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“Yes, we are...”
For being on the brink of war, Amari seemed oddly self-possessed. It probably had to do with the fact that this cycle had played out over and over again throughout her mysteriously long life.
“If her army is already in Echo’s End, it will only take them a week or so to arrive...unless...”
“Yes?” Winston urged.
Amari’s picked up one of the bowls of dried flowers sitting on the table we were gathered around. She peered at the icy blue petals, smiling faintly.
“I can create a snowstorm like no other to swallow them up...blind them...and force them off course. It would buy us a few more days. Perhaps even another week, depending on how much frostbloom flowers my apprentices can locate.”
“That’s a brilliant idea!” Hatter agreed. “I can use my fae magic to grow as many frostblooms as you need.”
“Chess, your ability to teleport will be invaluable in relaying information between our forces,” Amari continued, her eyes bright with appreciation. “Ransom, I know you have connections in both Wonderland and Hell. Can you enlist any demon friends as allies?”
“Already planning on it, Your Majesty,” Ransom replied with a sly grin. “I have quite a few old acquaintances who owe me favors. They’re not fond of the Red Queen either.”
“I can help create some ambushes,” Callister suggested, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “Tree snipers, snow trenches, avalanche triggers...that sort of thing. If we can create enough choke points and ambushes, we can slow down their advance to a crawl.”
“All of those are excellent ideas, Callister.” Amari then turned to me. “Alice, as a newcomer to our world, you bring a fresh perspective. Do you have any ideas?”
I hesitated, feeling the weight of everyone’s gazes upon me. Swallowing my nerves, I spoke up.
“Well...from what I know about the Red Queen, her biggest weakness is her short temper. If we can piss her off enough to make a stupid mistake, it might work to our advantage.”
“Or it might get you killed,” Ransom warned. “We’ll handle the preparations for battle. You ought to focus on perfecting your use of the Vorpal Sword.”
Silent humiliation spread across my neck and up my cheeks. I didn’t dare tell any of them that I hadn’t even held the Vorpal Sword since Jack had confiscated it upon our arrival. I started to panic.
“Speaking of which,” Amari said. She trailed off for a moment to glance out the window. The sun was low in the sky, but it was still shining. She turned to me with a puzzled expression. “Why aren’t you training with Jack right now? It’s still daylight.”
My cheeks flushed even darker, and my stomach was tying itself into more knots than the obstacle course waiting for me back in the courtyard.
“You’ll have to ask Jack about that,” Chess answered for me. “He canceled their session for today.”
Amari’s brow furrowed in concern, and she seemed lost in thought for a moment. Then she quickly adopted a confident face. “He’s the Supreme Commander of my army. No doubt he’s in emergency meetings with his scouts and briefing my soldiers. Don’t worry, Alice. I’ll speak with Jack. Time is running out, and he must finish your training.”
As the strategy session continued, I listened intently while my internal conflict grew. The pressure to take action intensified, and I realized that time was running out for me to get ready. I couldn’t afford to waste another precious second, but here I stood, doing Jack shit.
All because of Jack Ass.
Ransom’s voice drew me back into the conversation as he outlined a potential ambush point. Hatter chimed in with suggestions for magical traps, while Callister offered insights on the terrain. Chess, ever observant, pointed out the locations most vulnerable to enemy infiltration.
The room was alive with the strategic planning breakout session. With each passing minute, the urgency of our situation became more apparent. I might’ve had an anxiety attack if not for the mimosas I’d chugged at lunch.
I felt like a fifth wheel standing there, listening to ideas that sounded way more fun than killing a demon.
Tree snipers?
Fuck yeah! Sign me up!
I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that I needed to do more. But it was made perfectly clear that I was only expected to show up and carry out the main event—slay the Jabberwocky. Defeat the Red Queen.
I still had so many questions about how to actually do the deed I was brought here for. I didn’t even know if I was supposed to kill the Red Queen, or just the Jabberwocky. And I still had a bunch of questions about that chunk of ruby stone in the heart-shaped box in Amari’s secret basement library. If the Heart of Wonderland had magic that would make things easier for me, I’d sure as hell like to know why Amari wasn’t letting me use it.
It seemed like now was the perfect time to ask.
“Hey Amari, I was wondering something...”
