, a vanity, even fresh flowers on the nightstand. Why? Hours ago I was chained in a dungeon. Now this? Alanna didn't do kindness. There had to be a reason.
A woman stood in the center of the room, her head bowed. She looked up as I entered, and my breath caught.
Her skin was pale as fresh snow. Her lips were the deep red of ripe apples. Dark hair fell in soft waves past her shoulders, astark contrast against her porcelain complexion. Even dressed in servant's rags, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
“I’m Brynn.” She curtsied, her movements graceful despite the rags she wore. “I am here to attend you and get you ready to meet Her Majesty.”
I froze.
Brynn. The name echoed in my head like a bell.
Brynn. Grump’s sister. The one they’d been trying to rescue. The one Alanna had kept as a servant all this time.
My aunt.
“You’re Brynn Whitveil, aren’t you?”
She stiffened, her gray eyes filling with unease. Fear, even. As if her own name was dangerous.
“Yes. How do you know that name?”
My heart pounded so hard I could hear it in my ears. I pressed my hand over my chest—over the tattoo Darius had given me.
“I was with the Uncrowned.” The words tumbled out, shaky and breathless. “Grump is my father.”
Brynn’s eyes hardened. “I don’t believe you.”
I bit back a sigh. I didn't have time for this. "I'm not asking you to believe me. I'm telling you the truth. I can prove it.” I pulled down the collar of my tunic, revealing the tattoo of the Mad Hatter’s hat inked over my heart.
She gasped, her palms flying to cover her mouth, holding back a sob. Her gaze focused on me, and she lowered her hands. Her ruby-red lips parted, trembling.
For a long moment, she couldn’t speak.
“That’s… that’s the mark of the Uncrowned.” Her gray eyes lifted to mine, searching. “Only those loyal to my brother receive that mark.”
“I know. Because Iamfamily. The Mad Hatter is my mate.”
The words tasted bittersweet. He was my mate—but I had no idea where he was. What Alanna was doing to him. If he was even still alive. I shoved the fear down. I couldn't fall apart. Not now.
Brynn’s eyes widened. “Hatter took a mate?” She ran her fingers through her hair. “He swore he never would.”
“And Grump—your brother—is my father. That makes you my aunt.”
She staggered back a step, bracing herself against the wall. “My brother’s daughter? My brother has a daughter?”
"Yes. My mother's name was Corina."
Brynn shook her head slowly. "I don't... I don't know that name. I was fourteen when my brothers escaped. I've been trapped here ever since."
"They left you here?"
The thought made me sick. She'd been a child. And they'd just... left her.
Pain flickered across her face. "I was attending Alanna at her bath when they escaped. They couldn't get to me." She swallowed hard. "It wasn't their fault. If they'd tried, she would have killed them. And me."
My heart ached for her. Trapped in this castle. Alone. Serving the monster who kept her prisoner. Never knowing what happened to her family.
