Follow the White Rabbit (Beautiful Madness #1)(4)

“I—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean...” Rose’s voice trailed off. She took a small step away from her oldest friend, startled by the anger that had shone briefly through his eyes.

All at once, the warm old man that Rose had known for all these years reappeared. “You’ve had an eventful week. Perhaps it would be best if you retired to your suite for the rest of the day. Take the time to contemplate what you’ve seen. The answers will come to you.”

Somehow Rose had gone from wanting a few moments alone to being banished to her rooms for the day, but she allowed herself to be herded away from the throne room. She smiled politely as Henrick took his leave to go attend to rescheduling her day. She did her best to look regal as she passed the guards who watched over her bedchamber.

Closing the door behind her, Rose sighed, but her mind continued to spin. This was not a time for rest and certainly not for second guessing herself. How could anyone trust her to rule with their best interests at heart if she was to be so easily pushed around!

She needed to learn to be someone others would follow, but it didn’t exactly come naturally. Running through potential mentors, an unlikely figure stepped from the clouds of Rose’s mind. She would learn from the best! After all, Rose was the Queen of House White—but she wasn’t Wonderland’s only Queen.

But first, she would need to untangle the riddles of her vision. If no one in the palace was willing to help her, she would have to find the answers elsewhere. It was time to visit an old friend.





CHAPTER TWO





UNLUCKY


––––––––

Piles of books, dishes, and clothing covered the entirety of Lucky’s small underground home. Her things had started the day with some semblance of order, but as the morning progressed chaos had somehow slipped through the cracks in the earth.

Lucky was already running late but she was stalling, convinced she couldn’t leave for Birchelm without finding her favorite stiletto. Yes, she had a sword at her side and a bow on her back, but the stiletto was part of the look, and the Birchelm elders were paying for the look as much as for help with their town’s growing infestation.

The blade was on her dresser, exactly where she’d left it.

With a groan, Lucky strapped it into its leather sheath on her upper thigh. The silver tip could easily be seen under the hem of her shorts, but it wasn’t intended to be hidden. She wanted everyone to know she was well armed and more trouble than she was worth.

Her truly secret weapons weren’t so easily spotted.

Having run out of reasons to delay other than the strange feeling growing in the pit of her stomach, Lucky pulled on her shoes. She paused briefly before leaving her two-room for the tunnel that led up to the surface to make the mental shift from homebody to killer.

It was the first thing she’d learned after the Knave of Hearts had taken her under his wing—she had to leave her true self behind and adopt a persona every time she stepped out her door. That mental barrier might end up being the difference between a successful job and succumbing to the guilt that accompanied it.

The timid, child of the forest that her family had known wouldn’t have been capable of doing whatever was needed to reach her goals, but Lucky was a warrior, and she could do whatever she set her mind to. Now not one person would assume she was merely the plain, seventeen-year-old daughter of one of Wonderland’s most renowned seamstress. Though the jobs she did couldn’t be placed into one category, she was a professional.

The hatch at the top of the stairs was jammed and Lucky had to shove her elbow into one corner to force it open, ripping the fabric at her elbow in the process. It was going to be one of those days.

As the hatch popped open and sunlight hit Lucky’s face, the sudden smell from the garden was overwhelming. Violets and daisies greeted her as she climbed the last few steps and locked the hatch before kicking some dirt over it to hide the evidence of disturbance. If the garden had been less spectacular, her home would be nearly impossible to find by those who didn’t know where to look. Instead, it was impossible to miss. At least Lucky could relax in the knowledge that few ever willingly came this deep into the forest.

Some of the flowers were native to this part of Neverwood Forest, but others had been brought over either by Lucky herself or as gifts from grateful clients. Every single blossom had been encouraged to grow and flourish beyond its natural size. It was spectacular.

But Lucky had chosen the location for her home well, and few ventured out this far without a purpose. It had been a year since she had struck out on her own, and the garden was still the only thing that made her little hole in the ground feel like a home.

Lucky inhaled deeply, enjoying both the smell and the feeling of her garden before taking off towards the western end of the forest where the village of Birchelm could be found. She did her best never to take the same route twice or else risk creating an obvious path. Lesson number forty-eight was to never let your enemies know where you sleep.

The sun beamed down from a cloudless sky as an eastern wind blew through the trees. It would take two hours to walk to Birchelm—Neverwood was the largest forest in Wonderland, after all—but Lucky was glad for the walk. She had been feeling strange for several days but fresh-air always seemed to sweep away whatever was ailing her.

Lucky was lost in thoughts of the books and flowers she could purchase with her next paycheck when something ran out into her path. She came to an abrupt halt six feet in front of the small white rabbit that had stopped on the patch of grass directly in front of her. The animal seemed unconcerned by Lucky’s size or her assortment of weapons. Its beady black eyes watched her intently.