"Maybe she wants to hear the rest of the prophecy?" Dee inserts, humming a tune under his breath.
"But nine young suitors hurried up,
All eager for their treat:
Their hair was brushed, their faces washed,
Their clothes were clean and neat—
And this was good, because, you know,
To date the Alice was a feat."
He starts reciting it, but North cuts him off, growling out another verse as he waves his hand dismissively.
"For all the monsters followed her,
They craved her bloody corpse;
So thick and fast the hordes attacked,
Just more, and more, and more—
All hoping for a bite or two,
Her men must prevent gore."
"There, you've heard quite enough of that nonsense," he says, climbing up over the footboard and crouching like a beast on the end of the bed. Tee moves over and sits beside me, crossing his arms over his chest. "Let's talk shop."
"There is no shop," I snort. "My vagina is not an open garage."
"A garage?" North asks, thinking hard on the word. "I'm not sure I know what that is. What I do know is that I am particularly interested in your vagina, for lack of a better word."
With a groan, I flop back into the pillows and cover my eyes with my arm.
"Please don’t say vagina,” I moan, feeling awkward tingles trace over my skin. I’m hot and achy inside, and I don’t know what to say or do. I’m totally flubbing this moment up. Wait, flubbing? Where did that word come from? “I just … want to let you guys know that I'm not planning on running out and leaving you here." I move my arm off my eyes and pick at the edge of my blanket as Dee leans in close to me, pushing some rainbow strands of hair back from my forehead.
"You want to stay?" he whispers, and I shrug loosely.
"I want to help you," I continue, "for as long as it takes. I might … even want to stay. That doesn't mean I don't need to go home." I look up and find Tee watching me. "Because I do, but I want to be able to go back and forth, like Rab."
"Do you want me to show you?" Tee asks, tucking his hands into the pockets of his black linen pajama pants. He's wearing a tank top that shows off the muscles in his arms, and the purple and black feathers on the back of them. I swear on some Underland goddess' tits that if Edith and I had been watching a movie with Tee and Dee in it, I would've ended the film with my chest covered in drool.
"The Looking-Glass?"
I glance between the three men, and then back to Tee; he nods.
"Oh bloody hell," North growls out, but he stands up, too. "If Red finds us slinking around the Looking-Glass, he'll be furious." He taps a clawed finger against his lips and then shrugs those massive shoulders of his. "Oh well, I suppose it can't be helped. Were he to act a gentleman, he'd have offered the Alice use of it already."
"I understand not wanting to leave the portal open for the Walrus and his ilk, but I agree." Tee looks into my eyes, and I feel a shiver trace down my spine. He's got an old soul, that one. "You deserve a chance to see your family."
"You never realize how important they are until you lose them," Dee chokes out, standing up from the bed and grabbing his peaked cap off the nightstand. He tucks it over his blue and black hair, and then spins it around with a finger on the brim. "Let's go see the Looking-Glass, Allison-who-isn't-Alice."
My heart thunders in my chest, and I realize suddenly that I'm afraid.
And not of the King or the Hatter, not even of the Walrus and the Carpenter.
I'm afraid of going home.
Sometimes, our greatest fears are not our most obvious. Sometimes, our darkest terrors hide in plain sight.
"So," I whisper as we walk down the dark hallways, a shirtless dragon on my left, and twin fallen angel princes on my right. "Do the card servants …" I trail off and lick my lips. I understand that they're just cursed convicts, but they do bear an awful resemblance to the soldiers in Dee's vision-memory thing.
But then, I haven't told him that I saw that, so how do I even go about asking?
"They're just cursed souls, don't worry about them," Tee says while Dee grabs a torch off the wall as we pass. There are tapestries everywhere in here, and I swear to fuck, it feels like some of them are watching me.
"If the King can enchant them to be servants, then couldn't he make soldiers, too?" I hedge, hoping I'm not pushing too hard. I don't want to make the boys relive their trauma, but I'm dying to know.
"It's not the King that enchants them, though he could," Dee says, his face paling slightly as he taps a finger against the brim of his hat. He's trying to be casual, but I can see right through that facade to the pain underneath. "It's the Knave that spells them. And yes, when the previous King of Hearts ruled Underland, he did order her to create soldiers."
"But not anymore?" I ask, and the twins exchange a look.
"Brennin Red doesn't need or want those sorts of soldiers in his army," North growls, slamming his tail against the stone floor as we walk. "He's nothing like his father."
"So you say," Tee snaps back, raking his fingers through his hair. "And yet, we're still slaves. Underland stills suffers. The guillotine runs non-stop."
"He's different," North snarls back, and I start to wonder if I might have to insert myself between the two men. "And he's only been on the throne for three years. Try cutting him a break, hmm?"
"It would take two seconds for him to free us," Dee whispers, reaching over his shoulder to touch his tattoo. He looks over at North who grits his teeth.
"The Knave won't allow him to do it; he's tried."
"Bullshit," Tee quips, but then we're all standing before a massive red door in the shape of—you will never guess this shit—a heart. Le gasp.
"This is it?" I ask, glancing over my shoulder and down the long stone hallway we just traversed. A dozen hallways and who knows how many staircases later, and we're here. I was almost hoping we'd have to, I don't know, cross a moat or something. Some part of me wants the Looking-Glass as far away from me as possible.
Who knew I had such trauma?
I clutch the front of my pj’s in a fist as Tee pulls a chain out from beneath his shirt, a pair of keys hanging from the end of it. One of them is the key I gave him to access a Suit in my room, but the other is twice as big and made of solid iron.
"Keeps the pixies from pinching it," Dee explains with a sharp nod, like that makes all the sense in the world. Right. An iron key keeps magical flower-possessing pixies from stealing it. Sounds good.
Tee unlocks the door and steps inside, holding out a hand for mine. I take his in one, and Dee's in the other, moving slowly into the room and pausing on a ledge with a gold banister separating us from the rest of the room.
Down below … there's a giant chessboard in black and white.
"Holy butt waffles," I choke out, making Dee chuckle.
As we watch, one of the giant chess pieces—easily as tall as North if not taller—slides across the board into a new space. It's the red king, moving out of a "check" by the black knight.
The pieces seem to be made of some solid stone, like granite or marble, their faces frozen and silent, but menacing nonetheless. What would happen if I went down there and joined the Game?
"To get through to the Looking-Glass, you'll have to win against the black pieces," Dee explains, leaning his elbows on the gold banister and waiting for red to make their move. The red queen slides across the board, and a shiver travels down my spine.
"Don't get too close to the edge," Tee says, reaching out to grab a handful of his brother's shirt. "You've seen what those things can do if you piss them off."
"If you're not standing on edge, then you're taking up too much space," North says, crossing his arms over his bare, bronzed chest, and watching the Game play out below us. On the other side of the room, there's a mirror leaning against the wall.
It doesn't appear to be anything but a mirror from over here. I can eve
n see the reflection of the chessboard and pieces in its silver surface. That's not to say it isn't gorgeous—it really is—with big gilded gold edges, a filigreed pattern etched into the swirling bits of metal. The frame reminds me of a winter-dead tree, its spindly branches reaching out to the edge of the world. If I saw that online back home, I’d order it. If I could afford it, that is.
"That's the Looking-Glass?" I ask, and both Tee and Dee reply at the same time.
"It is."
Curling my fingers around Tee's, I struggle to keep my feet in place.
I want to run.
Because going back home means facing all the unspoken issues I left behind. It means remembering that Dad is never home anymore, that Mom is never coming home, that Edith is drifting further and further away from the girl she used to be.
"If I win the Game, I can cross through the Looking-Glass?" I repeat, and North nods.
"But nobody has ever won the Game without the King's permission to play; it's rigged. You cannot win without Red's say-so." The jabberwock shifter glances over his shoulder at the sound of skittering feet out in the hallway. "Card servants," he explains before he looks back at us, "probably collecting information for the Knave. We should be going before she sends her ridiculous husbands after us."
"We'll figure out a way to get you home," Tee says, the conviction in his voice warming my insides. Before, I think he wanted to send me home for my own sake, but now I think he's just desperate to make sure I get a chance to reconnect with my family.
I love him for that.
Love him?!
Ew. No. No, I do not fucking love him. What is this, some young adult romance novel?! Gross.
"Let's go upstairs," I say, feeling that hot heat between my thighs start to pulse. Just the idea of taking the three of them to my room turns me on. It’s persistent, that throbbing, desperate need, when I’m around these guys.
All three men turn to look at me.
Oh yes.
That invitation, it's as lascivious as it sounds.
"Are there any lions or tigers about here?" I ask as Tee unlocks the door to my chambers and pushes it open just enough that I hear a rumble from inside.
"It's only the Red King snoring," Dee says with a chuckle, pushing the door open the rest of the way and revealing a dark bedroom bathed in moonlight and shadows from the dying fire.
"Isn't he a lovely sight?" Tee says with clenched teeth, moving into the room to stand beside my bed.
I couldn't say honestly that he is. He has a tall, red night-cap on, with a tassel, and he's lying crumpled into a sort of untidy heap, snoring loudly.
Wow.
Talk about … total shock.
This man looks about as far from the dignified dickhead I've been dealing with as anything I've ever seen. He may as well have shape-shifted into a baby kitten.
"He's dreaming now," North says, cocking his head to one side. "What do you suppose he's dreaming about? The Alice's creamy thighs?"
"You're disgusting," I choke out, feeling like the King's just doused my hot, summer—wait, what season is it in Underland?—night in ice water. "What is he doing in my bed anyway?"
"That's an excellent question," Tee growls as Dee fills a small glass with water and moves over to stand next to Brennin Red's face. I notice that even in his sleep, he still wears gloves.
"If you try to wake him up by touching him …" Dee starts with a shrug, drawing his thumb across his throat. I get it: off with his head. So, much to my horror and chagrin, the younger twin tosses cold water onto the King's sleeping face.
He comes to like a wild animal disturbed in its den, eyes snapping open, one hand reaching for his glove. It's half off, and he's off the bed before I can even register what's going on. I catch a glimpse of a red palm before he realizes it's just us, and tucks his fingers back into the white fabric.
"A simple curseworker incantation can turn a person's hands red if they're guilty of murder." Tee's words ring in my head as I raise an eyebrow.
"What are you doing in my room?" I query, crossing my arms over my chest.
"And how did you even get in?" North asks, tilting his head to one side. His gold hair slides around his dark horns. "Only the Alice or one of her Suitors can let someone into the Suit of Hearts."
"Rab allowed me in," Brennin says, lifting his chin and still managing to look like some entitled asshole CEO with a bad attitude, even in his stupid night-cap. "I needed a place to rest my head tonight that might allow me to keep it." The way he says that, biting off the words, it sort of scares the shit out of me.
What the fuck does that even mean?
Is the King afraid in his own castle? If so, how the hell am I supposed to feel safe here?
"Don't you have your own chambers?" I snort, and Red narrows those ebon eyes on me.
"Nowhere in Castle Heart is as safe as the Alice's chambers. I was going to head to my own room, but my keys seem to have been misplaced." As Brennin talks, his teeth clench even tighter, and his jaw tightens to the point where I swear it may very well just fall off. "Rab let me in, and then I started to wonder where you all went." He gives North a look, like he's disappointed in him. "Sneaking around the castle in the middle of the night, tsk-tsk, Savage Duke."
"The Alice wants to use the Looking-Glass," North says, and Brennin scowls, tearing the cap off his head and tossing it aside. I swear to fuck, I see it glow. "She has a right, certainly, considering she hails from Topside."
"She has no right," Red snarls, giving me a look over his shoulder that could curdle milk. "Any use of the Looking-Glass leaves us open to assault from both Underland and Topside. It isn't happening, not until I get things under control." The King turns back to the window and watches the rain pour down the glass. "And then don't worry: I'll ship the Alice back to where she belongs."
"I don't—" Tee starts, but I put a hand on his chest to stop him, storming up to the King and getting in his face.
"You don't know anything about me, and you haven't bothered to try to learn. I don't want to go back home forever, I just want to see my family and let them know I'm alright. I'm committed to this shit now, okay? I'm in. For fuck's sake, if you're going to make accusations, at least get the facts straight first."
The King whirls on me, and I can see in his eyes that he's not used to being defied.
He raises a finger in my face.
"And you don't know anything about this world or its problems. You are not the savior, just a piece on a board to be moved. So, Alice, just go where I tell you and do what I say. And what I say is: don't bother wondering around the fucking castle unless you want to lose your head."
Brennin reaches down and into the pocket on my nightgown where I've stashed the keys to the Suits. I keep them on a ring with the master key when I leave the room, just in case. He takes one of the keys off, and then throws the others on the floor, moving to a painting of the King of Hearts, sitting on his throne and holding a heart-topped scepter.
That fucker …
I follow after him because I'm not about to be disrespected like that. I let Liam treat me like shit for so long; I will never let another man walk all over me.
"Listen up, buddy," I snap as I step into the dark hallway, and the painting swings shut behind me, trapping me inside with the King. He turns around to look me, completely aghast that I've dared follow him.
Dickhead.
"You need to learn to control your temper." Brennin steps up close to me, but I'm not afraid of him. I've faced the worst in life; this is nothing. "If you want my help—no, if you need it, and I think you really do—then you have to tell me what's going on."
The King just stares down at me, a muscle in his jaw ticking as he clenches his teeth, his fists curled tight, his breathing coming in hard, angry pants. I'm breathing fast, too, and sweating profusely. My fight or flight instinct has kicked in, and I am so done with this man's shit.
"Just show up at the ball, and do what you're told," he snaps, and I reach u
p to grab the front of his robes without meaning to.
"Don't boss me around like I'm a fucking dog!" I shout, and then … something just snaps between us. One minute I'm grabbing the King and getting ready to shake him to death, and the next, my back is pressed to the stone wall, my arms are around his neck, and his mouth is on mine.
The first hot press of his tongue between my lips drags a groan from my throat that echoes down the dark stone hallway. The throbbing warmth between my thighs floods with wetness, and before I know it, I'm letting the King lift me up and press me against the wall. Our bodies grind together in this hot, sweaty tangle, our mouths feeding at one another. It's like for a split-second there, I'm not even human anymore.
With a gasp, I shove the King back, and he stumbles, dropping me to the floor. I manage to catch myself on the wall, my knees weak and shaky beneath me. My eyes are wide, and I'm just staring at the floor like I can't figure myself out.
"My Queen of Hearts," the King says, and there's this break in his voice that tells me all I need to know. I was right: I bruised his ego. He fucking wants me, doesn't he? "I told you that you were meant to be mine."
He takes off down the hall before I can figure out a retort.
Doesn't matter anyway, because all I can think to say is: no, you were meant to be mine.
"I'm sorry about last night," I say as the twins walk me to the athletic center, one on either side. North and Chesh were gone when I woke up, but Rab and Lar joined me for breakfast. So did March, but I chose to ignore him. It's pretty obvious the Hatter is sending him to keep an eye on me.
I don't trust that fucker as far as I can throw him.
"You don't have to apologize," Tee says, but the way he keeps his eyes on the floor makes me wonder if I should. I wanted last night to get lascivious … and I suppose it did, just not with the right guy. Or guys, rather.
"The King has a powerful presence," Dee says, looking up at the ceiling. We pass by several empty sitting rooms as we head down the stairs, take a sharp right, and then another hard left. One more right to get the gym. At least it seems I’m starting to get the layout of Castle Heart down.
Allison and the Torrid Tea Party: A Dark Reverse Harem Romance (Harem of Hearts Book 2) Page 17
