Page 4 of Knot My Wonderland, Part Two (Fairytale Omegaverse #2)
With trembling fingers, I reached for the glass. The ruby liquid seemed to pulse with malevolent life, catching the starlight in hypnotic patterns. I lifted it to my lips, hesitating as its metallic scent filled my nostrils.
" Good girl," the Queen purred, satisfaction dripping from her voice. "The first step toward wisdom is knowing when surrender serves better than defiance."
I took a small sip, the liquid burning a path down my throat like liquid fire.
It tasted of copper and roses, sweet yet metallic, coating my tongue with power that felt ancient and wrong.
The silver and gold patterns beneath my skin dimmed further, retreating from the invasive magic as it spread through my system.
"There," the Queen said, satisfaction evident in every syllable.
"Was that so difficult?" The effect was almost immediate.
A heavy warmth spread from my center outward, dulling my senses and making my thoughts sluggish.
The world took on a dreamlike quality, edges softening as the starlight above seemed to intensify, each constellation burning brighter until they resembled actual flames dancing across the ceiling.
Through the haze, I felt something pulse against my chest—the golden bond with Heart, fighting against the numbing effect of the Queen's concoction. It was like a lifeline in quicksand, something to grasp as everything else began to sink.
"Fascinating," the Queen murmured, watching me with clinical interest. "Most would be completely subdued by now, but you're still fighting it." She leaned forward, ruby eyes gleaming with scientific curiosity. "The pattern protects you, even diminished by the collar."
My tongue felt heavy, but I forced words through the thickening fog. "What... did you give me exactly? You had only said it would cleanse me…"
"A preparation tincture," the Queen replied, her voice seeming to come from very far away despite her proximity. "It begins the process of separating your consciousness from the pattern's anchors. Think of it as... loosening the threads before we cut them entirely."
She rose from her chair, moving around the table with that predatory grace.
Through the golden haze clouding my vision, I watched her approach, every step measured and deliberate.
The burgundy silk of her gown seemed to flow like liquid shadow, and for a moment I wondered if I was seeing things clearly or if the tea was distorting my perception.
"The cleansing ritual requires your magical signature to be.
.. malleable," she continued, settling into the chair beside me rather than across from me.
The proximity made my skin crawl, but the numbing effect of the drink made it difficult to pull away.
"This first dose begins it. Then you will have another in the evening…and repeat that till the morning of the fourth day where the full cleansing ritual will take place.”
The Queen's fingers traced a delicate pattern on the table's surface, leaving behind a faint trail of crimson light that pulsed in rhythm with my increasingly sluggish heartbeat.
"Each dose weakens the bonds further, making the final separation less.
.. traumatic. I'm not cruel, Alice. I don't wish to cause unnecessary pain. "
I wanted to laugh at the absurdity of her statement, but my body felt disconnected from my will, floating in a strange limbo where commands took too long to reach their destination. The room tilted slightly making me feel like I was almost floating.
"You call what you did to Lily merciful?" I managed, words slurring at the edges. Through the golden bond, I felt Heart's presence surge with protective fury, as if he could sense the foreign magic invading my system.
The Queen's lips curved into a smile that never reached her eyes. "Lily chose her fate when she betrayed me. You have a much more... prestigious destiny."
Her hand reached out, cool fingers brushing my cheek in a mockery of maternal affection. The touch sent a chill through me despite the warmth spreading through my limbs from the drink.
"Already I can see the changes beginning," she murmured, studying my face with clinical interest. "The bonds are starting to loosen. Can you feel it? The distance growing between you and your anchors?"
I could. The golden thread connecting me to Heart felt stretched thinner than before, like an elastic band pulled to its breaking point.
The silver connection to Chi flickered uncertainly, as if seen through rippling water.
I tried to strengthen my grip on them mentally, to wrap my consciousness around the bonds and hold tight, but the crimson drink made focus almost impossible.
"You're not going to take them from me," I whispered, each word requiring immense effort as the drink continued to spread its numbing warmth through my body. "The pattern chose us. It's not yours to steal."
The Queen's smile only widened, revealing teeth that seemed too white, too sharp in the starlight. "The pattern is ancient magic, child. It responds to power and need, not sentiment. And my need is greater than yours."
She leaned closer, her scent enveloping me—roses and copper and something older, like earth disturbed after centuries of stillness.
Through my increasingly clouded vision, I saw something shift beneath her perfect features, a momentary glimpse of something hollow and hungry behind the maternal mask.
"Feel how the gold thread weakens," she murmured, her voice taking on a hypnotic quality that seemed to resonate directly with the collar at my throat.
I gritted my teeth against the hypnotic pull of her voice, forcing myself to focus on the weakening golden thread despite the crimson fog clouding my thoughts.
Through sheer will, I managed to send a pulse of determination along the bond—a message to Heart that I was still fighting, still alive, still me, despite whatever poison coursed through my veins.
The effort left me dizzy, slumping forward in my chair as the Queen's fingers traced patterns in the air above my head. Each gesture left trails of red light that seemed to sink into my skin, making the collar pulse with increasing intensity.
"Such stubborn resistance," she murmured, though her tone carried approval rather than annoyance.
"My daughter would have been just as fierce.
Just as determined to protect what she loved.
" Her fingers stilled, hovering inches from my temple.
"But determination without power is merely tragedy waiting to unfold. "
I tried to lift my head, to meet her gaze with defiance, but the weight pressing down on me grew heavier with each passing second.
The crimson liquid's effect spread through my system like ink through water, staining my thoughts with its influence.
Every breath became a struggle against the fog trying to consume me.
"The bonds will not break easily," I whispered, my voice barely audible even to my own ears. "They're stronger than you understand."
The Queen's perfect features softened into something almost genuine—a flash of respect quickly masked by calculated patience.
"No bond is unbreakable, dear child. Even the strongest chains can be dissolved with the right application of.
.. pressure." Her fingers traced the collar at my throat, sending cold shivers cascading down my spine despite the unnatural warmth flowing through my veins.
"I think that's quite enough for today," she announced, rising with fluid grace. "The first dose requires time to work through your system. We'll continue this evening."
She clapped her hands once, the sound ringing with crystalline clarity that pierced through my foggy consciousness. The attendants materialized from the shadows once more, their mirror-eyes reflecting nothing as they moved to help me stand.
My legs felt disconnected from my body, heavy and unresponsive as I was lifted to my feet.
The room tilted alarmingly, the constellations above bleeding into spirals of light that left tracers across my vision.
Through the diminishing golden thread, I felt Heart's desperate concern as he sensed my disorientation.
"Take her back to her chambers," the Queen instructed, her voice carrying that same deceptive gentleness. "Make sure she rests comfortably. We have much to accomplish in the coming days."
The attendants' hands were cool against my skin as they guided me toward the door, their synchronized movements creating a strange harmony with my stumbling steps. The white silk of my dress whispered across the floor, each rustle sounding like distant voices calling my name.
"Remember, Alice," the Queen called after me, her voice following like a shadow I couldn't shake. "This is only the beginning. By the time the blood moon rises, you'll understand your true purpose."
I wanted to respond with defiance, to throw her words back at her with the fury building beneath the crimson fog, but my tongue felt heavy, useless in my mouth.
Instead, I focused every remaining ounce of my consciousness on the bonds—the golden thread to Heart, the silver connection to Chi.
They were still there, weakened but unbroken, stretched thin across whatever distance separated us.
Though I couldn’t feel them anymore. I felt tears well up in my eyes and wondered if the Queen would succeed. Would my bonds break…would she break me?