Page 16 of Alec in Wonderland (Rainbow Tales #1)

“Seduce him,” Torwen said.

“Excuse me?” Alec sat near the balcony but had the doors shut. The scent of roses had become too much for him—cloying and sickly.

It was over an hour since the Knave of Hearts had shown Alec to this amazing guest room, and Torwen had only just found him. He had come into the room looking like the cat who ate the canary, done a turn around the place, then made his announcement.

“You do know that his bedroom is right across the corridor?” A smirk landed on Torwen's face as he landed in the chair across from Alec.

“Excuse me?” Alec said again.

“Why do you keep asking that?” Torwen scowled. “You are a spy now, Alec. Just like me. There are no excuses. We do what we must to complete the mission. I just fucked the Queen. Many times.” He rolled his eyes. “The woman is insatiable. I hate fucking her. But it gets me wandering rights and sometimes she tells me things she doesn't tell anyone else.” He leaned in close. “Like how she's never seen her knave so enthralled with anyone before. Not that she needed to tell me that after her little, go forth and be happy speech.” He rolled his eyes. “She wants him to fuck you nearly as much as he does.”

Alec blushed. His heart was already racing, set upon its pace by Torwen's revelation that Baxenvir was across the hallway from him. Then Torwen had to mention the Queen's observation. If that wasn't proof of the knight's interest, Alec didn't know what was. Well, there was that kiss too. That was some damn fine proof. What a fucking kiss! Toe-curling. Dick-hardening. Life changing. Alec had spent the last hour trying to convince himself that he would not fall in love with the Knave of Hearts. Nope. Not happening. He could sleep with the guy, but only if he could leave his emotions out of it. Sure, no problem. That's what he'd do.

And yet, his heart kept pounding like a scared rabbit's, calling him a liar.

“He kissed me,” Alec admitted. “We kissed.”

Torwen chuckled. “Well done. It seems you're a natural. Then I guess I can save my speech about seducing the Knave and getting as much info out of him as possible.”

“How do you do that?” Alec leaned forward. “I mean, how do you ask questions without raising their suspicions?”

“Oh, you don't ask those specific questions. You fawn over them. Feign interest in everything about them. Ask him about his childhood, his favorite food, his hobbies. Shit like that. Things will naturally lead to the information we want. But when they do, don't ask. Let him offer it to you. Let him be the one who wants to share. Then he will never suspect you.”

Alec gaped at Torwen. “You're fucking brilliant.”

Torwen grinned one of his broad grins that left no teeth out of it. “I know. But thank you for the acknowledgment.” He lost his grin to seriousness. “Now, I've brought you some clothes.” He waved at the leather bag he'd tossed on the floor upon entering. “Compliments of the Queen. It seems she's tickled red by the idea of her champion in love.” Torwen grinned again, but this time, it was vicious. “I believe it's because she's falling in love, and people in love want everyone to be in love.”

“Is she really?”

“Oh, yes. She keeps hinting at it, wanting me to say it first.”

“Have you?”

“Of course not!” Torwen’s cat eyes widened into circles. “You never give them everything! You must keep them wanting. Keep them reaching for more. Or they will move on. That's especially true with royalty.”

“Oh,” Alec whispered. The thought of starting something with Bax and then him moving on was disheartening. Which was silly since they hadn't started anything yet. Well, maybe a little start.

“Hey!” Torwen jerked forward in his seat. “You don't actually like him, do you?”

Alec cleared his throat.

“Oh, fuck.” Torwen jumped up and started pacing. “Fuckity fuck! What the fuck?!” He tossed his hands up. “You're compromised, kid. You can't do this now. Just forget it.”

“Yes, I can,” Alec said. “I can do this.”

Torwen stopped to glare at him.

“I can!” Alec declared.

Torwen narrowed his eyes.

“What option do I have?” Alec got up to face off with him. “I kissed him. Do I ignore him now? Won't that upset him? And where will that get us?”

“Somewhere better than you falling in love with the fucking, fucked up, motherfucker known as the Knave of Hearts!”

Alec grimaced.

“I don't think you understand who you're dealing with, kid,” Torwen snarled. “Let me paint the roses for you.” His voice went low. Menacing. “The Knave of Hearts is beloved here. He is the hero of the kingdom. Because, just like his queen, he is feared.” Torwen leaned in. “He won his title on the battlefield when the King of Hearts fell. Baxenvir tossed aside his shield and took up the sword of a fallen soldier so that he held two weapons. With those swords, he cut a swath to the Queen of Hearts, and there, upon a hill for all to see, he slaughtered the Royal Diamond Guard. He defended the Queen of Hearts until she could muster the strength to summon the Jabberwocky that killed the monarchs of the Diamonds Kingdom.”

“Horrible things happen in a war,” Alec murmured. “It sounds as if he was fighting to save his commander.”

“Oh, yes. It's very admirable when you look at it like that. That's precisely why they call him a hero. But think of it from the perspective of the Diamonds citizens whose kingdom the Hearts invaded without cause. The people of Diamonds watched their army decimated. And that decimation came at the hands of one man—the Knave of Hearts.”

“The Knave didn't choose to invade Diamonds.”

“No, he just went mad with bloodlust upon seeing their army flounder. Hearts was losing the battle. It was the Knave who saved the Queen and turned the tide.”

“Again, that's a—”

“Why are you defending him?” Torwen cut Alec off. “Can you hear yourself? Are you that taken with him already? Great fuck, Alec! I need to send you back.”

“No. No, I'm fine. I'm just trying to be fair.”

“Don't be fair. You can't be. We are fighting against a tyrant whose goal is to make all of Wonderland submit. Don't be fair to her. She is not fair to anyone. And neither is her champion. He is the most vicious, ferocious, merciless warrior in her army. He doesn't just fight—he slaughters. It's said that he's so fast, no one can track him in battle. He vanishes, his enemies fall, and then he reappears, covered in blood.”

Alec shuddered. It was hard to equate the man who had just kissed him with the image of the monster Torwen painted. But Torwen was right. Alec knew it in his bones. The Queen was the bad guy. He couldn't let her champion weave his masculine spell over him. That was a fool's move. But he couldn't let this opportunity pass either. He had a chance to gain the confidence of the second most powerful person in the Hearts Kingdom.

“Do you know what they call that battle?” Torwen whispered.

“The Decimation of Diamonds.”

Torwen blinked. “Yes. Yes, they call it the Decimation of Diamonds. Because there was nothing left when they were done.”

“All right. I understand. I won't let my softer emotions sway me.”

Torwen cocked his head. “You're certain you can do this?”

“Yes.”

Torwen stared a moment longer, then nodded. “Very well. Then let's get you dressed. When you're a spy, clothing becomes your armor. Sometimes, it's even a weapon.”