by Emma Dean
Aiden hid it behind his back before she could get a proper look though. “Why are you scowling?” he asked.
“I’m not scowling,” she snapped. “This is just my face.”
“I beg to differ, my enigmatic raven. For you.” Then Aiden whipped his hand out from behind his back and presented the item to her with a small bow. “‘The most beautiful emotion we can experience is the mysterious.’”
Emily had never thought she’d feel giddy warmth and awe over a quote from Einstein, but somehow it fit her perfectly.
She took the small rock and held it up to the lamplight. It was a gorgeous sea green that looked like it’d been rubbed clean. “Where did you find this?”
“I saw it in Dead Man’s River and thought you’d like it. I know ravens keep a hoard just like raccoons and dragons.” Aiden blushed slightly and stuck his hands in his coat pockets.
“You saw this while you were dying and thought I might like it?” Emily asked, eyeing the raccoon like he’d lost his mind. To her logical mind it sounded absurd and idiotic.
But the side of her that loved romance and trinkets was infatuated, and she was starting to become extremely attached.
How was she supposed to let him go after all of this? Let all of them go?
“Do you like it?” Aiden asked, sounding doubtful for the first time. “I know I should have left it, but I couldn’t help myself.”
“I do like it,” Emily admitted. “I’ll add it to my other treasures.”
She slipped the shiny pebble in the small pouch on her belt and tried to smile at him, but Emily failed miserably.
Her heart was too heavy and disconsolate.
When their adventures were done, she would head back to her Collective and beg forgiveness. She would atone for her crimes against the Enclave and raven-kind. With the contracts expired Emily wouldn’t have to worry about the raccoons getting assassinated.
But…would the Enclave forgive her?
Emily didn’t think so, but she had to try.
For the time being, she was going to try and enjoy these moments with the raccoons. The future was too far away and unpredictable.
“What’s wrong?” Aiden asked, reaching out to take her hand.
Emily turned before he could and tracked Jace who was still talking to Alice. She could go over there and figure out what the hell was going on, or she could have Chance give her the crash course on Wonderland.
Emily avoided the way Ben and Chance watched her closely. Somehow, they seemed more attuned to her emotions than before.
She needed some space. “Nothing’s wrong. Thank you again.”
Aiden was the one she had to worry about. Aiden and Ben. Those two would have her head over heels in love before she knew what was happening.
So, she went to see Jace first. Chance could tell her at any time, but Emily wasn’t sure how long Jace would have Alice’s attention. She seemed to be some kind of leader among these people.
If anyone would know where the items of power were, it would be her.
“We just came from a world without magic, but we’re not from there,” Jace explained to Alice, placing a hand on her arm, and Emily stopped dead.
Was he flirting with her?
Oh, Emily was definitely going to kill him.
“I’m from that world,” Alice admitted. “It’s why they put me in a hospital. They didn’t believe this place was real.”
Suddenly Emily had the urge to hunch her shoulders—every instinct she had was screaming.
There was something watching her.
Her eyes narrowed when she spotted the male who’d sparked her assassin senses. He was good at blending in, even into the shadows it seemed, but not quite in the same way she could. Only the occasional flash of his light blue eyes could be seen even with her staring right at him.
Emily exhaled and entered that dark place that painted everything in shades of grey and black, glittering diamonds indicated where power was pocketed. It was the veil between worlds – the shadow realm.
She wove through some of the campfires filled with people she would normally love to observe – spend hours doing it in a place like this where each person looked like something out of a fantasy novel.
It took nothing to breathe in and step through the veil back into this reality.
Emily reappeared next to the male hiding in the shadows and waited silently, one hand on her sharpest, favorite knife.
“Neat little trick. Think you could teach me how to do that?” he asked.
“Have you got any magic?” Emily watched with narrowed eyes as Jace laughed with Alice.
“A bit.”
Good to know.
“Then maybe.”
Alice’s smile faltered and she sighed. Suddenly a new male appeared, one whose eyes sparkled when he saw her.
“That’s Louis,” the male beside her explained, his voice perfectly pitched so as not to carry. “He’s the one who brought Alice here from that wretched place she came from – saved her life.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“I’m hoping you’d tell me where you came from.”
Emily didn’t know what to say. It’s not like she knew the name of each world. “A place like hers, but with magic,” she murmured, watching as Alice led Jace and Louis down the tunnels. Emily narrowed her eyes as they walked away.
He hadn’t even told the other raccoons.
“Show me how and we can follow them,” the male said. His crystal blue eyes and nearly white-blond hair gave him a mysterious air.
Who was he and why did he want to follow them?
“There’s a world in the shadows between realms,” she told him, not sure why she was telling him anything at all. These damn raccoons were fucking with her mind. “If you can step through the veil with a bit of magic, the shadows will hide you while still allowing us to view this world.”
Emily glanced at him again, wondering if he could even manage it. “I’ll warn you though, there are things that live in the shadow realm. If you don’t know how to navigate their world silently…they’ll come after you.”
She felt reckless and stupid. What danger could this male pose once she left this world? It’s not like she couldn’t see those who hid in the shadows. She would know he was coming before he even knew where she was.
He grinned and somehow it looked like he had fangs. “Sounds exciting. Name’s Jack.”
“Emily.” She grinned right back, but it was more a feral warning than a warm greeting.
Jack was dangerous, but whether he was on their side or not was yet to be determined. Figuring out his motives was necessary to her survival…and the raccoons.
Memorizing the sound of his heartbeat, the way he breathed, and the feel of his aura, Emily took his hand and exhaled as she focused.
Together they entered the shadow realm and Jack looked around with wide eyes, the rest of his face carefully neutral.
Emily put her finger to her lips to remind him to be silent, and together they followed Alice, Jace, and Louis.
They went down winding tunnels, deep underground until Emily felt like she was suffocating. She was a raven, a creature made for open skies and freedom. Not this dirt and heaviness above her, cutting off the sunshine and fresh air.
Somehow there was a slight breeze here and there that meant these caves and tunnels vented to the surface, but the air still smelled of loam and mud and roots and dead things.
Emily was surprised though, for a bunch of underground living areas, the space had been nicely decorated. In some places artists had carved into the dirt around the doorways, painted it with varying colors. Inside the rooms were bright colors and various fabrics on the furniture and floors.
This was no temporary space. This was a long-term camp hidden from the surface.
Emily gritted her teeth. The last thing they needed was to get wrapped up in someone else’s problems. They couldn’t afford to stay in one place for long, let alone liberate another r
ealm from tyranny.
That would be Alice’s job and Emily would make sure the raccoons knew that.
“We rescued him from the queen’s dungeons,” Alice was explaining to Jace, Louis never far from her side. “But he’s been infected with Madness and doesn’t trust himself outside of the cell despite periods of lucidity.”
Emily nearly stepped out of the shadow realm to warn Jace not to expose himself to the disease and thus expose the rest of their group, but the male holding her hand squeezed and yanked back slightly. She nearly snarled as she whipped around, but that would be asking for all kinds of trouble they didn’t need. Instead she gave him a flash of teeth in warning.
The male shook his head and then jutted his chin toward Alice, who was talking again.
“Don’t worry, the disease isn’t airborne. It can only be contracted if you ingest it. We’ll have to keep an eye on you lot, see if Dead Man’s River was poisoned.”
“Pretty sure it was poisoned,” Jace said wryly, glancing over his shoulder. His eyes skimmed over her but didn’t see her. Still, he sensed her presence somehow. Emily knew he did when a corner of his lip lifted in a half-smile.
“The river is what it is,” Alice said, smiling slightly as they turned a corner. “The name warns all of Wonderland, but if Madness has been dumped into the water you may have survived it only to find yourself losing control and suddenly at the queen’s mercy. That he can resist at all is a near miracle.”
The three of them stopped in front of a door set into rock. Some kind of steel from the smell of it. Emily eyed the way it was drilled into the rock and decided only a truly motivated and pissed off shifter could get it loose. The steel itself was so thick it took both Alice and Louis to open the door.
She waited for the three of them to slip inside before heading to the doorway. Emily leaned against the rock doorway and watched, wondering why this male beside her wanted to spy on his own people, or if perhaps he had some ulterior motive for getting her to bring him here.
Was she supposed to be moved by their plight? Did he want to know how long she could stay in this shadowy place, or bring the monsters down upon them? So far, he’d been every bit as quiet as she was. Emily didn’t know what to make of it.
Yet.
After a quick inspection of the room and filing away the route they’d taken, slowly building a mental map of this place, Emily let herself look at the male sitting cross-legged in the center of the room.
He was barefoot with only pants on.
And a straitjacket.
Every instinct she had warned her this guy would be a threat if he got loose.
“This is Red,” Alice murmured. “Red Bowler.”
Alice looked down at the male with an expression on her face Emily knew all too well – a strange mix of adoration and fear. But not afraid of him, no. Alice was terrified for him.
“He has Madness and we’re still trying to find a cure,” Alice explained. “But so far nothing seems to be working.”
“Do you have a sample of it?” Jace asked, crouching down in front of Red.
Who was staring right at Emily.
“The shadows are watching us,” Red muttered, shaking his head and making his shaggy red hair fall into his eyes.
Those strange, yellow orange eyes eyed her with a sharpness that made her heart start pounding as adrenaline flooded her system.
Red gave her a lazy smile. “Phantoms and wings of death.”
16
Emily
No one spoke or moved.
How the hell could this guy know she was there, what she was?
Louis shifted uncomfortably, clearly thinking Red was lost in his own mind.
How much did he see? How much was because of this disease? Or did Red possess the ability to see through things like some in her own world could?
“We have no sample of the disease. Only what’s in his blood,” Alice admitted. “Before he was captured, Red was the leader of this rebellion against the queen.” She shrugged. “Some days are better than others.”
Jace was quiet for a long moment as he studied the red-haired male. “What do you see?” he asked.
Emily jolted. Sometimes she forgot how smart Jace was when he wasn’t constantly trying to piss her off.
The male beside her tilted his head and studied the raccoon, a fire alight in his eyes like he too had wondered the same thing Jace had.
“A harbinger,” Red said, baring his teeth at Emily. “The most beautiful death I’ve ever seen.”
A shudder went through her, but she buried it down deep and exhaled, stepping out of the shadow realm, yanking on the male’s hand so he was forced out as well.
“Graceful as a swan,” Red snarled. “And dead as a dodo.”
Emily just stared at him, wondering how he could see. Those strange yellow orange eyes almost looked gold in some lights. “A pleasure I’m sure.”
“Jack?” Alice asked, hand on the hilt of her sword as she eyed the male next to Emily. “What exactly is going on here?”
Emily snorted. At least she wasn’t the only one wondering about the motives of the males supposedly interested in her.
“A magic bullet. Magic moment, magic eye, magic magic magic,” Red whispered. “Magic touch—pure fucking magic,” Red chanted, spitting out the last word like it had a bad taste.
“Just picking up a new skill,” Jack drawled. “Don’t be jealous, Red. It doesn’t look good on you.”
Jace eyed Emily but didn’t say anything before he turned back to the odd, beautiful man in the straitjacket. “Help us get what we need, and we’ll help you,” Jace told Alice. “I can’t promise a cure, but we can get you on the right track.”
She knew he was talking about her watch, but Emily wasn’t sure she’d be able to help them with a disease that didn’t exist in her world. Who knew if the witch who’d refurbished it knew of others outside their realm?
But she didn’t undermine him in front of these people. Emily kept her mouth shut and held Red’s gaze.
“Riddle me this, phantom kiss,” Red murmured. “Do you plan to run away?”
A chill went down her spine and for a split-second Emily felt as though he’d stared straight into her soul and seen the truth she’d been hiding from the raccoons.
“Pretty eyes,” she told him, letting her own blaze ruby. “Pretty birds of prey that haunt and slay.”
Red grinned at that and she admired his sharp canines. “You can play.”
“Only today.” Emily grinned right back, feeling an odd connection to this damaged creature. “Red instead of grey.”
Something in the male’s eyes sharpened and he looked up at Alice. “Red instead of grey. I am Red.”
Tears spilled down Alice’s face and she reached down to gently hold his face. “Yes, you are Red. Red Bowler, and you saved my life the first time I came to Wonderland. You saved my life again, just a few weeks ago.”
They all held their breath as Red rested his head against Alice’s stomach. “Red, not dead.”
“No, not dead,” Alice agreed. “Just sick. Let me find you some soup.”
Interesting.
Emily knew there was more to this male than meets the eye, but this sickness seemed to come and go on top of whatever skills he already possessed. “Is he the only one able to fight off the sickness?”
Alice threw Emily a grateful look as she hustled by in search of some soup.
For the first time Louis spoke. “Not always. Ever since Alice came back and reminded him of who he was…it’s been like this. In and out of reality.”
“His reality is simply more layered than yours,” Jace said, standing up and slipping his hands into his pockets. “It seems like he can see into the shadow realm, which can be very useful.” He gave Emily an amused look and then the alpha raccoon followed after Alice.
She was alone with these three Wonderland males – Louis, Jack, and…the damaged one.
“Shadows and phantoms,” Red whispered, never
once blinking as he once again stared at Emily.
It was unnerving to meet someone who could see so much.
“Don’t forget assassin,” Emily crooned, blowing him a kiss.
“What are you?” Red asked, straining against his straitjacket and making Louis step forward in alarm.
Interestingly Jack didn’t move but she could smell the metal on him, she could sense his readiness. Emily would have to watch out for that one.
“They call me messenger of prophecy.” Emily whirled around, ready to go find the other raccoons. But something made her stop at the door and glance back. “Also known as a raven.”
Then she folded in on herself and flapped hard, shooting up toward the rocky ceiling to follow after Jace.
He hadn’t gotten far.
Emily landed on Jace’s shoulder, digging her talons into his shoulder. His sharp hiss of pain gave her a sick satisfaction and she ruffled her wings into place, making sure to smack his head a few times.
“Someone’s jealous,” Jace muttered.
Her talons only dug harder into his skin until she could smell blood on the air.
“Don’t try to deny it,” Jace teased. “I can smell it on you.”
Emily ruffled her feathers, suddenly uncomfortable.
“This Madness, do you think your watch could run an analysis on it?”
Jace walked gracefully back through the tunnels without hesitation. He must have memorized the route as well. His smooth gait didn’t once jostle her.
Emily trilled slightly. She didn’t know if it would work, but it wouldn’t hurt to try.
They needed to make a deal. These people would know where the items of power were. The faster they retrieved them, the faster they could leave. Emily felt a pressure on her chest, urging her to hurry—hurry. The entire universe seemed to be after these raccoons, and they were no longer in a magic-less world.
“That Jack was an interesting guy,” Jace muttered. “Why did you take him into the shadow realm?”
Emily huffed a laugh they both knew meant, Look who’s jealous now.
Jace wrinkled his nose. “Let’s find the others and make a game plan.”
She stretched her wings, making sure to smack him in the head again before she launched into the air and shifted, landing on her feet and right into a walk.
