Follow the White Rabbit (Beautiful Madness #1)(20)

Her mouth slightly agape, Rose remained silent as a memory strode towards her. She wondered if she had fallen asleep. She pinched the back of her hand, but the apparition continued its walk to her desk, giving Rose a moment to study it, to try and understand. The boy looked exactly like her childhood best friend. Exactly.

She hadn’t seen Alec since they were both children of eight, saying their final goodbyes when Rose and her father moved away from the forest. He’d been a scrawny child who was usually adorned in smears of mud, and the two of them had been inseparable. At least until they’d been permanently separated by the end of Rose’s parent’s marriage.

It had been nearly fifteen years since she’d last seen the strange child who had been her neighbor in Neverwood Forest, but here he was, completely unchanged, as though he’d been plucked from the corners of Rose’s mind.

Even after all this time, Alec still stood at just over four feet, and his face held the round shape of a child. The overalls and grass-stained shirt could have belonged to anyone, but the face was all Alec. He was grinning at her, apparently more thrilled with this reunion than Rose. It was only when their eyes met that Rose saw any difference from the boy she had known. His silver eyes that had once held only kindness and a dash of mischief now glinted with danger and a dark kind of magic.

When she was younger, Rose had thought Alec’s eyes were mysterious, even beautiful. Liquid silver pooled around coal, unlike anything she had ever seen. Now, his gaze left her uneasy.

“It’s good to see you again, Rose,” Alec said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. The timbre of his voice was young, but the tone suggested that he had seen a great many things during their time apart.

“Alec. Is that really you?” Rose whispered. “How is this possible?”

“You’ve done well for yourself.” Alec’s small head turned to take in the luxurious surroundings of the royal library.

“Thank you,” Rose said, though it sounded more like a question. “It’s been so long. I don’t understand.”

The boy smiled once more, and a shiver shot up Rose’s spine. “I’ve heard whispers, Rose. You’re planning something, and I’m not sure it’s wise.”

“I’m Queen,” Rose said simply, though she shouldn’t have to explain herself. Even if she had never risen to take the White Throne, her caste alone gave her the right to interfere with Wonderland. Queens were born to shape the land, as Daliah had said, and now she was in a position to do so much more. Who was he to tell her otherwise? What was he? He had yet to offer any explanation for his form or his visit.

Rose’s mind pulled at various threads, desperate to uncover how this strange encounter could be related to her visions or the things she had learned in Marc’s strange little home. Was this Wonderland’s way of helping her?

Growing up, Alec had always had a way of knowing more than he should. He told stories of places others swore no longer existed and knew secrets that he shouldn’t have had access to. Rose had never understood how he did it, but perhaps she’d be able to use it. They had been friends once. Maybe they could be again.

“Why are you here?” Rose finally asked before mustering the courage to ask for the answer she was actually seeking. “What are you?”

“I’m a Wonderlander, your majesty,” he said. His face remained neutral and patient, but his eyes held a challenge. “The question is, what are you?”

“I’m Queen,” Rose said again, this time with a tone of arrogance even she could hear. She may have been momentarily awed by Alec’s presence, but they weren’t in Neverwood Forest anymore. Whether he was truly the child she remembered or simply a trick of Wonderland didn’t matter. Rose ruled here, and if it was in Alec’s power to assist her, he was duty-bound to do so. “I’m thrilled to see you, Alec, truly. Our reunion could not have been better timed. Do you remember the stories you used to tell me?”

Now Alec studied Rose. “Of course.”

“You knew so many magnificent things. Whenever I’d ask where you learned them, you’d say that Wonderland told you. Was that true?”

Rose was surprised when the boy shook his head. “No, Rose. Only a Queen can talk directly to Wonderland. I was just sneaky. Well, sneaky and clever.”

“Sneaky and clever is exactly what I need.” Fueled by excitement, Rose continued on. “You could find Alice for me and bring her here. We can ensure Wonderland’s survival all on our own. Set her on a path that could change the structure of Wonderland forever.”

Rose expected her friend to at least ask about Alice or where all these ideas were coming from. Instead Alec shook his head sadly, unmoved by Rose’s speech. “You’re a Queen of Wonderland, Rose. You serve her—it doesn’t work any other way. There is nothing to be gained by trying to force her to bend to your will.”

Who was he to come in to her home and tell Rose how to rule? Who was to say that what she was doing now wasn’t exactly what Wonderland had intended for her?

Indignation scratched at the back of Rose’s mind, but she was far too annoyed to word a retort. It turned out she didn’t need to because Alec wasn’t quite finished.

“Play at your games of power, Rose. It is Alice who decides what is to come, not us. Not yet. A time will come to take your place and you’ll find your schemes mean little.”