Malice In Wonderland

by H. P. Mallory

  TEN

  Not surprisingly, the drive to my new digs was quiet and completely uncomfortable. I mean, I’d just attempted that whole escape act after hearing Knight tell me he loved me, so things weren't exactly cheery in the Dulcie-Knight camp. To defend my actions, though, I never wanted to get into the conversation in the first place. There was still just too much up in the air regarding The Resistance and my father. And let us also not forget that in the course of the last six hours or so, I'd been the unfortunate victim of the Denali detonation in which I came way too close to turning into a fairy shish-kebab, only to learn that the killer was one of our own. So as far as my guilt was concerned, if the truth be told, I wasn't really feeling any mainly because there wasn't any more space in my already overwhelmed head.

  Luckily for me though, Knight didn't say another word. He just sat behind the steering wheel and looked ... glum. Yes, something within me told me I should have said something, or at least made small talk. But at this point, I figured small talk would be more of a slap in the face than silence, so I chose silence. Besides, I had a splitting headache and wasn't in a talking mood anyway.

  Instead, we both quietly listened to the navigation in the Suburban as it barked out, "take a right turn here" and "take a left just ahead." How it even knew where we were was a shocker in and of itself, considering we were still in the middle of BFE. Furthermore, the locations of these Resistance compounds were on a need-to-know basis only and I couldn't imagine Garmin or Tom Tom needed to know. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, though, I realized that the navigation unit was no doubt “charmed” as were most things supplied by The Resistance.

  We'd left the library about an hour earlier and were now driving down an unmarked highway that seemed to stretch into oblivion. As we crested the only hill yet, I noticed the highway T-boned into a dead end. We had to go right or left. The nav unit ordered us to make a left turn, so we did. Once we took the left, the entire car wobbled like a tightrope walker in a high wind on a faulty wire. Seconds later, we were no longer on the lone highway that stretched for miles with nothing but the early morning sun to greet us. Instead, we were suddenly plunged into the midst of a dark forest, complete with traces of moonlight that lit up the interior of the car through the heavy branches. It took me a second or two to realize what just happened, but before I could speak, Knight did.

  "That must have been a portal," he said simply, as if it were no surprise at all and the news was so humdrum that it didn’t even require commenting.

  "So what do we do now?" I asked as I glanced around myself and realized I couldn't see anything beyond the trunks of the seemingly never ending trees. The moonlight cast eerie shadows that soon became great, hulking trolls and monsters.

  "Looks like driving is out of the question."

  I agreed, considering there was now a huge pine tree directly in front of us that even a forty-point turn couldn't allow us to weave our way around.

  "So?"

  He didn't respond, but faced the navigation with concern all over his face.

  "You will finish the remainder of your journey on foot," the thing said in that same highfalutin’, accent-free sort of way. "Step out of the vehicle. Walk forward three paces; make a ninety-degree turn to your right, and walk forward six paces."

  Knight reached forward to remove the navigation device from its holder, which was suction-cupped to the windshield. Turning toward me with a sigh, he raised his eyebrows in a rendition of "What other choice do we have?" I nodded as I undid my seatbelt. I tried to open the door, but found it butted up against another tree, leaving me maybe two feet of clearance to wiggle out. Luckily, I was small enough to squeeze my way through.

  "You could have crawled out on my side," Knight offered as soon as I worked my way free of the door and jumped to the ground in front of him.

  "And miss that daring adventure?" I asked, forcing a smile even as I wondered if things between us would ever again feel comfortable. I wasn’t at all okay with how things now were, but I also couldn't imagine things improving—not anytime soon anyway.

  Knight didn't say anything, but glanced down at the nav again. The moist smell of the forest infiltrated my nostrils as I leaned up on my tiptoes and eyed the device in his hands. It revealed a road map view of a forest, which I figured was the forest we were now in, and the X in the center must have marked our current position. There was a red arrow pointing straight ahead, which then veered to the right.

  The sounds of crickets and frogs were thick in the air as I took a step forward, my shoes squeaking against the mossy undergrowth. "Three paces, huh?" I asked with a slightly hesitant smile.

  "Guess so," Knight answered, and together, we took three steps forward, just like the nav instructed.

  "Prepare to make a ninety-degree right," the voice called out, apparently satisfied with our obedience.

  Neither of us said anything as we turned to our right and took six steps forward. Knight's gait was obviously much longer than mine, so I did my best to keep up with him before the thought occurred to me that maybe the six strides specified were referencing a normal-sized person, not a shrimp like me, or a giant like Knight. But, I guess I'd just have to find out the hard way if and when the portal didn't open.

  "You will now have exactly three seconds each to cross over," the navigation said with detached authority.

  Knight glanced at me and nodded, a dark smile on his lips that seemed to match the muddied expression in his now navy blue eyes. "Ladies first."

  "Thanks," I grumbled, thinking in this case, I'd prefer ladies second. But I didn't argue and, instead, thrust myself forward, just like I'd done every other time I had to travel via portals. I felt the difference in the air almost immediately. The now familiar feel of balmy air that was both thick and heavy, hugged me like an old friend. Before I could take another breath or blink, I felt myself slipping through the air. A second or so later, I unceremoniously landed on my ass, shrouded in cold. I caught a glimpse of my surroundings—a smallish room, painted black with thick, black carpeting to match. A yellowish glow emitted from a floor lamp in the corner—the only furniture in the room. The scent of something foreign, but clean and crisp, stung my nose, but before I could take stock of anything else, I remembered Knight. I managed to roll out of the way just as he came through the portal, landing in exactly the same spot I'd previously occupied. Talk about a close call!

  "Well, well, well," came the aristocratic voice from behind me. "Look what the portal dragged in."

  I turned to see him, although I recognized his voice before he came into view.

  "You've gotta be fucking kidding me," Knight said as he lurched to his feet and he settled his eyes on Bram.

  "I am quite overjoyed to see you as well, Vander," Bram said with a polished smile as he slapped his hands together artfully, and approached us from the far side of the room. Glancing around, I realized my first hunch was correct—there wasn't any furniture in the room aside from the floor lamp. I figured the room must have been dedicated to portal travel, given how landings could sometimes be ... unpredictable, and furniture might prove to be dangerous.

  Knight ran his hands through his hair as he cracked his knuckles and scowled at our vampire host. I managed to stand up, my heartbeat in my throat. It took maybe another few seconds for the shock to wear off and as soon as it did so, the reason for why we were here dawned on me.

  "What the hell was Christina thinking?" Knight continued, still glaring at Bram, even though the question was directed at me ... I think.

  "It makes total sense," I said simply, although I was awed and amazed by how smart this move actually was. I turned to face Knight and noticed him studying me quizzically. "If the offender is one of our own, Christina figured that I'd be safer somewhere they would never expect to find me."

  "Yes, quite so," Bram said, nodding vehemently as he eyed Knight, as if he presumed the Loki were slow. "As I am neither a member of The Resistance nor a foe," (he said as his eyes res
ted on me), "you would do well to find yourself under my roof, Dulcie, sweet." Then, narrowing his eyes at Knight, he added, "And please note, my dear Loki, that my invitation of hospitality only extends to the fairer of our sex."

  Knight frowned. "Of course it does, Bram." He gritted his teeth. "But as to whether or not I'll accept your invitation on behalf of our fairer sex—it remains to be seen."

  Bram held his long fingers in front of him as he appeared to inspect them, something he always did for added drama, and something which absolutely drove me nuts. He didn't say anything, though, so I took the opportunity from him.

  "Knight, I can take care of myself," I spat out, suddenly angry. I wasn’t sure whether I was more irritated by Knight's display of machismo or Bram's obsession with his damned nails. Men could be so frustratingly exhausting.

  "Well said, my dear, well said," the vampire finally spoke before turning his stringent gaze on Knight and addressing him pointedly. "You would not want to contradict any command from your superior, would you?"

  "Enough, Bram," I snapped before turning to face Knight. "I'll be fine here. It's short term, anyway."

  "I'm not convinced you're going to be fine," Knight answered. "We could be making a big mistake. You have no protection here—no soldiers patrolling, no barbed wire fencing, no guards, nothing."

  "None of those things mattered a damn anyway," I argued. "I had all of those things on base and look what good it did! Someone still managed to sabotage the Denali."

  "And as to Sweet's protection, I am most certainly considered a formidable ally, but an even more formidable enemy," Bram piped up, apparently insulted by the idea that Knight had little faith in his skills.

  "Against an army of Melchior's men, you are nothing," Knight spat back at him, his eyes raging.

  "It might please you to know," Bram continued, in a level tone as he faced me and turned his back on Knight, "your leader has graced my quarters as an estimable guest, more than once." Then he turned to face Knight again. "And I do believe if the leader of The Resistance finds sanctuary beneath my roof, it should be deemed safe by anyone else’s accounts!"

  I couldn't say my mind was focused on Bram's question, though. Instead, I was still stuck on the point he made about Christina staying with him. I had to wonder which quarters he was referring to—a random room in his house or his own private bedroom quarters? Somehow, I didn't want to know the answer.

  "That doesn't change the fact that I don't trust you, Bram," Knight spat back.

  "And yet you trusted me enough with our Dulcie sweet while we were in the Netherworld on your business?"

  "It was hardly Knight's business," I grumbled but Knight interrupted me, his eyes narrowed and his jaw tight.

  "I had no choice in the matter. I was in prison, if you recall."

  Bram made a big show of exhaling a pent-up breath, as if he were too busy to bother himself with the mundane, trivial details of Knight's whereabouts in the Netherworld. "At any rate, I was given express instructions to ensure that Sweet receive a comfortable shelter and bed on which to lay her pretty head in preparation for tomorrow's activities," Bram finished.

  "What does that mean?" Knight demanded, his tone becoming increasingly agitated.

  Bram simply shook his head and dropped his eyes onto his fingernails again. "It is not for me to repeat, Loki," he said simply. "That information must come from your leader, herself." Then he turned to face me with a polished smile. "Now, if you will excuse us, I must insist on showing Sweet to her bedchamber; and rest assured, I will protect Sweet and guarantee her safety in whatever way becomes necessary."

  Knight stepped toward the tall, gallant vampire until the two were maybe three inches apart. Apparently sensing Knight behind him, Bram turned around slowly. Knight was fuming and Bram seemed slightly ill at ease, which was no surprise, given that he had an incensed Loki staring him down.

  "If you so much as lay one finger on her, you'll have me to answer to," Knight sneered. "No, scratch that, if you so much as look at her with anything other than respect, I’ll make sure you regret it. Got it?"

  "Affirmative," Bram answered acidly.

  "I don't trust you and I don't like this arrangement one bit. I'm counting on you to keep Dulcie safe and I don't want her to have to worry about trying to fend off your advances on top of everything else we have going on."

  "Knight, it's fine. I can take care of myself," I started, although neither one seemed to hear me.

  "As I understand, you no longer have any claim on our Sweet?" Bram teased, egging Knight on.

  Knight was about to say something, but his words seemed to dissolve on his tongue. As for me, I was shocked because I didn’t know how Bram could have found out about Knight's and my falling out. I guess it came down to bad news traveling fast. One thing I could say about Bram was that he was a nosy bastard. He made it his business to know everyone else's.

  "Dulcie's and my relationship isn't any of your concern," Knight said at last, taking the final step separating them until they were nose to nose. "Touch her and you won't be happy with the consequences."

  Bram stepped away from Knight and narrowed his eyes at the larger man before turning to face me, a false smile of bravado pasted across his handsome face. "My goodness, it seems your caveman has snapped his tether."

  "Take that as a warning, Bram," Knight continued before turning to face me again. "If you need anything, call me, Dulcie." Then, addressing Bram again, he added, "I want her room in the most remote section of this house. There should be more than one exit point; and I want a guard posted outside her door, day and night." He took a big breath. "Her door should not only lock from the inside, but also have a deadbolt. I'll send Sam over to charm the place and make sure it's as safe as it can be."

  "No need, my good sir," Bram answered. "My entire home and estate have already received the benefit of multiple witches’ charms."

  "I don't care. I'm only interested in Dulcie's safety."

  Bram frowned. "Sweet's bedchamber has been charmed three times by three different witches to ensure its safety." It was Bram's turn to narrow his eyes and assume the role of someone ticked off. "I believe the sky is the limit when Dulcie's safety is concerned."

  "Okay, I've had enough of this now," I barked out, holding my head because it was beginning to throb. I'd have to magic the pain away as soon as Knight left. But at the thought of him leaving, I felt my stomach drop. "Where are you going to go?" I asked in a shaky voice as I again realized he was as much of a walking target as I.

  "I don't know," he answered simply. "But I do know that you need to save your strength for whatever Christina has planned. I have a feeling it's going to be something big that will have to come together quickly."

  I simply nodded before I approached him. "Be careful, Knight."

  He seemed surprised by the worry in my voice, but simply smiled down at me. "I will." Then he started for the portal again, turning with one final boyish grin. "I'll see you soon, Dulce." I watched him study Bram purposefully, his eyes issuing a silent warning before he turned toward the portal and vanished.

  With a new sense of niggling worry in my gut, I faced Bram, intent on making him understand that Knight's warnings were legitimate. "Don't think I'm going to grant you any sexual favors just because I'm staying under your roof. My coming here is only as a last resort and I don't want you to turn it into an opportunity to benefit yourself."

  "Sweet, you cut me to the core," he said in mock offense, dramatically bringing his hand up to his heart. "Although I might remind you that you still have yet to deliver on your end of our agreement."

  I rolled my eyes just as I realized the truth in his statement. Our "agreement" was comprised of Bram's list of demands which he'd created in exchange for serving as my guide to the Netherworld. My part of the agreement, which I still hadn't upheld, amounted to five dinner dates. Hades be damned.

  "Perhaps you do not recall the stipulations regarding our agreement?"

  "N
o, Bram, I haven't forgotten," I started, still shaking my head at the injustice of it all. I mean, I was just so exhausted and the thought that I could relax, at least for one evening, had been music to my ears. Music that had now soured.

  "I shall enlighten you regardless," he said, holding his chin up high as if he were an orator about to captivate his audience. "You consented to dine with me five separate times upon our return from the Netherworld. If you also recall, I stipulated that each of those occasions would require that you dress in something no longer than three inches above your knees. Furthermore, the upper garment, blouse or the northern end of your gown must plunge into a very low “V”, thereby fully displaying your breasts, thereby permitting me to appreciate your ... assets."

  "Obviously you aren't taking Knight's warning seriously," I muttered, irritated because I knew he had me. We did have an agreement and I still hadn’t held up my end of it.

  "I care not for the Loki, much less his silly warning." He paused for a few seconds before a villainous smile took hold of his entire face. "All I do care about, Dulcie sweet, is our dinner this evening. I will escort you to your accommodations, where you will find a suitable gown hanging in the closet." He sighed deeply as he studied me, clicking his tongue against his teeth in apparent appreciation. "Until then, I must leave you as I have some personal business to attend to." Without pulling his gaze away from me, he added, "I will send for you in three hours."

  "Didn't Christina tell you I needed my rest also?" I muttered, even though I started following him out of the room.

  "Yes, of course, my dear; and you would do well to enjoy your brief respite now as you and I have an evening engagement awaiting us."