Page 24 of Cheshire's Smile
“It’s not what I want to do.” I cut Tick off, a harshness filling my voice. “More than anyone, I know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of the queen’s justice. But, at least here, they are protected from any lower fae who are left looking for a snack.”
“Yeah, but...” Tick trailed off, pulling on the length of one of his tails. “I don’t like it.”
“Why do you care what happens to them?” I waved a hand around the area. “I didn’t take you for someone who cared about anyone but yourself.”
Tick flicked his tail out of his hands and cocked his hip, one hand on it. “I don’t. But I’m not completely heartless. Even I know this is wrong.”
Normally, I was in the camp of looking out for yourself. If these fae ended up here in the queen’s prison, that’s their own fault. That being said, I could sympathize with the prisoners. I was sure that if I went to each of the prisoners and asked, their crimes would have been so petty that even the human authorities would laugh.
That didn’t change the situation at large. I couldn’t cure them or take them with me. They were safest here until we could fix the Underground.
I sighed. More and more, the fate of the Underground was falling on my shoulders. I just wanted my males safe and back with me. I didn’t want to go on an epic quest to save the fae world. I was the one who broke it the first time around. It wasn’t like they would cheer me on to save them.
No, I wasn’t anyone’s hero. I was still the villain in their story, and that’s all I would ever be.
“Let’s move on.” I stepped away from the cell and turned down the hall that made my knees weak. Cheshire’s hand grasped mine. Glancing up at him, I let myself fall into those warm emerald orbs for a moment.
The walls of this hall were different than the others. There were no bars. No cells. No prisoners to look upon to help. Crimson fabric covered circular frames every few feet, torches set between every other one. A chill ran down my spine.
“What’s this?” Tick asked, darting in front of us. “What are these?” His hand reached out to grab one of the crimson cloths.
“Don’t.” My words came out clipped and forceful. I was surprised I was able to keep the tremor out of it.
“But what are these?” Tick’s hand hung in the air, his eyes darting from me to the frames and back.
“This,” I waved my free hand around, “is the Hall of Mirrors.”
Tick’s eyes widened and his hand dropped. “This place? But where are the prisoners?” His head turned this way and that searching for the headless that the queen collected.
“They’re here.” I pointed at a nearby covered mirror. “Underneath the cloth. These mirrors allow the inhabitants to look out of their prisons. Not that the queen allows it.”
I scoffed, stepping up to one that I knew was still empty. My fingers shook as I lifted the cloth, so I clenched them into a fist, forcing myself to take a breath before pulling the fabric away.
A golden mirror sat on the wall, the reflective pane inside blank. This had been my home for a hundred years. It was onlyby chance or maybe it was fate that Kat had found me a year ago and freed me. If not for her, I would still be in there or, even worse, completely mad.
“So, the queen actually takes heads off?” Tick’s face drained of all its color, his body shaking as he stepped away from the mirror. He jumped as one shoulder hit the opposite wall.
I shook my head at him. “No, not in the literal sense. I believe she thinks she’s funny, making it seem like she’s collecting heads in her mirrors when, in reality, they’re all in cells on the other side of that door.” I pointed down the long hallway to another metal door closing the way to the other side.
“Oh, well, that’s a relief at least.” Tick let out a nervous chuckle and ran a hand through his hair.
I blew out a hard breath. “You’d think so.” I dragged Cheshire along the hall until all three of us made our way to the door at the end. “Unlike the prisoners here, you’re alone. Utterly and completely. No one to talk to. No one to listen. Just you and your own thoughts. I don’t know if the queen simply couldn’t bring herself to kill the fae she deemed worthy enough to throw down here or if she just has a sick sense of humor. Either way, I’d have rather been killed.”
“No,” Cheshire snapped, jerking me to a stop. He spun me until my body was flush against his own, a hand on my cheek. “What you went through... I can’t even imagine. But don’t, for one second, think it would be better if you were dead. If you die, then what about us? Hatter? The Tweedles? Me? Would you leave us all behind?”
I laughed, but it wasn’t a happy sound. Placing my hand over his, I let him see all the jagged edges of me. “Haven’t you realized it yet? I’m a selfish person. I make whatever choices I want and don’t care who gets blamed in the process. If I died, you would have been better off.”
Cheshire let out a menacing growl and smashed his mouth against mine. This kiss wasn’t a slow teasing caress, way of treasuring me. No, this was an angry harsh kiss. Punishing. Claiming. And yet my toes curled in my shoes all the same.
He promptly released me save for a tight hand around the back of my neck. Cheshire’s hard gaze bore into mine. “Never say something like that ever again. I can tell you with absolute certainty that none of us would be better off with you dead. We would rather have died by the queen’s hand than let you go.”
My hand clung to his arm, and something in my chest wobbled at his words. “I’m sorry. I promise I won’t say it again. And thank you.” I closed my eyes holding off the tears that threatened to fall. “For reminding me that someone cares if I lived or died.”
Tick coughed and shifted uncomfortably. “If you’re done with the theatrics, can we get a move on? The longer we’re here, the higher chance we catch the sickness.”
I held Cheshire’s gaze for a moment before inclining my head. “Yes, let’s move forward. There’s nothing left for us here.”
Chapter 11
