Follow the White Rabbit (Beautiful Madness #1)(19)
She could wave Alice down and explain. Somehow convince her to listen while Lucky figured out how to bring the girl through the reflection.
Bracing herself, Lucky stepped out from her hiding spot, just as the car approached. A terrified girl sat behind the wheel.
Instead of slowing, the girl jerked the wheel to the side. Sounds of wood cracking filled the night as the car careened into the railing, breaking through it like a boot on a twig. The car’s horn went off as its weight tipped downward.
Horrified, Lucky stepped back. Alice was going to crash right into the water!
But suddenly panic was replaced with peace, and Lucky felt a weight lifted from her mind.
Things hadn’t gone as planned, but Alice’s car—at least Lucky hoped that was Alice, and not some poor girl in the wrong place at the wrong time—was headed straight into the forest.
She’d done it! If it weren’t for those first few days of chaos and fear, the whole thing might have been easy.
The horn cut off suddenly as Lucky was reunited with her body.
The desire to celebrate was cut short as soon as Lucky opened her eyes. The sky had turned a dusty shade of purple and the dark clouds that had been merely gloomy before were now nearly black and seemed to be forming an unnatural spiral.
The ground trembled as lightning struck out from the clouds, hitting a tree elsewhere in the forest with a deafening clap.
The movement below only increased in intensity and it took several tries to pull herself onto her feet. Marc was standing nearby, watching the sky with growing concern.
“What’s happening?” Lucky screamed above the winds that howled around them.
His response was cut off as a crack split the ground right under Lucky’s feet. Grabbing her arm, Marc yanked her away.
The crack continued to grow and expand, cutting a violent path through the forest. They watched in horror as the rift formed a circle, meeting up with itself right where it started.
Lucky had to push back both fear and nausea as the ground fell away, forcing her to grab onto a nearby tree to keep from being pulled in. Earth and grass alike tumbled forward into a growing black chasm in the center of the forest.
Marc stumbled backwards, pulling Lucky with him as more and more debris fell into the abyss. How long it lasted, Lucky would never be sure—her mind was preoccupied with the gaping fracture in the ground and the tiny gnawing thought at the back of her mind hinting that somehow, just maybe, this was her fault. The timing couldn’t be a coincidence
Suddenly, though the storm raged on, the chasm stopped growing, but it didn’t dissipate. From a few feet away, Marc rubbed debris from his eyes. Knowing it might be her only chance, Lucky ran. Away from the danger, away from Marc. Her mind raced, trying to put together what had happened.
Gwen had told her that bringing Alice here would change Wonderland, but she had promised it would be for the best. They clearly had very different ideas about what was good for Wonderland. How could this be good for anyone?
A part of the forest had been ripped away, leaving an unnatural space filled with nothing but darkness. What if that thing continued to grow, swallowing the entire forest? What if these holes had opened up everywhere? What if wherever Alice went, darkness followed?
Lucky knew this was all happening because of her, because of what she had done. But she also knew she had been pushed.
She could hear Marc running to catch her, and let her anger bolster her confidence. “You did this!” Lucky turned on her heel, ready to confront Marc. “You and Gwen. What’s happening here? The forest is falling apart. Literally, falling apart!” Lucky screamed, though it didn’t quell her rage.
Marc had pushed her and now everything was wrong.
“Lucky, I swear. I didn’t know this would happen!” Marc reached out and tried to grab Lucky’s hand. “Please, just come back to Tildoor with me. Gwen will know what’s going on. I promise. We’ll fix this.”
Marc’s voice had a forced calm about it even though he still had to yell to be heard over the storm. Lucky knew that tone anywhere. He was trying to placate her. To convince her everything was okay.
“No!” Lucky swung her left fist out, bracing her shoulder just before she made contact with Marc’s jaw. He staggered backwards as his head snapped to the side, releasing Lucky’s shoulder in the process.
Without looking back, she sprinted off into the darkness of the forest, the ground still shaking beneath her feet. She could hear Marc calling after her but had no interest in going back, except maybe to punch him again.
Whoever this new Alice was, she couldn’t be good news for Wonderland. And now she was here in Neverwood Forest. All thanks to Lucky.
CHAPTER 9
THE LONG FORGOTTEN GRIN
Rose had been pouring over history books and ancient scrolls for almost a full day, only stopping to eat and take the occasional cat nap. She didn’t know how much time would pass before Gwen’s theories would come to pass, if they did at all, but she would be ready. When the Red Queen fell, Rose would be there to take her place.
She would sit on a throne of glass, surrounded by beautiful people and beautiful music, and ease Wonderland in to a new era. One that balanced the majesty of Wonderland’s legends with a promise for the future.
“Your highness,” a young voice beckoned.
Rose gasped and flung herself up from her chair. At first she’d been merely startled—she hadn’t heard anyone come into the library—but at seeing the child standing in front of her, anxiety turned to a sickening twist of fear, for she was seeing a ghost.