Behind My Shadow - Book Three

29. You'll Be Alright

"Alright," Adisonia huffs. "I got your stupid note, now what do you want?"

"First off thanks for coming, I honestly didn't know if you would or not," I anxiously beckon for her to follow me up to my room away from my guards. She follows after a beat.

"Hmph," she looks around my room thoughtfully. "I've never been in this room before and I've lived in this Palace all my life."

"Honestly, if you could help me out you can have the room."

She snorts. "I'm listening." She crosses her arms.

"I have to get to the Alice Shrine without anyone seeing me." She furrows her brow. "You said it best yourself, you've lived here all your life. There has to be way to get down to the gardens without anyone seeing me."

"Well, yeah," she rolls her eyes. "But why the hell are you going to the gardens? Your next Labor starts in just under half a bloody hour. Shouldn't you be -"

"There isn't going to be a sixth Labor if I can't get down to the Shrine!" I exclaim desperately. "Look, the less people that see me like this," I gesture at my purple skin and battered arm. "The less likely people will panic."

She cringes as she looks me over. "Gods...Darie, you really do look like hell. How the klup do you think you're going to survive the Labyrinth? You know you need bloody magic for that, right?"

"Yeah, I know. But I think the spirits of the Alices might be able to help me somehow."

"How -"

"I don't know how, Adisonia!" I frantically shake my head. "I don't know anything for sure anymore other than if I don't try my damnedest to conquer this Labor than I'll be dead at midnight but worse than that," I ramble on. "Will be knowing that everyone that sacrificed something for me to have this moment -whether intentionally or not- will have died for nothing, okay? If I can't do this than that means the Queens of Hearts won." Adisonia flinches at the mention of her mother. "That means the Black Hearts win. That means Adarina will never be vindicated, that means there'll never be any justice for Kalaclispa -"

"Who?"

I ignore her. "That means Eastyn would have died for nothing," tears spring to my eyes. "Don't you understand?" I hoarsely whisper. "I have to try everything, I'm willing to do anything -no matter how stupid or crazy- to make sure these people didn't die in vain." My hot tears stream down my face before I anxiously brush them away. "So, please. Please, will you help me?"

She bites her lip as she briefly looks away. I shakily hold my trembling hands over my aching heart. She finally nods. "Alright, fine, klup it all. I'll bloody help, just stop crying," she huffs.

"Thank you," I breathe with relief. "God, thank you!" I anxiously step closer and pull her into a one-arm embrace.

"Unnecessary! Unnecessary!" She exclaims and wriggles away.

"I'm sorry," I quickly wipe my eyes. "Sorry. Thank you, thank you for helping me. And...and I don't just mean tonight."

The Princess of Hearts furrows her brow.

"I...I know that was your Serval the other night when we were being attacked." Her eyes widen faintly. "You were trying to save us."

"Whatever, you can't prove that," she curtly replies, anxiously looking away. I notice her nervously drumming on her arms with her fingertips, as if the thought of me knowing she saved me somehow scares her. Maybe it's not me knowing about her heroics that scares her though, I think it's probably her mother she's really afraid of finding out about her good deeds.