Page 42 of Trapped By Clocks and Hearts

“No.” I pushed the plate away. “Look, can we finish up this meal so we can get to business? The Duchess will need some time to craft you a Heartlamp and then you should get your memories back.”

The Duchess’s mouth dropped open in mild surprise. “Oh, I’m sorry, Rabb. I think you misunderstood. I’m afraid I actually won’t be able to do that.”

“What?” Frowning in displeasure, I leaned against the table. “Is this because I won’t give you what you want? Look, Duchess, I already told you. Without the Queen’s command, I cannot—”

“Ah, but that is precisely the problem.” The Duchess put her hand up. “I do have some Heartlamp pieces crafted and ready. But without one last ingredient which only the Queen can provide, my lamps will just be regular lamps. They won’t hold even the faintest of Heartfire embers.”

“What?” I stopped, stunned in almost outraged disbelief. I met Allie’s gaze. I’d half-expected her to be just as outraged but her forehead was merely creased in concern.

Checking my fury, I turned to glare at Chez. “You didn’t tell me it was pointless to come here without the missing ingredient from the Queen.”

Chez merely licked his paws. “What? I don’t know everything.” He winked at Allie then disappeared into thin air.

“So this whole trip was a waste.” Impatient, I whirled around and paced across the floor. “Why did we even bother coming all this way?”

The Duchess lamented with a heavy sigh. “I wanted to see my Rabb one last time before I died.”

“For the last time, Duchess, you’re not going to die.” I had to roll my eyes. “You want to know why? Because I’m not gonna kill you. No matter how much you beg.”

“Wait.” Allie was deep in thought, gears in her mind spinning. I could practically see the steam almost coming out of her ears. “So what you’re saying is we need something from the Queen to make this Heartlamp work its magic?”

“Yes.” The Duchess nodded.

Allie pointed between the Duchess and me. “And neither of you have enough magic mumbo jumbo to make it work on your own?”

“Tis true.” The Duchess nodded again. “Short of dropping in on the castle and stealing the essence of hearts, there’s no other way to activate a Heartlamp.”

Allie’s eyes narrowed in that way and I knew she was scheming something once again. “Well, why don’t we? Go and steal this…essence, I mean.” She shrugged. “The Queen steals people’s hearts. She should get a dose of her own medicine.”

“Why?” the Duchess echoed in mocking. “Because my dear the Queen would cut off your head sooner than you could hopscotch away. She is the most powerful being in Wünder.”

Allie shot me a look. “More powerful than Rabb?”

There was an undefined twinge in my chest at her words, which if I dared overthink felt gratifyingly like pride.

“I thought he was the most powerful sorcerer in Wünder?”

Quashing the burgeoning warmth in my chest, I dropped my gaze. I was already aware the whole point was moot.

“The Queen’s powers have no match,” the Duchess stated ruefully. “Our magic, Rabb’s and mine…could never be used against her.”

“She’s not wrong.” A telltale silhouette of a yellow grin hovered in mid-air above Allie’s shoulder, close to her face—perhaps a little too close.

Allie nearly jumped out of her skin. “Cripe!” She clutched her hand to her chest. “Chez! Can you please stop randomly appearing out of nowhere like that? You scared the brain cells out of me!”

Chez plopped onto the table with another grin. “Sorry.”

Blowing out a breath, Allie put a finger on her chin. “So, okay…if this Heartlamp is built like a regular lamp, do we need the Duchess to build it or could we possibly take the pieces away and assemble it later?”

“A fair question.” The Duchess gave Allie a scrutinizing look. “She looks handy with tools. I bet you can figure out how to make it yourself. Can’t you, strange girl?”

“I can build anything,” Allie declared. “So we know what it is though? This item we need from the Queen? Perhaps it’s possible to acquire it somewhere else?”

The Duchess shook her head. “I am afraid, my dear, this is something unique to the Queen. There will be no other way to produce it without her hand.”

“Nuts,” Allie mumbled.

The Duchess’s eyes lit up. “Unless perhaps you could try summoning a rainbow?”