(I'm back with a new chapter! Let's get right down to business… Dun dun dunnnn!)
Previously in Tricks Of The Mind:
"Alice," He said a little louder, turning the girl so she was facing him.
She bore a small cut on her cheek and it leaked crimson red. He shook her shoulders, "Alice!" Tarrant began to panic. He placed her on the bed and leaned his ear down to her chest. Nothing. Nothing was happening inside her. He felt tears escaping his eyes as they shaded to a soft blue color. "Alice," He whispered, "No." He looked down at her deathly still form and leaned over her, weeping softly.
Alice was leaving him again, and this time… she would not be able to return to him…
Now:
"NO!" Tarrant screamed. He lifted her into his arms and rushed out of the room. He would not let her end this way –couldn't. She was not going to let her leave him again, especially not if it meant she would join the rest of his clan. "Help me!" He shouted, his voice cracking with his tears.
He took her to the infirmary to find that no one was there. What? That simply could not be right… What was happening? He sped off to the throne room to find her highness. "Your majesty!" He shouted as he kicked open the door. Mirana stood off her throne and rushed down the steps to meet the royal hatter. "My queen, she's dying –dead- please!" He cried, "You have to help her!"
Mirana looked surprised and then motioned for him to follow her to her potions room. "Bring her here!" She yelled, her hands never leaving the air as she ran. She knew that the mad hatter knew enough about death to not question him when he said she was dying. She motioned to a long counter and told Tarrant to put her champion there. As she worked quickly, mixing and mismatching ingredients, she asked, "Tell me what happened."
He began to stutter and stammer, "I-Idon'tknow! ,but shewas- asleepandshejustwouldn'twakeupandthenshestoppedb-b-breathing!" Everything seemed to supper out as one long word. Mirana looked at Alice and felt her cold skin. "Oh, Alice, fight it!" She whispered.
Tarrant had her hand clasped between his own and it was pressed to his forehead as he leaned down next to her, crying. Mirana finished mixing her potion and moved over to Alice. "Tarrant, hold her mouth open!" She shouted.
The hatter did so and watched as Mirana gently put the purple liquid in Alice's mouth. He feared that she would not react or that if she were still breathing, that she would choke on it, but she was responsive. Mirana helped her sit up and the fluid slid down her throat. Alice coughed violently and turned on her side, curling into a ball, "Tarrant," She whispered, and began to tremble.
Mirana looked at her mad friend as he watched her with an awestruck expression. He leaned down next to her, "I'm here, Alice."
She began to shake harder and her face twisted in pain, "H-help," She whispered, it sounded as though she were choking. He looked up at Mirana for answers, but the queen was just as clueless as he was. Alice coughed again, "P-please… So c-cold." She said. Tarrant lifted her into a sitting position and held her tight, hoping he could warm her. She shuddered and leaned against him. She kissed his neck and whispered her thanks to him. His blue eyes shed several more silent tears, "My pleasure, Alice, you know that."
"Tarrant," Mirana whispered. He looked up slowly and tightened his grip on her, "Why did you go back to the infirmary?"
"I-I didn't… Alice was in the bed in the room you are allowing her to stay in."
Mirana nodded, "Well, let's take her back there and get her under some blankets. I need to examine her further and see what happened to her." Tarrant nodded and lifted her off the countertop. "Thank you, your highness." He said to her.
~~~**Tarrant X Alice**~~~
The oracle looked in his mirror, smiling his handsome smile as he saw what had become of Alice. She was falling into death. Nothing could solve it. He cackled and licked his lips. She wasn't all bad. Her lips were soft, he could give her that.
Century watched as the mirror showed the future. "How does the plan fair?" The cloaked figure behind him asked.
"Better. You should do better research. The vorpal blade will not harm its true owner. I am not, as I was not appointed by royalty nor had I bonded with the sword. It wouldn't harm a hair on her pretty little head."
The cloaked figure shrugged, "You'll make it work."
"Yes, but-" He turned to find himself alone once again. He rolled his eyes, finding himself once again thinking 'I hate when people do that.'
~~~**Tarrant X Alice**~~~
Everything came out of the black all at once; the snow, the tea set, and everything else. Alice wrapped her arms around herself. She was shivering. Snow was falling over the tea table as she waited. She was waiting for Tarrant. He'd said he'd be out soon, but surely that was hours ago. She pushed the chair out and felt the snow falling into her shoes. "Tarrant?" She called, standing.
She stepped up into the mill and looked around slowly. "Tarrant?" She called again. She found him in the living room area of the mill. He stepped towards her and smiled down, pecking a small kiss across her lips, "I'm here, Alice," He whispered, his warm breath caressed her cheek.
She faltered, "H-help me, p-please. I'm so c-cold." She shuddered and watched as he took his long coat off and wrapped it around her shoulders. He then encircled tiny Alice in his muscular arms. She smiled and kissed his neck softly, "Thanks."
He brushed a soft kiss across the top of her head, "My pleasure, Alice, you know that." She sighed and smiled into his neck. For once in her life, she didn't want this to be a dream…
