Lex nodded. “I’m from the capital. So is Elissa.”
I turned and watched the skeleton walk down the hallway. His bones and armor rattled with every step.
“Corbin, you coming?” Lex asked.
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“All right. So, Lucas, you are in Tiwaz, and Corbin, you are in Algiz,” Lex said, pointing to two doors. On them were runic symbols engraved onto a panel on the door. “Your keys have been coded to open your doors. Corbin, you’ll have some uniforms inside and other things you’ll need for classes. Just let me know if you have any questions. There is a welcome party for all the new students tonight. Everyone goes. It’s compulsory. So, when your pocket watch sounds an alarm, be sure you’re in uniform and in the common area. We’ll meet there and head up. Can I get you anything right now?”
Lucas and I shook our heads.
“All right. Get some rest. I’ll see you soon,” Lex said then left.
Lucas waved to me then headed into his room.
Curious, I stuck my key into the lock and turned it. I breathed a sigh of relief when my counterfeit key worked. I pushed the door open.
The room was, basically, a cave. The walls had been worn smooth, and there were engraved pieces of stone along the floor and ceiling, but there was no window. No natural light. At some point, someone had brought electricity to the place. Wires lined the walls leading to the lamp that hung overhead and to a plug on the wall. I had a large bed, which was neatly made. A section of the wall had been carved for a storage area. Therein, I spotted a number of uniforms, a typewriter, books, and notepaper. A desk sat on the wall opposite the bed.
I tossed my backpack onto the floor then sat down.
Dipping into my pocket, I pulled out Lacey’s schedule.
If the welcome party was mandatory, I’d probably see her there.
And then what?
Should I waltz up to her and introduce myself as Al’s grandson, her protector?
I clenched my teeth when I thought about how they had depicted Al in their “orientation.” My grandmother was fierce…in her love, in her will, in her desire to do good. Whatever Al was doing here, it wasn’t being merciless. Granny Al had tried to save Wonderland. But she had failed.
Now, there was a new Alice here.
I stared at Lacey’s name.
And this new Alice was nothing like Granny Al.
How in the hell was Lacey supposed to undo all the wrong in Wonderland? Had Hank and the others gotten it wrong? Were they really sure?
Outside my door, I heard the rattle of bones.
I flopped down on my bed and closed my eyes.
“All right, Lacey, what in the hell are we going to do next?”
Save Wonderland.
Right.
But first, I had to find a way to introduce myself.
17
Check
The noise in the tent was reaching decibels that rivaled a rock concert. Except the music was bad. Wonderland bad. An entire brass band was playing itself, blasting out some weird mix of circus music and big band tunes. Students were dancing excitedly. Everywhere I looked, people were laughing and chatting. I glanced around the tent. A long table, big enough to seat hundreds of students, had been set for tea. Tall flower arrangements, garlands of beads, and candles decorated the table where mismatched china sat waiting. A rainbow of colorful lanterns floated in the peaks of the tent, and lit up the place, casting blobs of colorful light all around the tent.
The table had been sectioned off for each chamber. I eyed the section set for Rose Chambers but didn’t see Lacey anywhere.
“I always thought Alice in Wonderland was part fairy tale, part acid trip,” Nova said, glancing around the space. “Add a little magic and you get…” She waved her hand at the band and the lanterns.
“It’s different,” I agreed.
Nova laughed. “Different. Understatement of the century.”
I loosened my tie once more then rolled up my sleeves. It was bloody hot and loud in the tent. I couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there. To my surprise, it seemed like most of the other students in Spades shared the sentiment. While the students from Diamonds and Hearts were whooping it up on the dance floor or chatting loudly, the students from Spades were far more sedate.
“This way,” Lex said, motioning for us to join him at the table. The students from Spades took their seats, except for a few students who had gone to talk to the faculty—including the CA Elissa, who was talking to a tiger. The man stood near the other faculty members. He was a good two feet taller than me, standing on his back legs. His arms were crossed on his chest. He was wearing simple black combat leather. A descendant of Stars. Interesting. I scanned the other professors standing there. Hank was missing.
“President and vice president,” Lex said. “At least now we’ll be able to get on with it.”
I turned back to the entrance of the tent. The vice president entered, waving and chatting as she went. The president, who I’d seen in the video, followed along behind her.
I glanced down the table. All the seats for Roses had been filled now. I leaned back and forth to look for Lacey, catching only a glimpse of that tell-tale blonde hair. But she was here. She was safe. For now.
The president took a seat at the very head of the table, the vice president settling in beside him. He greeted the others around him, then lifted a bell and rang it, silencing the room. He then leaned forward and tapped a microphone sitting there. A static sound reverberated around the tent.
The president cleared his throat then began: “Students, welcome one and all to this exciting new year at Wonderland Academy. Tonight, I offer a special welcome to all of the students joining from Overthere. As well, I tip my hat to those students who are in their final year at the Academy…” And then he went on, and on, and on. In my head, I heard the teacher from the old Charlie Brown cartoons.
I glanced down the table, catching a glimpse of Lacey. She was staring off in the distance, a decidedly worried expression on her face.
“Look,” Nova said, nudging me in the ribs. “You seeing this?”
I turned back.
The president had concluded his remarks, and Vice President Whistle had gone to the other side of the tent where a table, which took up the entire length of the tent, sat. A purple drape covered the entire thing.
The vice president grabbed the corner of the drape.
A drum roll sounded.
The vice president yanked the fabric, which rolled back with a snap.
Symbols clanged.
“Voilà,” Vice President Whistle called happily, revealing an enormous buffet. At least a hundred feet long and three tiers high, the buffet offered every kind of food imaginable. Blue smoke rose from one plate. Another dish shot out sparks. A third was on fire with a pink flame. I spotted sweets and foods of every kind, not much of it recognizable, including the roasted something that looked a bit like ham, except it was purple.
Lex looked from the food to Nova and me. He chuckled. “Okay, so Wonderland food usually takes a little getting used to for people from Overthere. I’ll guide you. Come on.”
While I was staying with Hank, he’d basically fed me a steady diet of butter cookies and tea. Given the alternatives, I was glad. Rising, I joined the others at the buffet.
“What’s that?” Nova asked, pointing to something that looked like a blue cupcake, except it was oozing.
“It’s called a blue volcano. You have to eat it before it erupts, or it can get messy. Good though. It’s sweet,” Lex said.
Nova scooped one up, setting it on her plate. “And that?” she asked, pointing to a rainbow-colored rollup that looked a bit like a pastry.
I scanned the table. No butter cookies. In fact, nothing here was recognizable. I frowned.
Lex turned to me. “How about you, Corbin?”
I was suddenly very glad I still had a couple of the White Queen’s energy bars and a box of butter cookies and a bag of chips
Hank must have stuck in my bag back in my room. “Anything to drink around here?”
“There,” Lex said, pointing to a display on the other side of the tent. “Tea station.”
And at it, a familiar blonde figure.
I nodded, then turned and headed toward the drinks. There were at least a hundred kettles of tea brewing, each of them labeled. Lacey studied each one, but hadn’t poured herself a drink. Knowing her, she was looking for coffee.
Knowing her.
But I didn’t know her at all. Not really.
And she definitely didn’t know me.
I knew how this would go. If I came on too strong, she would bolt. If I said nothing, she’d keep to herself. Dammit. This was just like really chasing a girl. What to do. Lacey was a skittish thing.
I approached slowly.
Lacey still hadn’t poured herself anything.
I cleared my throat. “Find any Earl Grey?” I asked.
She turned around and looked at me, eyeing me quickly from head to toe, her eyes lingering a moment on my tattoos. She was more beautiful up close than she’d been from afar. Her eyes were a blue-green color, her hair the shade of golden wheat. As she looked me over, I realized she remembered me from orientation. Her face softened then she turned back.
“No,” she said with a shake of the head. “Unless Snorkdust is an adequate substitute.”
Snorkdust? Ugh, Wonderland. “Not bloody likely.”
She raised her eyebrows and nodded in agreement. “Where are you from?” she asked, as she eyed the label on another pot of tea.
Stalking you for the last week. “Not here. You?”
“The U.S.—New York State.”
I looked at the pot in front of me. Fizzing Leaf Blend. I grabbed a cup and poured myself a glass. As the tea poured, it both steamed and fizzed like soda.
Lacey stopped cold, both of us staring at my cup in disbelief.
I laughed lightly, then set the cup down. “I’m not drinking that swill.”
She gave a half-smile and something almost like a laugh, then we both turned and looked back at the tent. The other students were milling about, and the damned blasting band had started playing once more. How anyone could dance to music like that was beyond me.
“Suppose we’d have any better luck with the food?” Lacey asked, looking toward the buffet.
We. “Hard pass. I spotted some purple meat and was done for the night. Thought I might be safe with something to drink. Guess not.”
She sighed. “See any coffee?”
I knew it. “Negative.”
Frowning, we both looked back at the tea display. Lacey was investigating a carafe labeled as Pinkberry tea when I sensed someone approaching.
I turned to find a tall guy with pale blond hair in a Diamonds uniform approaching Lacey. He adjusted his tie and ran his fingers through his hair, then stepped close to her.
“Hi,” he said, a nervous quiver in his voice. “You’re new, right? Rose Chambers?”
Lacey sighed lightly, smothering what appeared to be exasperation, then turned around. I watched as she attempted a false smile, but it faded. “I—” she began.
“Want to dance?”
No, she doesn’t, you stupid ass. She came over here to escape the crowd—obviously.
Lacey stepped back, bumping against the table. “Oh, no thanks.”
“Come on. I don’t bite, I promise. It will be fun. I’ll introduce you to some people.”
I stared at the boy. Was he really that thick?
“No. That’s okay.”
So fuck off.
“Don’t be that way. Come on.”
Okay, that was enough of that. My hands curled into fists, I stepped toward the guy. “She said sod off. So, sod off.”
The boy quickly sized me up, quickly realizing he’d be on the losing end of this discussion. I held his gaze for a long moment. Without another word, he turned and walked away.
“Thanks,” Lacey said with a sigh of relief.
I nodded.
Chewing her lip, her nerves showing, Lacey turned back. I frowned. Something inside Lacey Crane was broken. This girl was looking for any reason to stay away from people. Not that I blamed her about the guy from Diamonds. There was a wall around this girl a mile high. Why? I remembered Florin’s suggestion that I try to charm her. While I had zero intention of ever deceiving her like that, I could also see that this girl was going to run fast in the opposite direction if anyone showed any romantic intentions toward her. When you chase, they run. When you run…
“Always some tool who pushes his luck,” I said, then lifted my cup of Fizzing Leaf Blend tea once more. It was still effervescing. “Well, this has been an interesting day. Got sucked into a hole. Met a talking rabbit. And I think I saw someone undead today. Not to mention, my dorm was made by dwarves. That’s quite enough for me. Fairly sure I left an energy bar in my backpack, so I’m off. I’ll leave the Fizzing Leaf Blend to you,” I said then handed her my cup.
She laughed lightly, again that half-smile—not a real smile, but a partial something—dancing across her lips.
“If it turns me into a toad or something, I’m coming for you and your energy bar.”
I laughed then inclined my head to her. Though I really wanted to stay, I knew that if I was going to have any chance at getting close to her, I had to go. Now. Without another word, I turned and left.
All right, Lacey Crane. Your move.
18
Of Unicorns, Necromancy, and that Other Princess
I headed out of the tent and back across campus. That was enough excitement for one day. Trying to remember my way to Spades Chamber, I headed down the path that led to the waterfall. As I passed the library, a familiar figure appeared on the sidewalk ahead of me.
Hank.
Where in the hell had he come from?
“Leaving the welcome party already?” he asked.
I frowned. I was not going back, no matter what he said. “That I am.”
“And the Crane girl?” he asked, falling into step with me.
“We spoke.”
“How is she? How does she seem?”
“Fine. Why?”
Hank shook his head.
Again with the lies.
“You’ll begin your classes tomorrow. Just try to keep your head down for now and focus on your studies. And be sure you get close to Lacey. You know, it might not be a bad idea if you—“
“Look,” I said, stopping mid-step. “You’ve turned my life upside down. You’re leaving far too many questions unanswered. I saw that video today. I saw what happened. But one thing doesn’t add up. Just how is it that the Hatter managed to keep his head when Al was hunted down—and eventually killed—by Hearts? Just what deal did he make? You say you’re my cousin, but I don’t know you. And I don’t trust you. So back off,” I said, then turned and stalked off.
“Corbin,” Hank called.
“Goodnight,” I replied without turning back.
Because of Wonderland, I had lost everything. My mum ran off, Al died, and my da…well, who in the hell knew where he was. And now, here I was, in the exact place I shouldn’t be. If anyone learned I was Al’s grandson, they’d kill me. I had no interest in being here. No interest in Wonderland. If it were up to me, I’d go back.
Except…except for Lacey.
With a sigh, I headed down the steps along the side of the cliff, emerging at the terrace outside Spades Chamber once more. The place was silent, just me and skeletons. The torches burned with soft blue light. I noticed there was another passage leading away from the terrace, closer to the waterfall. I followed it, weaving in and out of the cave. The path led to a spot very near the falls. There were some seats in an alcove, a haven away from everything. I went to the ledge and looked over. The waterfall tumbled toward the river below. Alongside the river was a wide field. Fireflies danced across the tall grass. The moonlight shimmered down, casting a silvery glow on the blades. But then I noticed somethin
g moving in the grass. I strained to look. Not cows. Horses. No, not horses either.
Unicorns.
One of the beasts lifted its head, the silver and gold of its horn glimmering in the moonlight. There was a small herd of them munching on the grass not far from the river. And among them, I spotted a colt. The little creature was kicking and running through the grass. After a moment, I realized why. He was chasing the fireflies. Their pure white coats glistened almost iridescent in the moonlight. Beautiful.
Wonderland.
An annoying, deadly, but magical place.
I stayed there for a long time, watching the creatures frolic.
This was what Al had been trying to save. The magic of this place. As I watched the majestic creatures move through the grass, I started to sense why she had risked it all.
Al had risked her life for Wonderland.
Couldn’t I be as brave?
I stayed on the quiet terrace until after midnight. When I finally went inside, the common area was empty, the fire still burning brightly. Some of the skeletons stood sentinel. They turned and looked at me when I entered, but paid me no mind. I headed to my room, slipping off my uniform as I looked over my schedule. I had Necromancy first thing in the morning. Flopping down on my bed, I closed my eyes. Wonderful, nothing like starting the day waking the undead.
My pocket watch dinged, reminding me I was getting late. I stashed my books into my bag then headed out to the main common room. When I arrived, many Spades students were lingering about, most of them drinking tea and snacking before heading out for class. Most of the students wore the same kind of teacup holster on their hips that Hank wore. Thus far, I had noticed a few other students with wands. Of course, a wand could mean a lot of things in Wonderland. One girl carried a literal star-capped wand with ribbons on the end hanging out of her bag. Another student had a metal wand with a crystal at the end stuck in his pocket. Wands in Wonderland came in all shapes and sizes. For instance, there was Vice President Whistle’s TV remote. That one was…unique. I’d slipped Al’s wand into my backpack, hidden out of sight. Something told me that wand was better left unseen.
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