Page 1 of Cheshire's Smile
Chapter 1
This bed was so comfortable. I hadn’t slept on a bed this soft in ages. The human world might have advanced in many ways, but their beds had gotten worse. Give me a feather down bed any day, and I would sleep like a babe.
I groaned and tried to roll over. My wrist caught. My brows furrowed. I jerked on my wrist. It didn’t move.
My eyes flew open, zeroing in on where my wrist was tied with... a measuring tape? I followed the tape up to the headboard, then yanked both of my wrists, trying to dislodge the tape that bit into my skin.
No luck.
Growling, I shifted in the bed. My legs caught. Annoyance and a growing panic filled my chest as I realized my legs were tied down too. My limbs pulled at my binds as my ears searched around me.
It was a typical bedroom at first glance. Warm colored walls, wooden floor, and a dresser off to one side.
My lips flattened into a frown when I realized that there was no door. Or windows.
What in the world? How did I even get here?
One moment, I was trying to find Hatter in the Bandersnatch only to realize there was nothing but a black void of nothingness, and the next, I was here. Was this some kind of trick by the Seelie Queen?
As I struggled, I didn’t notice the figure appearing until they were right before me.
“Now, Ally. You wouldn’t be trying to escape us would you?” A low masculine chuckle followed.
A slightly deeper voice answered him. “Not a chance. She put our world in danger to be with us. She wants to be here.”
My eyes shot up to the speakers. Two muscular bodies wrapped in tight black pants and colorful vests stood before me. Messy brown hair topped each of their heads, barely covering pointed ears. They were practically identical down to the measuring tape wrapped around their biceps.
Then I reached their faces, only to find they had none.
How were they even talking?
One of them put his knee on the bed making it dip. I inched away from him as much as I could while tied down.
“Who are you?” I screeched. “What do you want?” My heart pounded in my chest. This couldn't be happening. I had places to be. People to save.
The male didn’t stop, a low chuckle coming from him. “Don’t tell me you have forgotten me already.” He reached out and trailed a finger down the side of my corset. “You’re still wearing our clothes.”
I frowned. My eyes darted down where he touched. Their clothes?
“These aren’t yours.” I shook my head. “They’re mine.”
The other male laughed as he grabbed my ankles. “And where did you get them?”
I opened my mouth to answer and then clamped it shut. I didn’t remember. Another memory stolen by the shadows.
The two males turned to one another. If they were exchanging a look, I couldn’t tell for their lack of facial features. Then the one beside me pulled out a blade.
I flinched away. “Wha — what are you doing?”
“Relax,” he murmured, climbing on the bed fully. “Just taking back what is ours.” The one at my feet pulled one shoe off and then the other.
I kicked my feet for all it did. “Get off me.”
“Now stop moving or you'll hurt yourself,” the one beside me murmured, bringing the knife to the ties of my corset.
My breath held as he snipped each lace until the weight of it fell off me.
“It really hurts my feelings that you don’t remember me.” The one at my feet stroked his hands up my inner thighs until he reached the top of my thigh high stocking. He rolled one down, his face close to my skin. I could feel his breath which made no sense since he had no mouth as he spoke. “After all, I still have your virgin blood on my cock.”
