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“Wonderlust is not what you once knew,” Cash lays his head on mine. A layer of sweat and skin rests against my back.
“I’m starting to think I didn’t know Wonderland either.”
“Of course not. As soon as one believes to know the lay of the land, it alters. To know it is to claim it, and a land of wonder could never allow that to be.” Turning me, Cash pushes his thumbs against my cheeks, forcing me to smile.
“Give it another day or so, and we should be safe to journey to Spade Castle. Lilliana will be so glad to meet you. Then we can start working together to set these wrongs right. It’s all going to be okay. And if not, we will have each other.” Easing his hands into my hair, Cash pushes my head back and dips his, putting his mouth merely centimeters from mine.
“Say it back,” he breathes against my lips and I sigh. I’m a goner. Goodbye feminism, it was nice knowing you.
“We will have each other,” I agree, and seal it with a kiss.
31
Strolling behind the bar to join my new foxy besties, they snarl as I help myself to yet another round of shots. Watching Cash be fawned over by a crowd of randy females lost its appeal in the early hours of the morning, but the drinks have held my interest far longer. I tip the bottle of unlabeled, clear liquid over a tray of glasses, watching as each fill with a different color. Neon pink, green, yellow, blue and never mixing.
Setting down the empty bottle, I take the tray and hunt for somewhere quieter. Somewhere away from the screams that never cease, despite the hint of morning starting to peak through the grey clouds beyond the spade-shaped windows. Meandering into Evasion hallway, I spot a leather armchair and grin. That’ll do.
Shoving aside the miniature bottles and tiny cakes upon a coffee table, they crash to the ground and my tray takes pride of place. I drop into the chair, drinking and reminiscing to myself all the while.
The boat sails dreamily beneath a different sky,
Carrying aboard a spirit which refuses to die,
The ocean is vast and reflected in her eye,
On a never-ending evening of July.
Kicking off my heels,I sigh and finish my round of drinks. With each color comes a different flavor. Blue - raspberry, pink - candy floss. Yellow is banana and green sends a burst of sour apple skating across my tongue. Soon enough, my head lolls back and my legs are both tingly and numb. Reaching back, my knuckles scrape across the suede wallpaper. It’s mirrored on either side of the hallway, leading to a single door at the end. Dulled grey metal and a small grate stare back at me, enticing me to peek inside.
“So, this is where you’ve been hiding,” a very sweaty, naked Cash smirks. He strolls closer, the long line of females leaving via the exit just visible past his glistening body. At first I thought the club lights were up, but in fact sun light beams through the windows and declare the night over. Through my daze and mumbled response, Cash slips his arms under my arms and legs, and heaves me up. “Come on Malice, time for bed.”
“No,” I whine like a child trying to break out of his hold. “That way.” Leaning back, I point behind. From my upside-down view, the dungeon door creeps closer as Cash chuckles and obeys my request. Easing it open, Cash places me down on wobbly legs long enough to close the door behind us. Darkness falls. Without my sight, I sway further, holding my hands out to try to retain some balance. A wave of dizziness washes me aside and Cash catches me before I hit the ground. Blinking upwards, his emerald eyes are there, steadily glowing brighter.
“Welcome to Evasion, Crazy One.” Those eyes glow vivid enough to make me wince, until the black of his pupil begins to bleed out and create a spiral with the green. Round and round, I follow the swirl, feeling myself sink further into his arms.
“Wha…what’s evasion?” I ask, my head dropping back onto the ground. Cash lays the rest of me on the stone, untying the corset at my waist.
“A method of releasing the madness when it all becomes too much. I can ease your worries; help you see with clarity.” The corset pops free and I inhale as if for the first time, filling my diaphragm and shuddering violently.
“Sounds awful,” I groan, remembering a very similar pitch from Nurse Suzie and my antipsychotic medication. Cash chuckles, the sound filtering through the goosebumps lining my skin. His hands trail my arms, easing me up into a kneeling position. Freeing the puffy sleeves from my shoulders with a gentle caress, the dress pools at my waist. Sitting before me, Cash’s eyes dip to my hardened nipples, a rumble locked in his chest. His hands rise to cup either side of my face.
“Open your beautiful mind, let me see what troubles you.” I don’t do anything, just sit in the dark and wait for whatever is next. A tense moment passes, Cash’s thumb shifting to drag the pad across my bottom lip. “You have to work with me here. If done properly, Evasion can set your soul free of its woes.”
“I don’t have any woes,” I half-shrug. “I can’t open up anymore. I literally say what I want and feel no repercussions. Maybe it’s you that needs to unload his troubles.” Knocking Cash’s hands aside, I grab his face and draw him down to meet my face. If he can see in the dark, he’ll note how I widen one eye, squint the other and cross my vision to the bridge of my nose. “Is it working yet?”
“Not quite,” Cash drawls blandly. He sits back, making a noise in the back of his throat. “No one has been able to resist my hypnosis before.”
“Sorry to disappoint,” I chew on my bottom lip. The sudden bloom of laughter makes me flinch and Cash shifts, his chest brushing mine.
“Oh Malice, you are many things – but disappointing is not one of them. Perhaps it is my brother’s blood in your system that is saving you from me.” His fingers trickle into my hair, his jaw brushing my temple. I brace myself on his chest, allowing my hands to explore his abdomen in the dark. He flexes beneath my touch, the coolness of his skin matching the low temperature of the room.
“How about a trade then?” I suggest. “I shall admit a truth for each one you offer me.” Cash tugs lightly on my hair, exposing my neck to him.
“Very well.” His head dips, fangs dragging over the vein throbbing in my throat. We both know he won’t – not while Tweed is still tainted within me – but damn if I want him to. “I never lost hope in your return,” he whispers and my mouth falls open. I didn’t realize we were going in so serious right away. Cash’s lips skate over my flesh, leaving a trail of fire in his wake as I scramble for something to admit.
“I’ve wondered why I was able to enter Wonderland in the first place. Was it a fluke, a freak accident?” His mouth closes around my nipple and I push into him, my head rolling back. Sucking, with the hint of danger scraping at my breast from his sharpened teeth, Cash switches between soft and hard, before pulling away completely.
“I don’t believe so, but it doesn’t matter either way. The second you fell into our realm; you became part of it. Part of us. We need you here as much as any other.” His mouth takes mine this time, unhurriedly laying claim to the one part of my body his twin won’t touch. Lips collide, tongues seek. We fall into each other, not an inch of space between us. Stealing my breath, he trails his hands down my spine.
