"But, you'd be willing to try if it happened? You wouldn't avoid me the moment you got me in your bed and had what you wanted?"
For the first time in his adult life, his status as a cad embarrassed him. All he wanted to do was reassure her, but anything he said would sound like an excuse. "I have a history of that, so it's a fair assumption." When she started to look away from him, he reached out and pulled her back to face him once more. He leaned in closer. "But I never truly felt attracted to any of them. It was something to do to pass the boredom."
"And I'm not?" Hope clung to those three words.
He shook his head. "No, you're not."
The tips of her fingers dug into his shoulders. "What makes me different?"
"You're you." With that, he kissed her. She gasped at the contact, then moaned softly and opened to him, allowing him to drag her across his lap. He vaguely noticed Hawthorn retreating into the basket. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and he deepened the kiss, tasting her, knowing her. No, April really wasn't like any other woman at either court. He knew, without a doubt, that should she leave after tonight, he would never get over her absence.
He was truly lost.
Chapter 7
"Am I interrupting?" Devrel purred.
Damn that Boojum. Marchy pulled out of the scorching kiss so he could glare at the beast. "Aye. Go away." Figured that as soon as April was in his arms, melting against him, someone would disturb them. And here he'd thought he'd found a nice secluded spot.
"Apoooooologieeees," Devrel drawled as he helped himself to a piece of mome rath. I am here for the dormouse. His gaze snapped to April's as she slid out of Marchy's lap and straightened her shirt nervously at the interruption. "Have we met? You look familiar."
"She was at the feast last night when you acted like a lunatic," Marchy supplied before April could say a word.
"Oh, right. When I was vandalized by two ingrates." He turned slightly to show his bald patch. "One of which is here somewhere." He eyed the basket. "And he thinks I can't smell him right now. How quaint."
Hawthorn stuck his head out the basket and chittered.
April cleared her throat, reclaiming the Boojum's attention. "It's very nice to meet you…Devrel?"
He sat at his full three-foot height and beamed at her. Of course, he was always grinning. It seemed particularly brighter today. Or mayhap Marchy was in a better mood… Though that was fading fast as the feline pest continued to insert himself into the picnic.
"A pleasure. Though I don't know your name, I'm afraid."
"Oh, it's April. April Evans." She clasped her hands in her lap. "May I ask what you need Hawthorn for? Not to eat him, surely."
"I like her, Marchy. She has manners. Try not to scare her off tonight. Hmm."
Marchy closed his eyes and counted to ten. He would not swat the beast. He wouldn't….
Devrel vanished and reappeared within the circle of April's arms, purring. She jumped slightly but didn't shove him away. "Well, my dear. It seems the White King is very ill in body, and the stress has made the White Queen ill in mind. More so, I should say, as she hasn't been fully herself for some time. Hatter and Melody are both now at the White Court, and I need to bring Hawthorn to get instructions to pass along to Marchy later…for apparel he has not delivered to those attending the masquerade."
Marchy's annoyance faded. Hatter still needed him. So he hadn't taken Marchy's anger to heart. Of course, he never did. And still he was always surprised his friend hadn't pushed him away. "Cadence is still going to have the party with the royals of the White Kingdom in such a state?"
Devrel stretched and yawned. "The queen insisted Cadence not tell anyone until the morrow. Even distressed, she doesn't wish to upset anyone. And she knows there's a findling. She wouldn't wish to spoil her final day."
"Oh, it's no bother at all," April chimed in. Her concern for two people she'd never met appeared to be genuine as she frowned down at the creature in her lap. "I would more than understand."
He should be the one in her lap. Or the opposite. Stop thinking about that. The situation is serious.
Devrel rolled to his feet and looked at the basket as Hawthorn crawled out and onto the Boojum's back. "I'll bring Hawthorn to the castle in a little while. Don't feel the need to hurry back. No one will need anything for several hours yet." With that, Devrel and Hawthorn simply disappeared into thin air.
"Wow," April said and blinked. " I hope the White King and Queen are okay."
"Adelaide, the White Queen that is, has been struggling with her visions for a while now, and losing both her sisters hasn't helped." Marchy poured them both cups of tea, kept blissfully warm by an enchanted container that also refilled itself when empty. His hand shook slightly when he handed her a cup and saucer. "My affliction, the laughter, is a mere annoyance. She sees things, but not in perfect detail. She has to decipher them. From what I hear, they've been more frequent and disturbing."
"That sounds terrible."
He nodded and took a sip of his own tea. "Nevertheless, we have a few hours to ourselves, and if you are still here in the morning, we can travel to see them. Or would that be too dour?" He'd never been especially close to Adelaide or Nathanial, her husband, though she had been the one to give him the official job of seeing after Hatter—something he had been doing already, but the added income for doing it was nice. Did it make him a terrible person for still preferring to spend the day with April instead? His loyalties were torn, and the only way to feel better about it was to focus on one over the other. His time with April might be cut short, and he would regret it forever if he didn't spend this time with her while he had it.
"No, no. I would very much like to meet this Adelaide, if she is up for visitors. I hope they are both much better tomorrow." April's brow furrowed and she stared at her teacup. "You said she lost sisters. Did they both die?"
Marchy really wanted to change the subject, to try to enjoy the day. What if the bleak topic made her not wish to stay? Perhaps it was selfish of him to think so, but even Adelaide had put the findling's experience in the Red Kingdom, as well as those at court for the masquerade, above the importance of the situation.
"Wilhelmina, the Queen of Hearts, was executed for her crimes against the realm. Matilda, the former Red Queen, tried to kill Cadence and had an illegal menagerie hidden at the castle among other offenses, so she was banished from Wonderland forever." When April stayed quiet, he looked in her direction and nearly dropped his cup in his haste to set it down. She'd gone ashen. "Are you okay? You look ill. Is the tea bad?"
April shook herself and pushed her dark brown hair out of her face and behind her ear. Worry filled her blue eyes. "I…think I need to tell you something."
Concern speared through him. Did the talk of the former queens' foul deeds scare her?
"It's about my employer." Her voice shook. "How I came through the looking glass."
He leaned closer. Somehow, in all their interactions, he still hadn't managed to hear this story yet. "I'm listening…" His gaze fell to her lips as she moistened them. They had been so soft, warm, and sweet. How he'd like to taste them again, perhaps sooner rather than later.
"Marchy," she said, irritation signaling he'd been caught in the act of thinking sensual thoughts. She turned her head as a gust of wind blew over their picnic, sending items rolling about the blanket and into the grass. "Marchy!" April screamed and dove behind him.
A huge Jabberwock landed in the clearing next to them, blinking down at the mess he made. "I do beg your pardon. I only wanted to drop down to say hello."
April whispered from behind him, "That dragon can talk."
The Jabberwock's whisker-like appendages twitched as he took in that comment. "Of course I can talk."
Marchy patted the back of April's hand that rested on his shoulder. What it must be like to experience Wonderland for the first time as a visitor to the realm rather than being born there. It must be so bizarre to her, though not in the way
Alice had painted it. "It's all right. Reythor is a friend." And one they had all been terrified of themselves for a long time.
At this, April slowly rose to her feet. She looked Reythor up and down and then nodded. "Hello. That is a lovely waistcoat you are wearing." It was dark purple with silver brocade, and he had a silver watch attached and tucked into the pocket. It was a nice waistcoat.
"Thank you, dear girl. The Hatter made it for me." Naturally. Marchy would recognize the skilled craftsmanship anywhere.
"I hear he does fine work." She glanced at Marchy. "I suppose I should wear one of the dresses he brought me from Cadence's closet tonight. He apparently altered one for me to wear to the masquerade."
"He would love for you to do so," Marchy said warmly. He owed his friend an apology for his behavior. That would have to wait until tomorrow, unfortunately. "Hatter takes great pride in dressing people. He was offered a crown and kingdom and refused all of it because it wasn't what he loved." Marchy thought it foolish at first, but Hatter would never be happy if not in his workshop or sipping tea with those he cared for. He couldn't fathom ever being offered a position so high up the social ladder.
The Jabberwock beamed at him; although, with his large front teeth, it was hard to tell when he smiled. "Are you the new findling?"
April hesitated a moment. "Yes…?"
Reythor thought about something for a moment, then leaned closer. "I don't offer this to just anyone, but—if you'd like—you and Marchy can fly with me to see the realm."
At this, Marchy's jaw dropped. A Jabberwock never carried anyone on its back. "May I ask why?" Then he quickly added, "Why you would extend such a gracious invitation, that is."
His grin faded slightly. "The White Queen said a new findling hadn't gotten to see much of Wonderland outside the Red Kingdom and her time was almost up. Even if I wasn't asked to do it, this is the first time I've seen you enjoying time alone with someone who isn't Hatter. If she makes you happy, this small deed will make me happy."
Marchy had always respected Reythor since he'd come to claim the egg Matilda had hidden away all those years ago. Gareth had mistakenly killed this Jabberwock's father, and everyone felt terrible about it, Gareth especially. Since Hatter and Melody did not take over either the Red Kingdom, nor had they wished to rebuild the ruins of Heart Castle and rule the Black kingdom of Wonderland, the Jabberwock had been given authority on that side of the wall. He stayed to the Forgotten Mountains with his young brother, who had hatched soon after Cadence and Gareth's coronation.
"Well?" He turned to April who looked both frightened and exhilarated all at once. "Care to ride on the back of a Jabberwock?"
She nodded and met his gaze. "We still need to finish our conversation though."
He wanted to hear all about April's life, but right now he needed to show her his. Make her long for adventure and romance. He blinked at that thought. He did want a romance with her. He couldn't deny it to himself anymore, which both scared and excited him. "We shall. Tonight."
Something dire lingered in her expression. "It's important, Marchy."
"Tonight." He leaned in and kissed her head. He couldn't let her worries reign over the day. Not if there was a chance she might want to stay here. "Right now, the most important thing is to fill you with excitement and love for this realm so you don't leave me."
He hadn't meant to say all that. Laughter bubbled up his throat as his ear began to twitch, and he groaned. Not again. April kneeled next to him when he sat on the grass to let it out, rubbing his back, but shame heated his face and he tried to move away though he didn't get far. Twice today. Some days it only happened once. Often, he could skip days. He hated being seen as broken.
Damaged.
April went about picking up the scattered remains of their picnic they hadn't gotten to enjoy yet and packing it up while he got through his laughing fit. The Jabberwock helped fold the blanket which looked like nothing more than a napkin in his hands, and then he hooked the basket to his pocket watch chain.
"Are you ready?" April asked as Marchy stood, swiping the grass and dirt from his trousers. She didn't appear disgusted with him as she held her hand out. He took it. The feel of her flesh against his sent a jolt of warmth and awareness through him. This connection between them felt fated. Like he'd been looking for her his whole life.
Mayhap he had.
Flying on the back of a Jabberwock was exhilarating, though scary. She couldn't believe it was actually happening. Forget seatbelts; nothing could tether them to the back of a dragon. But his waistcoat provided a soft cushioning against the rough scales, and the spikes at the base of his long serpentine neck were easy to hold tightly. April wouldn't have traded this moment for the world. Marchy sat behind her, arms wrapped around her waist. She was pretty sure his eyes were squeezed shut if his frequent whispered curses and death grip provided any indication.
And he'd lost his top hat shortly after they took flight. After a string of obscenities, and Reythor being more than willing to look for it, he had finally given up complaining so that he didn't spoil her day.
For a man so supposedly selfish, he focused on her needs more than his own. In her short time here, his loneliness enveloped him like a coat, yet he was far too proud to admit it. April found him considerate, kind, gorgeous, and obsessive-compulsive, but everyone had quirks. He just wore his more visibly than others, and that was okay. Maybe a bit endearing, when he wasn't in too foul of a mood. When he let himself be truly himself, though…she could easily lose her heart to the man, and she feared she might already be falling down that slippery slope. Love at first sight might not be a myth, and she was both scared and excited by what it could mean.
The one cloud on her happiness was that she might be sent home tonight. It still shocked her to think her boss really had been the former Red Queen, living in a castle for most of her life. But she'd tried to murder Cadence… Was banished! Matilda Scarlet had made it sound as though she'd chosen to leave on her own. Not that she had been forced out. It changed things, and probably not for the better.
So why then had she sent April here instead if she'd found a way back into Wonderland at all? Something wasn't right. She could feel it, but every time she tried to bring it up, she was interrupted. Marchy didn't want to discuss it in front of the Jabberwock, and she could kind of see his point. If Matilda had sent her here with ill intentions, the less people who knew about it until they figured out why, the better.
It didn't make any sense. Then again, it was Wonderland. Though not quite as nonsensical as the fiction, the reality still proved as whimsical and bizarre as one would dream.
As the black stone castle of the Red Kingdom came into view below, April pushed aside all her troubling thoughts. The guards and citizens in the gardens looked up at them, shielding their eyes to the sun. In the distance, the mountain range Marchy had called the Crimson Mountains were covered in waves of red flowers. The rocks appeared to be bleeding. Both eerie yet beautiful. She couldn't help but smile. The multiple hues of the trees in the forests on both sides of the Red Kingdom looked as though a rainbow had burst and dyed everything beneath it. Like a dream world made startling reality. Even in artwork back home, April had never seen a more beautiful sight.
The Jabberwock flew to the west of the castle, over the town and neighboring village, toward the coast. The warm air grew cooler the closer they came to the sea and she shivered in Marchy's arms. Below, a grand forest stretched to their side and red panther-like creatures traveled in a pack like wolves, chasing after them and howling while never fully coming out of the shelter of trees.
"Bandersnatches," Marchy said when he spotted them. His warm breath tickled the back of her neck, making her lips tingle at the memory of his enchanting kiss. "Vicious creatures. Never travel into the Tulgey Wood without someone who knows a path they won't hunt on."
As they neared the coast, April gasped at the severity of waves crashing against rocky cliffs. She'd seen choppy beaches, but this
would be dangerous to any ships that happened to come too close. A vague recollection of Homer's The Odyssey came to mind, of sirens calling ships to their death, or even the monster Scylla lying in wake on a rock across from the ravenous whirlpool, Charybdis. She eyed the Jabberwock's long neck, similar in a fashion to one of Scylla's many in the classical depictions. Was there any truth behind the stories?
"What's that over there?" She nodded toward a silhouette of land far off the coast, barely visible.
Marchy leaned over her shoulder to look. "Gryphon Island. No one can travel there unless they're prey to be fed to the young ones."
That didn't sound pleasant at all. "And here I thought you were going to say they couldn't go because there's no way to sail that sea?"
"If you think this is bad, wait until you see Shipwreck Cove on the other side of the island."
"Naturally. Are there any calm beaches?"
Reythor answered this time. "Beyond the Forgotten Mountains, as well as Madness Bay. Since the island moves through realms, a vanishing isle, the waters surrounding it object to its appearance."
April didn't know how to digest that information. Things like this couldn't be real, but she was living it. Experiencing it.
Marchy tensed behind her. "We have company."
Three beasts soared toward them out of the clouds, roaring in their descent. April screamed and Marchy squeezed her against him tighter. There was nothing else they could be except for gryphons with huge, feathered wings, deadly front talons, back claw-tipped paws, tufted lion tails, and eagle heads with deadly hooked beaks. Two were gray in color, another golden.
The golden one was the largest, flying dead center. They slowed their attack and the golden one cocked its head to look at them. "You're trespassing," the creature rasped out.
It shouldn't even shock her at this point that yet another animal was talking. How did one ever get used to such a thing?
"Stand down, Mortimer," Marchy called out. "We are not headed to your island. Merely taking April, a findling, around to see the lay of the land."
The Enchanting Page 6
