“The caterpillar has ways to squirm past a person's defenses,” King Bevan said. “I go to him when I need help working out a particularly difficult potion.”
“Potions,” I huffed. “I don't have to get small again, do I?”
“No, I'm certain that won't be necessary,” Draven assured me, and then he looked to Bevan. “Will it?”
“No, there's no size requirement for finding your magic,” Bevan said.
“Good.”
The woods suddenly opened up, and a set of marble steps were revealed. I strode up to them with Nick and the kings as their retinues held back. The steps went up so high that I couldn't see where they ended.
“Oh, hell no.” I groaned.
“At least you have a sturdy pair of boots now, Your Majesty,” Nick offered. “A good pair of boots on your feet are worth five in a closet.”
“Yes, fantastic.” I rolled my eyes. “The caterpillar lives on top of a monument?” I asked the kings.
“He has a fear of being stepped on.” Jaxon sighed.
“Him and the mome raths,” Draven muttered.
“Well, he is a caterpillar,” Bevan said.
“Wait”–I looked over at them in shock–“he's really a caterpillar? That wasn't just a code for something else?”
“Nope, he's a caterpillar.” Draven chuckled.
“What the hell is a bug going to do for me?” I asked them.
“He's a very smart bug,” Bevan said.
“Too smart for his own good,” Jaxon muttered. “He should lay off the weed.”
“He can be a bit rambunctious,” Bevan admitted. “Please be patient with him; he may be the only one who can help you release the wild inside you.”
“Wonderful,” I muttered as I started climbing the steps. “I have to be nice to a bug so that he will help me find my magic so that I can marry three men and unite a magical kingdom.”
“If you don't mind.” Nick winked at me and then shifted into his cat form. He began floating up the pyramid steps.
“No fair,” I grumbled. “Maybe I should have gone small again.”
The climb wasn't as far as it seemed, and soon we were striding through a proper English garden in full bloom, laid across the flat top of the marble pyramid. The pyramid rose high above the treetops, giving an incredible view of Wonderland. I stopped and stared at the Wilds, the castle I'd been born in, but my gaze was quickly lured away to the rest of the landscape.
The woods trickled out into lush farmland, and then there were several villages, most of which showed no sign of life. Hills rolled up into mountains, and in the far distance, I saw a crimson castle cloaked in storm clouds. Lightning flashed around it, making it seem more menacing than it should have.
“Heart Castle.” Jaxon followed my gaze. “Even the air around it knows that something is wrong.”
“Where is the Spade Castle?” I asked him.
“That way,” he pointed closer to the Wilds. “You can't see it from here, but it's in the East. Club Castle lies to the South, and Diamond is in the North. Hearts lies in the West; you can always find your way with the castles as your guide.”
“Humph, the Wicked Witch of the West.” I stared at the storm. “How appropriate.”
“I'm sorry?” Jaxon frowned.
“Never mind. How do you rule a kingdom and have a relationship with a queen who lives in the Wilds?” I lifted a brow.
“We stack the deck.” He smiled.
