Page 31 of Knot My Wonderland: Part Two
I nodded grimly, feeling Alice's consciousness processing even this conversation on some level through our new bond. "The temporal shield will protect her from direct magical influence, but the Queen has other methods. Her network of spies extends throughout Wonderland."
"Which is why we need to move quickly once Alice awakens," Heart said, his ruby eyes hardening with resolve. "The sanctuary won't remain hidden forever."
Varik appeared from an adjoining chamber, his usual chaotic energy somewhat subdued as he carried a tray of steaming cups. "Tea for the traumatized," he announced, setting the tray on a nearby table with uncharacteristic gentleness. "My special post-rescue blend. Calming without sedation, clarifying without overstimulation."
"Thank you, Varik," I said, accepting a cup and inhaling the complex aroma—hints of midnight jasmine, temporal rift crystals, and something that might have been distilled moonlight. Through our bond, I felt Alice's consciousness respond to the scent, her healing sleep deepening as the tea's vapors reached her.
Seth declined with a subtle gesture, his dark eyes never leaving Alice's peaceful face. "The Queen will be rebuilding herpower network as we speak. My shadows report significant movement throughout her domain—messengers dispatched to every corner of Wonderland."
"Looking for us?" Chi asked, his tail tightening protectively around Alice's wrist.
"Looking for her," Seth corrected, shadows shifting restlessly. "The Queen has declared Alice a stolen royal heir—claiming she was kidnapped during a peaceful diplomatic exchange."
Heart's ruby eyes flashed with fury. "She's twisting the narrative to make us look like the villains."
"A predictable strategy," Dee observed, his temporal devices humming softly as he monitored ripples in the space-time continuum. "The Queen has always excelled at manipulation of public perception."
I felt Alice stir slightly through our bond. The pattern beneath her skin pulsed with renewed strength, opalescent threads of our temporal connection weaving seamlessly with the gold and silver of her existing bonds.
"What matters now is our next move," I said, carefully adjusting Alice's position to ensure her comfort. "The sanctuary will shield us for a few days at most, but we need a more permanent solution."
Heart leaned forward, his ruby eyes reflecting the flickering light of the sanctuary's crystal lamps. "We need to consider Alice's safety above all else. The Queen's declaration changes everything – she's not just hunting Alice anymore, she's claiming her as property."
"As family," Seth corrected, his shadows darkening. "Which is far more dangerous. Many in Wonderland will sympathize with a mother seeking her 'stolen daughter' rather than a queen pursuing a magical vessel."
Chi's tail unwrapped from Alice's wrist only to coil more protectively around her forearm. "We should take her to the Shifting Isles. My territory lies beyond the Queen's influence, and the constantly moving landscapes would make pursuit nearly impossible."
I shook my head, feeling Alice's consciousness ripple with something like disagreement through our new bond. "The Isles would only be a temporary sanctuary. The Queen would eventually find a way to track her there."
I met my brother's eyes briefly, sharing a calculation of temporal probabilities through our silent communication. "Alice needs to learn to defend herself, not just hide."
Heart's jaw tightened. "You're suggesting we train her to fight the Queen directly? After what she's just been through?"
"Not fight," Dee clarified, his silver eyes reflecting something ancient and knowing. "Control. The pattern chose her for a reason, and that reason becomes clearer with each passing day."
Seth's shadows shifted thoughtfully. "The First Queen designed the pattern to be wielded with intention, not just carried. Alice has barely scratched the surface of its potential."
I felt Alice's consciousness stir through our bond,. the pattern beneath her skin pulsed with growing intensity, as if recognizing the truth in our words. Through the temporal connection, I caught fragments of her dreams—visions of herself standing before the Red Queen not as a victim, but as equal. The potential futures swirling through her subconscious mind were breathtaking in their scope.
"The pattern is already showing her possibilities," I murmured, watching silver and gold light dance beneath her skin in increasingly complex configurations. "She's seeing what she could become."
Varik set down his teacup with a delicate clink, his usual manic energy replaced by uncharacteristic seriousness."Training will take time we may not have. The Queen's network spreads faster than gossip at a tea party, and twice as poisonous."
"Then we make time," Dee said with quiet certainty, his temporal devices humming as if in agreement. "We can create a sanctuary where time flows differently—a day outside might be a week within."
"The Chronos Pocket," Heart murmured, understanding dawning in his ruby eyes. "You've never offered that to anyone outside your inner circle."
I nodded, feeling Alice's consciousness respond to the idea through our new bond. "The temporal manipulation required is... significant. But with our combined strength, it's possible."
"And necessary," Seth added, his shadows coiling thoughtfully. "Alice needs more than just magical training. She needs time to heal from what the Queen did to her. The psychological wounds run deeper than the physical ones."
Chi's tail lashed once, his teal eyes narrowing. "The Chronos Pocket exists outside the Queen's reach?"
"Not entirely," I admitted, stroking Alice's hair as she nestled deeper into sleep. "But it exists in a temporal fold that makes direct magical interference nearly impossible. The Queen would need to physically enter the pocket to reach Alice, and that would require finding us first."
Heart's expression darkened. "Nearly impossible isn't the same as impossible."
"Nothing is absolute when dealing with blood magic of the Queen's caliber," Seth acknowledged, his shadows rippling with unease. "But it's our best option for giving Alice the time she needs to master the pattern's full potential."
