Page 15 of Knot My Wonderland: Part Two
Heart's ruby eyes flashed dangerously. "Trust me, Spade King. My rage requires no performance."
Chi's form solidified briefly, his tail wrapping around Heart's wrist in a gesture of support. "But we need you focused, notblinded by fury. Alice needs both our hearts and our minds working together."
Heart nodded reluctantly, though I could see the effort it took him to rein in his protective instincts. The golden patterns beneath his skin pulsed with barely controlled energy, responding to his emotional state.
"The infiltration route is confirmed," Vee announced, his temporal display shifting to show a three-dimensional map of the Red Queen's domain. "We'll enter through the gardens while your assault draws attention to the main gates."
"The temporal distortions will be strongest near the center," Dee added, his fingers dancing across controls that existed in multiple realities simultaneously. "But we've calculated the fluctuation patterns. There's a window of stability every seventeen minutes—enough time to reach Alice if we time it precisely."
I moved closer to study their calculations, my shadows flowing over the temporal display as I absorbed the complex mathematics involved. The Tweedles' understanding of time manipulation far exceeded even my centuries of experience with dimensional magic.
"What about extraction?" I asked, noting the intricate web of defenses surrounding the Red Queen's inner sanctum. "Reaching Alice is only half the mission."
"That's where it gets complicated," Vee admitted, his usual confidence flickering. "The collar creates a magical tether to the Red Queen's domain. Even if we free Alice, she won't be able to leave until it's removed."
"And removing it requires either the Queen's direct command or..." Dee paused, his temporal anchors fluctuating with uncertainty.
"Or what?" Heart demanded, his voice sharp with impatience.
"Or with blood magic.” Vee said already knowing the reaction that would happen from those words.
"Blood magic," Chi repeated, his form flickering with alarm. "That's exactly what we're trying to save her from."
I kept my expression neutral, though my shadows coiled tighter with suppressed tension. "Not all blood magic is corrupting. The original form—before the Red Queen twisted it—was based on willing sacrifice rather than coercion."
Heart's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "And you just happen to know this uncorrupted version?"
"The Void Court preserves knowledge others prefer to forget," I replied simply. My gaze met his, unflinching. "I can remove the collar without harming Alice, but it will require something from each of us. A willing sacrifice—blood freely given by those who share true bonds with her."
"Our blood," Heart said, understanding dawning in his ruby eyes. "The two of us who’ve formed a bond to her."
I nodded, my shadows rippling with acknowledgment. "The collar recognizes magical signatures. It was designed to suppress Alice's bonds with you and Chi specifically. But if we reverse the process—use your willing sacrifice to strengthen rather than sever those connections—the enchantment will collapse on itself."
Chi's form solidified completely, his teal eyes blazing with determination. "How much blood are we talking about?"
"Not much," I assured him, though my shadows betrayed a flicker of uncertainty. "A few drops from each of you, willingly given while maintaining your bond connections. The magic responds to intent, more than quantity."
Heart was already reaching for his blade, ignoring the way the movement pulled at his still-healing wound. "Then we do it. Whatever it takes to free her."
"Not yet," I said sharply, shadows lashing out to stop his hand. "The ritual must be performed in proximity to Alice herself. The collar's enchantments are too sophisticated to break from a distance."
Heart's jaw clenched, but he lowered the blade. "Another complication."
"Which is why timing becomes critical," Vee interjected, his temporal display shifting to show synchronized countdown markers. "We'll have approximately four minutes once we reach Alice before the Queen realizes her defenses have been breached."
"Four minutes to remove the collar, stabilize Alice's condition, and extract through hostile territory," Dee added, his expression grim. "The margin for error is... minimal."
Chi's tail lashed with agitation. "And if the Queen discovers the infiltration before we reach Alice?"
"Then the frontal assault becomes a real rescue attempt," I said grimly. "With all the chaos and casualties that implies."
The chamber fell silent as the weight of our plan settled over everyone. Through the Void bond, I sensed Alice's growing disorientation—the Red Queen's tonic working exactly as intended, each dose pulling her further from herself. Time was running out faster than any of us wanted to acknowledge.
"There's one more thing," I said, my shadows coiling with reluctance. "The Void Court won't wait indefinitely. If they sense the pattern is about to fall into the Queen's hands..." I let the implication hang unspoken.
Heart's ruby eyes flashed with understanding. "They'll intervene directly."
"Consuming everything within a significant radius," I confirmed. "Including Alice, the Queen, and anyone else unfortunate enough to be nearby. The Void doesn't discriminate when it feeds."
