Page 18 of Knave

“I need to tell you something.”

Chapter Eight

Mouse

“The other day I—”

Ferris was cut off when two sets of loud footsteps echoed down the marble hallway and Mouse turned from him to find Ever and Chess rushing toward them.

“Are you two all right?” Ever asked, her nostrils flaring and her plaited hair disheveled. “One of the guards came through the portal to Scarlet as soon as he heard the Jabberwocky, but it seems we’re too late. I shouldn’t have left.” She sighed, flexing her hands.

“No,” Mouse whispered. “The guards were prepared, but the Jabberwocky hasn’t been in Ivory since the day when I…” Slaughtered all those innocent donors. Lost control of herself instead of continuing to fight it.

Chess let out a low whistle, observing his nails, then arched a brow at Ever and Ferris. The queen pursed her lips and Ferris’s throat bobbed while they all exchanged a knowing look.

“What is it?” Mouse stepped toward Ever as she gently placed Des in her pocket. “I should’ve been more observant, been ready if the Jabberwocky had returned. But perhaps I didn’t expect for the beast to do something like this since it hasn’t made an appearance in months.”

“The Jabberwocky has been here recently,” Ever said slowly. “Once for certain. And made a kill.”

Mouse tensed, her gaze drifting from face to face. Her chest tightened as their knowing looks seemed to make sense. “No one told me?”

“About that...” Chess ran his thumb across his lower lip, glancing over his shoulder down the hallway. “After the Knave found a quill from the Jabberwocky, I ordered him to stay quiet about it until I spoke to Ever.”

Mouse glanced at Ferris and he narrowed his eyes at Chess.

“So Maddie didn’t know either?” Mouse murmured.

Chess scratched the side of his face while peering at Ever. “This is going to get a bit messy now, Queenie.”

“No, Maddie knows,” Ever said. “I informed all the guards before I left for Scarlet.”

Mouse’s heart sped up, the white room seeming to pulse in sync with her blasted organ. “But I saw you before you left, and I went to Maddie right after that.No onesaid anything to me.”

Ever placed a hand on Mouse’s shoulder. “We felt it was best not to until we learned more. We didn’t believe the Jabberwocky was an immediate threat, and not only did I leave Maddie in charge while I was away, but I prepared guards to warn me if I needed to return from Scarlet immediately. You’ve been going through a lot. More so lately. It just didn’t feel right to make you worry.”

Inhaling a sharp breath, Mouse drew out of Ever’s grasp. “So is everyone going to tiptoe around me? Hide important matters from me? We talked about the Jabberwocky months ago in the garden. You didn’t mind then.”

“That’s because you’d heard the beast,” Chess pointed out. “You were outside, remember?” Outside and covered in the donors’ blood…

“Hush.” Ever elbowed him in the arm.

As Mouse opened her mouth to speak, more footsteps sounded, vibrating across the floor. She glanced toward the hallway just as Maddie and Noah entered the room with a few guards behind them, including Mock. Their clothing was spotted with a mixture of blood and dirt, the reek of death. She pushed away the alluring metal odor that started to overpower the rest.

“Wait.” Mouse held a hand up and focused back on Chess. “Did Noah know the Jabberwocky was here before you left for Scarlet?”

“Not from me—Maddie’s boy toy has a big mouth. But after Ever told the Hatter…” Chess trailed off.

“I did tell him.” Maddie skirted around Chess while biting her lip. “But he’s—”

“I don’t care if he’s one of the guards. He’s been in Wonderland for barely any time at all.” Mouse balled her hands into fists, then pointed at herself. “I’vebeen here for centuries,Madeline. I don’t care if you think I’m the actualmadone—I deserved the truth. I deserved to be warned.”

“Mouse, you need to understand,” Ferris said, his voice pleading.

“No!” Mouse cut him off. “You’re the worst one of all.” Even though it may have seemed childish to everyone there, she turned on her heel and raced from the room, darting up the stairs with her sister shouting behind her as she followed.

She pounded down the hallway, wishing she had chosen to flee the palace instead. But there was nowhere in this direction left to go except for her room. She didn’t want to see anyone, feel the embarrassment rising around her when she looked at their faces, knowing they were walking on eggshells around her.

Maddie caught her by the arm and spun Mouse around. “You’re being unreasonable.”

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