36. Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Five
Alice
T he weight of the Tweedles' warning settled over the chamber like a shroud. Through both bonds, I felt Chi and Heart's immediate alertness, their protective instincts sharpening to razor focus.
"Spies," Heart repeated grimly, his hand tightening around mine as golden patterns flared with territorial heat. "In the Sanctuary itself."
Chi's form flickered slightly, his consciousness already spreading through the spaces between realities to search for hidden presences.
"The Sanctuary's barriers should prevent unauthorized entry," he said, though his tail lashed with growing concern.
"Unless someone with legitimate access is feeding information elsewhere. "
I pressed my free hand to my chest where the silver and gold patterns pulsed with agitated energy. The ward consciousness stirred within me, suddenly hyper-aware of every shadow, every flicker of movement beyond the crystalline walls.
"We will have to stay on guard…and as they said. You shouldn’t be alone.” Chi spoke up, eyes locked on the door that the Tweedles had left through.
"I hate the idea of being constantly watched," I sighed, though I knew they were right. The silver and gold patterns beneath my skin swirled with anxious energy, responding to my unease.
Heart's ruby eyes softened with understanding. "We'll make sure you have privacy when you need it. This isn't about controlling you—it's about keeping you safe while we identify the threat."
Chi nodded, his tail curling protectively. "I can sense most presences without being physically in the room. I'll give you space while maintaining awareness through our bond."
Their consideration eased some of my frustration. Through both connections, I felt their genuine respect for my independence warring with fierce protectiveness. Neither wanted to cage me—they simply couldn't bear the thought of harm coming to me while the pattern was still stabilizing.
"Do you think it's someone in the resistance or someone hiding somehow?" I asked quietly, watching Heart's expression darken with strategic calculations.
"Could be either," Heart replied, his voice carrying the weight of years spent in guerrilla warfare.
"My mother has agents everywhere—some willing, others coerced through blood magic or threats to their families.
" The golden patterns on his skin pulsed with bitter knowledge.
"She's particularly skilled at turning people who have something precious to lose. "
The implications of Heart's words sent a chill through me. Through our bonds, I felt both Chi and Heart's shared understanding of the Red Queen's methods—the way she twisted loyalty through fear and leverage.
"How do we identify who might be compromised?" I asked, though part of me dreaded the answer. The idea that someone I'd come to trust might be feeding information to the Red Queen made the silver and gold patterns beneath my skin writhe with unease.
Chi's ears flattened against his head, his form flickering as he processed possibilities. "The Tweedles wouldn't have warned us without reason. They see patterns others miss—if they sense betrayal, it's likely already in motion."
Heart stood abruptly, pacing to the crystalline window where he could observe the Sanctuary's main corridors. "We will have to make changes on who has access to you and who has access to roam freely.”
I watched Heart's tense posture by the window, feeling his frustration through our golden bond. "That means suspecting people who've risked their lives to help us," I said quietly.
"I know," Heart replied, his voice heavy with the burden of leadership. "But the alternative is leaving you exposed to whatever my mother is planning next."
Chi's tail lashed once before he forced himself to stillness. "There's another possibility we haven't considered," he said, his teal eyes meeting mine with reluctant certainty. "The spy might not be feeding information willingly."
Through our bond, I felt his meaning before he spoke it aloud. "Blood magic," I whispered, the silver patterns beneath my skin recoiling from the very thought. "Someone could be compromised without even knowing it."
Heart turned from the window, “Let’s speak with Varik for now. Varik, the Tweedles, and the King of Spades would be the ones who are strong enough to withstand blood magic and wouldn’t side with the Red Queen.”
Chi's tail flicked in agreement. "Varik's mind is too... unique for blood magic to take hold. The Tweedles exist partially outside normal time, making them resistant to such influence."
"And the King of Spades?" I asked, watching as the shadows in the corners of the room seemed to deepen at the mention of his name.
"Has his own protections," Heart conceded reluctantly, the golden patterns on his skin pulsing with distrust. "Shadow magic and blood magic repel each other—like opposing poles of a magnet."
I pushed myself up from the bed, ignoring the wave of dizziness that followed. The silver and gold patterns beneath my skin stabilized me after a moment, both bonds lending strength to my depleted reserves.
"Then let's talk to Varik first," I said, determination replacing fear. "If anyone can create a way to detect blood magic it would be him.” I paused as I took another breath, “If nothing has been detected, we’ll have to discover the leak by othe means.”
Chi materialized beside me before I could take more than a few steps, his solid form offering support as the room spun slightly. "Easy," he murmured, his tail wrapping around my waist to steady me. "The bonds are still settling. Last time you slept it off.”
Heart was at my other side instantly, the golden patterns flaring as he felt my dizziness through our connection. "Alice, you need more rest before—"
"I need answers," I interrupted, though I accepted their support gratefully. "The longer we wait, the more information gets passed to the Red Queen. If there's a spy in the Sanctuary, every moment counts."
Through both bonds, I felt their reluctant acceptance of my logic. Chi's form solidified further as he took more of my weight, while Heart positioned himself to guard our backs as we left the chamber.
The crystalline corridors seemed different now—every shadow a potential threat, every figure we passed a possible enemy.
The silver and gold patterns beneath my skin pulsed with hypervigilant energy, responding to my heightened awareness.
Through both bonds, I felt Chi and Heart's protective instincts creating a constant scan of our surroundings.
Varik's workshop buzzed with chaotic energy when we arrived, mechanical devices whirring and sparking as he tinkered with what looked like a crystalline detector array.
His wild green eyes lit up when he saw us, though his expression quickly shifted to concern as he took in my obviously weakened state.
"Alice! You look dreadful," he announced cheerfully, setting down a complex brass instrument. "Though the magical resonance around you is absolutely fascinating. Two fully manifested bonds! The harmonics are exquisite."
"Varik," Heart said sharply, cutting through the Hatter's enthusiasm. "We need your help," Heart continued, his ruby eyes scanning the workshop for potential eavesdroppers. "The Tweedles warned us about spies in the Sanctuary."
Varik's wild expression instantly sobered, his manic energy focusing with unsettling precision. "Ah. I wondered when someone would notice." He moved to a workbench, adjusting dials on what looked like a miniature version of the Observatory. "The energy signatures have been... off.”
"You knew?" Chi's tail lashed with frustration. "And you didn't think to mention it?"
"Mention what, exactly?" Varik countered, hands still moving across his instruments. "That magical signatures fluctuate? That someone might be projecting a false aura? That blood magic leaves traces too subtle for most to detect?" He glanced up, his wild eyes suddenly sharp with calculation.
"But not too subtle for you," I said, watching Varik's fingers dance across the instruments with practiced precision.
Varik's lips curled into a manic grin. "My dear, when you've lived as long as I have in this fractured realm, you develop certain.
.. sensitivities." He twisted a brass dial, causing a crystalline display to flicker with red-tinged energy signatures.
"Blood magic has a particular feeling—like fingernails on glass.
Most can't hear it, but to me?" He tapped his temple. "Screams like a banshee."
Heart moved closer to the display, golden patterns rippling across his skin as he studied the readings. "Can you isolate the source?"
"Working on it with the help of our resident King," Varik muttered, adjusting another dial. "Blood magic is slippery—it creates echoes, false trails. The Red Queen's specialty is making her influence nearly impossible to trace directly."
Chi's form flickered with agitation. "The King of Spades is involved in this investigation?"
"Involved is a strong word," Varik replied, his wild eyes never leaving the crystalline display. "More like... observing with interest. His shadows can detect things my instruments miss, and vice versa. Complementary capabilities, you might say."
Through both bonds, I felt Heart and Chi's shared unease at the King's involvement, though for different reasons. Heart's distrust ran deeper, while Chi simply preferred to handle threats without the shadowy monarch's input.
"What have you found so far?" I asked, leaning against Chi as another wave of dizziness threatened my balance. The silver and gold patterns beneath my skin pulsed weakly, still recovering from the rapid bond formations.
Varik's expression grew grave as he gestured to the display where red-tinged energy signatures pulsed like infected wounds. "Three potential sources of corruption," he said, his usual manic energy subdued by the seriousness of the situation. "All within the Sanctuary's inner sanctum."