“Come to me, Dinah, my child! Let me know who you are.”
Morte gave a snort of unhappiness from across the field. The tent pulsed again with the light and Dinah found herself taking the steps up the wooden platform and entering. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the strange light, which she realized was coming from a large hookah pipe in the middle of the tent. It was almost as tall as Dinah herself. The glass of the hookah was transparent and, inside, silver-and-blue-veined leaves flickered and glowed. A thick smoke filled her eyes and lungs, and she instantly began to cough and choke.
“Take a deep breath, little queen. Let it fill you. Only then will you be able to see and hear your future. Or answer the question who are you?”
Her eyes cloudy, Dinah was barely able to see the outline of the massively fat Yurkei man who sat perched on a pile of bright pillows. His girth hung over the sides of the cushions, and only a yellow feather loincloth stood between her and his complete nakedness. His skin was dark and shiny and, unlike most Yurkei, completely unmarked by white lines. On the side of the tent, hundreds of clay pots and hanging scales all clamored for space. Iu-Hora noticed her staring with interest at his work.
“The Darklands have provided a most bountiful crop on which to experiment. I have already made three new potions since we’ve been here! One for rashes, one for aging eyes, and one for . . . well, you don’t need to know that. You’ll see.”
She looked over at him again, but was unable to make out his face. It kept shifting and changing, but that was just the hazy light, wasn’t it? Wasn’t it? She was very confused. Dinah felt the smoke make its way into her lungs, and a pleasant warm sensation began to stir under her rib cage. She was feeling very light, very free, very happy.
“Here. Take a smoke.” Out of nowhere, a chubby hand extended the end of the hookah pipe to her. “Just one taste, Princess. Just one taste and hear what Iu-Hora has to tell you.”
Dinah took the pipe and inhaled deeply, before she could think about the decision. Then she heard Sir Gorran’s words echoing in her head. “Impulsive, just like your father.” But that man wasn’t her father. Or was he? She couldn’t remember, and didn’t seem to care. The smoke went down sweet and tingly, and she immediately felt like she was bursting with joy. Her head was clear, and her ears were open. She collapsed with a giggle onto a pile of pillows nearby.
“Did you get these from Wonderland? The Yurkei don’t have pillows like this.”
“They came to me how they came to me. You did not come here to ask questions about the pillows. You came here to ask much more difficult questions. And I am here to ask you . . . who are you?”
“I’m Dinah,” she answered. “And I do not know why I’m here.”
“You are here because I brought you here. I have been waiting a long time to meet the Queen of Hearts.”
“I’m not queen yet.”
He seemed to slither around her. “Ah, yes, war. The great coming war. A war that will change the fate of Wonderland. Blood, smoke, and birds. A deck of cards, falling . . . falling. I see a loaf of bread, a bloody sword, a fractured heart.”
His words made no sense to Dinah. She laughed and then felt suddenly somber. “Can you see the outcome? I hear the Caterpillar is a predictor of fortunes.”
For no clear reason, Dinah started laughing at the word fortunes. It was so amusing, that word.
“I cannot see the outcome of the war, because it involves the fate of too many. My visions are blurry with so many souls to see. I see much death and unhappiness. I see a beautiful woman weeping at a window, a skilled arrow, blue stars in the sky. I see you riding a black devil, with great wings stretched behind you.”
“That would be Morte.” Dinah laughed until she wept. She looked around. How long had she been laughing? A minute? Three hours? The Caterpillar emerged from the hazy light, his features still unreadable aside from his glowing blue eyes. It was all she could see. Dinah was suddenly terrified.
What are you doing? Get back. Don’t touch me! She thought the words, but for some reason could not make her mouth form the sounds. Slowly, his fingers reached inside her tunic, and then he spun her around. For a moment Dinah was afraid of what was happening, but then she felt the pressing of his fingers against the scar on her shoulder.
“This was my work. A scar left on a queen by a chief. Something that she will never forget, but a sting that healed quickly.” A substance was seeping through her skin from his fingers. She could feel it alternating hot and cold, tingling against her shoulder. It was inside of her, whatever it was, passing through her skin like water. Iu-Hora spun her back around and suddenly Dinah felt like she was floating with him, up through the tent into the stars that looked down on dead Charles. They were flying through the sky now, over the Darklands, over the fields. They flew up, up, and away until they hovered above Wonderland Palace. The Black Towers shimmered with wickedness below. She blinked. No. She wasn’t in the sky. Was she? She was in the tent, and his blurry face was inches from her own, his hands on her face. Iu-Hora’s voice changed as he leaned forward as if to kiss her, and she felt the thick smoke from his mouth wash over her face. All the smoke was suddenly sucked out of the circular tent and there was nothing but darkness, nothing but the heat of his forehead against hers and the sharp blue of his eyes. A low, terrible voice boomed out from the blackness. It belonged to Iu-Hora, but it didn’t sound like him. Dinah found herself more afraid than she had ever been.
“Queen of Hearts, the daughter of two fathers, heed my words. You will pierce the heart of one man and cut out the heart of the one you love most. Follow the crumbs to find your throne and only then shall your head rest in the grass.”
Iu-Hora gave a silent intake of breath and suddenly blue smoke trailed out of his lips. His voice returned to normal and a silly giggle filled the tent.
“Would you like more, my queen?” Dinah pushed him backward into the pots and scales, which went crashing down under his massive weight. She wasn’t sure what was happening. Blue smoke was pouring out of her mouth, changing colors as she breathed. Red morphed into a fiery orange, which curled into a pale blue, then a misty gray. Coughing, she crawled toward the tent flap.
“Come back!” he cried, laughing. “I have so much more to show you!”
She was running now, away from the tent, smoke pouring from her eyes, ears, and throat. It steamed out of her skin. She stumbled and fell to the ground. His voice returned and whispered in her ear, although she was nowhere near him.
“Keep your temper, Queen of Hearts.”
Morte was beside her now, and she weakly pulled herself upward, stepping on his hoof, one of his bone shards giving her a thin cut on her ankle. She flopped over his back, lying facedown across him as she continued to choke on the colored smoke pouring from her mouth and nose. Morte began running back to her tent. Dinah’s body was shuddering as if it had forgotten how to function. She was alternately freezing and stifling hot, and her mind was racing, making illogical jumps. Was she up or down? Where was she? After what seemed like years, Morte arrived in the Spades’ camp and came to a violent stop in front of her tent. Yur-Jee and Ki-ershan leaped to their feet and gathered a shaking Dinah from his back. They babbled frantically in Yurkei, their voices so loud to Dinah’s ears.
“Iu-Hora! No Wonderlander has ever been in his presence! What did he give her? Witch doctor! Pure evil!”
Wild hallucinations ran through Dinah’s mind, and she heard pieces of Iu-Hora’s words again: “Daughter of two fathers . . . pierce the heart of one man . . . cut out the heart of the one you love most . . . follow the crumbs to find your throne. . . .”
As the guards spoke in rapid Yurkei, Dinah heard Wardley’s voice ringing above the commotion. “What the hell happened? Give her to me! Bring Cheshire now!”
Wardley cradled her against his chest, and she was aware that he was carrying her inside her tent. A thin trail of maroon smoke curled out of her lips, and Dinah blew it lovingly at his face. She s
truggled to stay awake. Wardley leaned his face over hers. “You can close your eyes, Dinah. I’m here.” With a sigh, she surrendered, happy to fall asleep in the arms of the one she loved most.
Fifteen
Dinah slept the entirety of the next day, accompanied by the most vivid and bizarre dreams she had ever had. She would wake drenched in a sweat that pushed itself out of her skin in a swirl of vibrant colors, to find Cheshire and Wardley staring down at her, discussing things that she could barely understand.
“When will she be fully aware?”
“Hopefully the tea will draw out the hallucinatory effects of the smoke.”
“Did they find him?”
“The Yurkei are guarding him day and night. We will not do anything. Actually, I think he might be of great use to us.”
“Has Mundoo been notified of what his witch doctor did to the queen?”
“We sent two riders this morning with the message. They also carried our finalized plans for the battle. God help us if they are caught.”
“They won’t be. They’re Yurkei.”
Dinah would listen for what could have been hours or seconds before drifting back into her dazzling sleep. The next day, she woke to a cool cloth being pressed against her forehead.
“Your Majesty?” She looked up, hoping to see Wardley, but instead found herself uncomfortably close to Cheshire’s face. “How are you feeling?”
Alarmed, Dinah pushed herself up faster than she should have and was rewarded with a bout of nausea. “Oh. Oh.” She allowed herself to sink back into the cot. “What happened?”
Cheshire resumed lightly patting her head with the cloth. “What do you remember?”
“I was out walking because I couldn’t sleep . . . and I found Iu-Hora’s tent.” She frowned. “And then . . . then . . .” She should have remembered, but there was a gaping hole in her memory; it was puzzling and unnerving. She could see bits and pieces, but the knowledge of what had happened was missing. “I’m sorry . . . ,” she sputtered. “I don’t really remember. There was smoke and light and . . .”
Cheshire made a disgusted sound, yet his face showed a certain delight and fascination. “The Yurkei witch doctor has more powers than Wonderland has ever bothered to fathom. I highly doubt that you wandered there entirely on your own accord. He’s been known to call those to him when he feels the need, whether by injury or trance. There is evil in that tent that might be of use to us yet. He has a mastery of alchemy that Wonderland has yet to discover.” He stroked Dinah’s hair softly, attempting to soothe her. It made her uncomfortable. “We almost lost you to the fever. If you had died, Iu-Hora’s head would have been sucked down into the shadow ponds by now. You have caused a great stir, daughter.”
Heads . . . something about her head . . . Dinah couldn’t remember. There was only the unclear memory of smoke and light, and a burning deep in her lungs.
“Do you feel well enough to sit up now?”
“Yes.” Dinah hated depending on him for anything, but she let him help her up and hold her hand as she gently made her way to a small wooden table. Soup steamed in a small mug and, somehow, there was a pile of warm sweets waiting for her. She looked up at Cheshire with amazement. “How does one make warm pies in the wilderness?”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “There is nothing I can’t get for you.” Cheshire raised a spoon to her lips.
“I can do it myself, thank you.” Dinah clutched the spoon with determination and shakily brought it to her dry lips. “How did you get the—was it poison?—out?”
Cheshire leaned back on his chair and folded his long hands under his chin. “Wild Lavender rice tea. Rice attracts moisture, and the smoke, when inhaled, became a form of liquid hallucination. It’s quite fascinating. I visited the witch doctor myself after I saw you, and he explained its full effects. My dagger at his throat helped a bit, I think. After that, the Yurkei wouldn’t let anyone come near his tent.” He paused. “I hate to be the one to tell you, but this incident only served to fan the flames of anger between the Spades and the Yurkei.”
“We’re on the same side for gods’ sake,” snapped Dinah. “Either way, many of these men will die for me. You would think that would be enough to bond them.”
His smile faded. “That’s where you are mistaken. These men do not fight and die for you. No man fights or dies for a leader. He dies for an ideal. The Spades will die fighting for their rights, for the right to have children, for a chance to live forever through their heirs. The Yurkei fight to reclaim the land of their forefathers.” Distracted by a sweet on the table, he summed it up, “Don’t delude yourself, these men fight wholly for themselves.”
Cheshire selected a slice of plum pie and took a small bite. Dinah had never noticed how small and sharp his teeth were. His bites were half the size of hers. “Part of becoming a leader is learning how to manipulate that belief. It’s the way power works. Your face and dress and crown represent these things for them, but it wouldn’t matter if it was you or another. Your task now is to become a queen they’d be willing to die for.”
Dinah stared at the ground. She had behaved so foolishly by going to Iu-Hora’s tent, and yet, she was furious at him for pointing out the truth. “Ironic how you can speak of sacrifice with such ease when you only looked after your own interests while the king beat my mother and treated me with contempt.”
Cheshire flashed a pitying grin at her. “Poor girl. Is that what you believe? I simply see it as keeping your best interest at heart. I would have loved nothing more than to steal you and your mother away in the dead of night and start over, away from the king, where I could love you both proudly. And yet, by doing that, I would deny you the crown, a chance to become the most esteemed person in Wonderland. Instead, I suffered in silence, watching the love of my life be touched by a man who disgusted me, and watching my daughter be raised by a man who hated her.”
Cheshire slowly folded his napkin, taking care with each corner. When he was done, a tiny paper mouse remained. He set it inside her empty teacup before standing to leave. He calmly tucked in his purple tunic, then suddenly leaned over her menacingly. His sweet breath swept over her face. “Do not presume to know me, Dinah. I have sacrificed everything to get you where you are. And instead of being grateful for my sacrifice, and the sacrifice of all the men here, you repay us by wandering right into the arms of a mad witch doctor so that we might have watched you die slowly. You are not a child anymore. You are a queen, so behave like one!”
He stood up and took a deep breath, adjusting his brooch as he transformed himself back into the smooth, unruffled Cheshire. “Make sure that you don’t do anything strenuous today. No sparring. No fighting. Wardley or Sir Gorrann is to be with you at all times. I don’t trust your Yurkei guards anymore.”
Dinah watched in simmering silence as Cheshire whisked himself out of the tent. Her appetite had disappeared. He was right. It was time to quit playing these risky games to satisfy her childish curiosity. She was no longer a girl sneaking into the Black Towers with Wardley. Her kingdom was at war, and she was too indulgent of her own whims. The consequences of her actions would be real and severe. For gods’ sake, she had almost started a war here in their camp.
I will remember that, she thought. I will remember that what the queen does matters. I will listen to Cheshire’s wisdom, no matter how strange he makes me feel. Deep in thought, she munched quietly on a blueberry tart. As she went to take another bite, she looked down in shock at the tips of her fingernails. They were a deep orange, stained with the poison that was slowly seeping out of her body, a real reminder of how close she had come to ruining the lives of thousands. She didn’t believe that Iu-Hora, the witch doctor, had intended to kill her, and yet, he was dangerous just the same. Alone in the tent, Dinah closed her eyes and vowed that she would no longer make impulsive decisions on whatever whim came over her at the time. The cause and the crown came first. I will become the queen they deserve.
She guzzled cool water fr
om a nearby bucket and lay down for a few more hours before she felt ready to stand and walk. When she finally left the tent, bright sunlight blazed down on her through the mist of the Darklands. Wardley was waiting for her, his long legs folded beneath him as he balanced his sword on one finger. “You’re up!” His long arms wrapped around her shoulders, and Dinah gladly let him pull her against his body. “Come here, you idiot! I was so worried. Why did you go to Iu-Hora? Haven’t you heard the rumors about him? They say he grinds up the bones of his people to fertilize their mushroom fields. What were you thinking?”
“I don’t know. It was foolish, and it won’t happen again,” replied Dinah calmly. “And no, I hadn’t heard that.” She pressed her face against his shoulder. “Though I do not doubt it.”
“What happened in there? What did you see?”
“I can’t remember.”
Wardley made a doubtful face.
Dinah sighed. “It’s hard to explain—it’s like someone has pulled a black cloth over that memory. I know he told me something important, but I cannot remember what it was, only traces of words.” Throne. Crumbs. Grass. “It’s there, I just can’t reach it.”
Wardley stepped back and took stock of her body. “How well do you feel? Are you sure you shouldn’t be lying down?”
Dinah shook her head. “No. I’ve been sleeping most of the day. I don’t deserve any more rest, especially when my men are so busy.” All around the camp was a flurry of activity. Horses were being fitted for breastplates. Swords were being sharpened, and the sound of metal on metal was deafening. During the day the camp was usually filled with the raised voices of men, but today there were no voices to be heard, only the sound of work and progress. All these sounds fell under an eerie quiet that permeated the air.
“Why is no one speaking?” Dinah saw several Spades cast fascinated looks in her direction and then drop their eyes when she looked back. “What’s going on?”