She didn't know the man personally, but tears sprang to her eyes. She had been culpable in the murder, even though she had known nothing of it. It had all been done to plant her into Wonderland. Her blood was used to do whatever magic or witchcraft or sorcery. And just where did her boss find a sorcerer anyway?
"I have to go back," she said suddenly, head snapping up. The White King had already possibly died because of her trip into Wonderland, and she couldn't sit back and allow the queen to die as well when she could do something. Warn someone. Explain what had happened at least.
Tell Marchy she hadn't known. She hadn't played a part willingly in this plot.
The book tumbled onto the shop floor, and she leaned over to scoop it up as she stood. April closed it and tucked it under her arm. She didn't know how she was going to manage returning, but she would try. She had gone through the glass in her body, but had Matilda ever attempted to go through even though she'd been banished? Maybe it would work.
There was no telling what would happen. Would the glass know she had been banished, or would it recognize that her soul or essence or whatever had gone through already? It was one pass per customer, wasn't it? That was what she'd been told. Only one attempt per method of travel.
She stopped in front of the mirror and stared at her determined expression on Matilda's elegant face. It was unnerving not seeing herself when she looked at her reflection, but hopefully she'd have her own face back soon.
I pray I'm not too late to save the White Queen.
Holding her chin up high she reached a tentative hand out and pushed it against the glass. Where it stayed. April pulled her hand back and tried again. Palm met glass, but nothing happened. She tapped on it with her finger. Did she need to cut her palm again?
Wait… they had used blood to activate the mirror due to the magic involved. What happened if the mirror was broken?
April rushed to the first heavy object she found—an ugly green vase that was at least sixty years old. She flung it into the mirror as hard as she could, but the glass didn't shatter. The vase, however, hit the ground with a crash and crumbled into several pieces.
"This is all very amusing, but you're not going to get in that way. Enchanted objects have to be depowered."
April whirled around and gawked at Devrel, who sat on the cash wrap, grinning widely at her. "You figured it out?" She could hardly believe it, but relief brought warmth back to her veins to override the fear that no one would know it wasn't her attempting to do something horrible. "You knew she wasn't me?"
"Naturally." His grin really was creepy. "Marchy did first, you might wish to know."
Relief poured through her at that news. He hadn't been tricked by a fake her. "Is he okay? Did she hurt him?"
"He's fine, he's fine, but we haven't the time for the inquiries of the heart. We simply must return. Time moves differently here, and while it's only been…" He paused and glanced around, tail swishing behind him. "How long have you been awake?"
April peeked at the clock. "About an hour."
"It's been at least four or mayhap five in Wonderland. The more time apart, the greater the difference in time, or the least…sometimes it moves the opposite direction. It's rather unpredictable." Devrel vanished into midair and reappeared at her side, where he rubbed against her legs. She jumped.
"You can take me there?" It was a dumb question. Hadn't Cadence said he'd brought her there the first time?
"Boojums don't follow the natural order of things. Banished or not, I can take you there, but if we don't stop Matilda, and you are like this permanently, Wonderland will not keep you. It won't know you aren't her like we do."
She wouldn't be able to stay if they were too late. Time was decidedly not on her side. Yet, she'd get to tell Marchy good-bye. It would break her heart to pieces, but anything was better than waking up next to an imposter inside her body. What had he thought…? No good would come from those thoughts. "Stop talking and take me back."
"I thought you'd never ask."
One moment, they were in the antique store, and the next, she was standing in a white throne room with bright sunlight spilling in over checkered marble flooring. Nobody was in the room, but a black veil had been spread over one of the two thrones. So, the king was dead, after all. Even though she hadn't known what would happen, she still felt guilty by mere association.
"Matilda," a woman croaked out. "You're…back?"
April turned and peered into the face of a woman who looked a lot like Matilda, wearing a gown of all white. Her long, black hair was braided and hung over one shoulder. She looked as though she'd crack like a china doll if anyone so much as tapped her. The skin around her hazel eyes was puffy from tears, but it didn't take away from her ethereal beauty.
"No, your eyes…your eyes are wrong. You're…you but not you. I dreamed of this." She came in closer, gripped April's chin, and kept her from moving her gaze away. "I've been dreaming of red for days now. Of course you'd come, or she would. Or both." She paused and glanced down at Devrel and back at her, releasing her. "Who are you?"
"April Evans." She did a poor job of curtseying. "A findling, if the word is right. It would seem my boss, your sister, has used me and now my body to return home. I think she killed…"
"My husband, Nathanial." The White Queen dabbed at her eyes with her sleeves. "Yes, he passed this morning. His mysterious illness started the day, I suppose, you arrived in Wonderland originally."
Her heart panged. If that was true, and so was the body-swap, then the only part left was this woman's death. There was still time to save her. April held out Matilda's journal, determined to do whatever it took to prevent another tragedy. "I found this with some explanation on how she did things. I know it doesn't make it better, but it has answers."
The queen took the book in a shaking hand and nodded. "Thank you."
"There's more," Devrel said, solemnly while cleaning behind one of his ears with a deft paw. "Marchy believes Matilda must harm or kill one more person before things are permanent, that she'd mentioned something about having limited time."
April started at this. Marchy had indeed figured things out, and thank God that Matilda hadn't killed him for it. If she was this upset about the death of someone she hadn't met, she didn't know how she'd handle the news of Marchy or even Gareth, Cadence, Melody or Hatter's deaths all so she would be an unknowing proxy to this scheme.
Devrel stretched and began to groom. "If I were a betting cat, I would have said Cadence. But they had a whole conversation and not a drop of blood was spilled."
April exhaled a breath a relief
"Me. She'd want to kill me." The White Queen crossed her arms over the journal and frowned at the floor. "I took her to the flowers for her sentencing and agreed with the banishment."
"She has to kill someone of her own bloodline to keep my body." April hated that she had the confirmation to that answer. "Otherwise, we switch back. I can't believe she'd want to kill her own sister." She'd hadn't had the chance to truly have a family, and here was someone willing to kill her own for selfish gain. Banishment was extreme, but how would a former queen survive in a kingdom after losing their crown? She'd been allowed her life and a new path. And this was how she repaid that mercy.
"That's where you're wrong," Matilda said as she entered the throne room. Her hair was windblown and wild, and the red dress she wore—the dress that had enticed Marchy so completely the night before—had gotten muddied at the hem. It was wild seeing her body across the room, knowing someone else was in possession of it. "For I very much would like to see my dear sister dead."
Chapter 12
"I'm taking Wonderland back, and I'm going to rule it myself. As it was meant to be ruled before our parents had three children and didn't want to pick a favorite." Matilda Scarlet came farther into the room. She cradled something in a hand, holding it up by her stomach, but April couldn't see what. It didn't appear to be a weapon, but that didn't mean it wouldn't be dangerous.
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"You don't have to do this," she said, stepping forward. "You still have time to set your differences aside, visit with your family and return home in your body."
Matilda turned her attention fully on April and smirked. "How noble. For you, this isn't about what's right and wrong but about getting your precious body back."
Aghast, April took a step forward, but Matilda wasn't done insulting her to her marrow.
"How long were you here before you threw yourself into bed with the most notorious cad in the entire realm?"
Shock and hurt hit her like a slap to the face. She had realized she hadn't known her boss as well as she thought, but she'd never expected to hear something so cruel from her.
"Don't you dare speak to her like that again," a man shouted in a tone that rang with finality.
April gasped and looked to the other side of the room where Marchy and Gareth had just entered from the opposite doorway. Gareth stared between April and Matilda in what seemed to be disbelief, and Marchy glared daggers at the former Red Queen.
"I knew I should have killed you." Venom laced the words.
"Well, why didn't you? Oh, that's right, because you wanted to make a grand show of it, and I was but a mere halfling you thought inferior." Marchy crossed the room and took April into his arms.
She clung to him, comforted instantly by his warmth and closeness. "I thought I'd never see you again." How could she have gone on without him when her heart soared at the sight of him. The sound of his voice. His kiss. His touch. She was in love with him.
He brought a hand up to the side of her face. "I'd never let that happen. One way or another, I'd get you back. I'd have gone to your world if I had to."
And leave everything and everyone he cared about behind? April's heart clenched. The determined expression on his face implied he would have found a way. He leaned in, but as her lips parted, a gagging noise interrupted them.
"If I have to watch you kiss my former body, I'm going to be sick."
"Be quiet, Matilda!" the White Queen had finally spoken. She glowered at her sister now. "Nathanial is dead. And for what? He didn't deserve that. Your problem is with me, so why didn't you kill me instead of him?"
"You took everything from me and sent me away to rot. You gave that child my castle and my crown. I killed him so you'd suffer before I killed you too." Matilda lifted a hand. "Let's see if this will work on this supple, findling body."
"What is that?" April whispered to Marchy, almost not wanting to know. "What is she going to do to my body?" It was strange enough seeing her own face twisted into mean and angry expressions, but any unknown factors made it worse.
He cursed. Well, that isn't good. "It's a tea cake."
"A…" Her eyes widened. Surely not. "I thought you all were messing with me. Food can't really make findlings grow or shrink, can it?"
"Unfortunately, it can," Devrel said as he appeared at her right side.
Matilda took a bite of the cake and smiled as she began to chew.
"Should we run?" April asked, not particularly wanting to see herself grow as big as a house…or skyscraper. She didn't exactly know how tall she would get. "I feel like we should run." Marchy hugged her closer, giving her reassurance.
"Matilda, let's talk about this," the White Queen pleaded.
It was too late. Matilda took a delicate bite of the cake and immediately began to grow larger. April wondered if it was selfish to worry how it was going to affect her skin elasticity. Matilda guffawed as she towered over them, the sound echoing off walls and sounding ominous. At least twenty feet in height, and still not as tall as the vaulted ceiling in the throne room, but it didn't make her any less imposing. Everyone could do nothing more but stare upward, but April looked around, bewildered. Marchy hugged her closer. Gareth's hand tightened on his sword.
"At least her clothing grew with her," April said dumbly. Okay, so maybe the idea of a giant version of her body being naked in front of everyone was a bit disturbing.
Marchy and Gareth turned to stare at her as her comment registered with them.
"What? It might not have. I don't know."
Matilda started to take a step toward them.
"Time to go!" Devrel shouted, and the next thing April knew, she was outside the castle in the fields beyond the gardens and walls.
The White Queen, Marchy, and Gareth were with her and Devrel. The Boojum must have teleported them out. A great rumbling sound drew her attention back to the castle as Matilda kicked a hole in the side of the wall.
"So, exactly what are we going to do about this?" Gareth asked the White Queen, finally drawing his sword as he took a step in front of her. She appeared dazed, possibly going into shock with everything happening to and around her.
"We make sure nobody gets killed." As April spoke, people began pouring out of the castle from various exits, screaming and pointing at the giant lady pushing herself out of the hole in the side of the castle wall. "And that just became more difficult." Matilda could step on someone like an ant.
"Our only hope is to keep her focused on me," the queen said silently as she ran her palm over the journal. "She won't bother anyone else if we keep it personal. She has to come for me if she wants to stay in Wonderland, and I would prefer it be me than an innocent not involved in the family squabble."
"Marchy," April put a hand on his arm as movement caught her peripheral. "What's that over there?" Something big hovered in the sky beyond the castle, high in the clouds.
He held a hand over his eyes and squinted at the spot she was pointing at. "I believe it's Reythor." Sure enough, the long-necked Jabberwock flew closer, heading into their direction as he began to descend, finally landing with a thud.
With a final kick, more of the castle wall crumbled and Matilda had made a big enough hole to climb through. "Even if the cat takes you back to the other side of Wonderland, I'll still find you!"
Without thinking, April ran toward Reythor. She ignored Marchy's protests as she covered the distance between them. The dragon backed up a step at the sight of her and she remembered she wasn't in her body. "It's me, April." She said as she caught her breath. Matilda's body was really out of shape even though she didn't look it. "The former Red Queen switched our bodies and she's coming to kill the White Queen to make it permanent."
The dragon studied her without comment.
She hated to impose on Reythor, but she couldn't think of any other way to go at this, and she couldn't let her friends and the man she loved get squashed without trying. It wouldn't take long for Matilda to reach them, and she was right…Devrel could keep teleporting them, but with her larger size, she'd cover distance at a faster rate. "I really hate to ask this, but do you think you can give me a lift on your back like you did yesterday so I can get close enough to talk to Ms. Scarlet, er…Matilda, and reason with her?"
Marchy grabbed her arm and spun her to face him. Panic crossed his expression and one of his ears twitched. "What are you doing?" Over his shoulder she spotted the others watching them. Gareth seemed steadfast in his determination to guard the White Queen, Devrel seemed like he was there for the amusement more than anything else.
"I have to do something. She can be reasoned with." April moved out of his grip. "I know she can." While she'd always been weird, Matilda had been a good boss and never been cruel to customers. Even though her insult still stung, April knew that somewhere, deep down, she was a good person. Of course, all that time working for her, she'd been groomed to become the proxy for this scheme that resulted in one death already. Still, April had to try.
A bubble of hysterical laughter escaped Marchy's throat and he shook his head. "I can't watch you die. I already thought I lost you for good today."
All she wanted to do was take him in her arms and be free of this drama. To know for certain they could be together. But their chance to be together was being threatened. "If I don't try, and she succeeds, you will lose me forever."
More laughter escaped him, and h
e had to sit down. She squatted next to him and kissed his forehead. "I love you. Please let me try."
Unable to speak, he squeezed her hand reassuringly, and she stood once more and faced the Jabberwock. He nodded, apparently now convinced by her exchange with Marchy that she was being truthful.
"I hope you know what you're risking, findling." Reythor bent to allow her to climb onto his back.
Her hands shook but she was determined to do this. Not just to get her body back and have a life with Marchy, but to save a life. Two lives. If Matilda killed her sister, she would regret it for the rest of her life. She already had the blood on her hands for the White King. But how could Matilda live with herself knowing her last blood relation died at her hands? Would the woman take her own life when the magnitude of what she'd done finally registered?
April would give anything for time with her family back. Anything. There had to be some decency left in her ex-employer's soul. Because the alternative was too awful to accept.
Reythor took off into the air and she held tight to the scales at the base of his neck. Ms. Scarlet tried to slap them as they flew closer. Now as large as the Jabberwock, even if she got a hit in, Reythor could hold his own.
"Ms. Scarlet, please listen to me," April attempted to shout. Matilda raised an eyebrow. "You don't have to kill anyone. Talk to your sister. Work out a different alternative than this."
"What do you know? You just want your precious halfling!" She lunged for the Jabberwock, but he flew out of reach.
"I love Marchy. I won't deny it. But this isn't about me. This is about the two of you. Don't let your legacy be remembered the same way as the Queen of Hearts."
This made Matilda scowl and she tried to kick out at the Jabberwock, who nearly got caught by the attack but swooped out of range at the last second. "Our other sister had a heart made of stone, and it was only a matter of time before we followed suit."
The Enchanting Page 10
