Page 89 of Knot My Wonderland: Part Two
"It's not your fault," I said quietly, unable to keep the words from escaping. The Void magic within me recognized her pain, responding with protective instincts that overrode my careful control.
Alice's eyes met mine, silver and gold patterns beneath her skin reaching toward the darkness that writhed just beneath my surface. "Isn't it? People were suffering while I was learning to juggle magical constructs."
"You were preparing to save them all," Heart interjected firmly, his golden patterns flaring with conviction. "Without proper training, you would have been slaughtered attempting to face her directly."
Chi nodded, his tail flicking with agitation. "The Queen would have corrupted you and used your power to accelerate this ritual beyond anything we're seeing now."
Through our incomplete bond, I felt Alice's internal struggle—the logical understanding that training had been necessary warring with emotional guilt over the consequences of delay. The shadows beneath my skin responded to her turmoil, reaching toward her with tendrils of comfort I couldn't quite suppress.
"There's something else," I said, forcing myself to focus on the intelligence rather than the way her patterns seemed to call to my darkness. "The Queen has been actively hunting foryou. My sources report blood magic scrying attempts across the realm, searching for your magical signature.”
Vee looked up sharply from his examination of the map. "The pocket dimension shielded her completely. There's no way the Queen could have detected?—"
"She knows you've returned from wherever you had been hiding," I interrupted, shadows writhing with barely contained urgency. “The magic in the pocket dimension hid you well…but now that you are out…that is a different story.”
Alice's face drained of color, the pattern beneath her skin flickering with alarm. "How long before she pinpoints our location?"
"Hours, maybe less," I replied, my Void magic stirring restlessly as it sensed the approaching danger. "The blood magic scrying grows stronger each time she attempts it. Though she won’t go straight for an attack right away. "
“She will want to put on a show.” Heart said, knowing how his mother’s mind works.
"Exactly," I confirmed, the Void magic coiling tightly beneath my skin as I sensed Alice's growing anxiety through our incomplete bond. "She'll want witnesses to her triumph. A public spectacle to cement her power."
"Then we use that against her," Alice said, her voice finding new strength that made the shadows within me respond with hungry appreciation. "If she's planning a performance, we can predict her movements."
I couldn't help the smile that curved my lips, pride flowing through our bond despite my efforts to maintain distance. "Clever girl," I murmured, watching as her patterns brightened at my approval. "That's precisely what I've been planning."
Heart nodded, his ruby eyes calculating as he studied the map. "She wants Alice and has used her as if she was kidnapped by us. A beloved adopted daughter…”
"Stolen away by dangerous criminals who have corrupted her innocent mind," Chi finished with a disgusted flick of his tail.
"Which means when she makes her move, it will be as a rescue mission," Alice said, her voice tight with understanding. "She'll come with overwhelming force, making it so people think I’m a victim and not in the right mind.”
Alice's jaw tightened, silver and gold light flickering with controlled fury. "So when she comes for me, she'll be seen as the hero."
"Precisely. And any resistance from us will be painted as further evidence of our villainous nature." The Void magic within me stirred restlessly, responding to her anger with its own dark hunger for vengeance.
Dee's temporal devices hummed as he processed the implications. "The probability matrices show she'll likely move within Two days of confirming your location. Public venues, maximum witnesses, overwhelming magical display."
"We need to beat her to the punch," Alice said, her voice hardening with resolve. "Make our own public appearance before she can stage her 'rescue.'"
I felt my shadows stir with appreciation at her strategic thinking. "You're learning quickly."
"What do you propose?" Heart asked, his golden patterns brightening with interest.
Alice straightened, her dual-marked neck catching the light. "The Queen wants to paint me as a victim. I say we show Wonderland exactly who I am—someone who chose to bond with the leaders of the resistance, not someone who was corrupted against her will."
"A public declaration," Chi mused, his tail swishing thoughtfully. "Risky, but effective if executed properly."
"More than just a declaration," I added, the Void magic within me resonating with her plan. "A demonstration of power.Show them what true pattern magic looks like compared to the Queen's corrupted blood magic."
Alice nodded, her eyes meeting mine with an intensity that made the Void bond between us pulse hungrily. "Where would have the most impact?"
"The Central Market," Heart said immediately. "It's the largest gathering place in Wonderland outside the Heart Palace itself. People from every territory converge there daily."
"And it's neutral ground," Chi added, his tail swishing with growing excitement. "The Queen's direct influence is limited there by ancient treaty. She can't simply order an execution without violating agreements with the other rulers."
I felt the shadows beneath my skin coil with anticipation. "It's also where the nexus lines of Wonderland's pattern intersect most visibly. The perfect place to demonstrate uncorrupted pattern magic."
