37. Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Six
King of Spades-Seth
I walked into Varik's workshop as he continued adjusting his detection array, his wild eyes fixed on the pulsing red signatures. My shadows flowed ahead of me, tasting the lingering traces of Alice's silver and gold patterns in the air.
"They've just left," Varik said without looking up, his fingers dancing across brass dials with practiced precision. "Alice looked about ready to collapse. The pattern is evolving faster than even you predicted."
"Two bonds in as many days," I replied, my shadows coiling around the detection display to examine the blood magic signatures more closely. "The fire bond manifested sooner than I expected."
Varik shot me a knowing look, his wild eyes momentarily focusing with unsettling clarity. "Disappointed it wasn't your void bond first, Seth?"
I ignored his baiting, concentrating instead on the strongest blood magic signature pulsing in the eastern corridor. My shadows recoiled from the corrupted energy like water from oil, confirming what Varik's instruments suggested—someone with direct exposure to the Red Queen's influence.
"The strongest signature is Martha," I said, allowing a thread of shadow to probe deeper into the corrupted magical resonance. "But the corruption pattern is... wrong."
Varik's hands stilled on his instruments. "Wrong how?"
"Too clean. Too deliberate." My shadows formed brief images in the air—complex magical structures that dissolved as quickly as they appeared. "Blood magic leaves jagged edges when it takes hold of someone. This signature has been... crafted."
"A false trail?" Varik's wild eyes lit up with understanding. "Someone wants us to suspect Martha specifically."
"More than that," I replied, my shadows spreading through the workshop to ensure we weren't overheard. "This level of magical precision is beyond the Red Queen's usual work. Someone is helping her—someone with significant skill in magical forgery."
Varik's eyes narrowed as he twisted a dial, causing the display to shift focus to the other two signatures. "The King of Diamonds," he muttered. "His crystalline magic could create the precision we're seeing. But why would he align with the Red Queen? They've been at odds for centuries."
"Perhaps because they share a common enemy now," I replied, my shadows forming a brief image of Alice with her silver and gold patterns. "The pattern's reemergence threatens all the monarchs equally. If Alice succeeds in reunifying Wonderland's magic..."
"Their individual territories would reintegrate with the whole," Varik finished, adjusting his hat thoughtfully. "Clever of them to work together, though, I doubt the alliance will last beyond their immediate goal."
"Alliances of convenience rarely do," I agreed, shadows coiling tighter around the detection array. "But they only need to succeed once—either by capturing Alice or by stopping the pattern's completion."
Varik twisted another dial, focusing on the third blood magic signature that pulsed near the Sanctuary's main entrance. "This one's different—weaker but more deeply embedded. Like it's been in place longer."
My shadows flowed toward the signature, testing its resonance with cold precision. "A sleeper agent," I concluded, feeling the subtle differences in the magical corruption. "Someone turned months ago, perhaps years, and positioned carefully within the resistance."
"Heart won't take this well," Varik muttered, his wild eyes momentarily sobering. "He's already struggling with the possibility of Martha's betrayal."
"Martha isn't betraying anyone," I said with certainty, my shadows forming around my feet, “She is one of mine after all.”
Varik's hands froze over his instruments, wild eyes snapping to my face with sudden intensity. "One of yours?" His voice carried a dangerous edge. "You've had a shadow agent in Heart's inner circle this entire time?"
"Not an agent," I corrected, allowing my shadows to form Martha's scarred visage in the air before dissolving it. "A protected asset. The Red Queen's blood magic tried to claim her three years ago—I intervened,and left my own mark to shield her consciousness."
Varik's expression shifted from suspicion to fascination. "Shadow magic as a protective ward against blood corruption. Brilliant, actually. But why didn't you tell Heart?"
"Because he would have seen it as manipulation rather than protection," I replied, shadows coiling with old frustration. "The Prince of Hearts views any involvement from me as scheming, regardless of intent."
"Can you blame him?" Varik chuckled, returning to his calibrations. "Your track record for transparent motivations isn't exactly stellar, Your Majesty."
I allowed the shadows to dance between my fingers, forming intricate patterns before dissolving them. "Transparency is a luxury afforded to those who don't play the long game, Hatter."
"And what game are you playing with Alice?" Varik asked, his voice suddenly sharp beneath its usual manic tone. "The Prince is convinced you want to possess her. Cheshire thinks you're manipulating events to force a void bond. Even the Tweedles seem uncertain of your true intentions."
My shadows stilled completely, creating an unnatural silence that made even Varik's instruments seem quieter. "What I want and what Wonderland needs have finally aligned after centuries of divergence," I said carefully. "Is that so difficult to believe?"
Varik's laughter filled the workshop, sharp and knowing. "When the most calculating monarch in Wonderland's history suddenly claims his personal desires match the greater good? Yes, Seth, that's extraordinarily difficult to believe."
I moved closer to the detection array, watching the three blood magic signatures pulse like infected wounds across the Sanctuary's schematic. "Believe what you will. The fact remains that we have at least three compromised individuals within these walls.”
"And the immediate question," Varik said, twisting another dial to magnify the readings, "is what to do about them."
I let my shadows flow over the display, assessing each corrupted signature with cold precision. "The one near Martha is the most sophisticated—likely a direct plant from the King of Diamonds. That's our priority target."
"And the sleeper agent?" Varik asked, his wild eyes tracking the third signature with growing concern.
"Will reveal themselves soon enough," I replied. "Blood magic requires periodic renewal, especially over long distances. Whoever carries that corruption will need to make contact with their handler within the next few days."
Varik adjusted his hat, fingers tapping an irregular rhythm against his workbench. "You realize Alice will insist on being involved in this investigation once she recovers."
"Of course she will," I said, unable to keep the fondness from my voice.
"Her protective instincts toward Heart's resistance fighters are admirable, if inconvenient.
..though that could be because of her being an Omega too.
" My shadows formed a brief image of Alice standing between the corrupted signatures, silver and gold patterns blazing with determination.
"She still sees the best in everyone," Varik observed, his manic energy momentarily subdued. "Even you, which frankly astounds me given your reputation."
I allowed my shadows to drift across the workshop, tasting the lingering traces of Alice's magic in the air. The silver patterns called to something primal within me—a recognition that went beyond conscious thought.
"The pattern recognizes what it needs," I said quietly, "regardless of reputation or past deeds."
Varik's knowing smile made my shadows flicker with irritation. "And you're quite certain it needs you specifically? Not just any shadow wielder?"
"There are no others with sufficient power to anchor the void bond," I replied, though a shadow of doubt crept unbidden into my thoughts. "The pattern requires balance across all five elements. Chi anchors air, Heart provides fire, the Tweedles will soon manifest water and earth. Void remains."
"Necessity isn't the same as choice," Varik pointed out, his wild eyes suddenly piercing through his usual manic facade. "Alice may need a void bond, but that doesn't mean she'll choose you to provide it."
My shadows coiled tighter, betraying the tension his words created. "The void bond will form with or without my involvement. I merely position myself as the most viable option."
"A calculated risk," Varik murmured, returning to his instruments. "But what happens if she rejects you, Seth? What then? All your centuries of planning, all your careful manipulations—undone because she chooses someone else?"
The very thought of Alice choosing someone else made my stomach turn and rage boil beneath my skin, “If that is her choice…and not anyone influencing her. Then I shall find someone else for her and protect her all the same. “
"Noble words," Varik said dryly, though his wild eyes carried a hint of surprise. "Almost believable, if I didn't know you better." He adjusted a brass component that sparked with crystalline light. "The shadows don't lie as easily as their master, Your Majesty."
I glanced down to find my shadows writhing with barely controlled violence, forming brief shapes of weapons before dissolving back into formless darkness. The very thought of Alice bonding with another for the void connection had triggered responses I couldn't entirely suppress.
"Control is an illusion," I admitted, forcing my shadows to stillness. "Especially where Alice is concerned. She... affects me in ways I didn't anticipate."
"Because she sees you," Varik said simply, his manic energy subdued by rare insight. "Not the King of Spades, not the shadow manipulator, not even the centuries-old monarch. She sees Seth, and that terrifies you more than any political maneuvering or magical threat."