Page 47 of Maddie

“Funny thing,” Chess purred, his grin growing wide. “This pubescent looks a lot like your fuck toy, doesn’t he? Remove the glasses, the braces, the shitty haircut. Add muscles…”

Heart accelerating, Maddie squinted, pretending to study the photograph, and shook her head. “No.”

“Liar,” he cooed. “You’re playing a little game to try and steal your sister away from my mother. I’m no imbecile.” Chess truly was sly...

Maddie whirled around and snatched the scissors beside a stack of felt. But before she could spin around to stab him in his heart, Chess yanked them from her hand and caged her in at the desk from behind. Her chest tightened as she thought about her sister, how Mouse had been unable to escape the mortal man who’d taken everything from her. The one Maddie had slaughtered. And now, perhaps her sister would never escape her second imprisonment if Chess tipped off Imogen.

“Don’t do anything foolish, or I will end your life right here,” he said, taking a step back from her so she could turn and face him. “I have no qualms with your lover, and his sister isn’t my top priority at the moment. Ever is. Tell me the White Queen’s location and I won’t tell my mother you’re trying to break Mouse out or that you have Alice’s brother as a pet.”

A trade. Maddie would have to give him what he wanted—it was the only way. “There’s a safe house in the Red Queen’s territory. She’s there. But I don’t have the key since each safe house only has one.” She then gave him the details on how to cross through the Broken Forest of Shattered Blood and to the hidden door beside the old well.

“This was your one chance, Maddie.” Chess cocked his head, sliding the scissors back on her desk. “If you’re lying to me, I will come after you and your fuck toy, then drag your sister back to my mother to do with as she pleases.”

Maddie took a deep swallow, not wanting to think about the things Imogen would do to Mouse that she hadn’t already. “What are you going to do to Ever?”

“That’s a secret for another time.” With those words, Chess backed away from her, buttoning up his vest before turning around.

Once Chess sauntered out the door, she slammed it shut, knowing she didn’t have much time until he would return without Ever. As always, if she’d known where the White Queen was, she still wouldn’t have told him. She’d sent him to the farthest safe house she knew, but perhaps she should’ve sent him farther out toward the Jabberwocky. Yet this would give her enough time to complete her tasks while having him off her back.

Adrenaline coursing through her, Maddie dropped onto her chair and lifted the felt to start Imogen’s hat. She stitched, tore, ripped some more, all while pretending it was Imogen and Rav she split in half. Time slipped by, and her eyelids grew heavy as she worked. Her fingers turned red and raw, but she couldn’t stop. The hat needed to be just right. It needed to beperfect.

And then the time had finally come to drizzle crimson paint onto the veins of the alabaster anatomical heart, giving it the bloody look she so desired.

Maddie reclined in her chair, taking one final look at her beautiful white and red creation and grinned. She yearned to take the hat to Imogen at that moment, but the queen allowed Maddie a specific time only. Not early. Not late.

If Maddie succeeded in rescuing Mouse, things wouldn’t get easier, but harder.

A bang at the door caused Maddie to leap out of her chair. A sharp pain ran up the length of her stiff back.

As she took a step forward, she froze. Had Chess already made it back? Impossible… Maddie grabbed the scissors from her desk and yanked open the speakeasy. She gasped when her gaze met bright green eyes

“What the fuck is this?” Noah said through gritted teeth, holding up the mushroom.

Her heart thudded in her chest at the sight of him.What is he doing here? Setting the scissors on a wall shelf, she unlocked the door and pulled it open. “Isn’t that what you wanted? Return to your mortal life?”

He brushed past her—his face drawn into a scowl. “I promised I wouldn’t take it until after we got your sister back. And then you just came home by yourself with that fucking prince waltzing around.”

“About him…” Maddie hurried and closed the door as though Chess were slinking around, listening. “He knows who you are, but I was able to send him away for a bit. Let me take you back to the safe house.”

“No.” Noah folded his arms.

She folded hers in return. “Yes. I’ll take you there, then you can take the cure. The mushroom practically sayseat me.”

“No.”

Stubborn immortal! A warm feeling washed over her at a thought. This male maybe cared about her if he was still willing to help her. Perhaps she was more than someone who was only used for fucks and not love. Either way, he couldn’t go.

Maddie backed him into the wall, and he peered down at her with a hard stare. “I’m going on my own and not risking anyone else. Once everything has blown over, either Ferris or I will take you and Alice back to the mortal world.” There was a chance she would die, but at least Rav should be in the mortal world as usual, and now, Chess wouldn’t make an appearance.

“You can’t tell me what to do.” Noah whirled her around so she was backed into the wall this time, his hot breath mingling with hers. It sent a pleasureful feeling straight to her core—none of the fear that she’d held when Chess had caged her in was there. “You made me this way, and I’m choosing what to do with my immortality. We’ll get your sister out, then we’ll be even.”

“That’s what this is?” Maddie frowned, realizing she’d been wrong about his motivation. “Owing each other? Like when we got each other off?” Maddie ducked down and escaped his barrier, waving her hand in the air as she padded away.

Noah drew her back by the arm, his nose touching hers. “We don’t have to owe each other anything. If you want me to get you off the whole night without me coming, then fine by me. So tell me, what do you want?”

As she peered up at him, his determined expression, an emotion washed over her, taking out any fight she had in her. Maddie relented, her shoulders dropping. All she wanted in that moment was his skin pressed to hers. “For you to stay the night.”

“And to go with you to the palace,” he added

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