Page 21 of Knave

Mouse looked up at him in surprise. “Why? Is something wrong?”

“No.” He hesitated. Mouse wouldn’t like him risking himself alone… “I want to go to Red and see if I can find anything to help us fight the Jabberwocky.”

“What?” The word was a mere breath. “You’re leaving?”

“I hope to,” he said as he rummaged for a T-shirt.

“What do you want to find in Red?” Mouse pressed. “There’s nothing left. It’s a wasteland.”

The royals were dead and the citizens had either moved to Scarlet or Ivory, but that didn’t meannothingwas left. “Some sort of clue might still be there. Or I’ll go to the library—I heard talk about one inside the Red Palace. Maybe there’s a painting on a cave wall or something, I don’t know. But I should try, shouldn’t I? Before more vampires get hurt.”

“It doesn’t have to be you,” she said after a long, thought-out moment.

“It doesn’t have to, no. I would like it to be, though.” He needed to dosomethingother than roam the hallways.

“Then I’m coming with you.” Mouse stood and squared her shoulders. “We’ll talk to Ever together.”

“No,” he said, slightly harsher than he intended.

“What do you mean,no?” She scowled at him. “I will go wherever I like.”

He released a sigh. “You should stay here with Maddie.”

“I love my sister, but that doesn’t mean I need to be attached to her every moment for all eternity.” She folded her arms. “I’m coming.”

“You need to feed,” he reminded her. “Red is a wasteland. What will you do for blood?”

She scoffed and held up the empty bottle. “Icansurvive off of this, just like you can.”

Just more of it.A lotmore, that they would need to carry with them. And what if she snapped? Ferris didn’t want to have to pin her down until the bloodlust ceased. “No,” was all he said, and brushed passed her into the hallway.

“Before the Jabberwocky rudely interrupted, you were planning to take me somewhere for a week anyway,” Mouse said, following on his heels, feet practically stomping as they followed the quiet, complex melody of Ever’s viola to the empty ballroom. She stood in the center with the instrument up to her chin, eyes closed, looking regal and every bit the queen. Decorative pillars lined the room, carved with climbing ivy, and a massive crystal chandelier hung overhead. The white grand piano in the corner gleamed.

“Hello, Ferris,” she said without stopping the song. “Mouse.”

“I didn’t mean to intrude,” he started.

“You’re not.” She lowered the instrument and looked over at him. “Chess is still taking note of the damage in the city, so I thought I’d try and relax with a song while I waited for him to finish.” Ever tilted her head. “What brings you two here?”

“Grant me permission to go to Red,” Ferris blurted.

Her brows rose. “Red? It’s been a desolate wasteland ever since—”

“The Red Queen died, I know,” he said. The stories he’d heard of the monster’s murderous rampages in Red had sounded terrifying as fuck when he’d first arrived in Wonderland, and he didn’t want Ivory to become like that. “Everyone left because of the Jabberwocky, but that’s exactly why I need to go.”

“I’m not sure I understand,” she replied slowly.

He took a deep breath and let it out, glancing sideways at Mouse. “That’s where the Jabberwocky is from, right?”

“We want to see if we can find any clues on how to defeat it,” Mouse chimed in.

Ever glanced between them. “I’m already gathering a group of guards to travel to Red for that purpose. I want to know how to kill it, but I’m just surprised the two of you want to take on the task.”

“It killed Didi,” Mouse said quietly.

“And I need some time…”Away.He kept the last word to himself, but he could see the understanding in Ever’s softening expression. Clearing his throat, he continued, “The Jabberwocky is a one-of-a-kind monster which has to mean something. If Red dealt with it for centuries, there has to be something. Someone must’ve documented it.” Like Bigfoot back in the mortal world, with conspiracy theories and all that shit, only real.

Ever studied them for a long moment. “I agree to it. It will draw less attention if the two of you go in place of an entire group of guards first anyway.”

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