by A. W. Exley
Her gaze hardened as she narrowed her eyes at me. I wondered if she had ever snuck into the sealed wing of Serenity House and gazed at Millicent. Elizabeth had the look of a woman trying to copy the style of another, but failing. Thinking of the comparison set of all sorts of sparks in my brain.
"You see, Eleanor, I want you to live a very long life. I want you to watch as I take everything from you and I destroy your family. Most importantly, I want to see your little heart break when Seth becomes one of us." She rose as she spoke, kicking her vermin footstool to one side so she could pace before her throne. At times she seemed so human, apart from her black eyes. Why hadn't she Turned into a deformed blob like Mrs Linton? I wondered if that process took longer than a few weeks or if there was something particular about Elizabeth that allowed her to retain her physical form.
I hated this woman when she was alive, and I hated her even more undead. But how could one hurt a thing with no soul? I suspected even her love for Louise was shallow, and if challenged, she would abandon her daughter to a gruesome fate. There must be some chink in her mental armour; I had only to find it.
Then it hit me and I raised my gaze. "You'll never be like her, no matter how much you try."
The pacing stopped. She spun on her heel, and black velvet swirled behind her as she bore down on me. "What?"
I kept my silence, waiting for her mind to make the jump. She knew, but I wondered at her source of information. Elizabeth never showed much interest in local history that I could recollect, but someone had to have whispered in her ear about a long-dead witch.
"I really have no idea who you are talking about." Elizabeth's hand ran down the velvet over her thigh. Her fingers picked at a line of black embroidery.
There was one defect in her character I could poke at with a stick—vanity. I chuckled out loud. Nothing infuriated her more than my defiance and refusal to be cowed. "I'm referring to Millicent deMage. Even in her portrait one senses her regal, commanding air, which you are entirely lacking. But then as you say, breeding always shows, and she was a highly born noblewoman even before she became a duchess."
Elizabeth may have been undead, but I’d just given her an eye twitch. She narrowed her gaze and leaned forward as though she were about to pounce and wrap her hands around my throat. Her hand curled into a fist and struck at air like a cobra feinting to test its opponent.
Then she laughed. "Millicent is long dead. Why on Earth would I care to look like a centuries-old corpse? I was merely curious about the history of Serenity House. It might make a suitable summer home for my court."
Oh, she cared. I had been born and raised in this corner of Somerset, and my haunted house tour had been the first time I heard of Millicent. The first duchess was a very well-buried part of the deMage family history. Which raised the question—just how did Elizabeth learn of the woman who’d had a pet raven? Had step-mother been alive or Turned when she first heard the name of Millicent? I imagined some sort of hive archive, where vermin librarians kept the collective knowledge of all creepy and demonic things.
What really bothered me about all this was the thought that Elizabeth might not be my biggest problem. She might be a queen, but what if there was an empress?
Louise's dark trousers and red coat came into view beside me, and then she kicked out. Her boot connected with my stomach as I knelt. I gasped and doubled over. My hands hit the hard ground as I dropped to all fours. That was Louise, always kicking me while I was down.
"You always were a sore loser, Louise. How does it feel to know Seth picked me over you? He asked me to marry him, after you left." She was going to kick me again anyway, so at least I managed to land one punch.
"Liar! He was always meant to be mine." She spat on me and hissed like a viper rather than a vermin.
"Put her in the cage," Elizabeth's voice rang out and ended Louise's fun.
Vermin appeared, dragging a shape in their midst. Metal scraped over rock and emitted a high-pitched squeal as they approached. Behind them they dragged a large cage, like one might use as a dog run.
"Been busy looting the countryside, I see." I desperately hoped Seth and the others were not far away.
"I'm only thinking of your safety, Eleanor. Wouldn't do if one of my servants nicked your skin and offered you escape." Elizabeth strode back to her throne and swept her skirts to one side as she sat.
The cage stopped before me and the door swung open.
"In you go, puppy," Louise said. Then she frowned. "No, not puppy. Dog. From now on, you will be known as dog."
One day, I promised myself, I would see Louise similarly confined to a cage. And if the game unfolded the way I intended, that day was close at hand.
18
Alice
Escaping wonderland to rally the troops
I'm not a fighter like Ella, nor am I brave. I have my own virtues—I'm loyal, care about people, and I'm tenacious. Lady Jeffrey's horde kidnapped me and shoved me into an eternal nightmare, but I refused to give the cow the satisfaction of dying. Going stark raving mad though, seemed likely.
Chained to a tree in the middle of Hell gave me lots of time to think. I hated Frank. He had scoffed at my dreams and then broke my heart. Never would a man do that to me again, no matter how sweet his words or how spine-tingling his kisses. Then I worried if anyone would ever find me. Would I die there alone? I didn't even know if I was still in England or if I had tumbled into another world.
More than anything, I cried. Soft, quiet whimpers that only I heard, and then deep, piercing shrieks that echoed above my head. I cried until I ran out of tears and my eyes swelled shut. Then I slept. When I woke there would be a tin of sardines and a mug of dirty water. Time didn’t exist in that mad world, and I didn't know if I had been missing for an hour, a week, or a month.
I should have listened to Ella and walked home with her. But I’d needed time alone to grieve the future I thought I once had with Frank. The future he had ripped to shreds when he laughed at me. I wanted to curl into a ball and hide my broken pieces. That was why I went to the river, and perhaps I meant to fling myself into the rushing water and end my pain. Not that Frank would care.
I had sat on the grass, hugged my knees, and cried until the whispers of Ella came. Like the slither of a snake, it curled around the trees and shook the leaves. And they took me by mistake.
I shook as the cold chain was wrapped around my ankle and someone pushed me to the ground. When they pulled the sack from over my head, Louise had been furious. That at least was funny, as she berated the vermin and hit them about the head. I ducked under loose fingers and chunks of face that went flying as they sought to defend themselves from her anger. Then she pulled my hankie from a pocket and gave that evil smirk. The one that usually meant she was going to kick you in the shins when you had your hands full with a tea tray.
Then, even Louise had left me alone with nothing to do but think and go mad. I found the mallet lodged in the tree, and it was the only solid thing I could cling to as waves of despair pulled me under. I saw no one but the occasional shambling nightmare that appeared in the clearing, and I used the mallet to drive those away. When Ella called my name, I assumed I had gone bonkers and I hallucinated her. Never had I been so glad to hug her. She could have cut off my leg if that's what we had to do to escape.
When she blew up the trees and said run, I told myself I wasn't running to Frank. I was following Ella's orders and dashing to Seth, who happened to be standing close to Frank. Then the horrid man was calling my name hoarsely and hugging me like he would never let go. He should have thought about that earlier, shouldn't he?
For the briefest moment, I had forgot I was soaking wet and freezing to death. Even in Frank's hot embrace, I had never been so cold and it cramped my limbs. My fingers turned purple and my teeth chattered together. In the deepest days of winter, when ice formed on the inside of our attic room, I hadn't been so cold. At least then we were dry.
"You're frozen—here." Frank remov
ed his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders.
I was going to refuse. I hated him. But I needed my tongue to warm up so I could tell him how much I despised him. So I took his jacket even though it stank of him and I wanted to bury my nose in the collar, inhale, and finally feel safe.
"Safe passage for Frank and Alice," Ella demanded from the foul queen.
I shook my head. I didn't want to go anywhere without her. How could we leave her? But my protests went unheard.
It felt like I had spent a lifetime chained to that tree. Alone. Forgotten. My entire world had consisted of that tiny clearing. Seeing the rest of the cave made me gasp, like seeing the ocean for the first time when you have only ever known a small river. The ceiling soared over our heads and the sides disappeared in the gloom.
Frank kept me at his side as we walked across the cavern. He was doing it again, keeping me safe and taking charge. Things were going to change between us, assuming I ever forgave him for laughing at me and for not returning my love. Ella said he was sorry, but I would have to judge that for myself. I was going to be a new woman and control my own destiny. I don't need a man in my life; if I let Frank back in, it would be because I want him there.
The cavern narrowed into a tunnel and we kept putting one foot in front of the other. My mind reeled with all the things I would do once I was free. A hot bath in front of the range. Combing my hair. Sliding into bed and pulling the blankets up under my chin.
Then the tunnel opened into another much smaller cave. This one had little cupboards carved into the walls and, by what light we had, I could see bones scattered underfoot.
"This is where I leave you. I'll wait here with them until you're clear," Seth said.
He and Frank shook hands, in a manly way. Then Frank tugged my hand. "Come on."
The vermin parted and let us through. I kept waiting for them to reach out, to scratch and bite as they tore at our warm flesh. But they didn't. Was it true? Would I soon be free of this nightmare? I wanted to pick up my wet skirts and run. To hear my feet pounding on the hard earth and for my breath to come short in my chest as I ran as fast as I could. Then tears sprang to my eyes. We had left Ella there, in her clutches. What sort of friend did that make me?
We walked on, just the two of us in a tiny bubble of light. Then Frank pulled me to a stop, spinning me to meet his gaze. "I need to talk to you, Alice, before we go any further."
Hot anger surged through my body. "No. You had your chance to say something when I poured out my dreams and love, and you laughed at me."
He made a barking noise in his throat and threw up his hands. The lantern shot up and down with the movement. "I would have explained if you hadn't run off. If you had stayed put, we would never have been in this situation."
I wanted to strangle him. Or at least whack him with the mallet and knock some sense into his dense skull. I was beyond angry and drew one deep breath to stop myself from screaming and then pointed my finger in his face. "Don't you dare blame any of this on me. Look to your own actions first, not mine."
He opened his mouth but I held up my hand to cut him off. He had nothing more to say to me. "Do you know what the local girls call you? A player, not a stayer. I should have listened to them, but I foolishly thought I was different and that you felt something for me."
Then I snatched the lantern from his hand, spun on my heel, and walked off. Let him stay behind in the dark, all alone, and see how he liked it. After a few seconds, the steady beat of his boots walked the tunnel behind me, but I refused to slow or let him return to my side.
As I walked, the ground sloped upward under my feet and I continued to mutter under my breath about ignorant, stupid men. Then the air being drawn into my lungs became sweeter and less dusty. How long had I breathed in death?
After another eternity, we broke free of the tunnel and I sobbed. Out. I was truly free at last. And surrounded by soldiers. We stood in an unfamiliar stretch of forest. Densely packed trees were tall guardians all around, except for a long, clear path that held a row of parked trucks. Lanterns were set around at regular intervals and soldiers checked each other's weapons as they stood around.
"Where are we?" I asked Frank.
"A remote corner of Seth's estate," he replied.
Elizabeth hadn't gone far at all. Conniving woman had always grasped for more, and as it turned out, had staked her claim on a part of the Leithfield legacy. Another shudder worked over my body and I pulled Frank's jacket tighter around me.
An officer walked toward us. Of medium height with soft brown hair trimmed into a short back and sides, his brown eyes were as warm as his smile.
Frank shook his hand. "Lieutenant Bain, we need a blanket and something to warm up Alice."
"Of course. Glad to see you are safe, miss." He pointed out a soldier off to one side and waved him over. "Higgins, a blanket and some tea for Miss Alice."
"No." My voice was still rusty and I might not be brave, but I knew what was right. No one was shoving me in a corner and telling me to stay put, not anymore. I had resolved to take charge of my future and actions. "Dry clothes, please, and a spare uniform would suit me just fine."
"Come on, Alice, a blanket will keep you warm until we deliver you safely back to the Jeffrey farm. We're not so far away at all and you'll be tucked up safe in your bed within the hour." Frank's voice softened and his lips pulled in a lopsided grin as he sought to cajole me to go along with his plans, but I was resistant to his charms. I lost that weakness by the river when the vermin grabbed me and I had to fight for myself.
"No, I will not. I am putting on dry clothes and I am heading back into that Hell-hole to save my friend." I pointed at the black maw behind us.
Frank chuckled. Again. The man really was as dense as two short planks of wood and he didn't seem to learn. I would no longer put up with it. I hit him. My fist struck his chest and he took a step backwards. Then I wrapped my hands around the end of the mallet and raised it over my shoulder like I’d seen Americans do with their baseball bats. A cricket grip didn't seem to convey the feeling of determination I needed.
"Laugh at me again, Frank Mercer, and you will find out how I survived so long in a vermin hive."
That made him shut his gob. Good. Because if he insisted again that I go sit in a nice, warm truck surrounded by soldiers, I might rush at the opportunity. The thin veneer of my bravery wouldn't withstand any prodding. I was rather new to being an independent woman.
"Are you sure that is what you want to do?" he asked the question, his tone serious for once. I had expected him to throw a joke at me, like war being no place for women.
The lieutenant glanced from me and back to Frank. "I assume then that Miss Alice will be joining the big push?"
Frank ground his jaw. I dared him to say no. "Yes, she will. I see you called for support, lieutenant."
Bain gestured to the soldiers, all intent on some task. "When Jack said you were in a spot, I immediately sent for all available troops. We have one hundred men and thirty flamethrowers."
I coughed into my hand. "Dry clothes, if it's not too much trouble?"
"Oh, of course. Higgins. Find a spare uniform that might fit Miss Alice, please." The lieutenant had quite a lovely smile and even teeth. I wager he wouldn't tear a woman's heart from her chest. He seemed far too polite.
"Yes, sir." The private saluted and gestured for me to join him. He climbed into the back of one of the trucks and rummaged in a large trunk, all the while muttering to himself. He eventually pulled forth a set of clothes, boots and a towel. "Might be a little roomy I'm afraid, and the army isn't known for their sense of style. But at least you won't be cold and wet anymore."
He laid the clothes on a seat and I thanked him. With a cheery smile, he jumped down and then dropped the canvas back on the truck to give me some privacy. I peeled off my wet skirt and blouse and rubbed my skin with the towel before re-dressing as a soldier. The wool uniform was rough and scratchy, but Higgins had been right. I felt wa
rmer already.
The boots were too big and I found some spare socks to roll up and shove in the toes. I pulled a belt tight around my waist and dropped the croquet mallet through the leather, as though I hung a sword from my hip. My hair was a mess, and even trying to comb it with my fingers snagged snarls and brambles and made my scalp sting. I did the best I could with a rough plait and tied it off with a spare piece of string.
Now I was ready to join the fight and defeat the evil queen. My knees shook both from the cold and because I was absolutely terrified.
I climbed out of the truck and went in search of Frank. I found him still with the lieutenant. They had a sheet of paper lain out on the truck bonnet and Frank was drawing a rough map. Another short private stood next to him, adding his input and tapping the map. I peered over his shoulder and saw my island prison at one end of the big chamber. A circle denoted where Elizabeth held Ella and Seth. Between us and them were hundreds of vermin intent on adding us to their numbers.
Frank fixed his gaze on me and then pulled me to one side, out of earshot of the lieutenant. "Alice, I'm know you're angry with me but, please, there is one thing I need to say."
His hand slid up from my elbow as he reached out to touch my face.
I raised a hand to fend him off. If he touched me, my resolve might shatter. Although my anger had started to cool, I did admit to a teeny glimmer of curiosity as to what exactly he wanted to say. I couldn't imagine an apology big enough to heal the hole he had punched in my heart. "No. I have nothing to say to you until Ella and the duke are free and that horrid woman is burning in Hell."
His hand fell away and his gaze dropped. He ran a hand over his hair and sighed before he met my gaze. "Then at least allow me to say sorry, as inadequate as the word is to convey my true feelings. I do love you, Alice. I just panicked when you said it. I fully intend to find a way to make you believe it, if you would still have me."
I turned away, I had to before I burst into tears and threw myself at him. Better he thought me cold and indifferent, than so easily swayed. An apology and finally saying I love you was a start, but he had a long road to crawl before I would forgive him. Or believe him.