Page 63 of Knot My Wonderland

The ward's consciousness brushed against mine, reluctant yet trusting. I felt its fear of failure, its desire to continue protecting us despite the damage it was sustaining.

"We need to leave," I explained silently. "And you need to come back to me, not shatter."

Understanding flowed through our connection, and slowly, the silver dome began to contract. Rather than collapsing inward like a broken shell, it drew itself back toward me in spiraling ribbons of light. The consciousness within it condensed as it moved, becoming more concentrated, more aware. When the last tendril of silver light touched my skin, I gasped as the ward's awareness merged fully with my own.

The moment the ward fully retracted, shouts erupted from the forest beyond the garden. Red banners became visible through the trees, along with the gleam of crystalline weapons that pulsed with sickly light.

"Time to go," Varik said tersely, pulling out one of the Tweedle keys. The silver implement began to glow in his hand, responding to his focused intention.

I felt Heart's presence spike through the crystal—he was close now, maybe a hundred yards away and closing fast. But the Red Queen's forces were closer. Through the trees, I could see the crimson glow of their weapons cutting through the pre-dawn darkness like malevolent stars.

"Wait," I said, pressing my hand to the Heart Stone. "Heart's almost here—thirty seconds, maybe less."

Chi's form flickered with impatience. "Thirty seconds we don't have," he said, gesturing toward the approaching lights. "Those Blood Knights move faster than—"

His words were cut off by the sound of hoofbeats thundering through the garden. Heart burst through the tree line astride a midnight-black horse that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. Behind him rode a dozen figures in dark leather armor, their faces grim with determination.

"Alice!" Heart called, leaping from his mount with fluid grace. The Heart Stone flared against my chest, our connection blazing with shared urgency. "My mother has come on this outing with the Blood Knights.”

"Your mother is here?" I gasped, the silver patterns beneath my skin flaring defensively.

Heart nodded grimly, his ruby eyes scanning the darkened forest. "She rarely leaves her castle for military campaigns. This is personal for her."

Varik cursed under his breath, his fingers working furiously with the Tweedle key. "That changes everything. If she's leading the assault herself—"

"We won't survive a direct confrontation," Chi finished, his form solidifying completely as he positioned himself protectively at my side.

Heart's companions dismounted swiftly, forming a defensive perimeter around us. They moved with the practiced efficiency of veteran fighters, weapons drawn and senses alert. One of them—a woman with silver-streaked hair and a scar across her left cheek—approached Heart with urgent whispers.

"My scouts report the Queen is half a mile back, but moving quickly.” The woman's eyes darted nervously toward the treeline. "We've laid false trails, but they won't hold her off for long."

"The hidden paths," Varik insisted, the key in his hand now glowing with intense silver light. "It's our only option."

Heart nodded sharply. "My people will create a diversion—buy you enough time to escape." He turned to the scarred woman. "Martha, take half the unit east. Draw their attention away from this clearing."

"And leave you here?" she questioned, loyalty warring with duty on her weathered face.

"I'm going with them," Heart replied, his ruby eyes finding mine with unexpected intensity. "The Queen will follow Alice regardless—I need to ensure she reaches safety."

Chi's tail slashed with obvious displeasure, but he said nothing as Varik worked the key's magic. A shimmering doorway beganto form in the air beside us, its edges crackling with silver energy that reminded me uncomfortably of my own magic.

"Where does it lead?" I asked, watching the portal stabilize into a swirling vortex of starlight and shadow.

"The Forgotten Lands," Varik replied, his voice heavy with resignation. "It's the only territory the Red Queen cannot follow us into."

Chi's form went completely still, his usual restless energy freezing as if he'd been turned to stone. "Varik, you said the Forgotten Lands were a last resort."

"This is a last resort," Varik snapped, his wild green eyes reflecting the portal's otherworldly light. "The Red Queen herself, Blood Knights, and a full military assault—I'd say we've exhausted our other options."

Through the Heart Stone, I felt a spike of alarm from Heart as shouts erupted from the forest, much closer now. The crimson glow of blood-crystal weapons painted the trees in hellish light, and I could hear the mechanical whir of the Red Queen's war machines grinding through the undergrowth.

"The Forgotten Lands," Heart said through our connection, his mental voice tight with concern. "Alice, those territories exist outside normal time. People who enter them sometimes never find their way back to linear existence."

"Better than being turned into the Red Queen's magical battery," I replied, stepping toward the swirling portal despite Chi's obvious distress.

A new sound cut through the night—laughter like breaking glass, high and terrible and unmistakably royal. The Red Queen's voice carried through the darkness, speaking words in a language that made my bones ache just hearing them. Blood magic, raw and vicious, seeking any trace of my magical signature.

"She's tracking us," I said, feeling the invasive magic brush against my consciousness like icy fingers. The silver patterns beneath my skin recoiled from the contact, creating painful burning sensations wherever the Red Queen's power touched.

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