Page 46 of Maddie

“Mouse knows. I snuck her drawings while in the palace.” He shrugged before handing her the map. “Don’t get your arse killed.”

Maddie glanced at the closed door where Noah lingered with his sister. He seemed to be comforting Alice as she groaned in pain. Maddie had risked her life to help him save his sister. Now she would be risking his to help get Mouse. To distract Imogen, she only needed the hat, and she should’ve come up with a plan like this a long time ago. If something did go wrong with Noah there, she didn’t want him trapped in the palace like her sister, not after getting to know him.

She pulled the second mushroom from her skirt pocket, her heart speeding up, demanding this of her. When she’d collected the one for Alice from Noah’s backpack, she’d taken the second one, knowing what she had to do, what Mouse would want her to do, what Maddiechoseto do. Pushing herself up from the settee, she inspected its stripes for a moment.

“No,” Ferris said. “Not after you just risked your life for that wanker.”

Maddie smirked and tossed Ferris the mushroom. He easily caught it as she said, “Give him this when he comes out and keep him safe until I return. Besides, I owe him. I did try and take Alice to Imogen.” Her stomach sank at the thought of what may have happened to Alice, the torture that would’ve been inflicted upon her before her death. But Maddie had been desperate.

Ferris rolled his eyes and drew Maddie into a hug. “You don’t owe him shite.”

In case this was the last time she would see Ferris, she squeezed him tighter, more so than usual. “Remember, if I don’t come back, then you’ll have to find another way to help Mouse.”

“I’ll never stop trying,” he murmured.

Maddie released Ferris and collected her things before heading out into the heavy fog. She couldn’t tell Noah goodbye—it was better for him to focus on his sister. As she trekked home, the metal odor in the air was more potent than usual, and she made sure to keep her eyes peeled for Chess or Rav. Thankfully, she didn’t come across either bastard, only trails of vampire blood and a couple of fingers resting in the grass, most likely more fighting. She missed the serenity of Ivory—the city needed Ever back.

The red lanterns guided her, the fog growing heavier when she reached her cottage. She unlocked her front door and slipped inside her cozy home. It felt as if she’d been gone forever. Kicking off her boots and tearing away her filthy clothing, she made her way to the bathroom and took a quick rinse.

“Much better,” Maddie sang to herself as she put on a fresh dress with a poufy silk skirt, then padded into the sitting room.

Blowing out a breath, she collapsed on the chair in front of her desk. She drank a blood bag, wishing she had something warmer, but it made do for now.

Maddie collected her needle and thread, along with the supplies for Imogen’s hat. Lace. Tulle. Felt. Wool. Paint. All ivory to remind Imogen of Ever, besides for the splash of crimson paint to show that the White Queen’s heart bled with a revenge that would soon come. Even without Noah, the plan would still work. Once Imogen was distracted, Maddie would bind the queen’s hands behind her back, tape her mouth shut, and toss her in one of the closets while she retrieved Mouse. The thought of Imogen’s face as her gaze settled on the headpiece sent a rush of giddiness through Maddie.

Her fingers itched to begin when a knock sounded at the door. She sighed, just knowing it would be one of the royal bastards.

Pulling open the speakeasy, her gaze met Chess’s sparkling yellow irises. “I’m not letting you in,” Maddie said.

He took a step closer, his voice coming out light. “Then I’ll break down the fucking door.”

“Try.” If he did, it would give her an advantage to easily have a weapon ready when he crashed through it.

“If I wanted you dead, I would’ve killed you in the forest.” He grinned. “We weren’t finished talking earlier, so play nice and open the door before I get my mother involved.”

Bloody hell. Maddie could handle this bastard for a few more days, so she let him in.

“Well, go on then. What do you want?” Maddie closed the door behind him as he stepped inside.

Chess smirked and stopped near the settee, his gaze sweeping across the room. “Where’s your lover?”

“Finding us dessert in the mortal world.” At least this time, Noah wasn’t here to put a damper in her plan and get himself in a predicament.

“Ah.” Chess tapped her nose, then whispered, “I know a secret, little plum.”

Maddie narrowed her eyes, unsure what Chess was getting at. He always danced around the subject, so this was nothing new. But there was an emotion in his expression, as though hedidknow something. “I don’t care about your secrets.”

“Mm.” He sank onto her settee, spreading his legs wide. Swiping his tongue across his lower lip, he patted his knee for her. “Come play for a bit.”

If he wanted to chat, then he could do so as she worked, but she would neverplaywith him. “I’m about to make your mother’s hat, so if you don’t have something you want to talk about then you might as well leave.”

“Oh, I have something to chat about.” He lazily unfastened each button of his vest, until he peeled it open—all of his taut abs on display.

Maddie wrinkled her nose, not knowing what he was doing. He’d been crude with her in the past, but she’d believed it was all talk. Did he really think she would fuck him after their ordeal in the woods and him admitting over and over that he wanted to murder Ever? He never said precisely what he would do with the White Queen, but she knew he would kill her in some sort of horrible fashion.

As Maddie opened her mouth to tell him to mosey on out of her cottage, he dipped his hand into the pocket inside his vest and fished something out. Maddie held back her gasp as she studied the familiar photograph in his hand. The same one Rav had shown her when he was there last.

Maddie stayed composed. “Rav and your mother already showed me this. I hadn’t seen the girl then and still haven’t.”

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