The hatter sighs. “If you must go, then you’ll need a hat to blend in.”
I eyeball the top hat he’s wearing. He gasps and grabs the rim. “Not mine. You will need your own. I need a night to make it.”
“Won’t we all need hats?” Gwyneth asks.
The hatter shakes his head, still holding on to his hat like I’m going to steal it. “No, she needs one to avoid being recognized. The rest of you are inconsequential.”
“Daphne is going to be recognized in a land she’s never visited before?” Malachi asks.
The hatter leans forward, and the rest of us follow suit. “She may not remember us, but we remember her.”
I’m absolutely sure I have never been here before, but clearly arguing with them over the sake of wearing a hat is silly.
The rabbit leaps to his feet. “Stay the night. The hatter will return in the morning with your disguise, and I’ll lead you to the kingdom. But from there, you are on your own. Nobody enters the Red Queen’s kingdom and expects to survive.”
The hatter stands, claps his hands, and the table and chairs disappear, plonking us all onto our butts. Pain shoots up my back, making me wince. Then, with a snap of his fingers, the hatter and his companions disappear. I blink at the empty clearing and suck in a breath as the sun blinks out and the moon pops into the sky.
“That was disorientating,” Malachi observes as we climb to our feet.
“Are we meant to just wait around for some strange dude to make a hat?” Hart mutters. “I don’t like how this world seems to reflect the chaos in Daphne’s brain.”
“Don’t judge my chaos,” I say with my hands on my hips.
“So, do we wait or push on?” Gwyneth asks.
“Wait,” I say as everyone else says push on.
I pace. “The hatter said I need a disguise, and the rabbit said he can lead us to the kingdom. If we leave now, it means I’m not wearing the hat that they seem to think will protect me, and we might also end up wandering aimlessly around a strange land. A night of rest will make our minds sharper.”
“I’m concerned that she is making sense,” Hart says.
“I shall take shelter with Gwyneth,” Charming declares. “I’ll protect her.” Gwyneth rolls her eyes. She is more likely to protect him.
“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Nash utters in my ear. “You get some rest.”
Malachi’s hand slips into mine as Theo hiccups and explodes into his full dragon form, knocking Charming on his ass.
“Good dragon,” I praise as I shiver. The air is definitely cooler without the sun.
Theo huffs a plume of smoke and plonks his butt down, lifting his wing. Malachi pulls on my hand, and Hart, Malachi, and I take refuge under his wing.
I narrow my eyes at Charming. “Try anything with my sister, and he will eat you.”
Charming’s mouth is still hanging open when Theo cuts off our view as he shields us from the world.
I curl onto my side and lay my head against his scales, staring at Malachi. I want to bask in the fact that Hart’s heat washes down my spine, and I want to act on the clenching in my belly. But sleep, apparently, troops floof action.
“Sleep, Calamity. There’s time for that yet,” Hart whispers.
“I’ll hold you to that,” I grumble, my mind filling with images of rabbits, hats, and a strange pair of glowing eyes. Heads roll around the floor as a wicked laugh renders the air. I hope that’s not a sign of a future yet to come to pass. Heads belong on shoulders and hats belong on heads. Therefore, it stands to reason that a hat can be a disguise. The hatter makes complete sense. Tomorrow, we shall battle with hats. Tonight, we rest.
Chapter
Fifteen
The softest of feathers caress my neck, like silk on my skin. I sigh in contentment and relax into the warmth surrounding me. The scent of burning wood saturates the air, making my nose twitch. I must have fallen asleep in front of the hearth. I stretch and arch my back. There’s something important I need to wake up for, but this sweet spot of being half asleep and half awake is one of my favorite moments. The weight of responsibility is out of reach.
Someone groans in my ear, making my eyes fly open. Those aren’t feathers brushing against my flesh—it’s a knight.
