Page 72 of Edge of Wonder
“Here you go, dear. A little cream, a little sugar.”
Duchess offered me a plate, placing it on a side table. “It’s not much, but I wasn’t expecting company. You’re probably starving after being on the road.”
Alice took a tentative sip from her mug and smiled softly. I bent to whisper in her ear, “I knew you’d like it.” I nudged my plate closer to her, and she eyed it, biting the edge of her lip. She selected a piece of cheese and a strawberry, then popped them into her mouth. I followed suit, grabbing a handful of peanuts.
Duchess furnished a plate and mug to Tristan, then rocked back in her chair. “What happened after the queen took you?”
“She held me captive and tortured me when I refused to compete in the challenges.” Tristan pulled up the sleeves of his shirt, revealing deep scars traversing his forearms. “There’s more on my back. The queen favors a whip.”
Alice sucked in a breath. “That’s awful. How did you get away?”
“Honestly, it was pure luck. A guard didn’t secure the cell properly. When I escaped, I went deep into hiding. I thought it was better if no one had the keys than if she did. But then there was a rumor or another player…you, Alice. A trick had been played on the queen, and one day, you’d be back.” He leaned forward, placing his hand on her knee. “All this time, I’ve been waiting for you.”
A strangled grunt lodged in my throat.Of course, he had.What a perfect thing to say. Hit her right where it hurts the most. I stranded her, and he waited for her.Bloody hell.
Tristan continued, sliding his chair closer. “When you returned, I saw what you meant to the people, and then you started collecting the keys, one by one. I watched you in the first challenge. You were stunning. But that’s when I realized the queen had called off her soldiers and was waiting for the right time to strike. She made a mistake with me, thinking she could turn me. She would not make that same mistake with you. Better to let you win, and then kill you on the finish line and take the keys for herself. That’s why I’m here. To warn you, but also to help you.
“I know you’re probably afraid to trust me. But I’m asking that you try. What we have now is a cruel system. It pits us against each other. Makes us fight for our lives, and for some, like the current queen, it corrupts. But it doesn’t have to be this way. We can change it. Just because this is all we know doesn’t mean we can’t strive for a better future. We can use the keys and make something new. And we can do it together. We can share the kingdom, Alice. We can share a future.”
Shire whistled and shook her head at me. “That is incredibly poor timing for you. Can ghosts predict the future? It’s like I’m a soothsayer.”
My fist wrapped around the back of Alice’s chair. “Or, Tristan, you can start over from the beginning. Collect your own keys and see who gets to the finish line first.”
“Sebastian!” Alice hissed, baring her teeth in a misguided attempt to smooth over the tension.
“What? I can’t be the only one here who thinks this is ridiculous.”
“Think whatever you want, Sebastian. It’s the truth. It’s up to Alice and I to change the future for the better in this realm. This isn’t your home. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Oh, I understand perfectly. You think you can spout off some visionary form of the future after doing nothing to help.”
Tristan pushed out of his chair, fury contorting his features. “I was imprisoned and subjected to torture! Who are you to disrespect a royal player? You’re just Alice’s lackey.”
My hand twisted in his shirt, rage boiling in my blood.
Tristan snarled in my face. “Shouldn’t we be discussing the gateway? You’re leaving. You don’t have a say. Alice is my responsibility now.”
My fist cracked into his jaw, sending him backward. Tristan wiped blood from the side of his mouth.
“Enough!” Alice shouted. “It’s late. We’ve been on the road for hours. I nearly drowned in a teacup, and my head feels like it’s going to explode. I can’t deal with this right now. Can we just get some sleep and figure this out in the morning?”
Duchess set down her mug and hobbled to her feet. She eyed us both with barely restrained patience.
“I won’t have violence in my house. There’s more than enough of it out there. Now let me show you to your rooms.”
We followed her up a narrow staircase; the boards creaking beneath our feet. Alice’s room was at the end of the hall, and Duchess opened the door next to it and waved me inside. Shire floated past me into the room and stood on the bed, the tops of her hair nearly brushing the ceiling.
“Not bad for a tree house, huh? Maybe you should lock your door so Tristan doesn’t come in and do away with the competition. That was a nice right hook. The third challenge should just be gladiator style with you two duking it out with a spear. That would be fun to watch.”
“Get out, Shire. I’m not in the mood.” I tossed my bag near the foot of the bed and crashed onto the mattress.
Shire shrugged. “Fine. I have lots of catching up to do with Duchess, anyway. Don’t mind the flashing lights, it’s how we communicate. Seriously, though, lock your door.” She drifted through the wall, finally leaving me in peace and quiet—well, quiet, at least. Peace was another story.
I scrubbed a hand over my face and groaned. If Alice hadn’t intervened, Tristan and I had been seconds away from brawling on the floor. That did not bode well for tomorrow’s discussion. I highly doubted cooler heads would prevail.
Clock pendant or not. A second hope for a generation or not. Tristan wouldn’t be joining us in the last challenge. Over my dead body—or more preferably, his.
The house settled as the night wore on. Branches creaked and leaves rustled outside the window. I let a candle burn, watching the shadows flicker against the low ceiling. An hour passed, maybe two, but dawn felt like a lifetime away.