Page 71 of Edge of Wonder

I held up a light and paused, spotting a thin wire stretched between two trees leading up to the house. A tripwire. Others were crisscrossing through the underbrush. A veritable spider’s web of traps. It took a good amount of footwork to make it up to the front door.

Above my head, a window shutter cracked open and an old woman poked her nose out of the tree. “Who goes there?”

“My name’s Sebastian Ward. I’m with the royal player, Alice Montgomery, and her guards. We’re also with a friend of yours, Shire. We’re seeking a few days’ rest.”

The shutters slammed shut. Was she coming to the door? I stared up at the closed window as crickets resumed their chirping.

“Tell her that her nose is as crooked as her teeth,” Shire said, floating up the stairs next to me.

“I’m not saying that.”

“You will if you want to get inside. She doesn’t trust anyone. She probably thinks we’re raiders looking to steal her inventions. If you don’t say it, and you’re still standing here in a few minutes, she’ll dump boiling water over your head.”

I ground my jaw and looked up at the shutters. “You better be right about this. Duchess!” I shouted. “Your nose is as crooked as your teeth.”

The door burst open. “And your head is shaped like a watermelon!”

“She’s talking about me,” Shire said, wriggling her fingers at the old woman standing in the doorway. “Your head is fine.”

“Where is the little sprite? Come back to haunt me, have you?” The woman swung a long white braid over her shoulder and resettled the afghan around her neck. She smiled a set of perfectly straight teeth.

The lantern on the post flickered, going in and out, with a staccato pattern.

“It’s good to see you too, Shire. And welcome to the royal player and her entourage. Sorry about the abrupt dismissal. You can’t be too careful these days.” Duchess smacked her wrinkled hand on some sort of trigger behind the door. The tripwires fell slack, allowing us safe entry.

I waved the group forward. Once they were through, Duchess reengaged the tripwires. The guards set up around the perimeter while I ushered Alice inside the tree house. Tristan followed behind us, earning a bewildered frown from Duchess. She reached for his pendant, turning it over in her hand and reading the name inscribed on the clock.

“Tristan Fawkes? The missing player. Come inside and settle by the fire. I would hear where you’ve been the last few years while our realm descends into madness.”

“Yeah, I’d like to hear that too,” I said.

Duchess led us into a casual living room containing a stone hearth. A rocking chair sat in front of it with a basket of odds and ends on the floor. Peculiar gadgets lined the wooden shelves, and I examined a few of them, curious to see how they worked. Alice settled into a cushioned chair while Duchess bustled around her, offering a crocheted blanket.

“Would you like some tea, dear?”

Alice grimaced.

“How about some coffee, Duchess? Cream and sugar?” I suggested. “I think we’ve had enough tea for the foreseeable future.”

“Ah, I’m guessing you met Hatter. He’ll put you off tea for a lifetime. Of course. I’ll put on a pot. It will just be a minute.” Duchess patted Alice’s shoulder, then shuffled into an adjoining kitchen. When she returned, she took a seat in her rocking chair and fixed her rheumy eyes on Tristan. “I’ve kept a close ear to the ground throughout Alice’s journey. We all have, but you’re a surprise.”

Tristan removed his coat, folding it over the arm of his chair. He rested his elbows on his knees, leaning forward to speak. “I’ve been in hiding until recently. It’s not safe for myself or Alice as long as the queen is still in power.”

“And yet, you’re here.” I stood beside Alice’s chair while Shire floated on the other side, her arms crossed with an inquisitive tilt to her head.

The tiniest tick flared in Tristan’s eyes as he held my stare. Then he dropped his gaze, focusing on Alice.

“As you know, I saw you at your induction ceremony. A few years back, I activated the pillar myself, after years of being on the run. I set out for the first challenge, thinking I could save the realm. But I never made it. The queen’s mercenaries took me in the middle of the night.”

“They didn’t kill you?” Alice asked.

“No. Because I found out the truth. The queen’s plan has changed. She wants the keys for herself. If she destroys them, she’ll end the games permanently and stay in power. But she can’t enter the challenges and get them on her own.”

Alice looked up at me, her brow creased. “That must be why we haven’t encountered any trouble from her. Besides that one in front of the portal, we haven’t seen any of her mercenaries. It’s been quiet.”

Duchess rose to make the coffee, giving us a few moments with our thoughts. It had been too easy moving between the challenges. We’d been careful, but we should have at least encountered an attack. Tristan’s explanation fits, but I still didn’t trust him.

Returning with a small wheeled cart filled with drinks and a few snacks, Duchess prepared the coffee and handed Alice a steaming mug.

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