The Mad King (The Dark Kings #1)(11)

A nagging and terrible feeling festered in the pit of my stomach, but I did as she asked, sitting beside her and gently stroking the back of her cold, cold hand.

“Danika,” I whispered, “what is the matter?” I’d never seen my godmother so ill at ease.

But she stared with her eyes fixed upon the hearth and the dancing flames within. The only movement to her was the constant flow of tears dripping one after the other from her right eye.

I looked up to Galeta for answers, but the Pink’s gimlet gaze was fixed on Alice.

“Speak. Now!” she snapped, causing Alice to twitch. “How is that she lives and you’ve been here all this time?”

Frowning, I stared from one to the other, confused and still reeling from the events of this morning.

“Wh-who?” Alice stuttered.

“Alice Hu. Your great-granddaughter. How! When did you return to Earth, and why did you leave your family? How did you get back to this realm?” She punctuated each question with the snap of her fist to her open palm.

Alice shook her head violently, causing the tips of her hair to sway around her waist as she took one slow step back. “I don’t. I—”

“Don’t lie to me, girl. Your great-granddaughter perished this morning, and goddess help you if I can’t get her back.”

“Wait a minute!” I barked. My head was pounding, my stomach still heaving. This nonsensical conversation only made me feel worse, and I wasn’t exactly careful with how I spoke to either of them. “What the bloody blazes is going on here? Who is Alice Hu? You mean her?” I pointed to Alice.

Alice’s dark eyes were anguished, but she refused to look at me. Galeta, on the other hand, finally did turn to me. Gold eyes were alive with panicked determination and fury.

Shocked to my core by the sight of the Pink—normally so calm and kindly—so frazzled, I did the same as Alice and took a step back as though I could escape her wrath somehow if I did.

Instantly her features softened, and she gripped the bridge of her nose. “Dear gods above, Hatter.” She sighed. “You don’t know. You truly don’t have a clue, do you?”

“Don’t.” Alice shook her head.

And where Galeta had seemed to be softening just a moment ago, she suddenly whirled on Alice, her hands curved and her nails clawlike. There was a wildness to her, danger. This was not the same fairy I’d known almost all my life. She was rabid. A wild, spitting thing that seemed quite capable of disemboweling someone if she was angry enough.

“You, you damned little fool. Did you never tell him the truth?” she demanded, voice rising in pitch with each word. “Let him believe you loved him? Oh, I remember our conversation well, original Alice. You didn’t love him. Alice and Hatter were fated. Your bloodline, in fact. It was so easy to believe it was you. But deep down, deep down I always sensed it wasn’t. Because true love requires two, not one.” She held up two fingers. “You wanted Hatter’s power even then. The magic of Wonderland at your disposal. Youthfulness, that’s what mattered to you, wasn’t it, little Alice Hu?”

I stood absolutely still, waiting to hear Alice deny it but knowing deep down she couldn’t. Wouldn’t. Even if the words passed her lips, they wouldn’t be truth.

When I’d first met Alice, I’d hoped it was her. I’d even half convinced myself in the beginning, thinking myself in love. But her coldness, her aloof manner, had quickly soured me, had revealed to me that Alice hadn’t truly wanted me.

And so I’d let her leave me. Hoping that if it was true love, she’d return. She’d find a way. One year she was gone. Three hundred and sixty-five miserable days in which time I’d again convinced myself she was the one.

But when she’d returned, I’d known. I’d felt it the moment we’d kissed.

Absolutely nothing.

It was why I’d held on to the Stones of Veritas. Why I’d never given her a piece of my soul, why I’d always told myself it was because we weren’t ready. But the truth was that deep down, I’d known I’d made the biggest mistake of my eternal life.

Alice rolled her eyes. “Gods above, you don’t know how good it feels not to have to pretend anymore. No, I never loved him.” She snorted. “How could I? I had everything on Earth. The only thing I’d lacked was immortality. And I left it all behind for him.” Her lip curled, the revulsion evident. “And you’re a damned fool, Hatter, if you ever once convinced yourself that it was love.”

I blinked, still to my very core. Not that it hurt, hearing those words, but hearing the strength of her disgust wasn’t fun either. My brows dipped.

“Then why do you stay? Why pretend at all? Why not run off with one of your many paramours?” I snapped.

Tossing her head back, she laughed, but the sound was cruel and biting. “For the magic, of course. The magic that dies off every single day. You’re pathetic, Hatter. Can’t even control your power anymore. Who are you? Nothing,” she bit out. “You are—”

Galeta snapped her fingers, and suddenly Alice’s words ceased midsentence. She was still, frozen in form. Arms raised and fingers pointing furiously at me, face contorted into a mask of fury and disgust.

“There. Now we don’t have to listen to her vile, filthy tongue another second. Gods above, how did you do it for so long?” Galeta rolled her eyes and shuddered, plucking at her gown as though to ward off evil.