Page 90 of Knot My Wonderland: Part Two
Vee and Dee exchanged one of their silent communications before Vee spoke. Vee's silver eyes gleamed with calculation as he considered the implications. "The probability matrices show a significant advantage if we act within twenty-four hours. The Queen's forces will need time to mobilize for a public spectacle, but her scrying will locate us before that. Though we should wait till Varik and Martha feel up to it before we make a move."
"The Central Market also provides multiple escape routes," I added, shadows rippling beneath my skin as I traced potential pathways on the map. "Underground tunnels, shadow passages, even dimensional weak points I could exploit if necessary."
Alice nodded, her determination flowing through our incomplete bond with such intensity that my Void magic responded visibly, darkness seeping from my fingertips before I could fully contain it. She noticed, her eyes widening slightly as the silver and gold pattern beneath her skin reached instinctively toward my shadows.
"We'll need to prepare carefully," Heart said, drawing her attention back to the map. "The Queen will have spies in the market. We'll need a distraction to get Alice in position before they can alert the palace."
"I can handle that," Chi offered, his tail swishing with mischievous intent. "Some of the market merchants owe me favors."
I forced my shadows back beneath my skin, though they continued to reach for Alice like tendrils seeking sunlight. "My network can ensure word spreads quickly once you make your appearance. The right rumors in the right ears will draw the crowds we need."
"What about the Queen's guards?" Alice asked, her eyes meeting mine with a directness that made the Void bond pulse with renewed hunger. "She'll have blood knights patrolling the market."
"I'll handle them," I said, shadows coiling with deadly promise. "They can't report what they don't see."
Heart's golden patterns dimmed with concern. "We can't risk open conflict before Alice makes a stand. There is a high probability this could turn into a full on battle too.”
I nodded, “There is a possibility that this could end up being a full scale confrontation with the Queen…depending how much this angers her and how much sanity she really has left.”
"Which is why we need to be prepared for that possibility," I acknowledged, the Void magic beneath my skin seething with dark anticipation. "If the Queen herself appears, we'll need to be ready for immediate extraction or direct confrontation."
Alice's silver and gold patterns pulsed with determination as she studied the map. "I want to face her, Seth. Not run away again."
The fierce conviction in her voice made my shadows writhe with pleasure. Through our incomplete bond, I felt her courageblazing like a beacon against the darkness. It was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain the careful distance I'd imposed on myself since her return.
"You will face her," I assured her, my voice dropping lower as the Void magic responded to her proximity. "But on our terms, not hers."
"We should plan for both scenarios," Heart suggested, his ruby eyes flickering between Alice and me with knowing perception. "A public declaration that can transition smoothly into either withdrawal or confrontation, depending on how events unfold."
"That will require precise coordination," Vee noted, his silver eyes calculating probabilities even as he spoke. "And multiple contingency plans."
"Which we can discuss in detail after we've all had some rest," Chi interjected, his tail flicking toward Alice with obvious concern. "The dimensional transition and this news is a lot to process at once."
I knew he was right—I could sense Alice's exhaustion through our bond despite her determination—but the Void magic within me protested violently at the thought of separation. Now that she had returned, the incomplete bond between us throbbed with painful urgency, shadows writhing beneath my skin with barely contained need.
“Go rest and we can figure out more once Varik is here. He may have some…interesting ideas to add to all this.” I said eyes glancing back at Alice before going back to her other bonded ones.
"Seth," Alice said suddenly, her eyes meeting mine with an intensity that made the others grow still. "Can we talk once everyone has some rest?."
The shadows beneath my skin flared at her words, responding to the invitation with hungry anticipation. Throughour incomplete bond, I felt her complex emotions—curiosity, apprehension, and something deeper that made my control slip further.
"Of course," I replied, my voice rougher than intended as I fought to contain the Void magic's eager response. "I'll find you once you've recovered."
Heart's golden patterns pulsed with protective understanding while Chi's tail flicked with what felt like approval through the bond network. Neither seemed threatened by Alice's request—if anything, they appeared to recognize the necessity of what remained unfinished between us.
"Good," Alice said softly, her silver and gold light reaching toward my shadows in a way that made my breath catch. "There's... we have things to discuss."
The understatement hung in the air between us, weighted with the implications of incomplete bonds and tactical advantages the Tweedles had outlined in the pocket dimension. I felt the Void magic pulse with dark satisfaction at her acknowledgment, shadows reaching toward her with visible hunger before I forced them back beneath my skin.
"Rest well, Alice," I said, stepping backward into the shadows that always welcomed me. "We have much to prepare for."
As I dissolved into darkness, I felt her eyes following me until I completely disappeared. The incomplete bond stretched between us like a taut wire, humming with possibility and need that grew stronger with each passing hour.
Chapter
Thirty-Six
ALICE
