Page 23 of Knot My Wonderland, Part Two (Fairytale Omegaverse #2)

I accepted the tray gratefully, my hands steadier than they'd been in days.

The soup tasted like liquid starlight, warming me from the inside out while the pattern beneath my skin responded positively to whatever magical nutrients it contained.

As I ate, the lingering weakness from my captivity began to fade, replaced by genuine strength rather than the artificial energy the Queen's tonics had provided.

"This is incredible," I murmured, taking another spoonful. Through the temporal bond, I felt the Tweedles' satisfaction at my body's positive response to the magical nutrients.

"Varik's culinary alchemy," Heart explained, settling beside me with his own bowl. "He may be mad, but he's brilliant when it comes to restorative cooking."

The Hatter beamed, his chaotic energy settling into something resembling pride. "Madness and brilliance are simply different words for the same thing, viewed from different angles." As I ate Vee spoke up, knowing I would want to know more of the plan ahead.

"The temporal pocket will require anchors," Vee explained as I worked through the meal. "Individuals who can maintain connection to normal time flow while we exist in acceleration."

"Varik has agreed to serve," Dee added, his silver eyes tracking calculations visible only to him. "But we'll need at least one more for stability…Heart has asked Martha if that is fine with you.”

I nodded, setting down my spoon as I considered the implications. "Martha would be perfect. Heart you trust her a lot…don’t you?”

Heart's ruby eyes softened with something like nostalgia. "Martha was there when I first broke from my mother's court. She helped me establish my territory when I had nothing but my name and determination." He smiled softly.

"She's one of the few people in Wonderland who knew me before I became 'The Heart of Wonderland,'" he said quietly. "She saw me at my weakest and never once used it against me."

I reached for his hand, feeling the golden bond between us pulse with warmth. "Then I trust her too. Is there anything I need to do to prepare for the pocket?"

Dee's silver eyes met mine, his expression unusually gentle. "Rest. Eat. Let your mind process the temporal bonding naturally. The transition will be easier if you're not fighting exhaustion."

I nodded, taking another spoonful of the shimmering soup.

Through our new bond, I felt the twins' consciousness—a river flowing in both directions, carrying whispers of what had been and what might yet come.

Unlike the Queen's invasive presence, their connection felt like a gentle hand guiding me through unfamiliar territory, showing rather than controlling.

"Will I still have these visions?" I asked, gesturing to the flickering images that still occasionally danced at the edges of my perception—glimpses of myself in training, standing confident and strong as I wielded the pattern with practiced precision.

"Yes," Vee confirmed, his silver eyes reflecting something ancient and knowing. "The true-time perception is part of the temporal bond. But you'll learn to control it, to summon visions intentionally rather than experiencing them randomly."

"Think of it as a muscle," Dee added, his fingers dancing across his temporal devices. "Right now it's spasming with new strength, but soon you'll direct it with purpose."

I finished the last of the soup, feeling strength return to my limbs with each passing minute. The pattern beneath my skin pulsed with renewed vitality, silver and gold light flowing in increasingly complex configurations that seemed to respond to my thoughts rather than simply existing.

"The pattern is already responding differently," I observed, watching the light beneath my skin shift from simple pulses to intricate spirals that matched my breathing. "It feels more... alive."

"Because you're finally working with it instead of simply carrying it," Seth said from the shadows, his dark eyes reflecting approval. "The First Queen designed it to be a partnership, not a burden."

Chi's tail unwrapped from my arm, his teal eyes studying the new patterns of light with fascination. "The integration is remarkable. I've never seen anything like it."

Through the temporal bond, I caught a glimpse of myself weeks from now—standing in a field of silver grass, my hands weaving complex geometries of light that bent reality around me like clay. The vision felt less like possibility and more like inevitability.

"I want to learn everything," I said, setting the empty bowl aside. "Not just how to defend myself, but how to truly understand what the pattern is meant to do."

Heart's ruby eyes met mine, a mixture of pride and concern shimmering in their depths, “There is time. You should rest more. We will make sure everything is set up and packed.”

I nodded, fatigue washing over me despite the revitalizing effects of Varik's food. "You're right. I should rest before dawn."

As I settled back against the cushions, I caught another flicker of true-time vision—myself standing in a meadow of silver grass, golden light spiraling from my fingertips to create structures that defied ordinary physics.

The image felt so real I could almost feel the breeze against my skin, taste the metallic tang of magic in the air.

I closed my eyes fully, trying to ignore the incoming images and sleep, hoping the upcoming training would make it so the visions weren’t so frequent.