“No.”
“And Wonderland definitely commences just beyond?”
“Wonderland and our adventure, darlin’. Our great adventure, the one we have been waiting all these years to start.”
Dolly pressed her delicate hands into her lap and took a long deep breath. “I’m ready.” She threw me a big smile, one that eleven years of hell couldn’t dim. “Ready for whatever Wonderland has in store for us.”
The blood pumped faster through my veins as her words trickled into my ears. As we pulled away from the house that had held so much darkness for us both, I thought of the journey ahead. Thought of the blood we would shed, the hearts we would stop and the lives we would steal. And all the time, a smile threatened to grace my lips when I thought of my Dolly beside me, slitting throats, slicing flesh—her tainted blood guiding our revenge.
Dolly killing, a laugh pouring from her pink lips and crimson blood coating her fragile hands . . .
. . . I could imagine nothing more beautiful in this or any other world.
Chapter 6
Ellis
Dolly
Squinting against the bright sun, I tipped my head back and stared at the sky. It was so blue. So bold—I had never before seen colors so vivid. In the room of doors, I inhabited a world of shade. Spindling shadows danced menacingly on the walls, their tentacles straining to reach me in my corner, where I crouched in trepidation of them touching me. If they reached me, I instinctively knew everything was lost. Rabbit would never, ever find me. So I would block them out, close my eyes and live in the dark.
Night. Eternal night.
Down the rabbit hole, there was so much light. So much color, as if a rainbow had bathed the world in its beautiful rays. I ran my hands down my dress. My blue dress, so striking and pretty.
The prettiest dress you ever did see.
Tipping my head back again, I watched the fat, fluffy white clouds as they drifted across the sky, and let excitement fill my heart.
It was beating so fast.
I lowered my head and looked out of the window at the long driveway. The car’s tires crunched the road beneath us.
Then I glanced across at Rabbit.
My breath was trapped in my throat. He stared straight ahead at the road, one hand on the wheel and the other resting on the car door. The roof was down, and the wind blew over us like a comforter of feathers. Unlike the rest of the world, Rabbit wasn’t bathed in color. He was clothed in darkness . . . save for his eyes.
Silver orbs . . . just like the moon.
He wore a strange thimble on the index finger of his left hand. It was gold and gleamed in the light. Curiously, it wasn’t blunt like a traditional thimble, but sharpened, like a talon. I had no idea why he wore it.
Rabbit turned his head, and those silver eyes landed on me. “You good, darlin’?” I shivered at the sound of his voice. It was deeper than I remembered. Rougher and lower.
I felt my cheeks blaze red. He raised an eyebrow. “You sound different,” I said. “Your voice is deeper.” My gaze fell on his body. He was bigger too, taller and wider. His clothes were similar, but his shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and the skin below was marked with drawings. Black and gray clocks. Clocks and watches of all kinds covered every inch of his skin—on his arms and all the way up to the top of his neck. On his cheek, just next to his left eye, was a single black drawing.
A spade, from a deck of cards.
“You look different.” I tapped my head. “In here, I remember you differently.” I smiled when I looked up at his hair. “But your hair is still the same . . . and your eyes. I could never forget those eyes.” I smiled and whispered, “My Rabbit.” I wasn’t sure if he heard or if the wind had carried my whisper away to the sky.
He didn’t say anything for a while, then ventured, “You look the same too. But different. Grown.” He raked his teeth over his bottom lip, and his nose flared. “Like a living doll.” His lip twitched. His hand tightened on the wheel. “My little Dolly, all grown up.” Rabbit’s voice was raspier than just a minute before, for some reason. Confused, I was about to ask him why when he stopped the car and took a deep breath. “Look ahead, darlin’.” He pointed through the windshield.
I followed his hand and looked straight ahead. My heart fired into a sprint. We had stopped at the gates. They were broken and open, and my eyes could not help but focus on the road beyond.
“Wonderland,” I whispered.
“You ready?”
I dropped my head and played with my fingers on my lap. “I . . . I have never been out of these gates before, Rabbit. I’ve never been to Wonderland.”