The Wonder (Queen of Hearts Saga #2)(24)
“The raid that killed my family was ordered by a young king, recently crowned by his father. He longed to impress his men, to show them his raw strength, so he rode out with a scouting party, devouring everything in his path. He was present at the raid that destroyed my village, but then was called back to Wonderland on royal business. This man I could not kill silently while creeping through the woods, for he is guarded night and day by fighters more skilled than I. To take his life is not enough. I must see him fall, to see everything that he loves stripped from him.”
Dinah stared at the Spade as fat drops of rain drenched them both. Lightning snaked across the gray sky. “This is why I help yeh, and this is why we hike endlessly through these mountains. The man yeh called father is the man who ordered the raid on my village, and someday we will both have our vengeance for the loved ones that he has taken from us.”
Dinah stared at the Spade, not sure what to say while her head reeled with potent thoughts and emotions. An empty hiss of air escaped her lips as she wiped a stray tear from her eye with the back of her hand, mingling with the rain that was now coming in sideways. Her pain was nothing compared to his loss, and yet she felt a sting of anger burning through her. His motivations had finally shown, and she was aware of just how close she was to a man who could have taken her life a dozen times before she woke.
Finally, she found the words she was looking for and began to speak. “Sir Gorrann, I am sorry for the loss of your family, but I have no intention of returning to Wonderland Palace. Not now, not ever. Now if you will please tell me where you are leading me, I’m certain we can—”
“QUIET, FOOL!” hissed the Spade, his head turning swiftly to the west. Morte’s ears perked up. There was only silence, and then something. The crunch of a leaf, the sound of a step on the trail below them. “Hurry!” he yelled. “Someone’s following us. We must make haste. Hurry yer steed. We must pass over this summit, and quickly. If he can’t keep up, leave him behind. We must go now.” Fear churned through Dinah as she gripped the leather reins, pulling Morte as quickly as she dared up and over the rocky slope.
Chapter Seven
Coming up and over the rocks, they ran into a sheer cliff face. An enormous slab of gray rock loomed before them, extending its jagged ends into the noon sun. Hundreds of boulders filled the small space, as if a giant had been playing with his toys and left them in a terrible pile.
“We’re trapped!” Dinah hissed. “Where did you lead us?”
Sir Gorrann was scanning the face of the wall, up and down, searching for something Dinah couldn’t see. There were several footsteps now, echoing off of the ledges below, the sound of more than a dozen men, inching ever closer. At first Dinah was confused as to why they had not been swarmed over already, but then she understood. Whoever tracked them wanted to push them over the cliff face. And Morte was with them. No man, Card, or Yurkei wanted to be the first one over the ledge. Sir Gorrann continued to search between boulders.
“What are you doing?” Dinah screamed. “We have to fight!” Finally, Sir Gorrann found what he was looking for. Two boulders, perfectly aligned, of equal shape and size. Upon first glance, there was nothing extraordinary about them, but on further inspection, their identical shape, marking, and color was unnerving. Dinah ran to Sir Gorrann, her sword drawn.
“Put that away,” he mumbled. “You could not fight what threatens to push us off this ledge.” As they crept around the boulders, the Spade took a bold step between them. What should have ended in a smacked head made him disappear completely. Dinah blinked several times before she was able to decipher this boggling—and genius—illusion. The two boulders were actually one, carved to look separate, like two stones. They looked as though they were pressed up against each other, but their carved lines hid a tall hole. On the outside, they appeared as two normal boulders. But from the perfect angle, the narrow doorway was easy to spot. Dinah knew she never would have been able to find it on her own.
“Through here!” shouted the Spade. Something churned in her stomach as she looked into the inky tunnel. It was a lurking, terrible feeling, a fear that distorted and confused. She recognized immediately—this was how she felt when the root had twisted into her mouth. The despair was unmistakable—there was evil in that tunnel.
“No. No, I can’t go in there.”
Sir Gorrann grabbed her arm and practically tossed her inside. “We have no choice, Princess. Move!”
She opened her mouth to object, but there were no other options. Head bowed, she followed Sir Gorrann’s mare through the narrow opening. Morte gave a great huff and stomped the ground furiously, his hooves sending booming echoes through the quarry. The ground seemed to shudder. Finally, once Dinah took her hands off his reins, he ducked his head and entered the tunnel willingly. The sides of his flanks brushed against the wall. He was unfamiliar and uncomfortable in this rocky terrain. His ears were flattened against his head, and Dinah could see his muscles tensed and ready to run. She felt a sudden rush of panic.
Sir Gorrann, his mare, Dinah, and Morte were stacked end to end, moving as quickly as they dared. If Morte should panic and bolt, they would all be trampled under his crushing weight. Sir Gorrann glanced back at Morte, his face pale and drawn. He had obviously come to the same conclusion. They paused, their hearts humming loudly in their closely drawn quarters.