Page 28 of Cheshire's Smile
“Well, obviously, that’s a lie.” The fae was only feet from us now without any signs of slowing down. “Maybe we can reason with it.”
“Seelie trash,” the arachoi snarled, swiping its claws at us.
“I don’t think that’s going to work.” Cheshire dodged her attacks with all his feline grace. He rolled to the side out of the creature’s reach.
The arachoi spun on me, her sharp claw slashing at me.
I wasn’t proud of the squeal that left my mouth as I threw myself down. Its pointed spindles shot out. I rolled from one side to the other, avoiding her attacks as best as I could, until one of them stabbed into my dress, ripping a long strip down the skirt.
“Seriously?” I snarled. I kicked out.
My kick hit her in the middle her body half, launching her several feet away. I stood and brushed off my skirt, taking in the ruined material. Emotions welled up inside of me at the damage.
“How could you be so barbaric?”
The arachoi chittered and pushed back up onto its legs.
“Alice, are you alright?” Cheshire rushed to my side, his hands roaming me for injuries.
“I’m not hurt.” I brushed his hands off before jerking on the ruined fabric and stomping a foot. “I made it through a battlewith the shadows, running all over the Underground, and a hundred years—A HUNDRED YEARS in the Hall of Mirrors—without ripping this dress!”
The chittering sound stopped abruptly.
My head jerked toward the arachoi. It had gotten back up on its eight legs, but it wasn’t running at us anymore. In fact, it was... staring at us.
“Uh... is the fight over?” I shot a look at Cheshire, reluctant to let hope fill my chest.
Cheshire watched the arachoi with a narrowed gaze. “I don’t know. Don’t drop your guard.”
The arachoi meandered toward us, more curious than vicious this time. Her head tilted to the side, taking me in. The moment it stepped into Cheshire’s aura, it reeled back covering its nose. “Ugh, sick—ness. You.”
The fae must not have noticed Cheshire’s scent before during her blood lust, but she was sure noticing it now. At least, it would keep her at safe distance.
“Maybe she can’t speak English well?” I blinked, an overwhelming need to study her coming over me. “Do. You. Understand. Me?”
Cheshire snorted. “I don’t think speaking like that will make her understand you any better.”
I scowled. My arms crossed over my chest. “Then you try to communicate with her. I don’t know any ancient fae languages. English is the only language I speak. I failed every Latin and French class my mother tried to put me in.”
Before Cheshire had a chance to talk to her, the arachoi spoke again.
“I understand.” She straightened, rubbing her nose. “It’s been... so long...” She cleared her throat and seemed to struggle to speak. “Hall of Mirrors.”
My mouth formed an o-shape. “Oh, you must be the one who escaped. Your struggle to talk is completely understandable now. With no one to, talk to using your voice just seemed like too much effort after a while. I only kept my voice because I spent a lot of time...” I trailed off, a flush covering my face.
Cheshire cocked his head in that cute cat-like way of his.
“Anyway,” I cleared my throat, “do you have a name?”
She shook her head. “No name. Memories. Gone.”
I nodded my head in complete understanding. “Yes, I have been there as well. The shadows liked to feed on all the prisoners. I’m not surprised you’re having memory loss. Why did you attack us though?”
Making that chittering sound again, she almost seemed to blush. “I thought you wereherguards coming to take me back.”
Her? Oh!
“You mean, the queen, right?”
