Blood of Wonderland (Queen of Hearts Saga #2)(37)
“Whispered sources told me of a Spade tracker that had a long-standing grudge against the king, and I sought him out. I made a deal with your Sir Gorrann. He would track you down—with the king in tow—but would find you beforehand and take you deep into the Yurkei Mountains, where you would be safe from the king. He tracked you a little too fast but as you can see, he kept you safe, fed, and began training you to fight.”
Cheshire rubbed the front of his neck where Dinah had poked him with the dagger. A smile played across his face. “I joined the king on this mission to hunt you down, and as soon as I knew that you were safely in Sir Gorrann’s care, I quietly took my leave from the king’s side and followed an alternate path up to Hu-Yuhar, but not before I convinced him to abandon his chase and return to Wonderland Palace.” He absentmindedly fingered his sparkling brooch.
“I saw you in the darkness that night, standing still in the black dress I had packed for you. I was proud that you had used it so well, and so furious that you would put yourself at that much risk, all for a chance at revenge. Please forgive me for my delay.” He gestured to the elaborate table. “One would not call me a light packer. But, finally, here we are, father and daughter, reunited at last, without secrets or lies between us. I have longed for this moment.
“Tea, my daughter?”
He handed the cup to her. Dinah took it with trembling fingers.
Dinah’s voice caught in her throat. She wanted to throw herself at him, to take his life, to beat him, to embrace him, to weep and laugh, all at once. She felt nauseated and dizzy, confused and elated. It was too much. She could barely strangle out a single bitter sentence as she set the cup down. “Why are you here?”
His fingers stopped moving against his cup and he cautiously stood and walked slowly over to Dinah. Kneeling before her, he bowed his jet-black head in the moonlight and then looked up at her, his white smile stretching wide over his thin face.
“Why? Because you are my daughter, the pride and purpose of my life, and I have come to aid you as you reclaim the throne in Wonderland. Why? Because you are the true heir of Queen Davianna, and your claim to the throne is stronger than Vittiore’s, who is a pauper, related to no one. I will help you take your vengeance against the king, with a mighty army of the Yurkei behind you. Why? Because you were born to wear the crown, and I will not see Davianna’s daughter slowly waste away in the Yurkei Mountains. Dinah, you must conquer.”
Without warning, he pressed his lips to her hand, and Dinah felt a wave of revulsion wash over her. She yanked her hand back as if she had been burned. Tea sloshed over the table.
Cheshire stood and walked to the end of the table, where he gently picked up a covered silver cake platter. He set it in front of Dinah’s chair. “A gift for my daughter.”
“I don’t want to see it.”
“You must.”
Shaking, Dinah lifted the lid. Underneath it was her princess crown—the gold and ruby crown, a ring of hearts that blazed like fire. The crown she had left behind. Cheshire picked up the crown and lowered it onto her head. She had forgotten how solid it was, how its points dug into her skull, and the flush of happiness she felt when it rested heavily on her temples. The lanterns in the trees flickered, and she heard the rustling of a crane’s wings overhead. She looked down at Cheshire, now kneeling in front of her. His black eyes met hers, a mirror image. Her enemy, her father?
His voice boomed through the trees. “Rise, Dinah, and become the Queen of Hearts. It is time to embrace your fate.”
The night held its breath. Dinah looked at him, his black eyes glittering in the starlight. The Scarlet Cloud rose out of her teacup, blurring her vision red.
Embrace your fate.
She ran.
Ten
The once Princess of Wonderland crashed through the brush. Twigs and branches broke as she plunged through the Yurkei orchard, far away from Cheshire, far away from everything he had said. Her breath was loud and jagged, full of pain and confusion.
Sharp branches ripped at her arms and legs, their thorns piercing her soft flesh as she rushed past. The dark branches arched their spindly arms overhead as Dinah escaped deeper into the orchard. There were strange blue lights flickering in the trees, but then again, what wasn’t strange in Wonderland? Something large sailed over her head, and Dinah heard the cry of a crane as she raced through a bramble bush, her legs moving faster than she had ever known they could.
It didn’t take long for her to come to the end of the orchard, and when she emerged from the trees, she was surprised to see a sheer cliff face rising up before her, looking like bone in the white moonlight. Dinah buried her face in her hands as she gradually remembered where she was: the Yurkei valley, surrounded by mountains. There was nowhere else to go but up. She looked around for a few minutes before spotting the winding path that Sir Gorrann had mentioned in passing. It was steep, looping over on itself as it snaked its way up the mountain, narrow and well-worn. Dinah found herself running up the path without consideration. She just needed to flee, to anywhere, to anything. It was all too much. The path climbed higher into the sky, until Dinah was surrounded by a thick white mist that clouded her vision. She pressed her back against the wall and continued her crablike climb until the ghostly mist gave way to cool air.
Dinah was out of breath when she reached the top of the cliff face. She swayed on her feet and was surprised to find herself toeing the line of consciousness. The healed wound on her shoulder ached and pulsed with each frayed inhale, and Dinah found herself heaving onto the pebbly ground. She rested her head on the cool stone for a few minutes, focusing on breathing normally again. Wiping her mouth, she pushed off her knees and looked around.