Behind My Shadow - Book Three

25. Shades of Wrong

"Shame, shame, shame," the Queen of Hearts tsks as she sweeps by to inspect me and the Queens of Diamonds. "I hear three of the coach drivers drowned down there," she attempts a sympathetic smile, but it comes off as a sneer.

"And that really tears you up, doesn't it?" Queen Eastyn snarls, her eyes darken with a glare. "One of those drivers happened to be mine."

"Oh, tut tut," Regina shakes her head. "The main thing is that our little Alice here is okay though, alright?" She winks at me. The three of us are wearing blankets around our shoulders, shivering as the sun slopes lower in the sky. It has taken a while for our knights to finish fishing people out of the river. I didn't like the idea of separating so I decided that no one moves until we can all move out.

Now everyone is climbing back into their carriages, preparing to head down an alternate route that'll supposedly bring us back to the Palace by nightfall.

If the Black Hearts don't pick us off by then, I shudder as I cagily look around.

"Leave us alone, Regina," Eastyn snaps. "I can't tolerate you on a good day, at alone when I'm freezing, aching, and fuming over the loss of one of my drivers. So if you know what's good for you," she furiously points at the Royal Hearts carriage. "Get out of my face."

Regina chuckles and waves a finger at her. "Temper, temper, my dear." Now her chilling eyes slide to me. "I'll be seeing you later, poppet." She winks and now bustles away.

"Cornelius!" I anxiously hop up when I see my White Knight. "Is everyone ready to go? Are they all okay?"

He slowly shakes his head. "We're far from alright but we're ready to travel."

"Okay," I nod with relief. "I don't like the idea of traveling through the woods at dark so if it's possible, let's try to cover as much ground as we can before sundown."

"As you wish," he curtly nods and hurries off to give the order.

"You're handling yourself very well in these dastardly situations, My Alice," Queen Lyna praises me gently. "You have really come a long way since the beginning."

"Thank you," I bow my head, fighting to keep the tears biting at my lashes at bay.

"Alright," Quill hurries over to us, four horses pulling two carriages follow after him. "The Clubs and the Spades want you to have these. It was full of their luggage but I've made some room."

"Thank you, my son," Eastyn smiles wearily as she briefly holds her hand to his face. "You've truly become quite the knight."

He smiles a bit but shakes his head and now takes her hand to help her into a carriage. "Don't thank me yet, Mother. We have quite the road ahead of us."

"It's nothing we can't handle, my boy," she assures him.

"My Alice, are you riding with us?" Lyna asks me as Quill helps her into the carriage.

I glance between Quill and the other carriage.

"It might be for the best, Adara," Quill advises me. "Persons will likely assume you're riding with me and Cornelius."

"But..." I trail off as I watch my dad hop into the other carriage. I feel a twinge of guilt. I haven't had the chance to apologize for lashing out at him before my fifth Labor. I was angry about Vyndren's past, yeah, but I shouldn't have tried to blame my dad for any of it.

"Come along!" Eastyn calls for me.

I slowly nod. "Okay," I glance once more at the carriage Dad and Bishop ride in. I'll get the chance when all this over, I assure myself and hop into the carriage with the Queens.