My blood went cold.
“Where is she? Where’s Alice?”
“She’s with Doc and Caterpillar.” Grump’s jaw tightened. He glanced warily over at Chester, and something unspoken passed between them.
Something was wrong. Death hadn’t dulled my wits entirely. The silence was too heavy, too suffocating. Chester’s grin dimmed.
“Tell me. Now.”
Grump met my desperate gaze. “She’s…unconscious.”
The word slammed into me.
Unconscious. Because of me. Because she’d poured everything she had into saving my worthless life.
Chester’s puzzle suddenly made sense—and I hated the picture it formed.
“Unconscious?” I jerked upright. Agony ripped through my side and I cried out, doubling over. Couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. White stars danced at the edges of my vision.
“I told you not to move.” Grump pressed a firm hand against my shoulder, pushing me back down. “But when have you ever listened to reason?”
“Never.” I gritted my teeth against the pain, forcing my eyes to focus on his face. “Take me to her.”
“You can barely sit up.”
“I don’t care. She saved my life. I’m not lying here while she?—”
While she what? Died? Because of me?
My throat closed. This was my fault. I’d left her on that branch. I’d gotten shot. I’d made her use magic she didn’t understand.
I had to find her. Had to make sure she was alright. Even if I couldn't undo what she'd sacrificed, I could be there when she woke up.
“Take me to her,” I repeated. “Now.”
Chester’s grin flickered—the first time I’d ever seen it waver.
“Truth.” He let the word hang in the air. “Truth is a funny thing. It can set you free or shatter you into a thousand pieces.” His golden eyes dimmed. “Which would you prefer, Hatter?”
“Chester.”
“Very well.” His voice lost its playful edge. “She gave too much. Poured herself out like water from a cup until there was nothing left. Not a drop.” He paused. “Doc doesn’t know if she’ll wake up. She might sleep forever. She might simply... fade.”
The words carved through me like a blade.
“No.” I refused to believe it. “No.”
“She knew the risk.” Caterpillar’s voice drifted from somewhere behind me. “Or perhaps she didn’t. Either way—she chose you.”
Chose me. She’d chosen to save me, and now she might never open her eyes again.
“Take me to her. Now. I don’t care if I have to crawl.”
Grump shook his head. “You really are a stubborn bastard.”
But they relented. Chester and Grump each grabbed an arm and lifted me gently from the bed.
The moment I was upright, the world tilted. Pain ripped through my side like a hot poker twisting between my ribs. My knees buckled.
