Alice Games

by Michelle R. Reid

  I trailed my finger along a scene of ants walking along a tree branch and stopped when the hall opened up to a room. I’d walked the whole castle, and this was first room I’d seen. Not that this castle needed any rooms. No one lived here, and only two objects were kept here.

  In the middle of the circular room were two rectangular stands. The wand floated above the stand on the left and the sword floated above the stand on the right. My eyes wandered over the red sparkly wand. It was a foot long, slender and seemed almost ... feminine? For a smooth, red stick, anyway.

  The scabbard was gold with silver swirls around it. I guessed the intricately designed handle should have been gold, too, but it was stained red. Blood red. The color wasn’t uniform but a tie-dye of light and dark. Though beautiful, the weapon seemed to pulse angrily. Like it hated being here and the state it was in. Just the aura that it gave off, I could see why people feared it so much.

  And I was going to touch it.

  I swallowed and walked closer.

  The images of twenty women, ranging from early teens to late twenties, appeared and moved on the round wall. Most of them were beautiful and blonde. They must be the Alices that made it to the Emerald Castle.

  I watched as nineteen of them reached out and grabbed the wand. Immediately the sword sank into the pedestal, disappearing completely. Only one grabbed the sword and let the wand withdraw. As the wand disappeared, she threw her head back in a silent scream. She hunched over and grabbed her stomach as if in pain and dropped the sword. She collapsed to the ground, and her picture vanished.

  “Great,” I muttered. Ace had already warned me that it didn’t like to be touched, I just didn’t think it hated it that bad. I shoved my hands through my hair and pulled hard, staring at the wand and sword.

  If I took just the wand, I wouldn’t get hurt and Red Queen would be Queen again. Then Oz would keep going in circles and Ace would stay a slave. Or maybe he would truly give up, which would be even worse.

  But I completely believed that the Vorpal Blade needed to come out. Not because of White Wizard’s threat, but because it the only thing that was strong enough to stand up to him. Maybe. That is, if Ace could actually do it. White Wizard had kept Ace so broken.

  I believed that he could. I was going to have to bet my life—and all of Oz—on it.

  If I was wrong, then hopefully White Wizard wouldn’t get the sword. Since the Vorpal Blade was part of Oz, I was sure he could use it, just like he used the ice power Oz gave him. That meant that Red Queen could too. But truth be told, I wasn’t willing to test that theory unless absolutely necessary.

  I took a breath and studied the objects. Oz had just given me a warning, by showing me the pictures of the previous Alices. To get both items, I could only guess I’d have to have to grab them simultaneously, so neither object disappeared.

  My hands came out and stopped an inch from the sword and wand. I licked my lips. “I hope this is the right thing to do.” Not only in grabbing both, but touching the sword at all. I had a hunch this wasn’t going to be pleasant, judging by the angry aura around the sword. I sucked in a breath.

  “Three, two, one,” I whispered, and grabbed them both.

  The sword vibrated in my hand, sending electric shocks up my arm and filling my body with pain. I gasped. It was trying to kill me. This sword was death for anyone who touched it. Anyone but Ace. It wanted Ace, demanded him. Thoughts of him flooded my mind so strongly that my surroundings blacked out and he was all I could see.

  At the same time, the wand reacted. It felt my pain and responded by glowing red. Relief and healing flowed up my left arm, swirling around my body and fixing what Blood was doing. It would prefer to be held by Red Queen, but it was content to stay in my hand.

  The two personalities collided in me and sparked with dislike.

  I was dying and healing at the same time. They were yin and yang. Life and death. It was clear they were never meant to be held by the same person. Certainly not by someone who wasn’t chosen by Oz. It was only because the wand was sympathetic that I was alive. If not, the power of their battle inside me would have shredded my body.

  A constant tide of electric pricks covered my body, and my head felt like it was splitting apart. Like a bad ear infection, needles of pain stabbed at my ear and eyes from the inside, numbing my thoughts and senses. Ringing started in my ears and my peripheral vision seemed to narrow.

  I turned around and began to stumble through the castle, every step a shot of pain and relief. All the pictures were gone from the walls, leaving just the glowing green hues. I didn’t need them to find my way out, but the distraction would have been wonderful. Instead all I could think about was the magic that mingled and collided inside me.

  My breath came out in huffs. The Vorpal Blade was so heavy, it was like trying to lift a dumbbell with one hand, but I didn’t dare put my hands together. I didn’t know what would happen if the sword and wand touched, but I wasn’t about to find out now. My muscles screamed as I held the sword up by the handle so it didn’t touch the ground as it continued to send painful currents through my already exhausted arms. As soon as my arm would painfully lower, the wand would send a wave of balm through my body and I could go on. The constant high and low was disorienting.

  I had to blink repeatedly to keep my eyes focused. My feet tripped over themselves. I couldn’t let go of the sword and wand. I didn’t know what would happen if I did. What if they both disappeared and everything I’d done was for nothing? How many more Alice Games would it take for another girl to finally understand Oz and Ace?

  I staggered around a corner and paused.

  The front door to Oz was right there, just down this hall, a dark hole surrounded by the emerald green walls. On the other side of that door was Red Queen. But more importantly, Ace. Then I could give him the sword and see if I was right about him.

  Or if my mistake would cost Oz—and me—everything.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  I leaned against the frame of the castle door, my breathing labored, and looked out at the world on the other side of the floating drawbridge. While I was inside, the mist had lifted, revealing the entire Game Board like a giant chessboard. In the dim light of False Dawn, three groups, all stained green from the Emerald Castle’s light, were stationed around the white and black squares. Red Queen and her army lined the right side. Ahead of me milled a ragtag bunch of people with Hatter in the lead. On the left side White Wizard stood with his arms folded, staring in my direction. Thousands of humanoid ice monsters stood behind him, created by his power. They shifted around him, gnashing their jaws together and leaving frost wherever they stepped.

  The other two armies kept looking from the ice monsters to the Emerald Castle, then back to the monsters.

  Ace was nowhere to be seen. Finding him in all those people was going to be hard enough. Was I really going to have to do it in the semi-dark too? I didn’t have time to worry about that, not with the Vorpal Blade assaulting me like this.

  This was it. Time to find out if I was right, or if I just really messed up everyone’s life.

  First, I had to get past the horrible floating bridge. Since this was my second time, it should have been easier, only it wasn’t. I could barely stay upright, and every time my staggered steps took me out of the middle of the bridge and closer to the edge, my stomach twisted painfully and it was all I could do not puke. My boots beat across the wooden planks as heavy as my heart. With each step, the sky around me grew lighter and lighter as normal colors returned to the world, opposite of when I first walked into the castle. It was the only positive thing that was happening to me. The wind whipped my clothes and hair around, blowing my face and making it harder to see.

  Worst of all, it tugged at the slight wand in my hand, threatening to pull it away. But if I lost the wand now, the Vorpal blade would kill me.

  Three feet left.

  Two feet and then I would be on solid ground.

  One more step. The sun w
as completely out.

  I sighed and hunched over as I stumbled across the wonderful black and white dirt. I made it. I got them both out. Now all I had to do was get the sword to Ace and the wand to Red Queen. In that order.

  A sudden roar of voices filled my pain-clogged ears like a tidal wave. I jolted and looked around, blinking continually to keep things in focus.

  White Wizard tossed his head back and laughed maliciously as his monsters clicked their jaws with fervor. “It’s mine! Finally!”

  “Get the Alice!” Hatter squealed harshly, over his hoard as they screeched animal noises.

  “Ali!”

  Red Queen’s scream was almost drowned out by Lional roaring, “Protect the Alice! Defend the true Queen of Oz!”

  All at once, thousands of people and ice monsters rushed at me.

  I gasped in horror and started to hobble towards Red Queen. Adrenaline helped, but I still wasn’t moving that fast. Go faster, I thought, go faster! I might not be able to give her wand back yet, but I would at least be safe with her until I could. “Ace!” I yelled, but my voice was breathy and weak, easily washed out by the noise around me.

  As the armies collided on all sides, fighting broke out in the three-way war. Men and women paired up to take on the nine-foot-tall ice monsters. Red Queen’s men encountered Hatter’s men and they attacked each other with weapons on hand. Ice monsters swung their arms and stepped on people as they went. Yells of rage, screams of pain, and puffs of dust filled the air.

  My heart sank even more as Red Queen, and Hareson at her side, vanished from sight as the taller people in her army ran past her. Leading the charge was Lional, golden armor gleaming and drawn sword as sharp as the danger in his eyes. His golden hair bounced with his every step. He was heading right to me.

  I half turned from him. “Don’t touch it!” I yelled. “Don’t touch the sword!” He wasn’t the Knight. If he—or any of the people around me—touched the Vorpal Blade, they’d die.

  He must not have heard because he continued to charge full steam at me.

  Lional was only feet away now.

  “No!” I yelled and hugged the sword to my chest and hunched over it.

  He sped right past me with a howl and lifted his sword high.

  My eyes widened. I turned just as he brought his sword heavily down at White Wizard’s head. He was only ten feet behind me.

  White Wizard blocked the blow with a sword made of ice, needing two hands to absorb the power of Lional’s attack. He let go of the hilt with one of his hands and thrust it out, shooting sharp ice crystals at Lional. Lional dodged out of the way. The crystals hit the people behind, causing several of them to explode into dust. Lional and White Wizard didn’t even notice, they were too focused on each other.

  “Get out of my way,” White Wizard ordered coolly and lifted his chin in command.

  “I only take orders from my Queen,” Lional growled back.

  With a yell of fury, White Wizard attacked Lional with his sword.

  It felt so good physically to simply stand there, but I didn’t have time for that. As much as I hated to leave Lional alone, the only way I could help him was to get the sword to Ace.

  “Ace!” I yelled pathetically. “Red Queen! Where are you?”

  I heard a horrible clicking noise behind me. I turned my head just in time to see an ice monster stomp up to me. Its movements were slow on the dirt, its feet freezing to the ground with every step, forcing the monster to pull its feet free every time. It clicked its jaw together, hollow eyes glowing, and reached out a huge hand for me.

  I gasped, not sure how I was going to get away. Even with its slow movement, it was still faster than I was.

  A Munchkin came out of crowd next to me, with long arms like an ape and dressed in red. He gave a war cry and charged the monster, brandishing his hoe like an axe. He smacked the monster’s hand with all his might. His blow did little, chipping just a tiny chunk of ice off the back of the monster’s hand, but it pushed the ice monster’s hand off course.

  The monster’s fingers touched the Vorpal Blade.

  The sword pulsed in anger, causing me to huff out a yell.

  Suddenly, the ice monster exploded into snow, drifting out in all directions.

  The Munchkin’s mouth dropped open. “I did that?” he whispered. Then he tightened his hold on his hoe and ran back into the crowd, determined to find another enemy.

  I kept limping on, weaving around people so I didn’t accidently touch them with the Vorpal Blade. With each step, it was getting harder and harder to see straight as images blurred and overlapped each other.

  The wand could feel that Red Queen was close. It pulled toward her, wanted her, and the more it began focusing on her, the less it healed me.

  The anger pulsing from the Vorpal Blade grew more intense, like a thousand bees stinging every inch of my body.

  I gasped and bent over, panting as my vision blurred. I was dying. Truly dying. I didn’t know if I was going to make it to Red Queen or Ace. The knowledge sent a shock of panic through my mind and caused my already laboring heart to stutter. I gulped at air, needing the coolness in my overly warm body.

  If I just let it go, put the Vorpal Blade down, this terrible sensation would go away. Even with it being so distracted, the wand would still heal me in seconds. All I had to do was let go of the sword. I could leave it here, go get Ace and bring him back to it.

  I couldn’t. The realization was almost worse than the pain. If I put it down, what would happen? What if someone else touched it? What if that person was White Wizard? Everything would be for nothing.

  “Ali!”

  Red Queen’s voice broke through my frantic thoughts.

  I blinked away the tunnel vision creeping in and looked around.

  There she was, holding a shield, with Hareson right behind her fending off one of Hatter’s men. She was so close, just twenty or so feet away, but there were dozens of people between us, fighting with each other. They moved and exchanged blows, blocking my view of her.

  Still, just the sight of her elated me. Half my job was done—the latter half, but she was still here. I could almost give her the wand. I gave a relieved smile and stumbled towards her.

  “Ali! Ali! Where are you?”

  It was his voice. Ace’s. He was somewhere behind me, close enough I could hear him.

  My eyes widened. Longing for him welled up in me, rivaling the sudden similar surge from Blood as it flooded my mind with more images of him. Ace. He could make it all better. Take away the pain of the sword, make White Wizard go away, and I knew that with one hug, I would finally feel safe again.

  I turned, looking to where his voice came from. “Ace!” I yelled for all I was worth. It was like a newborn kitten’s mew.

  “Ali!” Red Queen’s voice was getting louder behind me. “Where are you going?”

  I shook my head, throwing off the guilt of walking away from her and stumbled forward. I heard him. I know I heard him. Where is he? There were so many people, moving and shifting that my blurry eyes couldn’t focus on anything. “Ace!”

  “Ali!” A hand grabbed my shirt from behind and pulled me to a stop. Red Queen hurried in front of me and gasped, staring at the sword.

  The wand immediately starting to vibrate in my hand, like the humming of a happy child.

  I yelped and stepped away from her. “No! Not yet! Not yet! Don’t touch it!” In the Emerald Castle, I might have considered giving her the sword, but there was no way I was going to hand it to her now, knowing the pain it inflicts. And if she took her wand now, that would be the worst thing possible.

  Oddly enough, as soon as she was by me, the painful pulse the sword gave off lessened. Slightly. It was just enough for me to finally take a real breath, though I still winced, it finally felt like the air was getting to my lungs.

  Her eyes widened with horror and she paled. “What are you doing?! Why do you have the Vorpal Blade? That’s why White Wizard is still here, isn’t it
?” She gripped the rim of her small red shield until her knuckles were white.

  “I have the wand too, but I need to keep using it a little longer. I’m sorry.” I assured her quickly, and swayed. “But first I need to find Ace.” The surge of energy his voice had given me was wearing off. I couldn’t hear him anymore. Was he getting farther away? How long was I going to have to carry this thing? I didn’t know how much longer I could last.

  “Ace?” Red Queen screaked in disbelief. “What is going on? You have to let go of the Vorpal Blade! It will kill you!” She bit her lip with fear, but still reached up to take it away.

  I staggered back, horrified myself. She was willingly trying to touch it? Just for me, an Alice? As much as I didn’t want to die—badly didn’t want to die—I was replaceable to the Game. Red Queen was not.

  “I know. Believe me, I know,” I moaned. “That’s why you can’t touch. I don’t know if my theory about you is correct or not. Please, I need Ace.”

  She shook her head. “You’re not making any sense.” She waving her shield in the air.

  Movement from the corner of my eye caused me to look over just as Hatter broke out of the fighting. He was dressed in a tarnished suit of armor that didn’t fit well over his round belly. On top of his helmet was a black top hat with his dingy crown around it.

  He looked at me. “Oh, the Alice! You were so stubborn this morning, I didn’t think you’d be such a good girl and bring them to me,” he squealed gleefully, like Red Queen wasn’t even there.

  “What?” Red Queen gaped at him then looked at me in complete alarm.

  I shook my head at him. “Do you, like ... are you even sane?” I finally asked, even though I already knew the answer. But seriously, all this was going on around us—his people were turning into dust while ice monsters were crashing around like giants—and he thought I was doing it for him?