A Blade So Black

by L. L. McKinney

  Feeling somewhat scolded, Alice cleared her throat. “Are you going with us?” That wasn’t the plan Maddi laid out, but something told Alice the Duchess was a woman who did things her way.

  “No. I’m going to help Madeline. I have more experience dealing with what ails Addison. If she’s going to slow the progression of the Madness, she’ll need my assistance.”

  Oh, well, that made sense.

  The Duchess faced the twins, who both snapped to attention. She barked what Alice assumed was an order in Russian. The twins responded in unison. Patting their shoulders, the Duchess looked to Alice. “Make sure they don’t get into too much trouble.” She winked, then stepped past, heading in the direction Alice had come from at a brisk pace. “See you soon,” she called as she set into a steady jog.

  The three of them watched her for a moment before turning to continue toward Legracia.

  “So much for retirement, eh?” Dem said.

  Alice tried not to grimace. “Something came up. That was the Duchess. She’s … tall.”

  The twins snickered, Alice smiled, and, like that, the odd tension the Duchess had left behind dissolved.

  “So, Legracia.” Dem came up on her left. “Have you ever been to the White Palace?”

  Alice shook her head. “Have you?”

  “Once.” Dee came up on her right. “Before you became a Dreamwalker.”

  That was a while ago. “What’s it like?”

  “It’s beautiful. Right out of a fairy tale.” Dee smirked.

  “Sounds nice.” Alice hoped this fairy tale had a happy ending.

  Most of the conversation as they traveled centered on why they were going. The Duchess had explained that Hatta was ill to the twins, and the White Queen was the only one who could help, but none of the other details like the Black Knight and his wanting the Eye. Naturally, the twins asked about a million questions Alice didn’t have the answers to: Who was the Black Knight? Wasn’t he dead? Why did he want the Eye? On and on. Alice realized how little they knew of the Black Knight and his plans. So far, everything they did was in reaction to him. Made it pretty easy to fall for his tricks, like using her to poison Hatta. She’d left that little detail out.

  “Maybe he wants the Eye to try to resurrect the Black Queen, I don’t know.” Alice took in their surroundings. Orange grass spread out around them, cresting stationary hills and dotted with silver flowers. In the far distance, numerous curls of smoke drifted toward the sky. A village maybe. The air smelled like roasted garlic, fresh bread, and lemons.

  “So she could finish what she started?” Dem toyed with a switchblade.

  “Maybe.” Alice gripped the straps of her pack, for something to do with her hands. “If that’s the case, we definitely need to help Hatta. They couldn’t beat her without him before; we wouldn’t stand a chance now.”

  “You thinking that’s why the Black Knight did this to him?” Dee said, watching her as they walked along.

  “It makes sense.” She’d been turning this over in her head since leaving the bar. Only one person can keep you from doing the thing? Handle ’em. A play right out of the how-to bad-guy handbook. But she wasn’t going to let that happen. Hell to the naw.

  Hours passed with little fanfare, but Alice couldn’t relax. If the Black Knight wanted Hatta dead, and somehow found out she and the twins were here to get the one thing that could cure him, he’d come after them, right? But so far, nothing. A suspicious amount of nothing, to be honest.

  She tugged the mirror out and tapped against it. “Open my eyes.”

  It took a few seconds before the swirling calmed to reveal Maddi’s face.

  “Everything okay?” the bartender asked.

  “Yeah, everything’s good. Too good, s’why I’m calling. How’re things on your end?”

  “All quiet. Hatta is resting, and the Duchess is looking after your mother. Discreetly.”

  Some of the tightness in Alice’s chest eased a bit. “No sign of the Black Knight?”

  “Nothing. I assume the same for you.”

  “Mmhm.” Alice heaved a sigh and rolled her shoulders to ease the strain in her muscles. “Okay, well, keep me posted.”

  “Likewise.” Maddi’s face swirled out of sight before Alice’s reflection replaced it. She put the mirror away and updated the twins on everything being quiet back home. Maybe things were actually starting to work out. She pushed the thought aside, not wanting to jinx it, and focused on chatting with the twins about this area of Wonderland. It was closest to their Gateway in the north.

  Wonderland didn’t really have seasons. There were areas where it snowed, areas where it rained, deserts, mountains, all of that. Sometimes the weather would change in these places, but never drastically enough or predictably enough to be called winter, spring, and so on.

  The Northern Gateway, the twins’ gateway, was settled on a ridge at the start of the Tashinewa Mountains. The area was usually all snow and wind but ended with a sweltering jungle. No reason for it; just two feet to the left there would be a blizzard with sometimes purple snow, and two feet to the right was a jungle of bright colors with trees both tall and tiny, all manner of flowers, and metallic vines that crisscrossed the canopy. She’d never been there, but listening to the twins, it sounded beautiful. It was nice to think of something so simple but positive, even for a little while.

  They stopped briefly to rest and eat at midday, observing the Mending as they filled their canteens in a stream of what looked like water. The twins said it was safe to drink. They’d been this far into Wonderland before, so she trusted them.

  Every time something moved nearby or made a noise, Alice went on alert. The Black Knight had sneaked up on her twice now, and like hell there was gonna be a third. She even drew a dagger on what appeared to be a fox. Dog? Canid creature. The twins told her to relax, just a little. Mind her surroundings, of course, but they had her back. She was going to exhaust herself at this rate, and they were right. Besides, they needed to save their energy for the night watch.

  The journey was easy enough, their path curving over hills and dipping through valleys and once around a marsh so foul she couldn’t hold her nose tight enough and thought she was going to be sick more than once.

  Eventually, day began to bleed into night. Dee called for them to make camp before darkness fully descended, thankfully, far, far away from the marsh. He dug a ditch while Alice and Dem gathered wood for a fire. At least, it was the closest thing to wood they could find. The trees in this area, tall and pole-thin, were more like wire than anything else and bent instead of broke when she yanked on the gray branches. They had to cut some free.

  She settled near the silver flames, admiring their pale light. She rubbed her palms together and flexed her fingers, her hands sore from fighting with the firewood. Heat wafted over her body, smelling of metal and cotton, soaking into her bones. She inhaled the soothing scent as her eyes fell shut.

  “It’s the wood,” Dem said.

  “Mmm?” Alice tilted back on her palms and basked in the warmth.

  “From these trees,” he continued. “You burn it, and the smell relaxes you. Like aromatherapy. And the light from the fire helps ward off unpleasant company.”

  Alice stretched out on her side, grateful for the sleeping bag. “How much longer till we get there?” She dug into the leftover jambalaya she’d brought along. Nana Suebell’s recipe never disappointed.

  “Another three days. Maybe four.” Dem munched on some sort of sandwich.

  Not soon enough. Three more days until they reached the White Palace. That meant it would take four days to get back to the Gateway. Hopefully, the time difference between the worlds would work in their favor.

  “Think we can pick up the pace tomorrow?” she asked.

  “Doable.” Dem nodded. “You are okay for this? Your injuries.”

  “I’ll be fine. Almost one hundred percent.”

  They ate quickly, then checked their weapons. Nighttime in Wonderland alway
s carried the danger of running across a Nightmare or two. They weren’t near any Gateways, but still. There was also the chance of the Black Knight showing up, unless he was causing trouble back home. Maddi would let her know if there were problems, right? Alice’s hand went to her pouch, where it hung against her thigh.

  She’d call. Stay focused. Sheathing her daggers, Alice stretched over her sleeping bag and gazed at the starless sky. The moon’s blue face blazed, peeking between purple clouds. In a few hours it would all shatter with the Breaking.

  “How did you guys become Dreamwalkers?” she asked. They had been working together for just under a year, and she never asked how they got into all of this. She figured it was probably similar to how she and Hatta met, but that was just a guess.

  The twins never asked her, either. This was the longest she’d ever spent with them in one go, with more time ahead. These were her friends, her literal brothers-in-arms. She should know more about them.

  They glanced at her, at each other, then back to her. The white glow of the fire washed their skin in ghostly light, making their movements in tandem creepier than normal. “Like usual, I guess,” Dee said.

  “Define usual.” Not being jumped in a back alley by some monster, she hoped.

  Dem shrugged and took a bite of what looked like a blue apple while he looked over his things. “The Duchess found us when we were young. She and the other Gatekeepers go around searching for Dreamwalker candidates from time to time, so they have prospects when the position needs to be … filled.” Which was a nice way of saying when the current ones died off. Or quit. “She came to us in a dream. Said it was to test our connection to this place.” He gestured around them.

  “If a Gatekeeper can make contact from this side of the Veil, they’ve found a candidate.” Dee settled atop his bag, already finished with his weapons. He wasn’t slowed by snacking, like his brother.

  Alice snorted. “So, what, the Duchess showed up in your dream one night and asked if you wanted to fight monsters in your spare time?”

  They grinned.

  “Not entirely,” Dee continued. “She told us who she is, what she does. We didn’t believe it at first, but she told us where to find her if we were interested.”

  “That’s not creepy at all,” Alice muttered.

  “We went through the Gateway for the first time that day.” Dee pushed to his feet. “Passing through the Veil makes you stronger, faster. We could feel the change.”

  “Then we agreed to fight monsters in our spare time.” Dem’s grin widened.

  That was completely the opposite from her “call to arms.” Hatta found her in real life, not a dream. He trained her three months, then took her through. Maybe the twins needed convincing, whereas she’d already seen a Nightmare.

  She frowned, lips pursed. “How old were you?”

  “Thirteen,” they responded together.

  Alice nodded slowly. So, they’d been at this for a good while before she came along.

  “What about you?” Dem asked.

  Alice curled on her side, her eyes fixed on the fire as it faded to embers that looked more like charred diamonds. “A Nightmare attacked me the night my dad died. Hatta said it was drawn to my grief. He saved me, decided to train me. Here we are.”

  Silence settled over them, interrupted now and then by the dying snap and crackle of the embers. She took a stick and stoked the flames to a low burn. Wonderland nights rarely grew cold, but a chill washed through her that had nothing to do with the temperature.

  “We are sorry,” Dee murmured.

  “For your loss,” Dem added.

  “Thanks. It was a long time ago.” The words tasted bitter, but she didn’t want to dwell on this. Not tonight, not when she had a job to do. “I’m okay.”

  The twins nodded.

  “I’ll take the first watch.” Dee strapped his weapons in place.

  “I’m second.” Dem stifled a yawn. “Wake me when it’s my turn.”

  “Then me.” She shut her eyes and focused on trying to rest. It wasn’t easy, especially when Dem started snoring behind her.

  Eventually, sleep took her.

  Fifteen

  LEGRACIA

  Alice woke to Dem shaking her shoulder gently, letting her know it was her turn to watch. She spent the entire time doing all she could not to think about Hatta or the disease eating away at him. It only worked for an hour or so. Thankfully, morning came without incident, and the twins were early risers.

  Alice checked in with Maddi and the Duchess. The two of them reported her mom was safe and sound and there was no change in Hatta’s condition. This could be a good or bad thing; only time would tell. Time, something they didn’t have much of.

  Time stretched into the blooming day, torching the sky bright pink. The three of them set off at a brisk pace, even jogging when the landscape allowed for it. They filled the passing hours with trivial talk about family and school, hobbies and movies, pretty much anything and everything that wasn’t their mission. Then came a night of restless exhaustion where Alice’s mind refused to calm while her body begged for sleep. The result was visions of the Madness spreading through Hatta’s body, blackening his veins, moving like fire through his blood. When it wasn’t that, she dreamed of the Black Knight slicing her hand open, black blood spilling over her fingers, filling the room, then her throat. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t move.

  She woke with a start every hour or so, sweat soaking her face and shock icing her limbs. This wasn’t possible; she shouldn’t be able to dream anymore. But either of those images waited for her every time she closed her eyes.

  The twins offered to take the full watch since she was having such a hard time sleeping, but she refused. They needed rest as well, and she needed yet another distraction. Thankfully, they had no trouble from Nightmares or any other nighttime critters. One blessing amid a pile of crap going wrong.

  By the time they set out that fourth morning, she didn’t have the energy to join their conversations and instead moved with them in silence.

  The urge to check on Hatta again grew with each step, but she didn’t want to keep pulling Maddi from her work. Potion mixing was equal parts art and science, and the mousy bartender was flighty enough without the added distraction of answering Alice’s every call. That, and she figured Maddi or the Duchess would let them know if anything was wrong.

  Alice’s fingers curled around the mirror. She gazed at her reflection as she walked, the twins marching ahead of her. Closing her eyes, she pressed the mirror to her chest. Please hold on …

  “We’re here.”

  Dee’s words snatched her from her mental wanderings, and she glanced up.

  The trio stood atop a large hill overlooking the massive and majestic castle. Translucent stone formed the outer walls and curved spires reaching for the heavens, the entire structure tall and glittering. High silver gates surrounded the palace grounds and swung open to bid them enter.

  Wide lawns shifted between blue and purple as the grass waved in the wind. A few statues and fountains carved from the same dazzling stone as the palace dotted the lawn. Even the road had transformed from cobblestone to something resembling stained glass.

  The road ended at a set of stairs, which arched up and widened as they reached the landing. Two huge silver doors stood watch. Alice and the Tweedles stopped at the foot of the stairs and waited.

  And waited.

  “Is anyone home?” Alice asked.

  “Should we knock?” Dem asked. “I can knock.”

  “Just wait,” Dee murmured. “You know the drill.”

  A soft chime played over the wind, faint at first, then louder. Metal clanked against metal. It wasn’t a harsh bang, but more like someone shaking a bag of change. She knew that sound.

  As Alice racked her brain, trying to figure out where she’d heard it before, a figure emerged along the walkway lining the front of the castle. A woman who moved briskly, her steps quick and confident. She wore w
hite plates, though the pieces weren’t chunky like the stuff from the Middle Ages. No, this armor was streamlined, elegant. Spaulders, breastplate, greaves, boots—and between them Alice glimpsed leather and chain mail that looked more like gems than steel. It rattled with each footfall.

  A cape of deep blue cloth fell from the woman’s shoulders to the ground, gathering at her feet when she stopped at the top of the stairs. She didn’t appear much older than the twins, but in Wonderland, who knew.

  “Lady Xelon,” Dee said, nodding.

  Dem did the same.

  Xelon returned the gesture. “We did not expect you. Is something wrong?” She looked at Alice.

  Even at this distance, Alice could feel the power behind Xelon’s gaze. She blinked bright, upswept eyes that held an odd light. Her brows lifted and nearly vanished into her hairline as she angled her head to the side. Platinum strands fell around her pale face and over her shoulders. She looked like she’d stepped right out of a manga. Alice felt a little flurry in her stomach. And there was something familiar about her voice.

  “This is Alice.” Dee set a hand on Alice’s shoulder.

  “I know who she is.” Xelon looked her up and down in a way that left her feeling flattered or insulted, she wasn’t sure which. “I am merely surprised she is here.”

  “I take it you know of me.” Alice finally found her voice and was glad she sounded more annoyed than gooey. “’Cause we’ve never met.” She’d definitely remember running into an armored hottie.

  Xelon descended the stairs. “You weren’t very coherent at the time. You’d just been attacked by a Nightmare.”

  The steady rhythm of steps distracted Alice as Xelon came to stand in front of them. Alice knew that sound. Realization bolted through her.

  “You rescued me!”

  Xelon smiled, the expression lighting her face. Up close, Alice could see why her eyes had seemed so strange. They were light gray, so pale they appeared white at a distance.

  “Saved her?” Dem asked.

  “After Ahoon. When the Black Knight jumped me. I passed out, but I remember someone carried me. Talked to me.”