Page 58 of Knot My Wonderland

"How long before this war begins in earnest?" I asked, keeping my voice low so as not to disturb her.

"That depends on how quickly Alice awakens to her full potential," the Caterpillar said, rainbow smoke spiraling upward to form images of marching armies. "The monarchs move now because they sense the pattern reaching critical mass. If they wait much longer, she may become powerful enough to transcend their ability to control or destroy her."

I watched the smoke armies clash in miniature battles above our heads—red soldiers wielding weapons of crystallized blood, green warriors with vine armor that moved like living things, diamond-bright forces arranged in perfect mathematical formations, and shadow troops that seemed to exist only at the periphery of vision.

"And Heart? When will he arrive?" I asked, though part of me dreaded the answer. The idea of another Alpha forming a connection with Alice stirred something possessive and primal within me.

"Soon," the Caterpillar replied cryptically. "He seeks the same answers you do, though his questions come from a different perspective." The Caterpillar's golden eyes drifted toward Alice, watching the silver patterns shift beneath her skin. "The prince who rejected his bloody inheritance seeks redemption. He believes Alice may be the key to overthrowing his mother without continuing her cycle of violence."

I scoffed, tail flicking with irritation. "How convenient that the exiled prince sees our Alice as the solution to his political problems."

"Is that jealousy I detect, Cheshire?" The Caterpillar's lips curved in amusement. "After centuries of detachment, you find yourself experiencing such... primal emotions."

I refused to dignify that with a response, instead focusing on Alice's sleeping form. The silver patterns had spread further, creating delicate traceries along her neck and jawline. "These connections you mentioned—do they put her at risk? Make her more vulnerable to those who would control her?"

The Caterpillar's expression grew thoughtful, smoke curling into complex patterns above his head. "Connections are double-edged swords, Cheshire. They can anchor her consciousness as the pattern grows stronger, preventing her from becoming lost in the power. But they also create channels through which others might influence her." His golden eyes fixed on me with uncomfortable intensity. "Including you."

I felt my form flicker at the accusation. "I have no desire to control her."

"Perhaps not consciously," the Caterpillar agreed, "but desire itself is a form of influence. Your need for her grounding presence, your centuries of loneliness suddenly confronted with connection—these create their own gravity."

I wanted to argue but found I couldn't. The Caterpillar saw too clearly, perceived the truths I was still coming to terms with myself.

"I'd forgotten what it feels like," I admitted quietly, watching the silver light pulse beneath Alice's skin. "To be fully present. To exist without constantly fighting against dissolution."

The Caterpillar nodded, a rare moment of straightforward understanding passing between us. "Connection changes us all, Cheshire. Even those of us who have existed for centuries."

"But I don't want to be another force pulling at her," I said, my tail curling with irritation. "She already has monarchs huntingher, a magical pattern growing inside her, and prophecies hanging over her head. The last thing she needs is—"

"Someone who sees her as more than the pattern she carries?" the Caterpillar interrupted, his golden eyes softening. "Someone who remembers what it means to experience wonder in a realm that has grown cynical with age?"

I fell silent, unable to deny the truth in his words, and before I could say anything else footsteps could be heard.

“And it seems the last of them has arrived, and earlier then expected... Why don’t you go to Alice…she shall be waking momentarily.” The caterpillar said smirk coming to him as if he was waiting for something amusing to happen, “Welcome Heart. You’re early. Are we a little eager?”

I glanced at the figure hiding in shadows before going to Alice, this meeting was turning out to be something not expected. Hatter was going to have a field day when we got back.

Chapter Twenty-One

Alice

Iwoke to a symphony of overlapping voices, as if a dozen conversations were happening simultaneously around me. Opening my eyes, I found myself on a strange, glowing moss couch that seemed to be breathing beneath me. Chi stood nearby, his form more solid than I'd ever seen it, engaged in what appeared to be a tense conversation with the Caterpillar and another figure partially hidden in shadow.

"—not your decision to make," the unknown voice was saying, deep and resonant with an undercurrent of barely controlled anger.

"A reason that conveniently aligns with your political ambitions," Chi replied, his tail lashing behind him. "How fortunate for you."

I sat up slowly, my head throbbing with the aftermath of whatever had happened.

The movement caught Chi's attention immediately, his teal eyes finding mine across the distance. "Alice," he said, materializing instantly at my side. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been hit by a truck," I muttered, pressing my fingers to my temples where pressure pulsed behind my eyes. "What happened?"

"Temporal displacement," the Caterpillar replied from his mushroom throne, golden eyes studying me with scientific interest. "Your consciousness briefly experienced multiple timelines simultaneously. A common reaction for dreamers in my domain, though yours was... unusually, intense."

The shadowed figure stepped forward, and I felt my breath catch. He was tall and imposing, with long hair the color of fresh blood and eyes like polished rubies. His features were sharp and aristocratic, reminding me of someone I couldn't quite place.

But what struck me most was the aura of barely contained power that surrounded him, different from Chi's fluid energy or the Caterpillar's timeless presence. This felt like a storm held in check by sheer force of will.

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