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“You’re in the Kingdom of Diamonds and Ice,” Jack replied before letting me go. “Welcome to the White Queen's court.”
The fear I’d felt just seconds ago began to fade away, replaced by curiosity.
“Are you by any chance the White Knight?”
His mouth shifted in a whisper of movement, the closest thing I might get to a smile. Blood red eyes sparkled at me with icy charm.
“What gave it away?” he deadpanned before tossing his long white hair out of his face.
His gaze drifted slowly down my body, then back up to me. Somewhere in those cold, red eyes, a predatory flicker burned. And somehow, I got the feeling that this kind of predator battled a hunger that would never be satisfied.
“You seem cold. Would you like something warmer to wear?”
“I’m fine.”
Just then, a cool breeze blew over us, giving me chills while catching a few strands of his hair. It glittered in the soft blueish light, making him look almost angelic.
But there was nothing angelic in the way Jack was looking at me.
He looked at me like I was prey.
To be fair, Iwascompletely naked, aside from one broken high heel and my half-mangled bunny mask.
“Try this on,” he said, and held out the Vorpal Sword. Hanging off the end was a slinky, fuzzy scrap of white fabric. I picked it up and held it out for inspection, then wrinkled my nose. It seemed to be some kind of tank top dress.
“You’re joking, right?”
“Try it on,” he repeated. “Take off your shoe first.”
Rolling my eyes, I kicked off the broken stiletto and pulled the fuzzy tank top over my head. I’d just barely tugged it into place when it started to grow and morph around the curves of my body.
Suddenly I was wearing a long dress that felt like the most exquisite cashmere against my skin. Fur-lined white boots lifted my bare feet off the cold floor, then crawled up to my mid-thighs. A luxurious white fur coat wrapped around me like a hug, and my mask dissolved into tiny ice crystals before evaporating into nothingness.
“Shall we go see the White Queen?” he asked as he turned to Chess, Callister, and Hatter. “She’s in the East Wing. It’s not far from here at all.”
With Ransom floating along on his airborne stretcher, we made our way into a large, open, alabaster corridor. A star-studded night sky arched across the ceiling, flickering with the purples and blues and greens of an aurora borealis dancing over our heads. Everything seemed to shimmer with a coating of diamond dust, casting us in an ethereal glow.
It was cold, but it was beautiful.
I’d felt safe with my wicked boys, but this place felt like a sanctuary. I’d found the Vorpal Sword. I’d learned discipline and humility from Ransom, among other things. Now I’d met the White Knight.
I tried to stay optimistic that he wouldn’t scare me so much once I got to know him better. After all, I hadn’t been so sure about Callister but he’d come around.
Eventually.
“Hey, thanks for the outfit, Jack,” I said, pulling the coat closer around me as we walked along. “I’m Alice, by the way.”
His red gaze slid down to me.
“Yes, I know who you are. You’re incredibly late.”
“Better late than never.”
His lips parted, revealing a sardonic grin . . . and a long pair of sharp white fangs.
My stomach turned as I realized what he was . . .
And what I was.
Prey.
* * *
