My head fell back on a gasp as the magic shook off the last of its slumber and shot through me, energizing me with power and a deep awareness of my world. I knew them all–feltthem all. From the gryphons to the bread and butterflies. I heard the call of the jubjub bird and the roar of the bandersnatch. I smelled the perfume of the living flowers and tasted the salt of the sea. Then I saw the citizens of Wonderland; the dodos and the mock turtles, the lizards and the lobsters, the fish and the frogs, the mome raths and the borgoves. On and on they went, shuffling through my mind like pages in a picture book. All of those who had suffered while I grew to adulthood in a different world. While I trained to become strong enough to return to Wonderland and save the world of my birth.
“That bitch is going down,” I whispered as I opened my eyes.
“Yes, I believe she is.” Barnabus the Caterpillar smiled. “Now,QueenAlice, tell me; what is your magic?”
I felt the men tense behind me, all of them eagerly anticipating my answer.
“Wilds,” I declared.
“Wilds, yes, of course,” Draven muttered. “But which of the wild magics do you hold?”
“She answered truly, King of Diamonds,” Barnabus said. “Queen Alice holds the Wild magics–all of them.”
Chapter Eight
“Where is my mother's sword?” I asked as I stepped out of the ring of mushrooms.
“My work is done.” Barnabus sighed and laid back on his mushroom to enjoy a good smoke.
“How did you... ?” Bevan stared at me in shock. “I'm sorry, but is it just me or is Queen Alice even more beautiful than when she stepped into the mushroom ring?”
“It's the Wild in her emerging,” Jaxon said with wonder. “You are most striking, Queen Alice.”
“That's all very good,” I said crisply. “But where is my mother's sword? The Wild says that I will need it to win back Wonderland.”
“The Vorpal,” King Draven stepped forward. “That is the sword you speak of. It was taken by Queen Rina when she subdued the Jabberwocky.”
“The Queen of Hearts was able to subdue the Jabberwocky when my mother couldn't?”
“Well”–Draven exchanged a heavy look with the other kings–“in a manner of speaking, yes. Queen Rina used her love magic on the Jabberwocky and bound it to her. The creature has become another source of power for the Queen of Hearts.”
“After the King of Hearts died, she needed a new battery,” I huffed.
“Yes, precisely,” Jaxon said. “Queen Rina needed another magical being to feed off of. The bond she created has subjugated the beast and turned the Jabberwocky into Rina's personal predator.”
“And the sword?” I asked.
“The Vorpal was abandoned, allowing Queen Rina to claim it,” Draven said.
“But she cannot wield it, Your Majesty,” Nick added as he stared at me intensely with his green cat eyes. “Only a Wild Queen can use the Vorpal.”
“Then we must get it back.” I headed down the pyramid, and the men followed.
“Queen Alice”–Nick floated up to me–“we'll need to sneak into the Kingdom of Hearts before we march on it.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because you'll need the Vorpal in your possession before you fight the Queen of Hearts,” Jaxon said as he came over and gripped my upper arms. “Take a deep breath, Alice. You were just hit with a world of magic and information. You need to acclimate before you make any decisions.”
I blinked at Jaxon and realized that he was right. I felt a little lightheaded and tingly. I needed to sit down. So, I did. I took a seat on one of the marble steps and looked out across Tulgey Wood and over to the Wilds. I remembered it now. I could see its soaring ceilings, gilded in gold. I recalled walking through its echoing hallways and playing in the vast gardens. It was more home to me than Uncle Ted's Victorian, and I suddenly wanted to be there. I wanted my home back.
I took another deep breath, knowing now, that this was just the magic settling inside me. I had a lot to filter through, and I needed more than a few seconds to figure things out. But I did know that I needed my mother's sword. It was a driving force lodged low in my belly, urging me to move.
“How do we sneak into the Kingdom of Hearts?” I asked the men, who had gathered around me.
“Stacking rooms are out.” Nick rolled through the air. “Rina blocked her doors.”
The kings looked at each other and began to smile.
