14. Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Thirteen
Alice
T he kitchen itself seemed to respond to my mood, the light filtering through the windows dimming slightly as if in sympathy.
My fingers traced absent patterns on the wooden tabletop, leaving faint silver trails that faded seconds later.
The bracelet Varik had given me hummed softly against my wrist, its crystals pulsing in time with my heartbeat.
I was exhausted, my body aching from resisting Chi's commands, but my mind refused to quiet.
Everything was happening too fast—the magic, the training, the politics of a world I barely understood.
Just days ago, I'd been a college student worried about finals and my future.
Now I was apparently some kind of magical beacon, valuable enough to start a war.
"Ridiculous," I muttered to myself, rubbing my temples where a headache was beginning to form.
The kitchen responded to my voice, a cabinet opening gently to reveal a small jar of what looked like honey, though it shimmered with an inner light that no Earth honey possessed. I stared at it, torn between wariness and curiosity.
"It helps with the headache," Varik's voice came from the doorway. He stood there, hat in hands, looking more disheveled than usual. "Just a small spoonful in tea."
I reached for the jar hesitantly. "How did you know my head hurts?"
"The house told me," he replied simply, moving to the kettle that had begun whistling softly, as if it had been waiting for him. "It's quite attuned to you already."
"That's not creepy at all," I muttered, watching as he prepared two cups with practiced efficiency.
Varik's mouth quirked into a half-smile. "Wonderland has different ideas about privacy than your world.”
He placed a steaming cup before me, the liquid inside shifting colors like an oil slick in sunlight. "Two drops of the honey should suffice. More than that might make you see music for a few hours."
I carefully added the glowing honey, watching it dissolve in spirals of gold and silver. "Is there anything in Wonderland that doesn't have bizarre side effects?"
"Water," Varik replied, then paused thoughtfully. "Though only from certain springs. The ones near the Queen of Hearts' castle will make you speak in rhymes for days."
I sipped the tea cautiously. Warmth spread instantly from my tongue to my temples, the headache receding like a tide from shore. "That's... amazing."
"Simple healing magic," Varik said with a modest shrug, settling into the chair across from me. "Nothing compared to what you've already demonstrated."
"You make it sound like I've done something impressive," I said, wrapping my hands around the warm cup. "All I did was not fall to my knees when Chi ordered me to."
"Most would have," Varik replied, his green eyes studying me with that unsettling intensity. "Even trained courtiers struggle to resist a direct Alpha command with that much power behind it."
I traced the rim of my cup, watching the liquid inside shimmer with impossible colors. "It didn't feel like a victory. It felt like... drowning in slow motion."
"That's an apt description," Varik nodded.
"Alpha commands work by overwhelming your senses, your instincts.
They're designed to flood your mind until resistance seems impossible.
" He took a sip of his own tea, steam curling around his face like ghostly fingers.
"The fact that you maintained even partial control speaks volumes. "
I frowned, staring into the swirling depths of my tea. "Is that why Chi pushed so hard? To see if I could resist at all?"
"Partly," Varik admitted. "Though his methods were more... intense than I would have preferred."
"You mean the sexual undertones," I said bluntly, watching Varik's expression carefully. "That wasn't just about testing my resistance to commands, was it?"
Varik set down his cup with deliberate care. "No. It wasn't." He sighed, running a hand through his wild hair. "When an Alpha tries to claim an Omega in Wonderland, they don't just issue commands—they attempt to forge a connection. To create a bond that makes resistance nearly impossible."
"Like a mating bond?" I asked, the words feeling strange on my tongue.
"Similar, but more... immediate. More overwhelming.” Varik's fingers tapped a restless rhythm against the table. "In Wonderland, Alpha commands can create a temporary bridge between minds—a precursor to a full mating bond. It's how they establish dominance before claiming an Omega completely."
I shuddered, remembering the invasive feeling of Chi's command reaching for something deep inside me. "So he was showing me what it would feel like if someone tried to...claim me?"
"Yes," Varik nodded, his expression grave. "And you needed to experience it in a controlled environment, with someone who wouldn't actually complete the claim." His eyes met mine, unusually serious. "Chi may be many things, but he wouldn't take advantage of you that way."
"Are you sure about that?" I asked, unable to keep the skepticism from my voice. "He seems to enjoy pushing boundaries."
A flicker of something—amusement, perhaps—crossed Varik's face. "Chi enjoys chaos, certainly. But he has principles, buried though they may be beneath centuries of mischief."
"Centuries?" I echoed, nearly choking on my tea. "Just how old are you two?"
Varik's smile was enigmatic. "Time moves differently in Wonderland. Let's just say we've seen many Queens rise and fall."
I sipped more tea, allowing its warmth to soothe the lingering tension in my body. "He's... different than I expected. Not just the cat from my childhood memories."
"None of us are quite what you remember," Varik said, his voice softening. "Wonderland changes us all, over time. Shapes us to its needs."
"And what does Wonderland need from me?" I asked, the question that had been building since I'd first arrived finally finding voice.
Varik's expression grew distant, those wild eyes seeing something beyond the kitchen walls. "Balance, perhaps. Renewal. Or simply change." He focused on me again.
As he was about to speak again, Chi materialized in the chair across from me, and next to Varik.
"We have a visitor," Chi announced without preamble, his tail flicking with agitation behind him. "The White Rabbit is at our western boundary, bearing news and warnings."
Varik straightened immediately, all traces of weariness vanishing from his posture. "What kind of warnings?"
"The kind that suggest our timeline has accelerated considerably," Chi replied, his usual playfulness subdued.
"All four monarchs are mobilizing. The Queens have recalled their scouts.
The King of Diamonds has sealed his borders, and the King of Spades is personally investigating.
.. disturbances." His teal eyes flicked meaningfully to me.
"They know I'm here," I said, the realization settling like a stone in my stomach.
"They suspect," Chi corrected, materializing a cup of tea for himself that steamed with an unnatural purple vapor. "They don't know where, exactly, but they're searching. The Red Queen has offered a duchy to whoever brings information about a 'returned dreamer'—an Omega who the magic responds to."
I set my teacup down with shaking hands. "So we're running out of time."
"Rapidly," Chi confirmed, his tail swishing in agitation. "But our rabbit friend is offering assistance—information about court movements, guard rotations, and potentially safe passage through certain territories."
"In exchange for what?" Varik asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"Assurance that we won't use Alice to give either Queen an advantage," Chi replied, sipping his strange purple tea. "He fears another war between the monarchies."
"With good reason," Varik muttered, rising to pace the kitchen. The floorboards creaked beneath his feet, adjusting to his movements. "The last conflict tore holes in reality itself. We lost entire regions of Wonderland to the void.”
I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly chilled despite the warm tea. "And they think I could cause that kind of destruction?"
"Not cause," Chi corrected, his teal eyes studying me over the rim of his cup. "Catalyze. Your connection to Wonderland's magic represents power—power that could tip the balance in favor of whoever... claims you."
The way he said "claims" made my skin crawl. I pushed my teacup away, no longer finding comfort in its warmth.
"So what do we do?" I asked, looking between them. "Hide me away forever?"
"Impossible," Varik said, shaking his head. "Even if we could shield your presence completely—which we can't—hiding solves nothing. The monarchs would simply tear Wonderland apart searching for you.”
Varik gave a sigh glancing to Chi, “I shall go talk to the rabbit and see what else I can learn or get out of him.” There was a low growl that came from his chest, making the hairs on my arm stand on end.
"Just don't scare him too much," Chi advised, his tail flicking lazily. "Nasir is jumpy enough without you going all Alpha on him."
"I'll be civil," Varik promised, already reaching for his hat. "Keep Alice safe while I'm gone."
Something in his tone made me sit up straighter. "I can take care of myself," I said, though the tremor in my voice betrayed my uncertainty.
Varik paused, his wild green eyes softening as they met mine. "Of course you can. But Wonderland is on high alert now. The forest itself will be watching." He settled his hat with a precise movement. "I won't be long."
After he left, silence settled between Chi and me like dust after a storm. I traced the rim of my teacup, watching the liquid inside shift colors with each rotation of my finger.
"So," I said, breaking the silence, "you and the Hatter—Varik—have known each other for centuries?"
Chi's smile widened, revealing those sharp teeth that reminded me he wasn't human, despite his mostly humanoid appearance. "Curious about us, are you? How delightful."