Page 63 of Trapped By Clocks and Hearts

A whiff of roses filled the air as the carriage door swung open and a footman arrived to help passengers down.

Allie had only begun to reach out her hand before her gaze fell on the footman. She had to bite down a gasp.

The footman was one of the Queen’s headless soldiers. With his boxy uniform, square shoulders, and the number ten emblazoned with a heart on his coat, he almost looked exactly like the playing card decorations adorning the Queen’s castle.

I watched Allie’s jaw clench as she composed herself.

Her hand moved to take his with no further shake or flutter.

I alighted the carriage by myself.

Their boots clattering on the stone steps, another pair of uniformed soldiers approached us. With heads this time. The one with the number two on his coat came to inspect us while the one with the number seven stepped up to puff his chest out as he began his declamation.

I almost rolled my eyes. I’d been through this inspection before. Regular citizens of Wünder were often caught out for ridiculous infractions, bringing the wrong color flowers, wearing too-tall shoes—and then beheaded, mostly to amuse the Queen. But for sorcerers like me, there were never any real repercussions. However, the guards would never disobey the Queen’s orders, even if she herself had once acknowledged that I was exempt from these pointless proceedings.

“You are about to enter the castle of Her Majesty the Queen of Hearts,” Seven decreed. “Rule number one, only speak when you are spoken to. Rule number two, never disrespect the Queen. And rule number three, most essentially, never bother Her Majesty with matters that are wholly important.” He stumbled on his words before correcting himself, “Unimportant.”

Two agreed with a haughty nod. “It is the oldest rule in the book.”

Allie made a face. “Then shouldn’t that be rule number one?”

Unable to help my amusement, I bit my lip.

Seven winced but he only waved his hand to Two. “Check them for weapons.”

Two sniffed around my form and helped himself to check inside the pockets of my cloak. He murmured as he went on, “Tiny looking glass…broken hurricane lamp, pocket watch…” He glanced at my side. “Dagger—that’s a weapon, sir.” He moved to reach for it.

Shrugging him off, I cleared my throat.

Two blinked at me.

I gave him a glare. “Try and take it from me.”

The guard stepped back as if disoriented, mumbled under his breath again, before turning his attention to Allie. “Miss, please turn out your pockets.”

Soldiers with heads didn’t seem to intimidate Allie. That or she was taking my cue. She could tell the inspections were mere formality too. She pursed her lips to show the inside of her lab coat pockets. “Just some herbs and powders,” she relayed with an attempt at a sweet smile.

Satisfied with our inspection, the two guards led us up the wide stairs and through the giant double doors into the castle.

Allie stared up at everything in wonder. The stained-glass ceiling, the extravagant paintings on the walls, empty metal suits lining the corridors, the vaulted window arches, the thick, red brocade curtains.

Another set of double doors opening up led us straight to the grand throne room.

Even from the entrance, the throne of the Queen of Hearts was already the most imposing feature. Fashioned with ornate, heart-shaped motifs and upholstered in rich, crimson velvet, its backrest rose dramatically with intricate carvings, and gilded accents in even more sculpted heart shapes.

I took a deep breath. We weren’t in danger yet. And if the Queen had let us come this far, it was possible she didn’t suspect anything. That or she was lulling us into a false sense of security. Either way, I needed to remain vigilant.

It took Allie a few steps through the door to notice that the walls all around us were lined with a distinctly-familiarly-shaped object.

I caught the gasp in her throat when she realized what they were.

Thousands of used Heartlamps decorated the walls of the Queen’s throne room, from all the Heartfire embers the Queen had collected, from all the hearts the Queen had ever stolen.

Though all these Heartlamps were empty, spent.

I had heard that the Queen disposed of the spent embers in the massive rock garden in the rear of the palace.

Allie’s fists clenched at her sides as we approached the front of the room.