Underland, #1

by Rebecca Goodwin

  I beat at the barrier again until she disappeared out of sight.

  Then Hadden's shoulders slumped like he prepared himself for a fight and he faced me. His scowl proved he was pissed at me but I didn't care. He'd done something to keep me from my grandmother and I would never forgive him.

  When he stepped outside, I pushed a hand into his shoulder. “What the fuck, Hadden?”

  “She's not who you think she is.”

  “What kind of bullshit is that?” I clenched my fists. “She's my Grams. I told you I was searching for her and you lied to me. You said you'd didn't—”

  “That's the queen. She's insane and eats hearts, she's not your gran—”

  “You're insane!” I spun around to find my bag. No way was I going to stay a second longer in this madhouse. I snatched up my duffle bag, hitched it over my shoulder, and pushed past Hadden out the door.

  “Alicia, wait.” The pain in his voice made me pause but I wasn't ready to forgive him yet. “I'm going with you.”

  “No thanks.” I lifted my chin. “I'll take my chances alone.”

  “It's too dangerous to be out on your own. You don't know the ins and outs like I do.” He held out his hands in a pleading gesture.

  “And how can I trust you?” I stepped back. “That you’re not just leading me off the trail instead of toward my grandmother?”

  “I give you my word.” When I just stared at him, his brows knit together. “I'm coming with you regardless if you want my company or not.”

  “Suit yourself.” I shrugged and turned to the path I'd seen Grams ride the six-legged horse down.

  Hadden's steps echoed behind me and as mad as I was with him, knowing he was with me was oddly comforting. I chalked it up to being better that I wasn't alone in this strange, fascinating world. Even now, the morning sky looked purple with yellow swirly clouds floated past. And the bugs, so similar to ours, were more colorful. I spotted a praying mantis on a bright green leaf as I hiked past. Its colors were white and light pink. It looked like a miniature alien.

  We entered a lush forest, and I couldn't stand the silence anymore. Plus, my feet already ached and I hadn't eaten breakfast yet.

  “Ready to rest a bit and have a bite?” I asked, dropping my duffle bag at my feet.

  He nodded and plopped down on the grass in front of an orange colored tree. His purple hat askew but I resisted the urge to straighten it.

  I dug through my bag. Crackers and water was the only food supplies I had left. “Hope you don't mind plain.”

  “No one would ever think you anything less than beautiful.”

  Sweet talk wasn't going to sway me to forget his betrayal. I still didn't understand why he had kept me in the house when Grams had been right outside. Sure, she looked a bit different but she'd been missing from my world for a few weeks and if she'd been here all that time, maybe it changed a person. But inside, I knew she was still my grandma and I had to get to her. The fact that she was alive and I had seen her filled my heart with joy no matter how much Hadden leaned against the tree, frowning at me.

  It was his own fault. If he had just let me talk to her, she and I would be headed home. The funeral would be canceled. Damn, what time or day was it even in my world? Knowing Grams, she'd make an entrance at her own funeral and tell everyone to stop fussing over her that she was fine.

  I let out a chuckle and placed a pack of crackers next to Hadden along with one of the water bottles and took duplicates myself.

  “This is your idea of a meal?” He cocked an eyebrow. “Prison food?”

  “What? You got something against saltines?”

  “No, but I gave you tea and cake.”

  “Well, this is all I have left now. Besides,” I placed my hands on my hips, “I gave you the pineapple for that dessert last night.”

  “Touché.” He lifted his water in a toast.

  I took a bite of a cracker and nodded. “So in Underland here they only give crackers and water to people in jail? And how do you know that, exactly?”

  Chewing, he paused as though considering my questions or how to answer them. “Not exactly, but stale bread and water I wouldn’t trust to water plants with, yes. For a time, I was in prison.” His dark gaze watched me.

  “Why? What did you do to get arrested?”

  He ran a hand through his dark hair which never shifted his hat from its tilted position on the side of his head. It looked any moment to fall off but it hadn’t since I’d met him. Did he sleep with it like that?

  “The queen and I did not agree on many things and she threw me in jail thinking she’d force me to obey.”

  “And what happened?” I leaned forward. Hadden was many things but he didn’t strike me as a convict or a wanted criminal. Just a flamboyant showoff. “What did the queen want you to do?”

  “She wanted me to use my magic and force the people to worship her. To adore her, like they did the previous queen—her sister.”

  “How could your magic do that?” I held up my hands when he gave me a look that said I must be out of my mind. “I mean your pallor tricks are good, I’ll give you that, but you can’t make anyone do anything they don’t want to do. Even hypnotist can’t make someone do something against their morals.”

  “Tricks?” He huffed. “Like pulling rabbits out of hats like your world does?”

  “Well, yeah.” Why was he getting so puffed up about this? I mean his security in his house was good with the invisible wall and everything but I’d seen enough of this world not to believe that was some spell or something.

  He pulled a blade of grass from the ground. The blue-green steam striking against the palm of his hand. “Can anyone in your world do this?” Waggling his fingers over the piece, it twisted into a tiny origami doll that then stood and bowed.

  “Um…” I didn’t know what to say. Maybe he was a hypnotist and had made me believe what he’d just done but in reality, it was only a blade of grass. As if reading the doubt on my face, he placed the leaf figure on my knee. The grass danced up my leg to my hand. When I poked it with a finger, it covered its stomach, shaking as though it was laughing. “Is this an illusion? Something you’ve convinced me is real but isn’t?”

  Which would explain why I couldn’t get out of his house until he wanted me to. He hypnotized me. Though I didn’t think even a master hypnotist could do that against someone’s will but if I wasn’t expecting it, could he have still done so?

  “Magic is real here.” He smiled. “I know in your world it is not but here in Underland many things are possible which is why I chose to stay here.”

  Chaz had said he’d visited my world as well. “Are you from here or were you b—”

  “My father was from Underland and my mother from your world. Once I was of the age to decide, I stayed here with my father. In your world, I was only a man, but here I am so much more. And my magic is at my fingertips.” He snapped and butterflies flew out of nowhere. They were iridescent blues. Their wings tickling across my skin as some landed on me.

  I still wasn’t completely convinced that the dude was a wizard though. But I’d play to his fantasy for a bit. “So the queen freed you?”

  His crooked smile stole my breath. “Not really. She just got tired of me popping out of my jail cell to my home. But she had to save face with her followers so we entered a compromise.”

  “Oh?” I grabbed another cracker really wishing I had some of his delicious pineapple upside-down cake.

  “Yes. I must appear to still be in prison to any who pass by my home.”

  I snapped my fingers. “Which is why your garden looks abandon and the dusty spider webs on your front porch and door.”

  “Precisely.”

  Either I was going mad or this place was starting to make a fraction of sense to me now. “Okay, so what happens now that you’re roaming the countryside with me?”

  He glanced away.

  “Hadden?” I touched his hand until he met my gaze. “Tell me.”

&nb
sp; “Once we reach the queen,” he took a deep breath, “she’ll rip out my heart and chop off my head.”

  I blinked, unable to process his words at first. “What! That’s insane. We’ll just explain to her that you were helping me find my grandmother.” Surely this leader of theirs couldn’t be that horrid. “Geez Hadden! Why the hell did you come with me anyway? I told you I didn’t want you too.”

  To help me, he was sacrificing his freedom…his very life.

  He opened his mouth to answer, then snapped it closed. And that spiked my curiosity even further.

  “Tell me, please.” I grasped his hand in mind. “Why would you put yourself in such danger? Isn’t there a government or parliament or something here to overrule the queen?”

  “The queen has the final say of anything.” He gave me a lopsided smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Once she found out I protected you from her in my house, she’d come after me anyway. All I’m doing now besides helping someone I care about is bringing the timeline up quicker.”

  He cared about me? “You barely know me,” I whispered.

  In answer, he pulled my hand in his to his lips and kissed my knuckles. My stomach doing summersaults. “I know that you are a kind person. Twice now, you’ve shared your food with another. You are on this foolish quest to find your grandmother and you have every right to hate me but you don’t.”

  “I am still mad at you though,” I said to save face. Hadden excited and confused me.

  “I will strive to earn back your trust. However if I must prove myself your loyal subject, I will do so.” He winked.

  Heat flushed my face. One of the many things this Underland had over my world, extremely cute guys who didn’t freak out about my heterochromia of two different eye colors. Growing up, I’d been teased and called names by all the kids in class. Rose had told me about all the scientific-hereditary stuff she’d read about it. And Blanca had merely smiled and told me at least both eye colors were pretty.

  But here in this place, no one had mentioned it. Though I hadn’t seen anyone with two different colored eyes everyone I’d met seemed to take it in stride. No staring from one eye to the other or asking about it or anything. Like I fit despite being different. No wonder Grams had visited this place so often. Fragments of the songs she sang me must have been about this place cause like I’d never seen a violet-colored sky until now. And here I’d thought that she’d had an amazing imagination.

  “What are you thinking about?” he asked, rubbing my fingers with his thumb.

  “Sorry, just about this place and my grandmother.” I blinked hard as tears stung my eyes. “I miss her.”

  He nodded. “I can take away a bit of the pain if you want.” His dark eyes were so full of compassion that I didn’t have the heart to tell him there was no way he could ease this ache that had pierced me ever since I’d received the news that she’d gone missing.

  “That would be nice.” I forced a smile.

  Leaning toward me, he cupped my cheek with his hand, and brushed his lips across mine so softly I doubt for a second that he’d done so. Then a magnet pulsed inside me, and I couldn’t break away from staring at his mouth. I wanted to kiss him so badly that my chest hurt. My body tilted closer to him. Without asking or debating, I pressed my lips to him. My eyes fluttered closed as I sank deeper into his embrace. His kisses tasting like sweet wine. Intoxicating.

  All too soon, his hands on my shoulders nudged me back, our kiss parting.

  “We have to stop.” He panted.

  I shook my head to clear it. What the hell had just happened? Elation rocketed through me, yet dread coiled tight in my gut. Like I wanted more but how had I gone from talking with him to wanting to kiss him so much?

  Dropping his hands from me, he stood. “I need to give you some air for the effects to wear off. I won’t be far. Call out if you need me.”

  And with that, he jogged into the woods. I was left alone with mixed feelings of wanting to chase after him and the desire to strangle him. I brushed my fingertips over my lips, shuddering. Whatever he’d done, the piercing ache about my Grams was now muted a bit. Wasn’t sure if I trusted myself around him again. What would’ve happened if he hadn’t stopped our kiss?

  Best thing for both of us was if I went on my own from here on out.

  Chapter Ten

  Before Hadden returned and stopped me from leaving, I tore through the woods in the direction that my grams had disappeared. He was wrong about her not being who I thought she was. She was my grandmother. The woman who made homemade lemon squares that I'd eat the whole tray. She could dance better than professional ballroom dancers, and she gave the best hugs.

  Tears pricked behind my eyes. I couldn't wait to see her. I’d have Grams back home and set everything right again. God, mom and dad would be shocked to see her too.

  I pushed aside a purple vine with five-pointed leaves that blocked the path and covered a tree and prayed it wasn't poisonous. The bright orange sun hung high overhead but where my own yellow sun would be baking me by now, this one was pleasantly warmed like a spring day. No wonder Grams stayed here rather than coming back to our world. Her riding in a carriage, living in a palace, and everyone here saying she was the queen probably meant she wasn’t held here against her will. But she’d made everyone worry and they'd be so relieved to see her. I picked up my pace, my excitement making me giddy.

  How far had she gotten? She has been in a carriage, which was cool, but it couldn't be as fast as a car. I needed to get out of these woods and find the carriage’s tracks and follow them. I just hoped my little shortcut hadn't taken me in the wrong direction.

  I marched another half mile until I reached a break in the trees where patches of the dirt road where visible.

  Behind me a twig snapped, and I froze. Was it Hadden or a wild animal? I glanced over my shoulder, my heart pounding in my ears. But only the forest was around me. I let out a shaky sigh when a crush of leaves to my right crunched. My breathing turned into pants. I skirted past a bent white tree near the road. Traipsing through the forest was a bad idea. What if it was the wolves from the other day following me?

  Another noise echoed closer to me this time. I saw nothing but couldn't stop my racing heart or the feeling that something was after me.

  I started running. Branches scratched my face. Footsteps echoed behind me but I didn't look back. Seen enough horror shows to know that always ended badly.

  If I could get to the road, maybe I could flag someone down to help me. Why had I ditched Hadden?

  My foot caught in a muddy hole and I fell face down onto the dirt. My pack smacking me in the back of my head. I scrambled up and kept running. My foot smarted slightly.

  At the edge of the road, a heavy hand pressed on my shoulder and my insides shrank.

  If I was gonna die here then it would be fighting. I spun and raised my hands to attack.

  “Whoa, easy.” Chaz held his hands up in surrender.

  “Jesus!” I placed a hand to my chest. “You scared me. Why were you sneaking up on me like that?”

  He gave me a sly grin. “Did you miss me?”

  Yes, I had but telling him that would inflate his ego even more than it already was. I gave him a quick hug. Relief that he was okay and the chasing me rushed over me. “I'm so glad you're okay.”

  I stepped back. His neck and arms were red and scratched but he didn't look bad considering the last time I saw him, he was luring several wolves away from me. “Thank you for earlier… for saving from the wolves...it was brave and not many would have risked their lives like that.”

  “Do I get a reward then?” He said in a teasing tone with his tilted his head to the side, his auburn hair catching the sun’s rays and making them appear the color of copper.

  I opened my mouth to answer when he batted his eyelashes and said, “maybe like a kiss?”

  “Sure.” I gave him a peek on the cheek, then turned back to the road but he grabbed my hand

  “That's it
?” He pouted.

  “Sorry, I just found out recently that my grandmother is alive and in this world. I want to catch up to her before she vanishes.” I tugged on his hand and he walked with me. Thankfully, the carriage’s wheel imprints were there and I relaxed my shoulders a bit. “See? I follow these and find her.”

  Chaz frowned at the indents then sniffed the air. “These were made by the Imperial—"

  “I know you and Hadden think my Grams is the queen of something but she's just playing along with your game. Believe me, once she sees me, she'll drop her act and then she and I will go home.” It seemed a lifetime ago since I set out on this journey. But I was so close to finding Grams. I adjusted my pack while I waited for his answer.

  “Hadden? So you met our wizard.” He snorted. “Why isn’t he with you?”

  My cheeks heated. “I kinda left him behind. But he really did it to himself because he kept me from my grandmother.” I lifted my chin despite my growing nerves at him staring at me.

  He didn’t say saying anything while the muscle in his jaw twitched. Was he thinking of talking me out of this? No way was I going to budge.

  “I'm going after her so you can either help me or stay out of my way.”

  “Your grandmother knows the queen?” he asked.

  “I guess.” Hadden had said she wasn't my grandmother but the queen. Maybe Grams was playing a role she'd held off and on for years while she visited this place.

  Chaz sighed. “I'll escort you to the palace then, but remember that I believe this is a horrible idea.” He cupped my cheek, his emerald eyes staring deep into mine as if he read my soul. “The thought of you going alone and something happening to you is much worse than facing the queen.”

  Doubt trickled down my spine but I ignored it. Sure, Grams could be harsh but that was only if someone didn't know her or was lazy. She'd give everyone a job to so no matter how small and some people took offense at her methods.