Page 97 of Madness Becomes Her
“You’ve already ruined Wonderland. You took control of a throne that didn’t belong to you and forced your sister into the shadows. These people you rule aren’t yours; they’re hers. They’ll never love you as they do her.”
Rage flickers in her eyes, while her hand sneaks behind her back for something.
The longer I look at her, the more I realize that the Chatterwocky isn’t my true target.
She’ll never stop.
She’ll never be silenced.
Just because I slay her dragon doesn’t mean she’ll stop her tyrannic rule of Wonderland.
The Red Queen must die.
It’s not in Lewis’s plan, and there’s no time to relay it to him, either.
The first battle cry erupts, signalling all-out war around me as the Queen’s Guard storms through the forest, surprising everyone from behind and causing mass panic.
Finlo rushes past me, sword in hand, as he helps a badger barely escape a guard. Blood spurts from the guard as Finlo slices his arm.
The Red Queen panics, turning and running for her dragon, who kneels for easier mounting.
Racing to catch up, I grab onto the tail of her skirt and yank, pulling her backward and jumping out of her way when she topples to the ground.
She doesn’t stay down long. Rolling over, she pops onto her feet, unsheathing a sword from her back I hadn’t spotted before, grinning.
“You’ve chosen the wrong target.”
“Maybe. But it’s the only way.”
“Chatterwocky!” she shouts, her high-pitched tone causing rage to spill through my veins. “Attack!”
“No!” I turn, momentarily at a loss. I’d chosen wrong.
The queen lunges for me as I’m distracted by the Chatterwocky lifting into the air, its mouth open and an orange glow coating the back of its throat.
I duck out of the way, hitting the ground in a roll that has me springing back onto my feet in no time.
I’d worn fighting leathers, far easier to fight in than her gown.
It’s an advantage I plan to use.
We square off, swords at the ready. Screams ring out behind me, and I have to will myself not to look.
Everyone came here of their own volition today. I have to focus on what’s before me.
The death of a queen and the end of her reign.
“You can’t kill me, girl. You don’t have it in you.” Her lip curls as she jolts forward, cutting through the air and meaning to strike me in the chest.
I parry, putting force into my front foot to throw her backward.
The move grants me a second of reprieve to lift the blade again and strike through the air.
“My sister taught you well.”
I shrug, ducking out of the way when she stabs through the air.
The trip that follows her action is the thing I need to advance behind her back. The tip of my blade catches her side as she turns, slicing through her red gown that hides the blood from her wound well.
