by Amy Marie
Joseph pushed the extra stems into the pockets of his pants and set out to find the woman in white, the white queen, whomever she may be, and set her free.
Or was all of this, still, just a dream?
Chapter 6
It was a new day, and Joseph felt invigorated from the plant he’d found in the cave. He had more in his pocket for his journey to this castle where the woman in white was held and he prayed he’d find the castle soon.
More of the bushes where the apples were painted in blood lined the road he walked. Maybe this meant he was close. The smell of the iron caused him to be nauseous. Joseph didn’t want to lose everything he’d eaten, considering he’s been starving when he finally had eaten, so he walked in the middle of the road, hoping some space would offer a reprieve.
Find the woman in white, free her, kill the woman in red.
These words continued to loop in his mind, in between the ticking of his brain. It was enough for him to consider removing the hat and allowing the insanity to take over. His state of emotions was up, then down, then up, and back down. His thoughts were pulled left, then right, and he had no idea which way was up. Was that what vertigo felt like?
He stopped and closed his eyes, then inhaled a long breath. In doing so, something new invaded his senses. He opened his eyes, and, in the hazy distance, something gleamed. He furrowed his brows and as the fog cleared, then he grinned.
It was the castle. He’d found it. The words in his mind stopped repeating themselves, and he took off in a sprint.
Soon! Soon I will be there. I will see the woman in white. I will get her out and we will be on our way. Who is she? Why me? Why did she seek me out of everyone in the world? Is she even real?
This final thought brought Joseph to a stop. He panted and pressed his hands to his knees. His chest rose and fell with his breaths.
Was any of this even real? It had to be. How could it not be? It was real.
The ground was real.
The wind last night and rain were real.
The crow and lizard were real . . . weren’t they?
And the food, it was real. Well, the food he’d picked, not the food the voodoo man had teased him with.
Then last night’s dream came back to him like a living nightmare.
Find the white queen. Save her. Kill the red queen and be free.
But how free would he really be once he’d murdered someone he didn’t even know? How could he kill a woman who’d done nothing to him? Just commit a senseless murder?
With his breath returning to normal, he jogged the remainder of the distance toward the castle. The sun was warm, but today it wasn’t hot. Clouds were in the sky and off to the west, what he thought was the west anyway, more clouds were rolling in. More rain. More chill in the air. More wind.
He would need to get to the castle soon.
Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock.
When Joseph reached the castle entrance, he was puzzled to find the drawbridge lowered. The castle was dark, dingy, and had gargoyles across the top. Each stared down at him in judgement. Were they alive? He didn’t think so, but it didn’t prevent the feeling of being watched.
The castle walls were tall, but nothing someone couldn’t scale—if they had proper tools.
Or magic, he thought.
He stepped onto the bridge and was curious what would happen once he was inside. Would the bridge close? Would he be trapped? If he were held inside, would it be so bad? He would have a home with a roof. Probably food. He could hunt and find something. What if he met more animals that spoke?
Why were they changed again? Oh, right, the red queen who didn’t belong in the underworld.
Before he knew it, he was inside. Shadows fell over him and the interior of the castle was musty. Tables and chairs were set about, some with chess boards, others with books. All were lined with layers of dust that looked to be too thick to simply wipe away.
He looked at one of the portraits on the wall. It was a painting of a woman. She wore a white dress and she had silvery blonde hair with the bluest eyes he’d ever seen in a painting. He stepped closer and realized it was the woman in white who’d come to him in Switzerland. It was the white rabbit he’d followed to underworld. He’d made it this far. She had to be here, somewhere.
He closed his eyes and made himself think over the ticking in his brain.
Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock.
Who would this woman be? Where could she be? Who was she to him? Who was she to this world? Why had she pick him?
“Joseph”
His name came as an echo in the castle. He heard it again and turned in the direction of the sound, then followed it. He was led to a flight of stairs that descended. He took each step carefully as he moved further and further into darkness.
Without warning, flames erupted on the wall sconces. He gasped and pressed his back to the stone behind him and his heart beat rapidly. Was someone else here? Was this magic?
“Joseph”
He looked around for the source of the echo, which grew louder, and decided he needed to continue. He’d made it this far and, so far, was still alive. He took one of the sconces from the wall and descended with the light held in front of him. He only saw spiderwebs in the darkness—and more steps. How much further did this castle go down?
When he finally made it to a solid landing, he took a step out and more sconces erupted in light. The room he stood in was illuminated by fire light, and at the opposite side was a mirrored wall. Nerves fluttered in his belly and he gripped the light in his hand. He crossed the room and the reflection of himself grew closer with each step.
Once he was close enough to touch it, he reached out and expected to touch glass. Instead, his hand touched water, and it rippled and rippled until the mirror faded to clear.
And on the other side was the woman in white.
PART TWO
Ella Lewis
Chapter 7
The tapping on the looking glass woke Ella Lewis from the sleep she’d been under. Her heart raced, and when she gazed upon the glass, her breath held firm in her chest. Was someone here for her? Was it him? Was it Joseph?
The vision had been experienced one night during a double full moon. She’d been staring at the bright orbs when his face had appeared in her mind’s eye. The name Joseph Rose repeated in her mind until it had begun to drive her mad.
And now, as the mirror rippled from the touch of an outside force she couched, nervously and filled with fear, in the corner of her cell. It could just be one of the guards who often came to taunt her. They enjoyed doing that, teasing her, throwing things at her as it bounced off the glass, just to watch her flinch in her corner of the world.
But this time it felt different. Joseph was in the underworld. She’d felt it. Had he found her in the cursed castle? She dared place her fingers upon the filthy stone floor. Next to her sat yesterday’s plate, dusted with the remaining crumbs of her food. At least the red queen kept her alive, rather than starving her to death.
Excitement for the small victories.
The glass began to clear, and on the other side stood a man in a long duster, red tunic, a crimson and onyx loose tie, a dark maroon vest, and, upon his head, a top hat with gears that moved as if it were alive, ticking away.
She stared at the hat for a long moment. Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock.
Was he aware the hat did nothing for him? Did he wear it simply because of the ticking or, maybe, the style?
She then looked at his eyes. They were a dark hazel-green and his lashes were thick; it looked like his lids were lined with black. His lips were slightly full, and he had scruff that grew on his cheeks, chin, and upper lip. The man took a small step closer and his eyes widened, just as hers did.
His mouth moved as he spoke, but Ella couldn’t hear him, though she didn’t need to hear him to know who he was.
She smiled, an honest grin that hurt her mouth when it pulled wide. Ella pushed herself to her feet and s
tumbled forward. Her hands landed on the glass, and she looked directly into the eyes of Joseph Rose.
“You made it!” she exclaimed. “You actually made it!”
He frowned, and his brows furrowed. He pointed to his ears and shook his head. He mouthed something that looked like, “Can’t hear you.”
She nodded and pointed to the corner behind where Joseph stood. He turned to look and there sat a wooden chair next to a metal table, big enough for one person to eat upon. She watched him as he turned back to her. He held up one finger, telling her wait a moment, and she nodded.
Joseph turned toward the table and made his way over to it, then picked it up. Ella knew it wasn’t bolted to the floor. There were times the guards would move it to benefit their own selves. Other times to sit right in front of the glass and jerk off. It disgusted her and she would turn away from the guards.
Sometimes, after they’d ejaculate, she would vomit when they’d left. She couldn’t hear them or smell them, but the act of what they did repulsed her. She would send up another thanks to the red queen for the protection she gave her from these monsters who called themselves guards. She knew, deep down, if they’d had the chance to get to her, they would have had their way with her a long time ago.
As Joseph picked up the table, she thought to herself, Why didn’t the guards ever try to break her out? Probably because the red queen would have found out about it and axed their heads right off.
That was what the red queen did to those who stood up against her. She took off their head using an ax and, afterwards, would use the blood of her enemies to paint the apples in the dying garden red. It was sick and disgusting.
Joseph came to the glass and motioned for her to move out of the way. She nodded and backed into the all too familiar corner. She squatted down and waited for the glass to break.
He hit the mirror once, twice, and three times before it splintered. Joseph hit it once more and a hole formed. Air in the room sucked out in a vacuum and pulled Ella with it. She screamed and fell to the floor, her hands and knees scraping on the stone.
“Shit!” she heard Joseph yell. He threw down the table and kicked the glass. It shattered in some places, splintered in others.
“I—” she started and couldn’t get the words out. I can’t breathe! Help me!
Joseph struck the window with a long object that looked to be a walking stick. He hit it hard enough to form a hole large enough for a body to fit through.
“Give me your hand!” He reached through and placed a foot inside. He held his hand out for her.
The air sucked around them, removing the oxygen from the room, as if they were being pulled into outer space. She crawled on the floor, and her hair blew around her face. She held her hand in the air, hoping to grab his, and finally she felt him.
His hand tightened around hers, and Ella gasped. Another vision began to rush through her mind.
Joseph stood over the red queen’s limp body, but she wasn’t dead. She was hurt and she could barely move. Next to her was a man with dark skin and dead eyes.
The shadow man.
She sucked in air when Joseph pulled on her body. She shook her head and the vision cleared from her mind. “Get up,” he growled. “You need to get up and move. Move your feet, or I’ll move them for you!”
She pressed her toes to the ground and pushed herself forward to a standing position. She leaned into his body and Joseph helped her step out of her confinement. The two fell to the floor in a heap, her on her back and Joseph on top of her.
Ella sucked air into her lungs and coughed. When she opened her eyes, she stared directly into Joseph’s. Something inside her stirred, coming alive, craving him, needing him.
“Are you all right?” he asked but didn’t move from atop her.
She nodded slowly, then coughed once more. “Yes, I’m . . . I’m all right, Joseph.” She smiled and pressed her palms to his chest, but not to move him. “You found me.” She moved her hands up around his neck and pulled him down to her. “You came for me,” she whispered.
She felt him freeze in her grasp. It had been so long since she’d touched another person. She let him go and he pushed himself up onto his knees, then jumped to his feet. He held his hand out for her.
Ella took it, and he pulled her to her feet. She looked around the room they stood in, all too familiar with the location.
“Ella?” he asked, and she turned to face him.
“Yes, I’m Ella.” She smiled once more. “You found me. I can’t believe you’re here.” She took a step toward him and went to embrace the man once more but, when he hesitated, she stopped and lowered her hands.
“You found me; you were a rabbit. A rabbit hopping around, and I had to follow you. Don’t know why, just did, and, well, here we are.” His voice sounded nervous, and rightfully so. How often does one fall into a new world and rescue a woman he’s never met, only to have witnessed her doppelgänger?
“That I did, and you did very well to find me.” She motioned for his hat. “Why do you wear this contraption?”
He lowered his gaze to the floor and reached for the hat. “A long story for another day.” He met her gaze once more.
There was a very subtle haze, and this aura floated around his body. It seemed to be coming from this hat. She offered a slow nod, then continued. “Okay, another day. We have a lot to do, Joseph. The red queen has all but killed off my world. You are my champion, and together we shall kill her and save our world.”
He coughed and she turned to look at him. “Wait, we have a lot to do? I found you and honestly, I don’t know what has happened here, and I need answers. I think a lizard and crow both talked to me,” he brought his fingers to his lips and nibbled on his fingernails. “But I think I may be going mad once more,” he whispered.
“You’re not mad, Joseph. I can prove it,” she said and reached for his hat.
He jumped back and held his hands in the air. “No!” He cleared his throat. “I didn’t mean to yell, I apologize, but do not take my hat off my head.”
She stared into his eyes. “Okay, I won’t, but, please, tell me why.”
“I already told you, another day. A day for a history lesson. A lesson in history.” He smiled and turned to walk down the hallway.
She frowned. The hat is what is making him mad.
How to prove that would take some fancy planning and footwork. But she was the rightful queen and the moment he’d stepped into their world, he became one of her subjects.
And if her animalistic urge was correct, he was also her mate.
This would not end well if they were not successful.
Chapter 8
Ella looked at her image in her bathroom mirror. She was back in the room that was hers, in her castle. The entire castle was dingy with no one keeping it up, plus all the land being dead blew in so much dust and dirt.
She wiped a cloth over the glass and stared at her own reflection. She wore her bathing robe and her hair had been washed, braided, and laid over her left shoulder. She had put on slippers to protect her now clean feet.
During her reign, she would ride her horses in the arenas for show, for jumping, for whatever pleased her. She held court when required, and dances for entertainment. She ruled with love, and her subjects adored her.
For a brief moment, Ella’s eyes teared up.
And now, all of her countrymen were either dead or transformed into some type of creature. Joseph had not imagined the lizard and crow. The animals were not dumb, for they still had their human dialect. A tear slid down her cheek as she thought of the guards of her castle, the dukes, the knights, the ladies in waiting…everyone. They were all lost because she couldn’t save them.
The red queen was too strong with her magic. But the magic was not hers. No, it belonged to the shadow man. The vision she’d had when she’d touched Joseph told her the shadow man was dead and the queen would soon die next to him.
She had not felt hope since the moment she’d b
een put into her own prison cell. However, everything would change now that Joseph was there.
She made her way back through her rooms and when she opened the door to the main entrance, Joseph sat a waiting on the other side. He stood and lifted his gaze to hers. If she hadn’t been watching him, she would have missed his pupils dilate with need. He felt what she did, she knew it. She could smell the lust coming off the man in spades.
But right now was not the time for that. They needed to get to the red queen, end her rule, and save her kingdom—save the underworld.
Joseph had taken the opportunity to tidy up as well. She’d given a set of rooms to him to do with what he needed. He’d washed the soot and dirt from his face and body and had dressed himself in a loose, white tunic and black pants. He also had a sword scabbard across his body, a couple of daggers attached to his pants, and his walking stick. He also had his hat, that ever present, ugly, clockwork, gear-ticking hat.
“You look different,” he said in a hushed tone.
“Well, I bathed,” she said with a chuckle. “The look suits you. I’m glad you picked up the weapons. We’ll need them.”
He nodded and followed her down the corridor. The castle was still dirty, and probably would be for a while longer. Ella would have everything cleaned and polished once this nightmare was over.
She paused and turned to Joseph. “Are you frightened?”
His brows lifted, and Ella could see into his dark hazel eyes. They were beautifully framed by his black lashes and lined lids. “Should I be?”
