They appeared beside the rabbit hole in Hamish's garden. Alice was dizzy for a moment, before she steadied herself, and looked around. Taylor was sitting on the side of the fountain, looking bored, and Nirvana was already an indistinct shape, weaving through the trees, although her red hair was a beacon, telling them where she was. Alice set off after her, as Nirvana went to the stable yard. In the yard, by the time, Alice had arrived, two stallions were waiting for them, tied up, their breath coming as puffs in the crisp air. Nirvana swung herself onto one, bareback, and untied it from on top of him. She leant down, and grabbed Alice's hand. "You're gonna ride with me," Nirvana said, helping Alice on.
Taylor sauntered into the yard, smiling. Nirvana pointed to the second horse. "That's yours, Tay."
Taylor smiled. "Fantastic. Fun. Fabulous. F-"
"Get on the horse," Nirvana snapped, digging her heels into the horses side. "And shut up."
Taylor smiled again at her, and mounted. "Where, exactly, are we charging off to?"
"Crims," Nirvana answered, pushing her horse into a gallop. "Home of the Red Queen."
Margaret
"So," Lady Ascot said. "Hamish and Alice are to be wed- when?"
"The day after tommorow," Margaret's mother answered, gazing out the window. "Everything has been arranged, Helena. There is nothing to worry about."
The lady sniffed. "If you say so. The dress?"
"It's arriving tomorrow." Margaret said softly, smiling. "It's beautiful. Silk, mostly." Finally, Alice would be getting married! Hopefully, Margaret thought, it would make her sister settle down a bit.
Margaret looked out the opposite window to the one Mrs. Kingsleigh was gazing out of. Speaking of settling down, was that Alice on that horse?
Nirvana
Mirana had told me the bad news. They had found Stayne's hand in the forest, but no body, and Mirana was convinced that he had cut off his own hand so he would no longer be shackled to the Red Queen.
Crim's was Up Above, Mirana had explained. It was a place with fast fowarded time, so if every hour in Underland, which was about a few seconds Up Above, would be a week in Crims. It had been four hours since we had discovered Tarrant was taken, so by Crim's perspective, he had been kidnapped for a month.
A month.
How much damage could they cause in a month? I asked myself as I pushed the horse faster.
The answer was a lot.
The day passed to night, and gradually, Alice fell asleep, her head resting on my shoulder, while I felt my horse slowing slightly, exhausted no doubt.
Taylor rode up easily beside us. "And is this a kind of, save Tarrant or die trying kind of mission? 'Cause I have to admit I'm not enthusiastic about a mission like that."
"Shut up," I snapped. "He's your brother!" I took one hand from the reins and pointed at Alice. "She is no blood relation to us, and she is willing to help!"
"Yes," Taylor agreed. "But difference is, Alice here signed up for it."
"So did you," I shot back. "When you found out Alice was coming."
Taylor shrugged. "What can I say? Love can do that to people."
I glared at him. "You have no chance. Give up while you're not too far behind."