Page 90 of Knot My Wonderland

Chi hesitated another moment, his teal eyes searching mine. "I won't be gone long," he finally said, his tail unwrapping reluctantly from my wrist. "If you need me—"

"I'll call through our bond," I finished for him, offering a reassuring smile. "I can feel you even across distances now, remember?"

Chi's expression softened slightly, though the protective intensity never fully left his eyes. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead briefly against mine in a gesture that felt more intimate than a kiss. Through our connection, I felt his consciousness brush against mine—a wordless promise to return quickly.

"Watch over her," he told Heart, his voice carrying both command and grudging respect. "The pattern is still stabilizing after yesterday's energy transfer."

Heart inclined his head, ruby eyes solemn. "You have my word."

With one last lingering look at me Chi phased out of reality, his form dissolving like mist between one heartbeat and the next. Through our bond, I felt his consciousness stretching across the Sanctuary toward Varik's workshop, still connected to me despite the physical distance.

Heart moved further into the room once Chi had gone, his ruby eyes studying me with quiet intensity. The Heart Stone pulsed against my chest, carrying his concern and somethingdeeper—a carefully restrained longing that made the silver patterns beneath my skin shimmer.

"You should rest more," he said, his voice gentler than it had been with Chi. "Your color still hasn't fully returned."

I shifted against the pillows, feeling the silver patterns ripple beneath my skin. "I'm fine, just tired. How are your fighters doing?”

“Recovering," Heart replied, moving to sit in the chair Chi had vacated, “The last thirty hours have been very long and hard. Martha's organizing shifts to ensure everyone gets proper rest," Heart continued, his ruby eyes never leaving my face. "The diversionary tactics worked better than we expected, but they were still costly."

I nodded, feeling the weight of that responsibility. Every fighter who risked their life did so because of me—because of what I carried. The silver patterns beneath my skin pulsed with quiet acknowledgment of that burden.

"And you?" I asked softly. "When did you last rest?"

Heart's lips curved into a tired smile. "I'm fine."

"That's not an answer," I pointed out, studying the shadows beneath his eyes, the tension he carried in his shoulders.

"I'll rest when I know you're safe," he said simply.

I sighed, pushing myself further upright against the pillows. "You can't protect me if you're exhausted, Heart."

The ruby crystal at my throat warmed as Heart acknowledged the truth in my words. "A habit from years of resistance leadership," he admitted, rubbing a hand over his face. "Sleep becomes... optional when lives depend on your decisions."

"Well, I'm ordering you to rest," I said, patting the edge of the bed beside me. "At least sit somewhere more comfortable than that chair."

Heart hesitated, ruby eyes darkening with something beyond simple exhaustion. Through our connection, I felt his internalconflict—the desire to be closer warring with his sense of propriety and respect for Chi's bond.

"Alice," he began, his voice carrying a warning note.

"Don't 'Alice' me," I interrupted, feeling suddenly irritated by all the careful boundaries everyone kept drawing around me. "I'm tired of being treated like some fragile artifact. You're exhausted, I'm exhausted, and that chair looks about as comfortable as a cactus. Just sit on the bed—it's big enough for six people."

Heart's jaw tightened, but he finally relented, moving to perch cautiously on the edge of the mattress. The Heart Stone pulsed brighter at our proximity, the connection between us intensifying until I could feel the edges of his thoughts—not clear like Chi's through our strengthened bond, but present nonetheless.

"Better?" he asked, his voice holding a hint of amusement despite his obvious discomfort.

"It will be when you actually relax," I replied, reaching out to touch his arm. The silver patterns beneath my skin responded to the contact, spiraling outward in delicate whorls. Through our connection, I felt Heart's sharp intake of breath as the patterns briefly transferred to his skin before fading.

"What was that?" he asked, staring at his arm where faint traces of silver light still lingered.

"I don't know," I admitted, studying the way the patterns had reacted to our touch. "The magic has been... different since I strengthened the bond with Chi. More responsive, more eager to connect."

Heart's ruby eyes met mine, and through our connection I felt his wonder mixed with concern. "The pattern is evolving faster than anyone anticipated," he said quietly. "Even the King of Spades seems surprised by the changes."

At the mention of the shadowy monarch, I felt a flutter of something I couldn't quite name. The ward consciousness stirred within me, reaching toward memories of dark eyes and ancient longing. "He spoke to me while you were gone," I said. "About the bonds, about what completing the pattern would mean."

Heart's expression darkened, the Heart Stone pulsing with territorial tension. "What did he tell you?"

"He explained that the pattern requires five bonds to stabilize properly," I said, watching Heart's reaction carefully. "Each bond anchors a different elemental aspect—air, fire, water, earth, and void."

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