Page 60 of Knot My Wonderland

"You're trying to manipulate me," I said, though the accusation lacked conviction. The images felt too real, too immediate.

"I'm showing you the consequences of inaction," Heart replied, stepping closer despite Chi's warning growl. "My mother doesn't accept the existence of threats to her power. She'll burn every neutral territory in Wonderland if she believes you're hiding there."

The weight of his words settled over me, heavy and inescapable. I glanced at Chi, whose teal eyes had darkened with concern.

"And what exactly do you propose?" I asked Heart, trying to keep my voice steady. "That I march up to your mother's castle and challenge her to a magical duel? I barely understand these abilities I'm developing."

Heart's lips curved into a smile that transformed his severe features. "Nothing so dramatic—at least not yet." He moved in a slow circle around me, his ruby eyes assessing. "What I propose is an alliance. My knowledge of the court's weaknesses combined with your growing power. Together, we could gather forces from the neutral territories, unite those who've suffered under the monarchs' rule."

"Creating yet another faction in an already fractured realm," Chi interjected, his tail twitching. "How does that restore balance?"

"Because unlike the current monarchs, we wouldn't seek to rule through dominance," Heart replied, his voice carrying quiet conviction. "The neutral territories already govern themselves effectively—they simply need protection from those who would conquer them." His ruby eyes found mine again. "What I envision isn't another monarchy, but a confederation. A return to the principles the First Queen embodied before Wonderland fractured."

I felt the silver patterns beneath my skin pulse faster as he spoke, responding to something in his words—or perhaps his proximity. The sensation was different from what I experienced with Chi, less grounding and more... electric. Like standing in a field before a thunderstorm.

"You make it sound simple," I said, wrapping my arms around myself as the silver light grew brighter. "But the Caterpillar justtold me that seven other dreamers have tried to restore balance to Wonderland. Most of them were destroyed in the process.”

Heart's expression darkened, shadows playing across his aristocratic features. "I never claimed it would be simple. But those dreamers faced the monarchs alone, without allies who understood Wonderland's political landscape." He moved closer, close enough that I could sense the heat radiating from him. "I've spent decades building networks, gathering intelligence, and identifying weaknesses in the courts' defenses."

The Caterpillar exhaled another cloud of rainbow smoke that formed a map of Wonderland, with glowing points scattered across territories I didn't recognize. "The Prince speaks truth again. His resistance spans all four kingdoms, though it remains fragmented without a unifying force."

"A unifying force like you, Alice," Heart finished, his ruby eyes holding mine with uncomfortable intensity.

Chi materialized more fully between us, his form solidifying protectively. "Alice has been in Wonderland less than a week. Perhaps we could give her time to understand her abilities before asking her to lead a revolution," Chi finished, his voice sharp with protective irritation.

Heart's ruby eyes flicked to Chi with something that might have been amusement. "Time is a luxury we may not have, Cheshire. My sources within the courts suggest the Red Queen plans to move within days, not weeks."

I felt a chill run down my spine despite the chamber's warm, humid air. "Move how?"

"A direct assault on the Hatter's territory," Heart replied grimly. "She's convinced that eliminating your current protectors will force you to seek alliance with one of the remaining monarchs." His jaw tightened. "My mother has never been known for subtlety."

The Caterpillar's smoke swirled into new images—red-armored soldiers marching through forests, their weapons gleaming with crystallized blood magic. At their head rode a figure I recognized from nightmares—the Red Queen herself, her crown dripping crimson as she raised a scepter that pulsed with malevolent energy.

"How long do we have?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Two days, perhaps three if the weather slows her advance," Heart replied, his expression grim. "She's mobilizing everything—Card Guards, Blood Knights, even some of the more unstable magical creatures she's bound to her service."

Chi's form flickered with alarm. "Varik needs to know immediately. The house's defenses are strong, but not against a full royal assault."

"Which brings us back to my proposal," Heart said, his ruby eyes never leaving mine. "Stand with me, Alice. Let me help you become what Wonderland needs before the Red Queen makes that choice for you."

I felt the silver patterns beneath my skin flare in response to his intensity, creating spiraling designs that pulsed with each heartbeat. The chamber itself seemed to react to my emotional state—the floating books circled closer, their pages rustling with anticipation, while the bioluminescent mushrooms brightened to match the silver glow emanating from my skin.

"I need to think," I said finally, stepping back from both Chi and Heart. The movement put me closer to the Caterpillar, whose golden eyes tracked my retreat with knowing amusement. "This is all happening too fast."

"Unfortunately, the Red Queen won't wait for your contemplation to conclude," Heart said, though his voice carried more understanding than frustration. "But I can offer you something to consider while you decide."

He reached into his dark jacket and withdrew what looked like a crystal pendant, its surface swirling with deep red light that pulsed like a heartbeat. "This is a Heart Stone. It's tied to my life force—a creation unique to my bloodline but independent of my mother's blood magic." He held it out, the crystal swinging gently from a silver chain. "If you accept it, you'll be able to contact me no matter where you are in Wonderland. Just hold it and focus your thoughts."

I hesitated, eyeing the pulsing crystal warily. "And what's the catch?"

Heart's lips quirked in a half-smile. "Perceptive. The connection goes both ways—I'll sense when you're in danger, feel a general impression of your emotional state." His ruby eyes held mine steadily. "It's not mind-reading or control, merely... awareness."

Chi materialized closer, his tail flying with obvious displeasure. "How convenient. A magical tracking device disguised as a gift."

Heart's expression remained calm despite Chi's accusation. "If I wanted to track Alice, Cheshire, I have resources that don't require her cooperation." He let the pendant dangle from his fingers, the red crystal catching the chamber's ethereal light. "This is an offer of alliance, not surveillance."

The Caterpillar's smoke formed new patterns around us, showing the pendant in various states—glowing when I was in danger, pulsing gently during moments of peace, its light fading when I was safe. "The Heart Stone carries truth," he observed, golden eyes studying the crystal's magical signature. "It offers connection without compulsion, awareness without intrusion."

---