Page 47 of Alec in Wonderland (Rainbow Tales #1)

Alec worried over the Queen's words all the way to the war room. Then his eyes went wide, focusing on the massive 3D map that stretched across the table in the center of the room. The White Queen flitted away over to that map and started pointing at areas as she spoke to Quinlen. Torwen joined them, but their voices became background noise for Alec. All he could do was stare at the little model version of the Hearts Fortress. Somewhere across Wonderland, in the real thing, the man he loved was plotting Alec's demise. Probably creatively.

“It's a lot to accept.” Prince Albion crossed his arms and stared at the map with Alec. “But she's right. You're a healer. I felt the magic in you that first night I saw you at dinner in Hearts.”

Alec turned to look at him. “We were planning on freeing you, you know?”

“Oh, yes. I know. Torwen came to me while I was imprisoned. He told me about the plan. But then the Knave of Hearts showed up.”

The title tore into Alec's chest. The Knave of Hearts. That's who Bax was to him now. Not Bax. Not even Baxenvir. And certainly not his betrothed. He was the Knave. The Queen's Champion. Alec's enemy. Oh, fuck. What if Alec had to face him before he reached the Jabberwocky? What if it came down to Bax or him? Could he hurt Bax even if it was in self-defense? But if it came to that and Alec died, all of this would be for nothing.

His stomach turned. Killing Bax? No. No, he couldn't. Maybe he could knock him out or something like that. If he was even good enough to beat the Knave of Hearts. Shit. Were judo and a pretty sword going to give Alec an edge? He decided to run if Bax came at him. He'd run away and find the monster. That was his main objective.

“I thought he was taunting me,” Albion went on, pulling Alec out of his dark thoughts. “That maybe he would take me out of my cell, give me a glimpse of escape, and then put me back. But then I saw his eyes.” Albion looked at Alec. “He was different. I mean utterly different from the man who had captured me. That man had been cold. Merciless. But this man . . . there was hope in his eyes. The warrior had been vanquished. By you, Alec. Love conquered him.”

“Conquered,” Alec whispered, a memory teasing him. “No, I only tamed him for a little while.”

“You saved him, Alec. You opened his eyes and poured hope into them. And he, in return, saved me. He told me he wanted the war to be over and he'd do everything in his power to ensure that the Queen remained happy and continued to forget about her desire to rule Wonderland.”

“Can we not speak about the Knave of Hearts?”

“Certainly. I understand. Just know that he's not lost to you.”

“Oh, yes, he is. I betrayed him. And that brought the Knave back. The man you glimpsed, the one who freed you, is gone.”

“No, Alec. A love like that is never lost. It's always right where you left it. You just have to circle back.”

“Circle back,” Alec muttered. “Sure. I'll do that.”

“Alec,” the Queen called. “If you please, darling. You need to see where you'll be on the battlefield.”

Alec grimaced at the White Prince. “It's going to be difficult to circle back to love when the man I left it with is intent on killing me.”

Albion chuckled. “We'll see.”