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“Bring her back before she kills you,” Lucien says from behind me. His tone is razor-sharp, cutting into my consciousness. “Damn it, Baxter, do it now.”
CHAPTER17
ADELAIDE
My eyes flutter open. I quickly scan the room, although my mind takes a minute to process what I’m seeing. Lucien has me wrapped in his arms, but he’s not looking at me. I follow his line of sight to find Baxter leaning over a wine barrel with his head bowed, blood streaming from his eyes and nose.
“Baxter!” I struggle in Lucien’s hold, shoving at his chest. “Let go of me.”
The hatter tightens his grip and I glare up at him. “He’s fine,” Lucien says. “He removed himself from your mind before you could do too much damage. Give him a moment to recover.”
My expression morphs into one of horror. “That’s my fault?” When Lucien’s mouth thins, I briefly close my eyes as a wave of guilt slams into me. “I knew this was a bad idea. How could you let me do that to him?”
Lucien makes a soothing sound and raises me in his arms, bringing his face close to mine. “It’s nothing we didn’t expect.”
I press my lips together to refrain from saying something I’m likely to regret later on. Even though I’ve accepted Wonderland and all her quirks, including her residents, I have yet to fully embrace them. It boggles my mind that these men can rationalize my ability to kill them.
“Are you all right?” I ask Baxter, unable to stop the trembling of my words.
He nods and uses his sleeve to wipe away the trails of blood from his face. I catch the way his fingers shake. The way his heart trips in his chest on the lie. It causes pain to flare in mine.
More tears clog my throat, and I take a deep breath to fight them off. “I’m so sorry.”
Baxter flinches at my apology. Or maybe even the sound of my voice. I push against Lucien’s torso, wanting to go to Baxter and reassure myself that he’s okay.
The hatter sets me on my feet but keeps an arm hooked around my waist. He gives me a firm shake of his head. “Come along, little bird. You must be famished.”
“But…” I look between the two men, noting Baxter has yet to meet my eyes. “Captain.”
Our gazes come together in a clash of blue and green, an ocean of memories. Drowning us both.
“I remember you,” I say, my voice low. “We used to be friends, Baxter. Or at least as much as I knew to be. What happened to us?”
His features twist into a scowl that sends chills along my arms. “Get her away from me.”
Lucien hauls me away, but not before I catch the agony glittering in Baxter’s eyes. It’s the same that’s surely found in mine.
* * *
“Cheer up, little bird, Baxter will come around. Give him time.”
“I don’t think he will,” I say. “I must’ve done something horrible to him for him to hate me so.”
Lucien takes my arm and weaves it through his. He leads me from the dining room and into the main hallway. The sunlight streams through the windows all around me, taunting me with its cheerfulness.
“I highly doubt you’ve done anything to warrant such distrust,” he says. “Now, what shall we do to amuse ourselves, hmm?” He waggles his brows at me in a suggestive manner that causes my lips to twitch. “I can think of several positions—erm, things we can do.”
“We just ate breakfast. I think that whatever we do shouldn’t require large amounts of physicality.”
His mouth pulls to the side as he pouts. “Fine. Do you want to take a stroll in the greenhouse or play a game out on the patio?”
“What kind of game?” I hold up my hand. “Your answer should be platonic, Lucien.”
“Have I ever told you how boring you can be on occasion?”
I nod. “And I don’t care in the slightest. Given my history, I’ve had enoughfunto last me a lifetime.”
“Ah yes” he says, tapping my nose, “but you’ve never hadfunwith me. That’s something no mental shields could ever repress.”
