Page 39 of Alec in Wonderland (Rainbow Tales #1)

Alec stared down at the sleeping Knave of Hearts. Then he looked at his engagement ring. He reached for it but couldn't bring himself to remove it. No. It was his. The only thing he'd take from Bax. He leaned over and kissed Bax's forehead, pulling back before the tears came again. He was turning into a damn pussy.

Swallowing his sorrow, Alec hurried out of the bedroom, then out of the suite. The fortress echoed with the sounds of revelry, though it was more muted than it had been when he'd retired with Bax hours earlier. Their celebration was winding down. The dining hall was probably empty. All that would remain would be the guards on duty. And that would work out well for Alec and Torwen.

Looking as nonchalant as possible, Alec strode down the corridor. Every instinct he had told him to creep about, but if someone came upon him like that, it would be far more suspicious than the Knave's betrothed out for some fresh air. Better to look as if he was innocent.

And Alec's luck held. The guards that he passed were so inebriated that they didn't even recognize him. They just lifted their mugs to him and slurred something. Alex waved and kept walking. It wasn't until he reached the kennels that he slowed his steps.

There, far from the keep, it was silent. The only sounds were of sleeping dogs, and Alec wanted nothing more than to let them lie. But he couldn't. He crept into the kennel and made his way to the back wall. There, upon the wall of the pen on the left, hung the Vorpal Sword.

Alec opened the iron gate.

The squeak it made woke the bandersnatches. All of them. They came to the gates and barked once, then sniffed the air. After that deep inhale—during which Alec remained motionless—the monstrous dogs yipped.

“Good doggies,” Alec said. “Very good boys.”

They yipped again.

Alec didn't know which one of them stood before him, so he kept using those general terms. “Good boy.” He ventured a pat on the bandersnatch's head.

It panted happily, a long pink tongue lolling out of its mouth.

“Yes, you're sweet, aren't you?” Alec said in surprise. “Did her magic make you mean?” He stroked the long fur back from the bandersnatch's face, revealing more of its eyes. Then he froze. “Your eyes. They're so familiar. They're not the eyes of an animal.”

The bandersnatch yipped again and licked Alec's face.

Alec fell backward as the memory hit him, sending him into the wall of the pen. The bandersnatch followed, nuzzling Alec as if to help him up. Alec stroked the long muzzle even as horror collected in his belly. What were those names? The names of the bandersnatches. Alec had thought they sounded familiar when the Queen had introduced the dogs. And now he knew why.

“Freck? Are you Freck?” Alex asked.

The bandersnatch yipped.

“You were a gardener, weren't you? You tended the roses.”

Freck yipped again.

“Holy fuck. Oh, great fuck! What did she do to you?” Alec stroked Freck's face. “Oh, God. It is you, isn't it? You're one of the gardeners I met years ago when I was a child. You were dying the roses. Do you remember? Was that really you?”

Freck didn't yip again. He just stared at Alec solemnly.

“Can you understand me at all?” Alec asked.

Something happened as Alec spoke to the bandersnatch. Something shivered in its eyes. Was it magic? It couldn't have been. Alec didn't have magic. And yet, something freed Freck enough for a sliver of his real self to come through.

And the bandersnatch whimpered.

“You're coming with me.” Alec stood up. “You all are.” He grabbed the Vorpal Sword from the hooks on the wall and strode out of the pen.

Freck stayed where he was.

“I don't know if anyone where I'm going can help you. But at least you won't have to do her bidding.”

Another dog whined.

Alec slipped the sword into his belt, then went to the rest of the bandersnatches. He stroked them and spoke to them until he saw their true selves fill their eyes. Then he opened the pen doors.

“Go to the edge of the woods and wait there for me.” Alec pointed. “Go quietly. Don't let anyone see you if you can help it.”

The bandersnatches stared at him.

“It's your choice. You can stay here and serve her or you can take your chances with me. I promise you, I won't hurt you.”

The bandersnatches crept past Alec and headed toward the fortress wall, staying in the shadows.

Alec lifted his chin and headed back to the keep. At least he could do one good thing tonight.