"Congratulations!" Iris' voice ricocheted off the cavernous walls as soon as I stepped through the door of the castle.

Iris' spell had done its job well. Looking at it from the outside, I never would have guessed the interior looked like this. The gothic-style castle was the pure essence of elegance and evil. There's a reason most gothic buildings are associated with horror stories. It was terrifying. Intricate stone arches and domed, stain-glass windows gave the place a timeless feel. Like it had jumped right out of a fairytale (no pun intended).

Barely any light filtered through the colored window and only a few lights flickered inside. If Iris had been trying to give off a 'haunted' vibe, it was working.

"I must say, Taryn, I am impressed. Not many have been able to find my castle."

"Pfft. It was nothing." I scanned the room but I couldn't see her anywhere. I hated when Isis used to do this to me and now it seemed her sister had picked up the same habit.

"You are proving to be much smarter than I'd first assumed."

I wasn't a genius, but I'm pretty sure she just called me dumb. "It just kinda hit me. Like, BAM there's the castle! You really aren't very good at hiding it. The magical essence it emits is a dead giveaway."

Iris laughed softly and I couldn't help but be a little jealous. I'd always had a loud, obnoxious laugh but Iris' sounded like an angel.

"I will correct that, thank you. I can't have you popping in and leaving the curse, now can I?"

"Leave the curse? What do you mean?"

She sighed. "Perhaps not as smart as I'd thought. Allow me to explain it in simple terms. This castle is where all the magic happens."

"I see what you did there. Respect."

"It is my base of operations, but it also the link that binds the curse to the mortal world. Without it, we would all float away into a black void and never be seen from again."

I frowned. "Wait, so you're saying that we aren't in the curse right now? I'm back in the mortal world?"

"Yes and no."

"That's helpful."

"We are at a sort of halfway point. From this castle you are able to return to the mortal world, yes. However, it is still connected to the curse, which is where you'll be going."

"Darn right I will be."

"What?" That clearly wasn't the answer she'd been expecting.

"I'm not leaving without my friends. I promised I'd get them out and that's exactly what I'm going to do."

"It appears as though I have underestimated you. Your loyalty is truly something to be admired."

I groaned and threw my head back in exasperation. "People are always doing that! When are you all going to learn that you shouldn't underestimate me? I've kicked your butts before and I'll do it again."

"Big talk," she taunted, "but can you rise up to that statement? Can Taryn Bauer truly overpower the all-powerful sorceress?"

"All-powerful, huh? Why don't you show yourself and quit hiding like a coward. Then we'll see who's really all-powerful here."

"I am no coward." Iris replied indignantly.

"But you're hiding. Which automatically makes you a coward."

"I am not hiding!"

I smirked. It was as easy to get under her skin as it was her sister. If Iris was anything like Isis, I might stand a chance of beating her.

"Then why won't you show your face?" I called back.

"Because I am not truly there with you. One can not show there face if they are not truly there." She huffed. "If you are going to call yourself a sorceress as well, please try to make yourself knowledgeable in these things? It becomes so tedious when I am forced to explain it all to you."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not a witch, or a sorceress or anything else you want to call it. You all need to get off my back about that. Sorcery requires generations before you to have had magic. No one in my family did, so why would I have it? It's all in this curse. Put me back out in the real world and I'm magic free."

"Are you certain of your accusations? Can you be completely sure that what you are speaking is the truth?"

I didn't like the tone in her voice. It made me question everything I knew. Had I somehow become a witch? Was I really any different than Iris and her sisters? My friends, did they know? What if they were just using me for my powers to defeat Iris? Was that even really what I wanted to do? And what about August? Had he ever really truly loved me? Or was he using me too?

That thought snapped me back to my senses. August wouldn't use me. He did love me. No, he still loved me. That was never a lie. Even Isis had admitted to that much.

I realized Iris had been manipulating my thoughts, forcing me to question myself. So I pushed back at her. If she was going to be inside my head, I was going to show her something she really didn't want to see.

I flooded my mind with images I could only dream about. August, safe and back in my arms. Chord and Juniper happy, together and free of the curse. Sam and August reunited in a tearful embrace. Iris burning up into a pile of ash. I'd seen enough gruesome deaths during my time in the last curse, it would have been easy to come up with something much more painful, but that scared me. I wouldn't let myself fall that deeply into the darkness. I had to keep some of my sanity in check.

"Foolish girl! Do not think that you can manipulate me so easily." Her voice sounded pretty shaken. Apparently she'd caught a glimpse of a few other ideas I'd tried to keep hidden. Like watching her dance in boiling iron shoes until she collapsed. Or getting eaten by the Big Bad Wolf. Images I'd never been able to erase completely from my mind.

"Did you like what you saw? I've got more. Please, feel free to join me inside my twisted mind any time you wish. Though I'd advice taking caution. It's wild and uncensored up there. I'm not responsible for any loss of sanity it might bring you." I grinned.

"You are a repulsive young lady."

"I try."

Iris took a deep breath. When she spoke again, her voice was collected and held the same tone of confidence from before. "It appears as though I will be forced to play by a different set of rules now. I can tell I will not be able to break you by any normal terms."

I shrugged. "What can I say? I'm not normal."

"As I was saying," she cleared her throat, "a new strategy must be set in place. One that will give you no hope of finding a way out."

I scoffed. "Good luck with that."

"I believe I already have found my solution. You see, what I saw in you mind taught me two things. I learned that you are an incredibly twisted young lady with a lot of baggage. You're mind is a dark and dangerous place."

"Amen to that."

"But it also your greatest weakness. You are scared of your own mind, Taryn Bauer. I saw memories and images you've been trying to suppress. You have a powerful will and a stronger mind. If I can not beat you using my own mind and powers, I'll use yours against you."

The blood drained from my face and I was finding it hard to breathe. She couldn't be serious. I mean, she was right, but that was just downright cruel. My heart raced and I had to concentrate all my willpower to keep from shaking. Force me to face any opponent and I'm fine, I'll find some way to beat them. It's what I do. But pit me against myself and everything blows up in my face.

"I can see that even the mere suggestion of it has sent you into a panic. Yes, I shall enjoy watching this." Her voice dripped with eagerness and malice.

"We're inside a fairytale curse," I countered. "How are you going to pull this one off?"

"I'm a sorceress."

"That didn't answer my question."

"I will send you into a tale where your imagination will be free of anything holding it back."

"Isn't that most tales?"

"Think about it, Taryn. I really shouldn't have to tell you where you're going. I believe you already know. What is the one tale in which your imagination rules? The one tale where nothing is as it seems?"

My mouth felt dry as I finally understood what she meant. I'd never liked the tale. The idea of that entire world being formed from your own imagination was terrifying. That and it was just annoying. I remember watching the film as a kid and being really confused as to why nothing made any sense. It wasn't until I was older that I realized she'd been dreaming the entire time.

"This is one tale I took directly from my sister's curse. It was simply too perfectly crafted to tamper with. And the best part is, you don't even have to leave this tale to get there." Iris said as the world began to fade. "The world is created from each individual person's thoughts and memories. Their strongest feelings and desires play a major role in how the world will be formed, and all I have to do is put you to sleep. I do hope you enjoy your stay. Although I would advise not angering the lovely Miss Queen of Hearts. She is a constant in Wonderland. The one person that everyone sees. And she has been cursed with a horrible temper. The last person who found themselves in the tale was beheaded for scratching their nose while the Queen was speaking to them. Of course, they simply returned to the real world. No harm was brought to them. You, however, have a much different story."

She didn't say it, but I knew what she meant. If I met the Queen of Hearts and managed to tick her off, she'd kill me, and I wouldn't be able to regenerate in the real world. Meeting the Queen would mean the end of the line for me, because we all know I'd find some way to make her mad. I'd probably just look at her wrong and she'd want to take my head off. I had to avoid her.

Something Iris had said earlier struck me. All I have to do is put you to sleep. Which meant I was going there alone. I wouldn't have Chord and Juniper to help keep me sane. It would only be me and my worst nightmares.

Panic surged up inside me and I bolted for the door. I had to get out of there. Maybe if I left the castle, the magic wouldn't work and I'd be able to stay in this messed up tale a while longer. It wasn't my favorite, but at least I wasn't alone.

But the faster I ran, the further away the door got. It was like I was running backward in slow motion.

"Running is pointless. The magic has already taken its hold. I am excited to see how you will play your cards from this point on. The tables have turned now. You no longer have the upper hand and if you wish to reclaim that position, you will have to outwit me."

"Yeah well, I outwitted your siblings. You shouldn't be too hard."

I wanted to believe my words. With everything inside me, I wanted to believe myself, but I couldn't. Fear overtook my senses as I collapsed to the floor and my eyes drifted shut against my will.

I didn't want to open my eyes. I wanted it all just to be a bad dream. I wanted to believe that I was sleeping in that ridiculously uncomfortable bed back at Chord's cabin. Juniper was in the other room, happily humming to herself while she swept the floors. I could hear the birds singing and the sun on my face. The images were easy to form and for a minute, I almost believed them.

The only thing that ruined the image was the biting cold breeze that swept across my skin. My eyes blinked open. I rolled over onto my stomach and almost screamed. Lying only a few inches from my face was a wolf. The creature wasn't nearly as big as Chord had been, but he was still big enough to enjoy me for lunch. His black coat shone in the sunlight and his head rested on his front paws as he slept.

I came to the horrifying realization that it was his breath that had been creating the icy breeze. I was pretty sure wolves didn't normally give you frostbite just by breathing on you, but I decided not to question it. If Iris had done her job right, this was all a fabrication of my own imagination. If I started questioning every little thing, I'd go insane.

Silently, I got to my feet and crept away from the snoring wolf. After I'd gotten a good distance between us, I allowed myself to breathe again. Only the first thirty seconds into the tale and I'd already given myself a near heart attack.

I took a minute to look around, which was a good thing. I realized that I was at the edge of a major drop off. I scrambled back a few steps away from the edge that I'd been dangerously close to. The drop was so far, I couldn't see the ground below and the clouds floated several feet below the ledge. There was nothing else as far as I could see. That didn't make me feel any better.

Deciding to get away from the ledge, I retraced my steps and headed back in the other direction. I crept past the wolf and trudged through the trees, only to come face-to-face with another drop.

Either I was walking in circles, or I was trapped on some sort of freakishly tall rock. I wanted to scream and shout in frustration, but I couldn't risk waking the weird ice wolf. Instead, I threw a stone as hard as I could and watched it disappear into the clouds. It wasn't overly satisfying. There was no loud sounds from the hard landing. Actually, there was no sound at all. It was so underwhelming, it only succeeded in making me even more frustrated. If this place was Wonderland, it was seriously messed up.

"There is no escape." The wolf's voice growled behind me.

I sighed, not bothering to turn around, as I stared at the place the rock had disappeared. "I blame Iris for this scenario. There's no way this messed up drop came from my imagination."

"Oh, I don't think you really believe that. Do you, Taryn Bauer?" The wolf laughed. "Are you so näive that you would believe such a lie? Wasn't it Iris herself who told you that this place is created from your very own imagination and memories?"

"How did you know that?" I finally turned to meet his startling red eyes.

"I know everything. I am a figment of your imagination, aren't I? I'm inside your head. Your memories are my memories. Your fears are my strength. I must say, this is strongest I have ever felt."

If all the characters in this tale got their strength by feeding off my fears and dark thoughts, I was in deep trouble.

"Does everyone start this tale by facing a death drop?" I asked, just to change the subject.

The wolf shook his shaggy head. "It is different for every person. I do not always appear as a wolf, but wolves seem to be a major fear of yours."

I breathed a humorless laugh. "That is the understatement of the year."

"Though from what I've seen of your past, I can see why. I am surprised you are so calm in your present situation."

The corner of my mouth twitched up in a smile. "Ah, see, this is where you all start underestimating me again. Here's how I see it. If this place is really controlled by my imagination, then I should be able to control the people, animals and events I encounter along the way. Which means, you're not a threat to me."

"I would not sound so sure if I were you." He sneered. "I may appear before you as a wolf, but I am my own character."

"Please tell me you're not the cheshire cat. I hate that guy." I groaned.

The wolf chuckled. "I suppose you could call me that. However, I am not beneath making you my next meal. I do very much like this form. Perhaps I will put in a request with Iris to have this be my official form. It's much more efficient for catching my next meal."

"And I suppose I'm your next meal."

"We are the only two up here. There is no way down. I see no other option but to eat you."

"No thanks," I said, "I prefer to keep my insides from becoming my outsides. I have weak stomach, you know? Seeing my own stomach might make it upset."

I looked down over the edge and my stomach did a few nervous flips. Would I survive the fall if I jumped? I didn't see any other option. I didn't have a weapon to use against he wolf. Even if I did manage to knock him down, he'd get right back up. I'd only be buying myself a few hours at least. No, my best option was to jump. My mind might have been on board, but my body didn't like the idea. That feeling I usually got that told me to jump anytime I was anywhere high up, had vanished. Of all the times to leave, you choose now?

"Do not be so foolish, girl. That drop will kill you."

I looked back up at the wolf who had crouched, ready to pounce. "Maybe. But at least it'll be a quick, instant death. If I let you kill me, I have a feeling it'd be much more drawn out and a lot more painful. I choose the drop."

Time slowed down. The wolf growled at me not to jump and lunged for me. I had a moment of weakness and faltered at the edge. I wouldn't allow myself to be eaten by a wolf. If I was going to go out, that's not how it was going to happen.

Closing my eyes, I jumped.

Wonderland is going to be so much fun to write! Hopefully you're enjoying the story so far!