Ivy: Daughter of Alice

by J. A. Armitage

  I murmured agreement.

  “What about the Hearts, and the Pinnacle clock, and the vampires? It’s all signs that the Queen is returning. Is our President worried about having to face the Queen of Hearts again?”

  “The late Queen,” I replied. “She’s dead. And no, Alice isn’t worried about her. She’s worried about people panicking over a few strange coincidences.”

  Lola hummed, but I could hear the doubt in her voice. As her scissors clipped at my hair, I turned over the puzzles in my mind.

  The clock. The Hearts. The blood banks. Raven. The white rabbit.

  Wait…

  If Lola hadn’t been cutting my hair, I might have shot out of my chair. The vampire had told me something last night about Raven and the white rabbit. Something that linked them together. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the conversation between Pearl and Lola about the latest fashion in hats.

  Something about Raven and the white rabbit, I told myself. Think!

  “Am I hurting you, darling,” Lola tilted up my chin, and I opened my eyes, shaking my head.

  “I’m just thinking,” I replied.

  “Is this your normal thinking face?” Lola seemed concerned. “You’re a clever girl, and I know you think a lot, so please take my advice—don’t screw up your face like that when you’re thinking.”

  Beside me, Pearl was shaking with contained laughter.

  “You’ll get wrinkles,” Lola continued, with no hint of humor. “Follow my advice—you’ll save a fortune fixing your skin in the long term.”

  I smiled, letting my eyes drift closed again. My mind grasped onto what Lola had just said: Follow…

  I sucked in a breath and held it. The word sparked a vague memory. Just before the vampire had disappeared, he’d told me how to find Raven: Follow the white rabbit.

  I let my breath out slowly, considering the vampire’s words. I had assumed that the painted motifs were just decoration around the city, but maybe someone had painted the white rabbits for a reason—to lead somewhere.

  The first one I’d seen, across from the First Forge Bank, wasn’t far from here, and I suddenly wanted to run outside to see if I could find it again.

  Lola put her hands on my shoulders. “Are you all right, darling? You’re tense. You’re fidgeting. Just relax—I’ll do a beautiful job on your hair. Don’t worry.”

  “Sorry,” I replied, sighing, as I sank back into the chair again. I pressed my hands to my skirts, so they lay flat against my thighs. I took a deep breath through my nose, then exhaled out of my mouth.

  “Honestly, Ivy, anyone would think we’re torturing you. It’s a hairstyle,” Pearl said. I opened my eyes to glare at her. This time, I didn’t have to imagine anything—I saw her roll her eyes at me.

  I stared at the reflection of myself, my mouth hanging open. I reached forward to touch the mirror, just to make sure it was really me. My fingertips touched the young woman who stared back at me.

  At me.

  My now blonde hair fell to my jawline, with my bangs cut straight across to sit just above my eyes.

  I looked amazing.

  Lola walked over to the hatstand where I’d left my hat when I first came in. She turned it over in her hands, before fixing it at an angle on my head. Then she stepped back and put her hands on her hips as she examined me. “Perfect.”

  “Beautiful,” Pearl agreed with a smile. She came to stand next to me and rested her hand in the crook of my elbow. “See, we finally look like sisters.”

  “Thank you,” I turned to Lola, feeling myself blush. “I’m sorry I doubted you.”

  Lola shrugged. “I’ll forgive you—this one time. Next time, you’ll trust me.”

  “I promise.”

  As we stepped out of Lola’s Luscious Locks, Pearl leaned closer to me. “Honestly, that cost me almost half of my beauty stipend this week. I don’t know how much the Bank thinks we have to pay for service in this city, but they’re not paying enough to keep people looking their best.” She glared at a passer-by, whose hair was turning gray and whose buttons were strained over his stomach. “That’s why there are so many more people around who look rough around the edges. Does nobody care about appearances anymore?”

  At the corner, Pearl turned toward home, but I pulled her to a stop. I thought about the white rabbit painting across from the First Forge Bank. I had to follow it if I wanted to find Raven.

  “We don’t need to go straight home yet, do we?” I asked.

  “Don’t you need to rest?” Pearl said, “I told Mother…”

  “Don’t fuss—I’m fine,” I replied. I put a hand to my new short blonde locks. “Actually… this new haircut has me feeling brave. I thought maybe...” I searched around for an excuse. “A tattoo might complete the look?”

  Pearl’s mouth fell open. “You’re seriously suggesting that you want a tattoo?”

  Inwardly, I felt uncomfortable with the idea. Outwardly, I shrugged one shoulder. Pearl squealed and grabbed my hand. “If I’d known a new haircut would make you see reason about such things, I would have slipped something in your drink and dragged you to Lola’s years ago!” A delighted smile spread across her face. “I know just the place.”

  “Is there a place you usually go to? In the Hearts Quarter?” I said, trying to remember the tattoo parlors she’d pointed out to me in the past.

  “Even better, there’s a great place near to here. I promised Mother I wouldn’t take you far.”

  I hesitated. I needed to get back to a place where I’d seen a painting of the white rabbit. “You promised Mother you wouldn’t leave my side,” I replied. “I’d rather go to the best place, rather than a second-rate place just because it’s closer.”

  Pearl looked shocked. “Do you really think I’d frequent any establishment that was second-rate? Honestly.” Pearl flicked her freshly curled hair over her shoulder and pulled on my arm, forcing me to follow her. “Besides, I need a new tattoo, too. We should get ones that match.”

  I bit back my normal retort, hoping I’d get the chance to change my mind by the time we got to the tattoo parlor. Instead, I smiled. “Do you have anything specific in mind?”

  Pearl’s eyes lit up, and she outlined all the ideas she had for twin tattoos. I hummed and murmured at all the requisite intervals, but I wasn’t listening. Instead, I searched the streets for any sign of the white rabbit.

  The name of the tattoo parlor was spray-painted on the window—Colorful Joker Tattoo Art. Pearl gripped my arm, squealing in excitement as she tugged at me. I pulled back, still searching the street for the white rabbit.

  I hadn’t seen a single painting while we’d walked from Fifth Avenue to the tattoo parlor on Third Avenue. It was on the edge of the Hearts Quarter, but not far enough into the quarter to be close enough to the First Forge Bank to see the white rabbit painting.

  I pulled back against Pearl. “I’m not sure about this.”

  “You’re not having second thoughts. I forbid it,” Pearl said, her hands on her hips. “You can’t get my hopes up like this.”

  “We’ve talked about this. I’ve told you how I feel about tattoos,” I reminded her.

  “You might have talked, but you made little sense,” Pearl retorted. “I didn’t agree with you. I absolutely insist that you get a tattoo. You won’t regret it.”

  “I might.”

  “I was right about the haircut.”

  I pursed my lips, trying to stifle the smile that was creeping over my face. “You were right,” I admitted. “But I’m not getting a tattoo.”

  Pearl rolled her eyes. “As you wish. You still have to come with me. Like you said—I promised Mother that I would stay with you. I’m going, and I’m not letting you wander around on the streets by yourself.”

  This time, I pursed my lips out of a faint sense of annoyance. I wanted to keep looking for the white rabbit, and for Raven, but Pearl was the reason Alice allowed me to leave my room. I relented and stepped into the Colorful Joker aft
er Pearl.

  The tattoo artist greeted Pearl with a kiss on her fingers, as though they were old friends. They started talking animatedly about a tattoo design.

  I wandered around the shop, looking at the sketches that the artist had tattooed onto other customers.

  “Behind my shoulder,” Pearl was saying. “I want it to peep out when I wear an off-the-shoulder gown to parties. Just a suggestion of what’s hidden underneath.”

  The artist started sketching up some designs, as I wandered away from where they were talking, studying the artist’s work.

  “… thinking about twin tattoos, but she’s got cold feet…” I glanced over my shoulder to see Pearl glaring at me and the tattoo artist watching me with raised eyebrows. I bent over to examine some drawings more closely, pointedly ignoring Pearl. I had to admit, some of the art was very good. I spotted an amazing clockwork design and bent closer to study it.

  Despite what I told Pearl, I had nothing in particular against tattoos. I just didn’t want to be rushed into a decision. If I was going to permanently mark my skin, I wanted to make sure I’d found the right design. Unlike Pearl, I wanted my tattoo to mean something—not be just another way to improve my “look.” Still, the clockwork design gave me an idea. Perhaps I could draw a pocket watch design, and the tattoo artist could…

  There was a scuffle at the back of the tattoo parlor, and raised voices floated out. The tattoo artist apologized to Pearl and hurried back, opening a door to a darkened back room.

  “Look at this!” A male voice was raised loud enough for me to hear now that the door was open. I glanced up to see a figure standing in front of the tattoo artist on the other side of the half-open door.

  “There are sometimes complications with the procedure,” the tattoo artist explained in a whisper.

  “Complications? It looks like I’ve got a skin disease. I can’t go out like this.”

  There was a pause, and I strained to hear what was being said.

  “Give it some time, the rash might settle down.”

  “Time? It’s been like this for days. I have a party coming up. I can’t wait any longer. Besides, it’s so itchy, I’ve wanted to rip my arm off.”

  “It can get itchy. Have you—” the tattoo artist said. He glanced over his shoulder, suddenly noticing that the door was still ajar. I focused on the clockwork design, hoping he wouldn’t think I was listening to his conversation.

  He drew the door almost closed, and the sound of shifting feet on the floorboards drowned out the rest of his question. I shook my head, looking away from the design. Perhaps I’d been right all along—perhaps a tattoo wasn’t for me. I vaguely wondered if Pearl knew about these “complications.’”

  “I’m not asking for your apologies,” The muffled voice raised another notch. “I want you to fix it.”

  “All right, wait here.”

  The tattoo artist jerked open the half-closed door and marched into the front of the shop. He stepped up to the front door, opened it, and whistled.

  A grubby street urchin appeared from nowhere. My mouth dropped open. I’d never seen a child so dirty and dressed in rags. The tattoo artist slipped a card out of his pocket and gave it to the child.

  As it passed from his hand and into the child’s dirty fingers, I saw the white rabbit design. I blinked, and when I looked again, the card had disappeared beneath the child’s torn shirt.

  The tattoo artist came back into the shop, and, without a word to the man waiting in the back of the shop, he put a smile on his face and walked back to Pearl.

  “So sorry to keep you waiting. This was the design you wanted?”

  “I can’t decide between this one, and…”

  I shut out the details of Pearl’s conversation and stepped up to the shop window, searching the street for the child.

  I ground my teeth in frustration, unable to see any sign of him.

  If you want to find Raven, you must follow the white rabbit.

  “Sit down, Ivy,” Pearl said, over her shoulder. “This will take a while.”

  I sighed, wondering if I’d just missed my opportunity.

  I stared out of the window, sunk in an armchair at the front of the shop. I’d turned it around so I could see out, as I searched the passers-by for the street-urchin. The tinkle of a doorbell startled me out of my reverie.

  Another customer stepped into the shop. I casually glanced over to see who stepped in.

  I froze, and my fingers dug into the arms of the padded chair where I’d been sitting for the last half-hour. My heart raced, and every particle of my body tingled in response to the sight of the man who’d just entered.

  Though I only saw the side profile of his face, I knew.

  This was the vampire I’d been dreaming about for a week.

  I wasn’t sure whether I felt anticipation or fear. I put one hand to the soft skin at the base of my throat, as though checking I hadn’t been bitten yet. No—still safe.

  Part of me wanted to run.

  Another part wanted to reach out to him.

  It made little sense. I should fear him—especially after my near-attack in the Vampire Quarter—but I watched him and felt a sense of wonder about this man who had visited my dreams.

  Does he know me? I wondered. Did I visit his dreams in the way he visited mine?

  I couldn’t draw my eyes away from him. I studied his profile—the straight line of his nose, the square cut of his jaw, the way his black hair fell to brush his jawline, and his skin, like starlight. From my dreams, I knew he was a handsome man, and my vantage point confirmed it.

  Involuntarily, my body shuddered, and I gripped the armchair once more as I tried to work out whether my body reacted with fear or desire.

  “Raven?” The tattoo artist attending to Pearl’s newest tattoo called out to the vampire, now standing in the middle of the shop floor. He jerked his head towards the door in the back wall. “Out back. Don’t come through the front door again.”

  My mouth dropped open as I stared openly at him. Raven?

  One piece of the puzzle that had worried me for days was standing in front of me.

  Here was Raven.

  The vampire who had haunted my dreams.

  The man who’d bought me a drink at The Tea Party.

  The one who’d left me a note.

  He knows me.

  I swallowed, my breath coming in shallow gasps as the pieces of the puzzle came together.

  Raven didn’t even glance at me as he tipped his hat to the tattoo artist, then disappeared through the back door, closing it behind him.

  My mouth was dry as I stared at the door behind which Raven had disappeared.

  “Ivy?” Pearl’s voice was laced with worry.

  I tore my eyes from the door and looked at her. The tattoo artist was bent over the back of her shoulder, inking the exposed skin. Her mouth was pinched, and she frowned.

  “You’re very pale. Are you all right?” Pearl asked.

  I blinked, barely understanding her as I marshaled my courage.

  Raven is here. This is my chance to meet him.

  I shouldn’t leave. It’s too dangerous.

  I must.

  The armchair scraped against the floorboards as I stood suddenly. “No.”

  “You look like you will faint.”

  I started shaking my head, swaying on my feet.

  “Please sit down, I won’t be much longer,” Pearl begged. She frowned over her shoulder at the tattoo artist as he worked on her. “How long?”

  The tattoo artist sucked on his teeth as he looked down at his unfinished work. “Half an hour. Maybe more?”

  “See?” Pearl said. “Then I’ll take you home.”

  I shook my head more firmly. “No, I have to go now.”

  “I’m only half-way through. I can’t leave yet,” Pearl protested. I held up a hand to dismiss her worries.

  I took a deep breath to steady myself and forced a smile to my face. “I’m fine. I’ll make my own w
ay home.”

  Pearl looked doubtful, but the tattoo artist had put his magnifying glasses back on as he leaned closer to the back of her shoulder and jabbed her with another needle. Pearl hissed as she drew in a pained breath.

  “I promise. I just need to lie down, that’s all. I’ll go straight home.”

  I didn’t look back as I took my hat from the hat stand, pulled open the door, and stepped out onto the street.

  Continue Ivy’s adventures in Heiress of Delusion

  Heiress of Delusion

  1

  19th August

  The ticking of the Pinnacle clock marked the passage of the night. I rubbed my hands together, pacing back and forth on the footpath while I waited.

  Past midnight now, I stubbornly pushed away any regret at having left Pearl at the Colorful Joker Tattoo Parlor. I couldn’t leave without confronting Raven. Not after I’d followed him from the back alley behind the tattoo parlor, through the narrow streets of the Clubs Quarter, then into the Diamonds Quarter.

  Raven had taken the man with the itchy tattoo into a house with darkened windows, then emerged almost immediately without his companion, and continued at a steady pace until he’d stopped at a bar.

  I’d hung behind, and now, I found myself again on the edge of the vampire quarter in the dark—only streets away from where I’d been attacked the previous night.

  I cast a glance around. A man walked the street away from me, his hands in his pockets. He took no notice of me as I leaned against a wall. Otherwise, there was no one around.

  Tick, tick, tick.

  I ground my teeth against the incessant sound of the Pinnacle clock. During the day, the sound faded into the background, but it was always on the threshold of consciousness. At other times, like now, the sound set my teeth on edge. Sometimes, I wanted to cover my ears and scream, if only it would take away the ticking sound.

  Instead, I crossed my arms over my chest and waited, wondering if I should take a chance and go into the bar for a drink.