Page 81 of Knot My Wonderland: Part Two
Chi studied my face, his tail twitching with nervous energy. "You understand the risks? Even distributed, this kind of pattern manipulation would be incredibly taxing."
"I understand," I said, reaching out to touch his face. "But I also understand what happens if we face the Queen unprepared. Chi, I can't walk away from this."
Chi leaned into my touch, his silver patterns flowing beneath his skin with reluctant acceptance. "I knew you'd say that," he murmured, turning his head to press a kiss against my palm. "Your determination is both terrifying and admirable."
I slid from the bed, wincing slightly at the pleasant soreness in my muscles—a physical reminder of our recent bonding. Chi noticed immediately, his tail curling possessively as a satisfied purr rumbled through his chest.
"Perhaps a hot bath before joining the others," he suggested, his teal eyes darkening with memories of the night before. "I could assist you..."
"I'm sure you could," I laughed, feeling lighter despite the serious conversation awaiting us. "But then we'd never make it to the discussion."
Chi's answering grin was unrepentant, his tail swishing with mischievous intent. "Would that be so terrible? Another few hours of... recovery time?"
I shook my head, though I couldn't suppress my smile. "The world won't save itself, unfortunately."
"Pity," Chi sighed dramatically, rising from the bed with feline grace. "Go ahead and freshen up. I'll let the others know you're awake."
As he left, I took a moment to examine the silver mark on my neck in the small mirror hanging on the wall. Unlike Heart's golden mark, Chi's gleamed with silvery light that pulsed in rhythm with my heartbeat. The pattern beneath my skin had changed subtly as well—the silver and gold threads now woven together in more complex configurations that seemed to flow with greater harmony.
After quickly washing and changing, I made my way to the main room where the others were gathered around the table. Heart looked up immediately, his ruby eyes finding mine with warm intensity that made the golden bond between us pulse with affection. The Tweedles were surrounded by scrolls covered in complex equations, their silver eyes lifting briefly to acknowledge my entrance before returning to their calculations.
"Alice," Heart said, rising to greet me. His golden patterns brightened visibly as he approached, one hand reaching out to trace the silver mark on my neck with gentle fingers. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," I replied honestly, leaning into his touch. "More... settled, somehow."
"The second completed bond has stabilized your magical signature significantly," Vee explained, looking up from his calculations. "The chaotic fluctuations we observed yesterday have resolved into much more coherent patterns."
"Which means we can attempt more complex techniques," Dee added, adjusting one of his temporal devices. "Provided we approach them correctly."
Heart guided me to the table, his hand resting protectively at the small of my back. "Chi told you about our discussion?"
I nodded, taking the empty chair between Heart and Chi. "The multi-layered pattern manipulation. And the idea of using the bond network to distribute the burden."
"The mathematics are complex but promising," Vee said, pushing a scroll toward me that contained equations I couldn't begin to comprehend. "In theory, the completed bonds should allow for significant magical transference without destabilizing your connection to the pattern.”
"In theory," Chi repeated, his tail flicking with lingering concern.
"The probability matrices show a seventy-eight percent chance of successful implementation," Dee added, his silver eyes serious as they met mine. "Significantly better than attempting the techniques alone, which carries only a thirty-two percent probability of success.”
“Though, only Heart and Chi, would be able to help since they have a mate bond with you and those two would be able to connect to you with more efficiency then the rest of us.” Vee spoke up, his eyes flickering to the two males then back to me.
I nodded, processing this information. The pattern beneath my skin pulsed steadily, no longer the erratic flicker of yesterday but a harmonious flow that seemed to reach toward both Heart and Chi where they sat beside me.
"And this is our best chance against the Queen?" I asked, looking between them.
"Based on our observations of her blood magic, yes," Heart replied, his golden patterns dimming slightly with concern. "She operates on multiple magical levels simultaneously—corrupting, attacking, and shielding in a single working. To counter effectively, you'll need similar capabilities."
"It won't be easy," Vee cautioned, his silver eyes studying the equations before him. "Even with the network distribution, you'll be channeling more magical energy than ever before."
"But we'll be with you," Chi added, his tail curling protectively around my wrist. "Connected through the bonds, supporting the working at every step."
I traced the silver mark Chi had left on my neck, feeling the permanent connection thrumming beneath my fingertips. Through our bond, his absolute commitment flowed like liquid starlight, warming me from within. Heart's golden bond pulsed in harmony, carrying similar promises wrapped in protective determination.
"When do we start?" I asked, surprising myself with how steady my voice sounded.
The Tweedles exchanged one of their silent communications before Dee spoke. "This afternoon. We need time to prepare the theoretical framework and establish proper safeguards. The networked approach requires precise synchronization between all participants."
"And if something goes wrong?" I pressed, needing to understand the full scope of what we were attempting.
