To Catch A Bandit

by Emma Dean

  “Hey!” Chance protested. “I’m the one who read all that shit. I’m the one who knows the most about Wonderland.”

  “Ben has read the classics at least a hundred times, but if the other author managed to get it right, then you can run second on this mission after Emily,” Jace conceded. “But I get final say when it comes down to it. If I say we bail, we bail. No questions asked.”

  Emily stared Jace down, eyes narrowing as she tried to decide if she could live with that.

  This is what Aiden loved most about her – her fire. She was chaos and death and yet vibrantly alive.

  “Fine.” Emily zipped up her jacket and placed one hand on the gun strapped to her thigh. “Let’s get this shit over with.”

  Aiden couldn’t wait to leave this world devoid of magic. It was starting to wear on him.

  Poking at the spot where he’d been shot, Aiden studied Emily again.

  Was she his mate? It was impossible to tell when she smelled like nothing.

  Chance tapped another button and the device created a portal in their room. It widened until it could fit one of them at a time.

  All five of them stared through the portal at the world only a few steps away.

  It looked harmless enough, covered in dark greenery.

  Emily stepped through first, looked around, and then signaled for the rest of them.

  They filed through the door one at a time. Jace let Aiden go first and then brought up the rear.

  Instantly he felt more secure with the larger raccoon at his back.

  Growing up in the situation that he had, Aiden always felt safer surrounded by the other three. He didn’t do well alone, and up until recently he didn’t date.

  But Emily had him reconsidering for the first time since Sara’s death.

  Would this beautiful raven, with eyes like rubies and feathers so black they were nothing more than inky darkness against the night sky, disappear from their lives again like she’d never existed?

  Or would they find a way to make this work?

  Aiden shook his head and walked through the portal.

  He couldn’t possibly know which way this all would fall, and honestly, he thought that was the best part. For the first time in his life he didn’t know what the future would hold.

  Every day was different, as was every job, but Aiden knew that he’d always be with Jace, Ben, and Chance. He knew the kinds of work they would take, and the things they would do.

  Chance was obsessed with video games. Ben recommended a new book for Aiden to read every week and they varied from the classics like Alice in Wonderland to a romance novel that made the tips of Aiden’s ears turn red.

  Jace liked to build things.

  And Aiden…Aiden liked to paint.

  One day, he would paint Emily.

  But now that Emily was back in the picture, could she fit in as seamlessly as Ben and Chance had? Would she feel at home with them, or would the strangeness of her raven life make everything abrasive and irritating?

  “Get down!” Jace yelled, shoving him to the loamy ground.

  Something large leapt over him and the claws raked against his pack but didn’t grab hold.

  “Where are we?” Jace asked, pulling them all back behind the massive leaves to hide from the creature.

  Banana leaves maybe.

  “In Wonderland,” Chance snapped.

  “No shit, but where?”

  Something slimy dripped onto Aiden’s shoulder. He grimaced and wiped it off, overwhelmed by all the strange smells that meant absolutely nothing to his brain and now this? What the fuck was this?

  A rattling snarl sounded from above and he glanced up.

  It was the size of a bus, or maybe a semi with legs so long and angular it gave the impression of some sort of insect. But those claws could tear him into shreds with barely a thought. It blocked out what little sun made it through the trees and the clicking of its infinite mandibles made his stomach turn.

  “Shift!” Aiden yelled, shoving everyone forward.

  The scream from the monster showed every single one of its razor-sharp teeth; there were thousands of them. The round mouth looked like something a worm might have, but Aiden wasn’t sticking around to figure out what exactly this thing was.

  Chance let out a string of curses so inventive Aiden almost laughed as his body folded in on itself. Emily grabbed their shit as they ran, staying human. Aiden stuck close to her, but she dodged the next swipe of claws like it took her barely any effort at all.

  Then with all four packs she disappeared.

  Aiden almost stopped running, but Ben shoved him forward. As a raccoon Ben was nearly twice his size, but Aiden was only a little smaller than Chance and Jace.

  And all of them were the size of dogs thanks to the magic that made them what they were.

  Suddenly there was a screech and all four of them looked up to see a massive black bird in the sky dive bombing the creature with the disgustingly long body.

  It was something out of a nightmare, limbs angled and fast as it ran after Emily. She led it away, giving them time to put some distance between them and the monster.

  Would she be able to find them in this unfamiliar place?

  Jace climbed up one of the largest trees. Up and up until he disappeared in the branches and leaves.

  Aiden followed without question right behind Chance, with Ben bringing up the rear. Was all of Wonderland going to be like this?

  Where is she? Ben pushed aside the top layer of branches to study the sky.

  It was an odd color, a deep blue he remembered seeing before shifting. Aiden felt his chest constrict as he waited to hear another cry from their raven.

  That triumphant scream as she streaked through the sky sent a wave of relief through him so strong, he nearly fell out of the tree.

  Emily disappeared into nothing again and the monster crashed through the forest in the direction he’d seen her last.

  Then suddenly she was there, perched on a branch right in front of him.

  This time Aiden did fall out of the tree.

  14

  Emily

  She shifted and grabbed Aiden’s paw before he could crash to the ground. One quick tug had him back on the branch and she couldn’t help but smile at him, always so adorably awkward.

  For the first time in a long time she felt alive.

  Emily felt the excitement and anticipation and adrenaline she hadn’t felt since her first year as an assassin.

  “It’s tracking you by scent. We need to throw it off your trail. It’ll find us any second now,” she told them.

  This was better than sex, better than emotions. Emily felt like every skill she’d been forced to learn had prepared her for this.

  The raccoons looked at each other, and the one with Chance’s aura jerked his head in the right direction. So, it was this Dean’s Wonderland then.

  A scream ripped through the air and claws that were three feet long reached for her, slamming into the branch instead. Emily felt the strange gravity grip her tight as she plummeted to the earth.

  She closed her eyes and breathed, just as she’d been trained to do, and shifted mid-fall.

  Her own scream was a challenge to the monster that hunted them.

  Emily’s wings were powerful, gaining her ground with each stroke. She kept one eye on the raccoons as she led the monster away from them. The four auras that were nearly as familiar as her own now, thanks to the last few days, moved quickly but not quick enough.

  The creature followed her, crashing through the trees Emily dove through. She wove her way through the deep woods, taking the monster on a convoluted path that was nothing more than a circle when all was said and done.

  It kept reaching for her, inhaling if she was too slow, and Emily knew if she didn’t pick up speed it would swallow her whole.

  Then she noticed her raccoons weren’t the only auras in that forest.

  Emily dove again, extending her wings at the very last minut
e. She sped through the forest along the top of the ground, avoiding the diseased looking mushrooms as she angled her body to weave through the trees.

  There they were.

  She cawed, warning them of what was ahead.

  Chance dove into the river without hesitation and her heart lurched into her throat when the other three did too.

  They had no idea what kind of water that was, or if it was poisonous. Emily flew above the river, watching them swim as her heart sat in her throat.

  Crashing behind her told her the creature was looking for her. It was headed in the right direction even if she could sense its confusion.

  Sending a prayer to the Morrigan, Emily dove into the water, shifting into her human form before she touched the water. Wet feathers could be deadly with that thing on their asses.

  Then she felt the weight of the river and it made her skin tingle, even her scalp.

  Emily tapped her watch and let it do its thing as she swam towards the raccoons. Her eyes were burning as she found them floating more than swimming.

  It took everything she had to ignore the weight in her limbs that was starting to drag her down – the numb sensation that made it difficult to know if she was properly moving.

  Then her hand touched fur and Emily grabbed the first one and screamed as she threw him out of the river and onto dry land. Letting out all her frustration and fear in that sound helped her focus.

  Aiden was heavier than he looked – big fat fucking raccoons the size of dogs. Of course, they were massive. Emily grunted as she threw him, feeling her arms not quite rising as high as before.

  She didn’t have that much time.

  Ben was next and he was dragging Chance, trying to get him out of the water. Fucking hell, Ben was so large Emily wasn’t sure she’d be able to get him out.

  Grabbing him by the scruff of his neck she dragged him with her, paddling with one arm. She knew he was going to give her shit for this later, but they didn’t have the time.

  Despite her best efforts, the riverbank felt like it was getting farther and farther away no matter how hard she swam. Just when she was about to give up, Aiden and Jace grabbed a hold of her, completely naked.

  They hauled her, Ben, and Chance up and out of the water.

  Her entire body felt like it had gone to sleep. Pins and needles everywhere, and an odd numbness that made it impossible to move.

  “My watch,” she croaked. “It ran…an, analysis.” Every word was a nightmare.

  Aiden started stripping her out of her wet clothes and Emily just tried to focus on keeping her body breathing.

  What the hell had been in that water?

  At least they’d lost the creature who was screaming its frustration in the wrong direction.

  Damn raccoons needed a scent charm. The only reason she’d managed to keep it on her tail was because it couldn’t stand the sound of her raven cry.

  “Emily, I can’t read this fucking thing. What did you do to my Rolex?” Jace demanded, trying to get it off of her.

  Ben took it from him and frowned when he read the display.

  “My pack,” she whispered, feeling her breathing slow. Had she accidentally drunk some of the water? It was so hard to tell when she’d been panicking.

  Ben rummaged in her pack while Chance grabbed their clean clothes. Somehow, she’d managed to hold onto it all. Her charms and enchantments were no joke thanks to a few of the best witches of their generation in her Collective.

  Then liquid was being poured down her throat and Emily coughed and hacked as it spread through her body. Instantly she vomited up river water. “Everyone take some,” she managed right before she threw up again.

  All four of them took the antidote and Emily breathed deeply, feeling her body go back to normal.

  Fucking hell.

  “What the hell were you lot doing in Dead Man’s River?” a voice asked from farther up the riverbed.

  Emily was too tired to threaten the blonde standing there, staring at them like they were all insane. After all, her aura was a nice rosy color even if it did have dark edges and bruising that indicated sickness and abuse.

  “Trying not to die,” Emily managed, taking her clothes out of her pack.

  “Well, that’s definitely not the way to do it then,” the female said, one side of her mouth quirking up. “Better hope you didn’t catch Madness.”

  Emily didn’t know how to respond to that.

  “Why did you go in the fucking river?” Emily asked the raccoons instead. “Especially in this place?”

  “I’m shocked you even have an antidote,” the blonde said. Sword at her back said she knew how to fight but wasn’t threatened since it was still in its scabbard. Emily smelled other metals, so she had knives hidden as well.

  “And who exactly are you?” Emily asked, tossing her favorite boots in the river. Even when they finally dried it would be impossible to get whatever poison out of the leather. She glared at Jace, blaming him for all of this.

  “I’m Alice,” the blonde said, grinning in a way that made Emily wonder if she was the one with Madness.

  “Of course, you are,” Jace said with a laugh. “It’s nice to meet the Alice in Wonderland.”

  Emily rolled her eyes and put on her second favorite pair of boots. “You’re that Alice?”

  The blonde cocked her head and looked at them curiously. “I’m not sure, I’ve changed quite a bit.”

  “She’s definitely that Alice,” Chance said with a snort.

  “Clearly, you lot aren’t from here,” she said with a laugh. “Come with me. These woods are dark and dangerous, especially with Madness infecting everyone.”

  Emily looked at Chance, since technically he was taking the lead on the whole ‘Wonderland’ thing now that they knew which version was correct.

  “Per the Dean chick she’s a good guy.” Chance shrugged. “She would know the best safe places.”

  “There are no safe places in Wonderland,” Alice called over her shoulder, picking up the bow that was leaning against a tree as she passed. Quiver must be under her cloak then. “But I can help you while you’re here.”

  Emily didn’t like this at all.

  She wasn’t used to working with so many people, let alone non-ravens. But they were in a strange world, with strange rules, and it seemed like everything here was designed to kill them.

  More mushrooms that looked bloated, with pustules of red and inky black liquid dripping from them, were everywhere.

  “What is this Madness you keep talking about?” Emily asked, taking up the rear. She paused before they entered the woods again, on two feet this time, and checked her earrings.

  They were all there amazingly enough.

  The rest of her charms and enchantments were tattooed into her body.

  A scream that sent shivers down her spine rippled through the forest and monsters shrieked back as the largest still searched for her and the raccoons in frustration.

  Dead Man’s River that caused death…

  What else would there be?

  Emily hefted her pack and felt the comforting weight of her weapons waiting to be cleaned. Looked like she needed to have a little chat with Chance the next opportunity they had. Emily refused to be ignorant about her new surroundings.

  “So, is there really a talking rabbit?” Aiden asked.

  She followed after the raccoons and Alice.

  They were in Wonderland now and it wasn’t going to be a place full of fun and fantastical things. It wasn’t the fairy tale they all thought they knew.

  “There is,” Alice replied. “All animals talk here.”

  “Hey, do you think we could talk in our raccoon form?” Aiden asked Ben.

  “Raccoons?” Alice glanced over her shoulder at them. “Where are you from?”

  “It’s a long story.” Emily sighed. “Just take us somewhere we can get our bearings.”

  Hopefully nothing new tried to kill them along the way.

  15

/>   Emily

  Her weapons were dry and clean, including her guns. The charms she normally wore were in her pack and wrapped up. Emily had no idea what the river water would do to the magic. As they followed Alice into a cave, her hand never strayed too far from her holster as she eyed this strange place they were in.

  It went underground, some sort of base if her assumptions were correct. There appeared to be a rebel force in Wonderland – a potential war, and a sickness called Madness if what Alice said was true.

  The Red Queen was infecting all of Wonderland with a sickness that caused illogical and violent rage in everyone who contracted the disease, altering the state of the person’s mind so she could bend everyone to her will—so friends became foes and the rebel forces dwindled thanks to a biological weapon.

  Alice indicated a place for them to rest, but Emily didn’t feel safe or secure. She didn’t set down her pack like Aiden had before following after Jace. Ben and Chance were just as on edge as she while they waited to see if Jace could sweet talk Alice into giving them the location of the items they needed.

  None of this other stuff was their problem, but Emily had a bad feeling it might become their problem if the look on Aiden’s face was any indication. His heart was so soft and kind he would jump right into this war to help Alice if given half a chance.

  Emily loved that about him. But it was also incredibly inconvenient when they had shit to do.

  Aiden glanced over at her from Jace’s side, and his smile made her insides warm. It was an expression Emily had never seen on someone’s face when they looked at her. He was genuinely happy to find her face among the crowd.

  It wasn’t a generic smile either. It was one that grew when he spotted her, and it lit up his whole face like she was the only thing in the world that gave him joy.

  Before she could look away and busy herself with checking her blades again, or sharpening them, Aiden picked his way across the large open space that reminded her of some kind of town square or marketplace.

  There was something in his hands and Emily narrowed her eyes as she tried to figure out what it was.