Page 6 of Knot My Wonderland, Part Two (Fairytale Omegaverse #2)

I felt the golden bond pulse weakly, carrying echoes of Alice's growing disorientation. Whatever my mother was doing to her was accelerating, and we were running out of time for careful planning.

"The gardens," I decided, pushing aside my body's protests as I reached for my weapons. "It's the most direct route, and Alice needs us now."

Chi's form solidified with determination, his silver patterns blazing brighter. "I can phase us through the outer defenses, but once we're inside her domain, my abilities will be severely limited. The Red Court's magic interferes with reality manipulation."

Seth shook his head, “You know they will be waiting for Heart and Chi. I think having you go in with people as the main diversion and another to get Alice would be the best thing.”

"We know my mother's obsession with me," I said, wincing as I adjusted my stance. "She'll expect me to come charging in like some heroic fool to save Alice. That expectation gives us an advantage."

"Two teams," Martha suggested, her tactical mind already mapping possibilities. "Heart leads the frontal assault with our strongest fighters. Creates maximum chaos, draws attention, makes them believe it's a desperate, emotional rescue attempt."

Seth nodded, shadows coiling thoughtfully. "While a second team slips in through an unexpected route. Smaller, faster, less detectable."

"I'll lead the second team," Chi said immediately, his form solidifying with determination. "I can still phase between realities at the edges of her domain, even if my abilities diminish closer to the center."

"No," Seth countered, his voice carrying quiet authority. "You and Heart share the strongest bonds with Alice so you are going to need to be the distraction or the Queen will know something is wrong.”

I stared at Seth, recognizing the cold logic in his words even as everything in me rebelled against the idea of leaving Alice's rescue to anyone else. The golden bond pulsed weakly, carrying fresh waves of Alice's disorientation—whatever ritual my mother had begun was progressing rapidly.

"Then who leads the infiltration team?" I demanded, golden blood still seeping through my bandages as I forced myself to remain upright. "Alice needs someone who can navigate the Red Court's defenses."

Seth's shadows coiled tighter, his form becoming more solid as he prepared for what he was about to reveal. "The Tweedles. They exist partially outside linear time—your mother's temporal distortions won't affect them the same way they would normal infiltrators."

Chi's form flickered with surprise. "Vee and Dee? They're brilliant, but they're not fighters.”

Seth chuckled, “You have never seen them fight. They can fight and very well, they just prefer not too. I also will go with them as a precaution.”

"You?" I couldn't hide my shock. "The King of Spades personally joining a rescue mission?"

Seth's shadows rippled with something that might have been amusement, though his eyes remained serious. "I have my reasons."

"The Void bond," Chi said softly, understanding dawning in his teal eyes. "You're worried about what happens if the Queen manages to sever Alice's connection to it."

Seth didn't confirm or deny this, his shadows merely coiling tighter around his feet. "The Void Court has always maintained certain... interests in preserving the pattern's integrity. This goes beyond personal considerations."

I studied him through narrowed eyes, suspicion warring with desperation.

The golden bond in my chest flickered weakly, carrying fresh waves of Alice's growing confusion.

Whatever my mother was doing to her was working—the connection between us felt increasingly stretched, thinning with each passing hour.

"Fine," I growled, knowing we were running out of time to debate. "But if this is some elaborate scheme to claim Alice for yourself?—"

"If I wanted to claim Alice, I wouldn't need to rescue her from your mother," Seth interrupted, his shadows rippling with dark amusement. "I'd simply wait for the pattern transfer to fail and collect the pieces."

Chi's form flickered with alarm. "Fail? You think the ritual won't work?"

"Pattern transference has been attempted before," Seth replied, his voice carrying the weight of ancient knowledge.

"It requires perfect synchronization between the donor and recipient.

Any resistance, any emotional attachment that survives the cleansing process.

.." He paused, shadows coiling meaningfully.

"The backlash typically destroys both parties. "

The implications hit me like a physical blow. My mother wasn't just trying to steal Alice's power—she was gambling both of their lives.

"She's willing to die for this," I breathed, the realization sending ice through my veins. "My mother would risk everything—her own life, Alice's life—just to possess the pattern."

Seth's shadows writhed with what might have been sympathy. "Grief makes monsters of us all, Heart. Your mother lost her daughter centuries ago, but she never accepted that loss. In her mind, Alice isn't just a vessel for the pattern—she's a replacement for what was taken from her."

Chi's form flickered with barely contained rage. "Which makes her even more dangerous. A desperate mother with nothing left to lose won't hesitate to destroy everything if she can't have what she wants.”

I pressed a hand against my chest, feeling the golden bond pulse weakly beneath my palm. Through our connection, I sensed Alice fighting against whatever sedatives they were giving her, her consciousness struggling to surface through layers of magical suppression.

"We move at dawn," I decided, forcing my wounded body to stand straighter. "My mother will expect us to rush in immediately, driven by panic. The slight delay gives us time to prepare properly while maintaining the element of surprise."

Seth nodded, his shadows forming intricate patterns as he calculated variables.

"The Tweedles will need time to synchronize their temporal perception with the Red Court's distortions.

And you..." His dark eyes assessed my wounded state with clinical precision.

"You need at least a few hours for that wound to stabilize, or you'll be worse than useless in battle. "

I wanted to argue, to insist we move immediately, but the golden blood still seeping through my bandages betrayed the truth of his words. If I collapsed during the assault, I'd endanger not just myself but everyone involved in the rescue.

"Fine," I conceded, teeth gritted against the pain. "But not a moment longer than necessary. Every hour gives my mother more time to break Alice's bonds with us."

Chi's form flickered anxiously, his tail lashing as he processed the delay. "I'll monitor our connection with her. If it weakens significantly before dawn, we move immediately."

"Agreed," Seth said, shadows flowing toward the doorway.

"I'll brief the Tweedles and prepare the infiltration route.

" He paused, dark eyes meeting mine with unexpected directness.

"Heart... your mother will expect you to be reckless.

She's counting on your emotional attachment to Alice making you predictable. Don't give her what she wants."

I nodded grimly, understanding the strategy behind his warning.

The Red Queen had always exploited emotional connections, viewing them as weaknesses to be manipulated rather than strengths to be honored.

To save Alice, I would need to think beyond my own desperate need to reach her.

Strategy over emotion. Planning over panic.

"I won't," I promised, though the fading pulse of our bond made the words taste like ash. "For once, I'll be the son she never expected."

As Seth disappeared into the shadows, I turned to Chi, whose form was flickering with barely contained fury. "We need to gather the fighters," I said, forcing my voice to remain steady despite the pain radiating from my chest. "Only those we're absolutely certain haven't been compromised."

"Martha's already screening them," Chi replied, his tail lashing anxiously. "Varik's devices confirmed five more with passive corruption signatures. They've been isolated in the containment chambers."

I nodded, trying to ignore the hollow ache spreading through me as Alice's presence grew fainter. I could only hope this rescue would turn out alright.