Chapter 9

The tea party had come to stand still as the Hatter stood up, the young girl had needed no more convincing as she talked to her dead friends spirit, something that was the price you paid when you were part to The Game. You came to the real underworld, not Hell not Heaven.

Weather there was a God or not, she didn't care much for mortal believes, all that mattered now was winning this game, and ending it all for another god damn how many other centuries it would take.

But when they left she would need to meet up with her underlings, The Hare and The Mouse, where they were though she didn't know, and she'd have to have words with the Hare, and she wanted to kill the blasted albino bitch herself. How dare she trick her to end her game, so that the rabbit could still play the game.

They were all in the game now, and she would win, that was for sure.

She would win.

The Duchess sat on the sofa, her violet eyes watching the two mortals as she absent mindfully scratched at her stomach with her elongated nails, she got up and stretched, as they looked at her she stared back. She wouldn't tell them where she was going, she didn't have to answer to any of them, not this woman who thought she could over power her, or the mortal man that though that if he won, he could get his desire granted. Oh he'd have it granted alright.

She left the building and walked down the streets, not that anyone could see her in her white Amazon like dress. The bones were like an ivory crown upon her head, like demon horns, but the base of the 'crown' if it was indeed one, was covered by her golden locks. She was fascinated by humans, how they would go to grate lengths to achieve what they desired the most.

What they failed to notice was that yes they were demons, but they were a grate deal stronger then them, regardless of weather they were aeons years old, if it wasn't for the fact that her and the others found them interesting, they would be dead within mere seconds, unless you was the Queen or the Hatter then they'd torment you for an eternity.

She remembered her calling; she had been sitting in the court hall, ready to be played under trail yet again for something trivial, something she had done to the Queen, simply because she wanted to find her 'Pet' cat. Turned out it had been stealing from the Queen again and so she was held responsible, she had been sitting in her cell, awaiting a sentence that would never happen when the young man appeared before her, he looked intrigued, staring around the cell like it almost fascinated him.

Not too long after his arrival she was freed, and went back to her home, the huge mansion that was surrounded by her own guards as she entered the home, heading to her own study when it was announced she had a visitor.

She remembered sighing that she hoped it was her 'Pet', but no, it was a young man, he had a cloak over his features, and she raised an eyebrow.

He was tall with a good build and when he lowered his hood she was struck by a perfectly beautiful face. Slightly pale but his grey eyes sparkled with a life of their own, when he spoke, he spoke with a slight Macedonian accent and even she was compelled to listen

"I know what you are" He said "and I have come to ask of you a boon, after all I do believe you owe me"

"Owe you?" she had laughed then...long and loud but he was not interested in her mirth, in fact he seemed more amused that she should be laughing at him. "And what, silly night child do I owe you? You walked into my home."

He looked at her as she rested her chin upon her hand, her violet eyes shone in amusement, but a dangerous amusement at that, her nails tapped upon the ivory skull that was a hand rest, her throne was made of bones and skulls, clearly she was something not to be messed with, his eyes glanced around and looked at the servants, most were female, blank looks upon their faces.

"I got you out of that prison; I can put you back in there"

"Lets get something right boy" Her tone was venous and low, as if it were almost a threatening growl "I owe you nothing. I should kill you were you stand, you were not called here, you walked in on your own accord"

"Mistress please" one of the pale woman spoke "You'll do no good for your skin-"

"Shut up you insolent being" She yelled

Now that he looked closer, the young woman seemed almost lost, a lost soul showed in darkness. He took his cloak off and lay it over the back of the chair he now sat on. He put his feet up on her desk the boots making a clunk and folded his fingers into a steeple, her eyes twitched slightly from the sound, clearly this child had issues in respecting what was much stronger and older them himself.

"Listen to me lady...look who I am calling lady...I am not your run of the mill night child...none of what afflicts them afflicts me...and believe me when I say to you if I want to put you back in that hell hole I will do so".

"Try it boy and see what happens." She mused "You're right I'm not a lady, id rather not be classed as one of those flesh bags you class as women anyway" She spoke as one of the lost servants knelt by her side, the woman looked at the male, her eyes were dull but her hair was the colour of fading leaves in the summer, a rich green in which could rival the stone of Emerald.

"See something you like boy?" She asked as he looked at the creature by her feet, the hair falling over her shoulder, resting her hands upon the exposed flesh of the Duchess "Aahh, you've got an interest in my Alice?" She asked "This one I found when she was only a babe" She spoke with such a fondness "She had such a future ahead of her, guardian to a hero, she would have been a god send in her own right, she was starting to see herself as her sisters mentor like her mother and father wanted, but I saw something else, as much as she was willing to embrace what was right, I found a small spark within her, something that resented the fact she wouldn't have a normal life, that she wouldn't be able to love and leave her family, always bound to their laws and ways"

"What? You though you corrupted little Kat?" She purred at him, leaning upon the desk "You thought you aided the darkness within her soul?"

John stared at the creature sat by the Duchess's feet, he could feel the anger begin in him and in this he was not far removed from his older brother. She had done it already, all these centuries he had believed that he had corrupted Katherine, and now it was the truth that this creature had done it. he snarled and his fangs dropped his face changed from handsome to the beast within she took what was not hers to take, Katherine was his all he had asked a was that they gave her a helping hand...he snarled and let the change come over him...he was going to enjoy this.

He lunged over the table just as the woman moved too quickly to see, her foot caught him in the stomach, before she called her 'Alice' over to her.

"You kill him Alice my pet" She purred as she stroked the young girls face with one of her long nails. "Show him how much you love your future husband"

Now the Duchess was working for her former Alice, who was nothing but a child of pure darkness, of cores, her Alice knew not of her, it was the rules, because she had taken only the light she had corrupted with her, not the full soul, she would forget her memories of ever having met the Duchess, of coarse the Duchess had lost, when she had watched in amusement as he was forced to destroy a part of Katharine. He had killed almost all of her Alice's, something the Red Queen would have been proud of, but not her, not all those dammed years she had spent as a slave for mortals to do with as they pleased.

In the end she had agreed to do as he asked which was to watch over his wife, to make sure no harm befell upon her, even as she had laid in a pool of her own blood, her guts hanging out if their sides, she had laughed at him, saying that she would have to enter into a contract. Of course she mentioned what would happen if she was to lose or win, Alice's soul would be hers, and it didn't matter how many pieces he ripped her into, because she would do worse to him.

She agreed because of one thing, she had herd what had happened to Cheshire, how some mortal had called upon her, conning her into a contract. She hated humans, she hated The Night Children and the Moon Children, and she hated everything on this god dammed planet.

She would make sure these people paid. No matter how painful.

The cloaked figure watched as a woman appeared out of the shadows, her blue hair which was toned with pinks and purples was the same style it had been millennia ago. Her golden eyes were wide with insanity as she leaned over the unsuspecting soul before he saw what she was capable of, black ink like markings spread over her porcelain skin as she raised her hand and attacked.

It was a blood rain, and when she stood over the mass of flesh and guts and blood, he watched as the blood dripped from her clothes that consisted of a blue and pink jacket with a blue waist coat like top with a pink collar, her skirt was stripped, purple and pink like her knee high socks, her tail swished from side to side as they watched the blood drip from her, the splodges staining her cloths red, her tongue lapping up the life force of the creature below her as if she was drinking from a bowl of milk.

She turned and seemed to look at the figure, almost smiling as they notice the collar on her neck, a thick black leather cat like collar with a bell on the front. Almost as if she was a pet that was now owned, a smiled stretched across her face, showing her demonic fangs as the scars upon her lips stretched grotesquely. Her head cocked to the side, the blood dribbling across her skin.

"Come and find me Alice" She whispered before the shadows ate her up again.

Luna Gasped as she awoke from her slumber, cold sweat covered her body as she looked at her guests who looked at her, the rabbit was over her, looking much healthier then before the attack.

She herd voices outside the room and looked at the rabbit.

"I need to go back…she's killed a person…"

"We're heading back as soon as possible" The White Rabbit spoke as she looked at Luna's arm, and the teen noticed she was missing her jacket, and top, only in her bra, she squeaked and pulled the covers up before hissing in pain as her left arm flared up in pain.

"We better hope she knows its you" The rabbit spoke "Because of the markings upon your arm, we better hope Cheshire will help us beat the Hatter"

The Tea party was over as Hatter stood up, looking at her prize. Light eyes looked at her expectantly as she helped the teen up. Who agreed to be her contractor, who agreed to help her, at the very cost of her soul.

"Then I'll take you home, do not let on that you and I are connected Angie" She spoke as the scene faded and Angie was back in her room "I'll be here for you Angie, OK" She spoke as the teen nodded, standing up and hugging the demon, as a smile stretched over their face, turning their features demonic as she hugged the child back, her nails becoming talon like, just as the door banged open to reveal the Red Queen, Angie looked over, before back, and no one was there as her mother appeared in the door way, looking worried and shocked.

R&R please