The White Rabbit Page 8

  She frowned at him. “Impertinent pup! Now then, we have plans to make."

  Chapter Seven

  Ali wasn't sure what to make of this chain of events. Now that she wasn't on house arrest, she dearly wanted to see Rabbit. It had only been hours since she'd left, so time couldn't have passed too much for him. Hopefully he'd finished whatever he'd planned to do. She needed to see him. So much had happened that she needed to tell him.

  She waited for a lull in the conversation and slipped upstairs. She hesitated before the mirror, though. What if Cat was still watching it? After some though, she decided it might be safer to visit Rabbit without actually stepping through the mirror, the way she had in the beginning. He'd seemed worried about her safety, and she'd never gotten hurt by visiting him that way. Just to be safe, she sat on the bed and looked in her locket....

  * * * *

  "Ali."

  Ali turned around in her dream and saw Rabbit. At least, she thought she was dreaming. Everything seemed fuzzy, and she had to think what had happened. Ah! She'd used the locket to visit him. It must not be as powerful as the cheval glass. Rabbit was the only thing that looked real here. Where were they, anyway? All she could see around them were gray stone blocks. “Rabbit! What is this place?"

  He looked grim. “The Queen's dungeon. She was more prepared than we expected."

  She gasped. “Are you okay?"

  "I'm alive,” he said tersely. “You haven't traveled through the mirror, right? You seem less ... here ... than last time."

  She frowned. “I'm using the locket. I thought it might be safer ... but never mind that! We need to get you out."

  He looked doubtful. “I'm not sure you can do that with the locket, at least not like this. After all, you're not really here."

  "I can fix that. I'll just go back, then come back for real,” Ali said quickly. “Hang on."

  "Wait! Let me just see you locket for a moment. I want to check something. We want to get this right."

  "Sure,” Ali said. She handed it over without thought.

  Rabbit looked at it for a moment, then smiled. It wasn't a pleasant smile. “That was almost too easy."

  A cold shiver kissed Ali's spine. She backed up. “You're not Rabbit, are you?"

  The queen smiled as she dropped the illusion. “Hardly.” She looked Ali over critically. “So this is my “sister". True queen of the Mirror Lands, or so they would have me believe.” Her smile was cruel. “Destined to live the rest of her life as a shade."

  "What are you talking about?” Ali wanted to lunge for her locket, but she didn't know what this woman was capable of. Even Rabbit and Cat had seemed wary of her. It wouldn't help if she were turned into a mouse or something.

  * * * *

  Rabbit wiped smoke and grit out of his eyes with the back of one bloody hand. The Queen had been more prepared than they'd expected, but she was defeated. They just had to find her bolt hole and finish her.

  The Hatter dashed into the throne room and skidded to a halt. “Any word?"

  "No, and we'd better find her soon. No telling what trouble she'll make if she regains her strength before we find her."

  * * * *

  Cat ran into Ali's bedroom, Mrs. Heart at his heels. He'd sensed a disturbance and run up here in seconds, but it was too late. Ali sat on the bed and stared at nothing. Her locket was open in her hand, but the tiny mirror in it was black. He felt his jaw harden.

  "She has Ali, doesn't she?” Mrs. Heart said sadly. “Oh, the poor child! You have to go save her, Cat. I'll stay here with her while you do."

  Cat shook his head. “I'll need help. It would be better if someone could protect her there, too, while I fight the queen. It would be easy to trap her there if something got past me."

  "You'll have to find Rabbit, then. Hurry! There might not be much time."

  * * * *

  Ali followed the queen through the dungeons. She didn't have much choice if she hoped to get her locket back. Already she could feel herself fading, becoming less solid. She was terrified of being trapped underground, unable to find her way out. Could she really turn into a ghost without her locket? Was it possible to fade away completely?

  It was a relief to follow the queen through the secret passageways until they exited into the royal maze. Ali was thrilled to see the sunlight—until she saw it shining through her hands. She gasped.

  The queen paid no attention to Ali. She seemed to be looking for something. Out here in the strong light she looked drawn, hunted. “Where is he?” she muttered.

  As if on cue, Cat appeared at the queen's side. “You called for me?"

  The queen's shoulders hunched in surprise, then relaxed on a hiss of breath. “Where have you been? I've had the kingdom burning down around my ears while you were off playing! Be quick! We need to get out of here."

  Cat looked at her lazily. “Of course, my queen. What about the girl?” He waved to Ali with apparent unconcern.

  Ali narrowed her eyes at him.

  The queen looked at Ali and smiled. “She's no longer a concern."

  The moment her head was turned, Cat struck her on the back of the skull. She dropped like a stone to the manicured lawn.

  Cat looked at her for a moment, then bent and reached into her clothes. He pulled out the locket and took it to Ali. “You need to have a care with this,” he told her as he placed it in her hand.

  Solidarity came rushing back like blood to limbs too long without circulation. She gasped in pain and gripped her locket tight until it passed. “Thanks,” she gasped when she could catch her breath.

  "Don't mention it,” he said drolly. “I suggest you wake up and thank my godmother—she's hovering over you as we speak."

  "But Rabbit...."

  "I'll speak with him,” Cat promised her. “Go home, Ali."

  Cat waited until she was gone before he looked down at the queen's body.

  * * * *

  Ali felt sick and drained when she woke up, and no wonder, Mrs. Heart assured her—she'd almost died. She wouldn't hear of letting her travel through the mirror alone. “I will be going with you. The last thing you need to do is make yourself sicker."

  So they traveled together through the mirror. If she had expected Rabbit to give her his undivided attention, Ali was disappointed.

  They arrived at a castle teeming with activity. It didn't take long to find Rabbit, though.

  "I was expecting you,” he said as soon as he spotted them on the fringes of the throne room. He grabbed her up and gave her a dizzying kiss. It went on until she was breathless, until she was weak, until someone cleared their throat meaningfully.

  "Sire, a moment of your time?” A courtier stood by, looking anxious.

  "Yes, we have to talk about...."

  "Sire!” someone else butted in.

  Rabbit looked at them with exasperation. “I'll meet with you all in the council room in five minutes. Wait for me there.” He looked back at Ali in apology. “I'm sorry. There's been a lot happening."

  "Okay. Are you going to be busy for a while?” After that kiss, she really didn't want to wait long to see him alone.

  He looked regretful. “Hours. There's so much to do...."

  Mrs. Heart gave him a superior look. “Nonsense! You two need to talk. Am I duchess or aren't I? I will deal the rabble. Go!” She made a shooing motion with her hands.

  Rabbit grinned at her. “Thanks, godmother."

  Mrs. Heart inclined her head at him and walked regally toward the council room.

  "Quick, before they figure out they've been duped,” Rabbit told Ali. He took her hand and strode quickly from the room. “If we run they'll just get curious and follow, so walk briskly and look serious."

  She snorted. “Sounds like you have experience with this."

  "More than I ever wanted, thanks.” Finally they reached a doorway. Rabbit whisked her through it ... and into a broom closet.

  She looked at him askance.

  "Sorry,” he muttered. He l
eaned his head against a spare bit of wall. A few bars of light shown through the gaps in the wooden door. “I must be more tired than I thought."

  She rubbed her thumb soothingly over his hand. “What's happened? You seem like you're preparing to go to war or something."

  He laughed with little humor. “That part's been done. No, this is the hard part—reorganizing the government in the queen's absence. That part will take a while."

  "Absence?” she repeated softly.

  "She's been exiled, stripped of her powers. That's what I've been doing, Ali; deposing a queen."

  While she knew bits of this, Ali was still unsettled. She'd never known anyone to topple a government before. Things like that didn't happen where she was from. “Yes.” Just to change the subject, she asked awkwardly, “What about Cat?"

  "He's ... on probation,” Rabbit said reluctantly. “I can't just exile someone who captured the queen ... among other things.” He looked at her hard.

  "What?” she asked, startled.

  "I know what he tried to do."

  How was she supposed to address that? “Er, he never really made an effort. I don't think his heart was in it."

  Rabbit's voice sounded grave. “Did he do more than kiss you, Ali?"

  "No!” She felt like she'd barely ducked a tornado. “I figured out pretty quickly that he wasn't you. He could have pushed the matter, but didn't. Not that I want to give the cretin credit he doesn't deserve. It was a rotten thing to try to do."

  Rabbit looked to stone floor on one side. “I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you."

  "I managed,” she said with a verbal shrug. “Mrs. Heart helped."

  He stepped closer to her. “I don't mean to leave you alone like that again. I want to stay by your side, Ali. I want you to stay with me as my bride."

  She sucked in a breath. Tears pricked her eyes. “You want to marry me?"

  "Of course. What did you think I wanted?” He slid his arms around her and rested his cheek against her temple. “I knew what I wanted at the beach ... and then you disappeared. You shook me, woman."

  She laughed. “Cat tried to trick me when he showed up by proposing marriage. I was spooked then, but this is so different. This is so you.” She looked up at him and a tear slipped from her eye, making him shimmer.

  "Is that a yes?"

  She laughed into his chest. “Yes!"

  He crushed her to him. “Good, because you're going to have to make me an honorable man out of me after this.” He didn't give her time to ask questions. He opened the door of the closet and it wasn't the hallway beyond the door.

  Rabbit took her to a quiet old temple. It had a crystal pool in its ruined heart, guarded by a grove of ancient apple trees. The trees bloomed for them as they knelt on the starry moss and Ali bathed his hurts. In turn, he bathed her as well—in kisses, in caresses. He opened her shirt and slid it down her shoulders, eased her to the fragrant moss. His lips touched and tasted, his mouth adored. Sighs became urgent as he reached farther, slid between downy thighs slick with nectar. He showed her pleasure, made her scream. When she could take no more, he made her his.

  Ali gasped at the heat, at his hardness. She'd never felt a man there before, trapped between her thighs, never felt the heat. Oh, the friction. It hurt, but not enough to want to stop. She wanted, wanted ... ah, there it was. That little burst of pleasure before he roared his own release. The pain had distracted her, muted what would be, but she knew her virgin's pain would end, and pleasure would be all he'd ever give her.

  The pleasure hadn't ended now, though. She began to understand how he'd earned his name as he kept going, licking and nibbling, quickly hardening inside her. He quickly convinced her that she hadn't had enough, that she needed the bittersweet movement, that she wanted him there, hard, dominating, loving, that she wanted his lips on hers, his touch, his tongue licking the rose buds she eagerly thrust at him. Alien, yet powerful, her passion made her bold, made her wanton.

  What she wanted was him.

  This time he roared her name as he came, drove into her. Only when he'd milked every drop of fire from her did he allow her to breathe, to rest. Naked, she lay in his arms, nude in full view of the sky.

  Apple blossoms rained down on them as they slept.

  * * * *

  Rabbit didn't tell her everything. He didn't mention that he'd been elected king, for instance, or that she was the legitimate ruler of the Mirror Lands, thanks to her parents. He didn't tell her that she would be surrounded with luxury in between dealing with palace politics, or that she'd love him so much it hurt. He didn't tell her that she'd become pregnant mere moments after her first loving, either.

  "A little warning might have been nice,” she chided him months later. “Though I guess your name might have warned me."

  They were lying on the huge four poster bed in their room. He sat up and grinned at her. “And miss out on this?” He cupped her newly bodacious bust.

  She grunted and cupped her gently rounded belly. “And this?"

  "This is nice, too,” he said agreeably, kissing it. “Don't pretend you're not excited. I know my godmother has been teaching you to knit baby things."

  "Hah! The first hat looked like a lampshade. It might fit your swollen head, but.... “She broke off in a fit of giggles as he tickled her.

  One thing led to another, and soon they were lying sated again. “No wonder I'm always tired,” she said sleepily.

  He kissed her temple. “A woman's work is never done."

  She smirked. “Every woman should have my job, then."

  He laughed and pulled her close. “Only you, my love. Only you."

  The End

  * * *

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