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Unless Hatter and I got ourselves killed in the process.
I was starting to feel it might end up that way. Hatter was starting to lose his mind, and I was still woefully powerless.
“You’ll regain your powers faster if you stop trying to read my mind,” he said, cutting through my inner thoughts.
I bristled at his uncanny fae senses catching me out. He had the ears of a wolf and the eyes of a hawk, but he had the brains of a grimsnatch. They were wiry, clever creatures, yet easily distracted by shiny objects.
“My powers are coming back just fine, thank you very much.”
Hatter shot me a wild, slightly maniacal grin. His blue eye sparkled bright with excitement while his dark one remained solemn and sane.
“Is that so? Then when were you going to tell me that we’re being followed?”
I scowled at him.
“What are you talking about? My demon sense of hearing is better than any fae—even yours. I would know if we were being followed.”
“You wouldn’t know shit until it was too late,” said a familiar mocking voice from behind us. Unable to invert my body as I normally might’ve done, I physically turned around to see Callister leaning against a gnarled tree.
His lean, sinewy figure was enveloped in a cloud of blue smoke as he puffed away on a blackberry cigarette. The sweet aroma of his magic tobacco wafted through the sharp, festering air, giving our noses a welcome reprieve.
However, the smug expression on his face made my fingers itch with the urge to punch him in his tattooed throat.
The bastard knew something, I was sure of it, but getting information out of him would be like pulling teeth.
I’d tried before.
It didn’t work.
Not on a masochist like Callister.
He enjoyed the pain. Reveled in it.
“What remarkable timing you have,” said Hatter, unable to hide the suspicious gaze beneath the brim of his top hat.
“Yes, curiouser and curiouser,” I said, equally suspicious. “Where is she, Callister?”
“Who?”
“Youknowwho.”
“Alice? How should I know?” he replied with a careless shrug. “I haven’t seen her since your last tea party. Good riddance, I say.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. Callister had never believed in this Alice’s ability to defeat the Red Queen, despite the long-standing tradition that only an Alice could be the one to save Wonderland.
From the moment he laid eyes on her, Callister had made it clear that he thought this Alice was too spoiled and selfish to be our champion. He thought her imagination was too dim and dull to outwit our evil queen.
"You’re lying," I accused.
"Am I?" He raised a brow, staring me down with unrepentant eyes. "Or are you simply too blinded by your affection for the girl to see the truth?”
"The truth is you’ve never given her a chance!" Hatter snapped.
"Ididgive her a chance, which is more than she deserved,” Callister countered. "Your precious Alice might be good for a fuck, but she isnotthe savior you wish her to be!”
Anger boiled in my veins, nearly choking me with its intensity.
“Enough! She solved Hatter’s riddle and found the Vorpal Sword. If you know where Alice is, you will tell us now!”
