Page 46 of Knot My Wonderland

The ward pulsed above us, responding to the intensity of our conversation. I was acutely aware of how close Chi stood, how the silver light beneath my skin brightened wherever he was nearest.

"What other paths?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Chi's smile softened into something almost vulnerable. "The path of the wild magic. The ancient ways that existed before courts and kingdoms." His form shimmered slightly, like heat rising from summer pavement. "There are places in Wonderland that remember when all magic was free, not parceled out by monarchs. Where the boundaries between dreamer and dream dissolve entirely."

"Is that even possible for me?" I asked, the idea both terrifying and exhilarating. "To exist outside their power structures?"

Chi's eyes gleamed in the darkness. "You're already doing what they thought impossible. Creating wards that think. Bonding with Wonderland in days rather than decades." His tail swished thoughtfully. "The real question is whether you want to."

I considered his words, feeling the distant pressure of foreign magic against my ward. The monarchs wouldn't stop seeking me—that much was clear. But aligning with any of them meant becoming part of their endless power struggles.

"What would it mean? Following this 'wild magic' path?" I asked, curiosity getting the best of me.

"Uncertainty," Chi replied honestly. "Risk. Freedom." He circled me slowly, his form shifting between solid and translucent as he moved.

Before I could ask what he meant, a distant pulse against my ward drew my attention. Unlike the previous probing touches, this one felt familiar—Varik's magical signature requesting entry.

"The Hatter returns," Chi murmured, his playful demeanor shifting to something more guarded. "And not alone, it seems."

I extended my awareness through the ward, sensing three figures approaching the western boundary.

“Who is with him?” I asked, titling my head to the side as I tried to see the figures coming closer to us.

“You met them when you were younger, though they were in different forms to appease your childlike self.” Chi told me as he gave me a grin.

"The Tweedles. Vee and Dee. They guard the Tulgey Woods and collect information like magpies collect shiny things," Chi explained, his form growing slightly more translucent as if preparing to retreat. "Valuable allies, if somewhat... exhausting in conversation."

I reached out through my connection to the ward, gently creating an opening at the western boundary where Varik and his companions approached. The silver-gold barrier parted like a curtain, allowing their entrance while maintaining its integrity elsewhere.

"Impressive control," Chi murmured, watching as I manipulated the ward without apparent effort. "Most need physical contact or verbal commands to shape magic so precisely."

I shrugged, trying not to show how pleased his praise made me feel. "It's like moving a limb—I just think about what I want it to do."

Chi gave a hum in thought at my answer.

"Should we go meet them?" I asked, glancing at Chi.

His tail flicked with evident reluctance. "I suppose we must. Though I warn you—the Tweedles speak in riddles and contradictions that make even me dizzy." He offered his arm with unexpected formality. "Shall we?"

I hesitated only briefly before placing my hand on his offered arm, feeling his form solidify beneath my touch. Together we made our way through the moonlit garden toward the western boundary where Varik and the Tweedles would enter. As we walked, I became increasingly aware of how Chi's form seemed to stabilize wherever I touched him, as if my connection to Wonderland somehow anchored his shifting nature.

"They're arguing already," Chi murmured, his ears twitching forward. "The Tweedles never agree on approach, strategy, or even which direction is forward."

I strained my ears but could hear nothing yet. "You can hear them from here?"

"One of the benefits of my condition," Chi replied with a wink. "I exist partially in several places at once. Very useful for eavesdropping."

As we neared the boundary, voices finally drifted toward us—not two as I expected, but three distinct tones engaged in what sounded like a heated debate.

"...completely unnecessary risk," came Varik's voice, tight with controlled frustration. "Traveling openly when the Queens' scouts are everywhere—"

"Necessary if information is to flow," interrupted a crisp, precise voice.

"Flow like water, not like blood," added a second voice, similar to the first but with a dreamier quality.

"The distinction matters little if we're captured," Varik countered as the three figures came into view.

I recognized Varik immediately, his tall form silhouetted against the night sky, hat slightly askew as if he'd been running his hands through his hair in exasperation. Beside him walked two nearly identical figures—tall, slender individuals with silver-white hair that seemed to float around their heads like halos.

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