Page 52 of Maddie

“For Noah, I would’ve risked someone’s life to save him too.” Alice’s eyelids flickered and she yawned. “I think I’ll lie down for a little while.” Hopefully soon, she wouldn’t feel as drained once she regained her strength.

Maddie helped Alice to the mattress and covered her with the blanket. Alice’s breaths came out even as she turned on her side. Keeping her feet light, Maddie closed the door behind her and found Ferris still on the floor sketching.

“You heard everything?” she asked.

Without looking up, he shrugged.

Unable to keep the smile from her face, Maddie knelt beside him. “So… Alice tried to kiss you?”

Ferris kept his head down, his pencil digging harder into the paper as he drew. “She’s sweet but not my type.”

Maddie leaned closer, catching a glimpse of his drawing. It was all done in pencil with perfect shading of a female’s hand holding a caterpillar. “What made you decide to draw that?”

His body jerked and he shut the book. “Just something from when I was at the palace.”

Maddie frowned and opened her mouth to speak when footsteps sounded behind her. She spun to find Noah entering, his hair wet, and him adjusting his hooded shirt.

It was time! “Ready?” Maddie asked, scooping up the hat box from the floor. “Alice just fell asleep.”

Noah nodded. “I already said goodbye earlier and told her to stay safe.”

Maddie grabbed the weapons that she’d gathered earlier, tucking them into different parts along her body. Scarves, to bind wrists together, went into the waist band of her skirt, a gun in a strap on her thigh, and daggers inside her boots. If she brought a backpack into the palace, Imogen would have Maddie’s heart ripped out in a split second. Noah slipped a few knives into his boot and a gun, duct tape, and scarf into the waistband of his trousers.

Ferris stood with his back against the wall when Maddie spun to face him. “If I don’t return—”

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I may have to break the world apart to get to her, but I’ll do it.”

Maddie grinned and patted his cheek. “That’s the way to do it.”

She then led Noah out into the night, the breeze blowing cold air against her flesh. Troops of bats flew above them, circling and creating their own kind of dance before darting north. A few werewolf howls tore through the darkness as they trekked farther from the outskirts of Scarlet and into the city.

“Don’t worry, it’s just the rogues out on the prowl tonight. You have your gun just in case.” Maddie produced the floor plan that Ferris drew for the Ruby Heart Palace and shoved it into the back pocket of Noah’s trousers. “When it’s time, follow the path to my sister and look for pink hair and violet eyes.” Once Mouse turned immortal, her chestnut strands had turned magenta, her brown eyes to violet, making her appear even more ethereal.

As she turned a corner, Noah grabbed Maddie by the elbow and hauled her to the back of a tall black building with scarlet windows. “Look”—he raked a hand through his blond locks—“I want to stay.”

She figured he would want to remain by his sister’s side, which was why she’d originally made an alternative to go to the palace by herself. “If you want to go back to Alice, then you should go.”

“That’s not what I mean.” He sighed, pressing closer, his intoxicating scent enveloping her. “I want to stay in Wonderland after making sure Alice is safe.”

Noah still needed time to think about it, but perhaps he’d had enough time to do so in the safe house. “We’ll talk about it once we get out.” She grasped his hands and intertwined their fingers. “Ifwe live, that is.”

Noah drew her to his chest, brushing his lips against hers. “I should’ve kissed every inch of your body last night.”

“Whose fault is that?” She laughed and tapped his nose as she pulled back.

He rolled his eyes.

“Come on. I’ll keep that pretty heart of yours protected as best I can.” Perspiration gathered in Maddie’s arm sleeves as she held onto the hatbox. She kept her eyes peeled for Chess. The prince would be due back sometime today … once he figured out Ever wasn’t where Maddie had said she would be. There’d been no sign of Rav slinking around either, and she prayed he was in the mortal world, per usual, at this time.

The palace loomed high in front of them as they approached its crimson glossy outer walls, its obsidian towers. Red roses filled the entire garden along with several gray gazebos stained in blood. Imogen would stick the hearts of those she felt deserved death on pikes inside the marble structures.

Maddie took the scarlet glass steps to the entrance and tapped the wooden door’s anatomical heart iron knocker. A few moments later, Rine answered. She was one of the servants who Imogen had kept around for years. Most likely because she was ruthless like the queen.

“Ah,” Rine said, her pale pink irises settling on Noah, “who is this?”

“My guest, Rine,” Maddie sang. “We come bearing Imogen’s gift.”

The vampire clucked her tongue. “You were almost late. Go sit and wait.” She spun on her heel and sauntered up the curving checkered staircase, her dark hair swishing behind her back.

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