by ERIN BEDFORD
NOTHING COOLS A ROOM faster than when your new kind-of fiancé enters the room while you are sort-of kissing another man you just met twenty minutes ago. However, as far as fiancés went, Hatter did an excellent job keeping his head about it.
Jumping out of my seat, I shoved Cheshire out of the way and rushed to Hatter's side. "This isn't what it looks like."
Mercury chuckled, his eyes twinkling with mirth. Wrapping his arms around me, he drew me up to him, pecking my nose. "You have nothing to fear from me, Alice dear. As I told you, any of your love is fine by me. You won't lose me just because you find yourself caring for others, especially if those others are just as charming as you are. I'd be surprised if you could resist any of them."
My mouth drooped open, and my body warmed at his words. Once more, Mercury has taught me that my expectations for a husband had been so low that I didn't know what I'd been missing. Even if I went back and somehow Lewis convinced me he wasn't a lying bastard, I wouldn't be able to forget Mercury's loving adoration and, not to forget, talented mouth.
"Mercury," Cheshire purred, moving off of the ground where I'd left him and prowling over to our side, "so good to see you. I didn't know you'd be stopping by today. I'd have dressed down."
His crystalline eyes scanned up and down Hatter's form, the hunger in his gaze even more eager than it had been to have me out of my dress. My shocked expression went to the twins who just seemed bored by the whole situation now.
"Cheshire." Hatter released me partly to shift sideways, his arm reached out, and then next thing I knew, my eyes are bugging out of my head. Hatter had his hand on the back of Cheshire's head and his mouth angled over the cat's. I was so close to them that I could see their tongue brushing against one another, and I couldn't find a reason to stop them.
"You two are going to give Ally a heart attack." Coby chuckled, taking me from Hatter's arms. He waved a hand in front of my face which I appreciated because I was feeling a bit overheated. I'd hate to faint and miss any of this.
Cheshire released Hatter and purred, sliding his tongue along his lips. "My apologies, I forgot you were here."
Carban snorted. "Sure, you did. Can we leave already? The queen will not be patient for long. The fact that we haven't had a single message telling us to hurry up is a fucking miracle. Let's all do ourselves a favor and keep our heads."
I pushed Coby away from me and waved my hands. "I agree with Carban. We have gotten completely off topic." I pointed a finger between the two of them. "How long have you two been together? And when were you going tell me about him during your whole ‘I'm happy just to have some of your love’ speech."
Hatter beamed at me, tipping his hat. "And I meant it. Do you not feel the same? Would it make you happier if I only kissed you? Only whispered sweet nothings in your ears?" He took my hand, pulling me closer to him. "I wasn't aware you needed such a commitment, but I would be more than happy to oblige."
Cheshire harrumphed and slinked away from us. "Well, I will just go put my shirt back on since no one here wants me." He threw his tail back over his shoulder, stroking his hand up and down it as if comforting himself.
"Now, now, Cheshire, no need to pout." Hatter winked at the cat, still holding me close. "It's not like you don't have other lovers. Aren't you waiting for someone from the queen?"
"That reminds me!" I smacked Hatter on the chest, and hissed in his ear. "Don't you have something that belongs to me?" Without his permission, I reached into his pocket and grabbed my drawers before excusing myself to Cheshire's room.
I took a moment to gather my thoughts while I put my drawers back on. Hatter was alright with me being with other men, but he also wanted to be with other men as well. Did that mean he wanted to see other women? How exactly did that work if we were to marry? I knew in the human realm there were whispers of people having relations with those of the same gender, but I'd never expected to see it right in front of me, let alone have it affect me so much.
I adjusted my clothing while I tried to calm myself down. This whole adventure has been one new experience after another. If I ever made it back home, I'd have so much to tell Rhoda. She would have a fit if she knew what I knew.
A knock sounded on the door before Coby opened it. "Are you alright, Ally?"
Sighing, I tucked a hair behind my ears and nodded. "I'm fine. A bit overwhelmed by it all." I pressed my hands to my stomach, smoothing my hands down my dress. "This is all a bit new to me. I'm not sure exactly how I should be feeling."
"That's perfectly natural," Coby told me, moving further into the room. He didn't approach me thankfully, giving me my space as he sat on the edge of Cheshire's bed. "I can imagine you don't have many problems like this in your realm. From what I remember of the human realm they are a bit prudish and judgmental, except for your ancient Greeks," Coby tilted his head to the side and grinned, "and those Romans sure knew how to throw a party."
My brow furrowed. "How old are you?"
"I just had my three thousandth birthday." At my surprised expression, Coby cleared his throat and adjusted his vest. "I'll have you know that I'm young for my age. Fae live a long time. Our sense of time is quite different from yours. Time passes differently as we've told you before."
"Oh, my." I pressed a hand to my chest and shook my head. "Of course, it all makes sense now. No wonder Mercury didn't see a problem with me being with you or him being with Cheshire. You all live forever, and I'll..." I trailed off, suddenly feeling depressed. "I'll die long before I even make any kind of impression on any of your lives."
"Now, that's just not true," Hatter argued, pushing the door open and coming to my side. Cheshire followed him as well but only to get his shirt, which he then took back into the other room where I assumed Carban waited.
"It's not?"
"Of course not, Alice dear." Hatter took both of my hands in his and brought them to his mouth. "I've waited centuries for someone to warm my heart the way you do mine. I'd never do anything that would hurt you, including being with anyone else. When I promised that I'd take care of you, I meant it. Until my dying day."
I let out a bitter laugh. "Mine will come before yours so that will be a short promise." Before Hatter could argue, I pressed a hand to his mouth. "Forget it. Let's just enjoy us while it lasts. I'm not asking you to give up Cheshire because quite frankly I wouldn't want to give up someone who could kiss the way he did either. But while I'm alright with the men, I'm not sure I'd be comfortable sharing you with other women." I shifted in place, wrapping my arms around my waist.
"Then you have nothing to fear." Hatter beamed. "I haven't loved a woman in four thousand years until you."
I feared to ask him how old he actually was. If Coby and Carban were three thousand and were considered young, how old exactly was the rest of them? I was barely twenty and thought I was getting old. My mother would have a heart attack within two minutes of coming to this world.
Tired of the whole conversation, I wrapped my arms around him and held him tight. "Thank you. I think we should get moving now."
"Fucking finally!" Carban shouted from the other room.
We moved out of the bedroom and gathered around the mirror. Cheshire had put his shirt back on, but I couldn't figure out if I were happy or disappointed by that. All these men so interested in me was making my hormones confused. It didn't know what to do. Perhaps this was why they didn't want us to think about our marital bed until after we were married. Once you had a taste, you never wanted to stop.
I knew I didn't.
"What are you thinking about, Alice dear?" Hatter murmured in my ear, his hands resting on my hips while we waited for Cheshire to activate his mirror. "Your scent has spiked, and I'm not sure I'll be able to wait much longer to have another taste of you if you keep smelling the way you do."
"A little less noise from the peanut gallery." Carban shot us a warning look before gesturing to Cheshire. "Does this thing work or not? Why is it taking so long?"
"You're talk
ing an awful lot lately," I mused, eyeballing the twin. "Need to hit your word count before the end of the day?"
Giving me the evil eye, Carban sniffed. "Impatient to be done with it. If I have to watch one more of these imbeciles paw at you, I'll fall on my own scissors."
“Keep your pins in your pocket,” Cheshire growled as he trailed a hand over the frame. “I’m almost done.”
As the surface of the mirror rippled and swirled, Coby snickered. “I think my brother is maybe a bit jealous.”
I eyed Carban for any hint that what Coby said was true, but the twin had a blank facial expression… which might have been a clue. However, I didn’t have time to think too much about it because the portal was ready.
“There we go. All set. You’re welcome.” Cheshire flicked his hair and studied his nails. What? Did he expect some kind of big reaction?
“Thank Reaper.” Carban didn’t wait for any of us before practically throwing himself through the mirror frame.
Shaking his head, Coby ran a hand through his hair. “Couldn’t get out of here fast enough. The poor man. In any case, we’ll meet in the garden.” He brushed his fingertips along my jawline and then tapped my nose. “I’ll hold my breath until you arrive.”
My lips pulled at the edges, my cheeks aching from the effort. “Don’t die on my account.”
Cheshire waited to enter last with Hatter and me. I released Hatter and approached the mirror. Poking a finger into the liquid, I asked, “How exactly does this work?”
“Magic, of course.” Cheshire yawned and placed a hand on the side of his face. “You just walk into it while thinking of where you want to go. Then the magic takes you there. It only works for certain Fae.”
“So, we couldn’t have used it without your help?”
Cheshire gave me a lazy grin. “Yes, and keep in mind that you still owe me for this. I plan to collect.”
Flushing at the heated look he gave me, I turned to Hatter. “Should we go together?”
Hatter shook his head. “No, if we go together, we take the chance of coming back out the other side all wrong.” He waved a hand down my form. “I prefer you the way you are, though you could do with fewer layers.”
I giggled and pushed at his chest. “Stop it. I’ll go first then you can follow me.”
“I’m happy to follow you anywhere, Alice dear.” He pressed his lips to the corner of my mouth before releasing me. I took a deep breath and walked into the mirror’s frame.
THE COOL LIQUID GLASS covered me, and for a moment, I forgot I was supposed to be thinking of where I wanted to go. It didn’t make much sense to me. The other mirror didn’t require my participation, but who was I to question the magic of the Underground?
When I stepped out of the mirror and into a large dark-colored bedroom alone, I had a feeling something had gone terribly wrong. The men were nowhere to be seen and the room too dark. The shadows too large. My skin prickled with an unknown fear.
Someone was watching me.
Turning around the room, I searched for that unknown. My heart raced as the shadows began to move. Despite myself, my eyes locked onto them, watching them writhe and whisper. Then they jumped at me, and everything went dark.
When I opened my eyes again, I thought I was dreaming. However, if I was indeed dreaming, it was not like any dream I'd ever experienced. The dark shadowy room had dissipated, and in its place, a watercolor world spread out around me.
I was back in the Tundrey Woods, amidst another Tea Party. Except Twinkle, Hare, and the Doormouse had been replaced with the twins and Cheshire. They talked amongst themselves, seemingly not noticing me there. It was like having water in your ears. I could hear them but not enough to actually make out what they were saying.
Moving around the table, I watched them. Each of them attractive to me in their own way. Each of them with their own personalities and aspects about them I cared for. Even Cheshire who I’d only just met pulled at something in my heart.
“You can’t stay.”
“What?” I spun around and stared at Hatter. “Why not?”
Hatter didn’t meet my gaze as he lifted his teacup to his lips and sipped from it. He was speaking to me but not. It was quite the conundrum, and just when I thought he wouldn’t say anything else, his eyes locked with mine. Those big stormy gray eyes that held such love and adoration now were hard as stone.
“You’re a human. You don’t belong here. Go back to your world and leave us to it.”
I gaped at him, backing away from the table with tears in my eyes. I knew I didn’t belong, that my time with them was limited, but to hear Hatter say those words made them even more real.
"We can help you." The combined words of many burned my ears, jerking my eyes away from the table. My head whipped from side to side as I searched for the owners of the voice, my attention no longer on the men I'd come to care for here in the Underground.
"Help me do what?" I asked the stranger, my own voice coming out odd.
At first, the creature didn’t answer, and then I saw it. The thing I’d seen in the bedroom just moments before.
The shadows.
Like something living inside the inky blackness, it moved and shifted until it formed one single figure. It didn’t step out of the dark, and I knew in my gut that I had to stay away. Touching them would not end well for me.
"Stay," the shadowy figure hiding in between the trees hissed at me. "That is what you want, is it not, Alice Liddell?"
I didn’t like the sound of my name on their lips. I didn’t like how they resounded deep inside of me, making me feel things I wouldn’t otherwise feel. Their words tugged on a desire in me, the desperation to stay with the others and turn from my human world.
Pushing the feeling down, I took a step forward. "How do you know my name?"
"You should be more careful with what you say in the dark." A dark collective chuckle made my insides twist unpleasantly. "Even we have ears."
Ignoring its cryptic words, I moved around Hatter's table and closer to the figure. "You know my name. It's only fair that I know yours… and what do you want in return for helping me?"
I glanced back at the table where they went about drinking their tea as if I weren't there. No matter our issues I could not bear the thought of going back to my world and never seeing them again. If I could stay with them even for a bit longer, I would.
I could hear the figure slithering around behind me, a malevolent presence that caused a chill in my blood.
"Why, dear Alice, you may call us the Shadows, for that is all we are now, and all we ask is for one simple favor."
“Simple it may be to you, but as you know, I am a human. I cannot do magic. I’m not strong. I have nothing to offer you,” I reminded them, placing my hands on my hips and nodding just so. “What could I possibly have to offer you in return?”
The shadows chortled.
“It’s not a laughing matter. Either tell me what you want or let me go. I only have a short time left in the Underground, and I do not fancy wasting them with you.” I hated the helpless feeling inside my stomach. I’d have to go back to my world. Face those that I have left with questions unanswered. Lewis. My mother. Even my siblings. They would all want answers, answers that would surely put me in the loony bin.
“So impatient, little human, but we suppose you are right. Time grows short.” The shadows shifted from behind one tree until they were near another, much closer to me this time. I forced myself not to step back.
Grow a spine, Alice.
“State your business.” I crossed my arms over my chest and lifted my chin, hoping to put off an air of confidence when my knees were shaking.
Letting out a small chuckle, the shadows hissed, “Do you know of the Seelie Princess?”
I frowned. “Yes, what of her?”
“Our dear prince and princess are having a hard time. They cannot admit their own feelings,” the shadows began, making my brow furrow in confusion. “A wedding without love i
s no wedding at all. Don’t you agree?”
“So, what is to be done about it?” I countered. “I don’t know them well enough to mess with their affairs, let alone know what to do to make them admit their feelings.”
“Ah, but you are wrong, Ms. Liddell. You will have every chance to help them when you become Fae.”
The shadows were quiet as I gaped at them. “What do you mean when you say that become Fae? One cannot simply change what they are, can they?”
“Of course, they can. You can.” The shadows moved around another tree, seemingly teasing me with its presence as I became anxious to hear their words.
“How?”
“There is an Orchard,” they started, their tone bored, “not far from the palace. In that Orchard lies a door. You have a key to that door.” My hand went to my pocket, instinctively patting the key there. “The door will take you home, or…” The smile in their voice made my stomach twist into knots.
When they didn’t finish right away, I stepped closer to them. “Or?”
“Or you could look to the left and find something even better.” The shadows paused and whispered amongst themselves, too low for me to catch the words. “Find the tree that hides from us. It will give you what you want, and when you have become Fae, when you are finally able to stay here with your loved ones, then you will do as we ask.”
“But I don’t know what it is you even want!” I shouted back at the shadows, my fingers curled into fists until my nails bit into my hands, making me wince. If I were dreaming, it shouldn’t hurt, should it? I almost laughed at the thought. Didn’t I have that exact same one after entering Wonderland?
“A word of caution, Alice Liddell,” the shadows growled, not answering my question. “Do not think to betray us. We are not the Fae of your dreams but of your nightmares. If you do not hold up your end of the deal, we will find you, and we will end you.”
Before I could answer in return, the scene began to melt away. The shadows closed in around me, and then I was bolting up from where I laid on the ground of the bedroom I’d been in before.