Page 29 of Ace of Spades

“Chill out, Callister," Alice shot back, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "I can handle myself.” She took another long drink and then licked her pink lips in satisfaction. "Besides, I'm starting to really like the taste."

"Of course you like the taste of sin, my dear," Hatter said, reaching under the table towards her thighs, eliciting a soft moan from her mouth. "We all do, eventually."

"Damn straight," Alice agreed, clinking her teacup against his.

I watched as Hatter whispered something into her ear that made her blush all the way from her cheeks to the perfect tits that were heaving beneath the tight confines of her dress. As much as I hated to admit it, their sickening flirtation was getting under my skin.

Chess leaned close to me, his voice dripping with playful sarcasm.

“Why Callister...you look like you’re about to crawl out of your skin in frustration. Don’t be jealous. You know Hatter and I always share everything with you.”

“Why would I be jealous of that deranged lunatic?" I scoffed while taking another drag of my hookah. "I just don't know what she sees in him, that's all."

"Well," Chess mused thoughtfully, "perhaps it's because he can offer her something that you can't."

"And what the hell would that be?" I spat, my anger flaring like the bowl of my hookah.

“The true location of the Vorpal Sword,” Chess replied, his voice soft and deadly serious. “I know you gave her that cursed map to throw her off course and make her give up, but just look at her...she’s probably bargaining with Hatter to see what he wants in exchange for the right information.”

“I’m pretty sure I know what he wants from her,” I grumbled, taking another swig of my tea. It tasted like liquid sin, burning a path down my throat as it threatened to ignite the darkness within me. “Do you think she’ll do it?”

"Perhaps," Chess conceded. “They do seem rather drawn to one another. And,” he added as an afterthought, “I have been teasing her a fair bit. That’s why I’ve kept her panties...they’d only get in the way. I thought she’d be satisfied with multiple tongue fuckings, but apparently all I’ve done is leave her wanting more.”

“More?” I hissed, half in disbelief, and half in delight. “What a greedy little slut!”

“I know,” Chess agreed with a subtle nod, his eyes never leaving Alice's flushed face as Hatter whispered depraved things in her delicate ear.

Of course Chess’s demonic green eyes never left her face. That fucker loved to watch. I’d lost track of how many times I’d been fucking a girl and he’d been invisible, yet watching us the whole time.

One got used to it after living with a demon for so long.

"But for now, we should focus on celebrating the fact that Alice has been able to tap into her imagination better than either of us expected. I do believe she’ll be the one to defeat the Red Queen."

As the night wore on and the debauchery reached new heights, I couldn't help but feel a twisted sense of pride in what Alice had accomplished. She might have been a pain in my ass, but there was no denying that she had talent—and guts.

"Callister," Hatter called, looking at me with a grin that would've made Chess proud. "Tell me, what do you think of our dear Alice? Do you think she’s worthy of the task ahead of her?”

“It’s hard to say, my friend,” I replied, sucking the last of the coconut lime tobacco into my lungs. Spirals of pale green smoke drifted over the guests who were still seated at the table...the ones who hadn’t wandered off to fuck in the bushes. “I think Alice needs to decide that for herself."

I turned my attention to the blonde he was still fingering under the table. She thought she was hiding it so well, but I knew better.

A woman didn’t move and twist her body like that unless she wanted to get fucked.

“How bad you want to find that sword, princess?” I asked, sitting back in my chair. “Are you willing to do whatever it takes?”

“Yeah, I am,” she said, and her pink lips morphed into a twisted, devilish grin. “Watch me.”

I had no idea what she had in mind.

But I was about to find out.

* * *

ChapterSeven

ALICE

"More tea?" the Mad Hatter inquired, his voice lilting and teasing. Entranced, I nodded, accepting a fresh teacup emblazoned with "Drink Me" and taking a long drink of the deliciousness. Another round of warmth spread through my body like liquid fire, igniting a boldness I’d never experienced before.

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