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Take a piss.
Brush my teeth.
Turn on the shower.
Wash my body and my hair.
I didn’t bother with makeup or doing anything with my hair besides run a comb through it. I wasn’t even able to conjure a plate of food. I was lucky I’d found a cup so I could drink some water.
I dressed in warm, comfy clothes—an oversized sweater with leggings and Uggs—then forced one foot in front of the other until I was standing at the entrance of the Great Hall.
The air was filled with the soft murmur of voices and the clinking of cutlery against plates. I stepped through the doors, bare-faced, with wet hair, realizing how underdressed I was.
And I was too tired to give a single fuck.
Instead, I let the warmth of the room envelop me like a soft blanket as I wandered inside. Chandeliers cast flickering golden light across the polished wood tables and fine china plates, their reflections dancing on the walls.
Callister, Hatter, and Chess were already sitting at one of the long tables, deep in conversation. From the looks of it, they’d already been drinking for a while. Callister lounged in an overstuffed chair beside them, puffing on a hookah that released deep purple smoke.
The smell of roasted meats, vegetables, and stewed fruits hung thick in the air, and my stomach growled at the tantalizing smells, reminding me of my ill-fated, overindulgent brunch.
I wouldn’t be makingthatmistake again.
Hatter’s eyes met mine and he tipped his hat in my honor, revealing his wily grin. “Ah, Alice, there you are. Join us, won’t you?”
I gave him a weak smile as I came over and pulled out a chair, sinking into it with a groan.
“You look dead on your feet, darling,” Chess purred, swirling the remains of the wine in his glass. His Cheshire grin widened. “Did the big, bad White Knight wear you out already?”
“I’m worse than worn out, in case you haven’t noticed.”
Callister chuckled darkly, his eyes glinting in the candlelight. “Oh, come now,” he smirked, “it can’t have been that bad. Don’t tell me he’s broken you on your first day.”
“I’m not broken,” I argued, although I wasn’t completely sure. “I just didn’t think he’d spend all day torturing me.”
Callister’s eyes lit up the second I said the word ‘torture.’
“You didn’t think learning to fight would be easy, did you?”
I shook my head, then groaned at how sore my neck was.
“I was expecting something more...more...” I trailed off, trying to think of the right words. “I was expecting my lessons to be more formal. But Jack’s method seems to be throwing me in the deep end to see if I can swim. The guy’s a sadist.”
Callister snickered while purple smoke curled from the corners of his grin. “Jack does tend to play rough.”
I grimaced, rubbing the latest bruise to appear on my arm. I had so many that I’d lost count.
“You forgot to fix yourself a plate, dear. Would you like me to escort you to the tables?” Chess murmured while motioning to the long buffet lines at the other end of the room. They were the same tables from brunch, but now they seemed so far away.
My shoulders fell at the thought of having to stand up and move my body.
“That’s sweet of you, but I’m gonna need a minute. I might be stuck in this chair for a while.”
Hatter’s mismatched eyes twinkled beneath the brim of his tattered top hat. “Fret not, fair Alice. A growing warrior needs proper sustenance.” He waved his hand across an empty space on the table, then slid a plate of tarts and cupcakes toward me. “Sugar will give you strength.”
I smiled weakly and pushed the plate away. “Sugar will give me zits.” The cupcakes looked incredible, but I already knew I’d regret eating a bunch of junk food. Now was not the time to indulge.
It was time to nourish and fuel my body with vitamins and nutrients.
