Unsurprisingly, he started to laugh and as he did, the glamor faded away.

  “Well done, little Alice. Dina did not exaggerate when she said you are a spitfire,” he said, a smile spreading wide across his face.

  “Someone want to tell me what the hell is going on here?” Rapunzel asked as I pulled my blade back and slipped it down my sleeve.

  “Rapunzel, you remember Morpheus. He’s an envoy from Wonderland and I’d say he’s an old friend but he’s more of an annoyance than anything. Why the hell are you following us?” I demanded.

  “I believe I said I would tell you when you won, and you technically didn't win. It was a draw.”

  Rapunzel and I glared at him.

  “I guess one could argue we both won so we both get to choose." Morpheus grinned cheekily. " I happen to be here on the hunch you could use some help in the current situation. Dina filled me in on what bits she could that I did not already know. Now the question is, do you want my help?”

  Rapunzel was looking at me as if waiting to follow my lead. I considered for a moment because while I knew Morpheus, I also knew he was an enigma. All from Wonderland operated from a different mentality, though my experience with them was limited to Morpheus and the Hatter.

  Yet despite my misgivings, as I studied his face and looked into his eyes, I got a sense I could trust him.

  “I don't believe that’s all the story but I do believe you are here to help, and we will be glad to accept it,” I said finally.

  “We can discuss more in private if you wish. I hope you will allow us to stay for the night.

  “Of course. It’ll be dark soon and I wouldn’t let my worst enemy travel through Neverland at night. Rapunzel, could you please help his men set up camp and explain to them the precautions for a dark night? This might take a while,” I said, keeping my tone casual.

  Rapunzel nodded.

  “You are going to explain what’s going on later?”

  Promise.

  “If I let them out, will they stand down?” Rapunzel asked Morpheus, gesturing towards the circle.

  “At ease, men. Your job is done, and you will get paid. But I do recommend you stay here and do as these ladies say.”

  “Did anyone bring camping supplies?” I asked, surveying the men as they surveyed Rapunzel and me. They carried many things, but nothing resembling a tent.

  “We weren’t planning on staying here long,” one of the foremost women said. She was slighter than the others, with ink-stained fingers and a keen eye. She watched me and Rapunzel particularly closely, likely trying to verify whether or not we were a threat. I gave her what I believed to be a friendly nod, but she did not seem convinced.

  “Rapunzel, is there any chance you brought the extra tent with you?” I asked.

  “I did. It won’t take me too long to set up.” She turned her attention to the group in the runestones. “I am going to break the circle now. I’m going to need you all to promise to behave yourselves. Don’t go running off. Don’t try to gang up on me. We are going to have to trust each other long enough for our two groups to figure out what is going on.”

  She looked at each of them in turn and they all nodded. Some were more enthusiastic than others. It was good enough for her, so she dismissed the ward to let the group out. They were wary, at first, but once she proved the strange barrier was gone, they started branching out in the clearing. A few stooped down to pick up weapons they had dropped in the fight.

  Are you going to be able to handle this lot?

  “Yeah, I can deal with this lot. Once I get the tent set up, I think they will be far too distracted to be cross with me. You go figure things out with…Morpheus, was it? I’ll call you if I need anything.”

  Thanks, Gothel.

  I turned my attention to Morpheus, who was still staring at me with that smile on his face.

  “If you will follow me into the tent, I’d prefer the first part of this conversation be private.”

  “Of course,” he replied, stepping towards the tent.

  Out of the corner of my eye I saw someone reaching to touch one of my arrows and decided that now was the time to give them a taste of how dangerous we could be.

  The blade went straight through his sleeve, pinning it to the wooden pole. He did not even have time to register what was going on before his companions around him jumped and swore.

  An inch higher and the knife would have split his wrist in two.

  As it was, it cut clean through the fabric and did not even leave a mark on his skin.

  He turned around and stared at me, totally awestruck. I flicked my wrist once more and the knife disappeared, reappearing safely in my hand. Every single member of Morpheus’s company looked at me as if I was some sort of angel, with a mixture of great fear and great respect. I smiled smugly, savoring the moment.

  “I must recommend you don’t touch anything without asking first.”

  “Oh lovely, a magical tent. How interesting!” Morpheus finally took his eyes off me to take in his surroundings.

  The inside was roughly three times larger than the outside, with rooms that came and went as we needed them. The size could adjust to our needs too, although not as much as the second tent Rapunzel was pitching outside in the clearing. With lush carpets on the flooring and tapestries making up the walls, it was truly a sight to behold. I quickly noticed the number of rooms had changed, allowing for one more person to remain with us. I also noticed the curtains on that room were thicker than normal and our personal rooms bore a doorway spell. Smart tent.

  I walked into my sitting room, Morpheus still in tow. He looked like a kid in a candy shop.

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  Inside were two small chairs around a table laden with an empty tray and tea kettle. The walls were decorated with images from the forests where I grew up.

  I turned to show him where to sit, but before I could say a word, his arms were around me.

  I could count on one hand the number of people I allowed to hug me. Most were too wary of me to try such a thing, as my normal reaction was rather swift.

  It felt…odd, but not entirely unfamiliar or unwelcome. It tugged at memories I could not quite place, yet I knew they were real.

  I started to say something sarcastic, but Morpheus pulled back before I could get the words out. He sat down in one of the chairs and began fixing the tea as if this was a perfectly normal occurrence.

  “What was that about?” I asked as I sat, accepting the tea.

  “You looked like you needed a hug. Plus, it has been some time since we last spoke and I missed you.”

  “There is more to it.”

  “Indeed.”

  “You’re not going to tell me.”

  “Not yet.”

  “Of all the people to run into Neverland, you were the last person I expected.”

  “I have been meaning to visit for some time now and following you gave me the most wonderful opportunity to do so.”

  “And how did you know where to find me? Even if you came through with the Hatter, you couldn't have heard of the situation in time to start following me.”

  “I would call it a hunch but that would undercut its value," he replied. " She saw this day coming, your Seer Queen, or at least the potential of it. She wrote down the warning signs and left them with my mother before she disappeared. I haven’t seen them myself, of course, but mother told me what I needed to know.”

  “Which is?”

  “I know the magic used by the old king is starting to creep back in. I know it isn’t him, but people will start believing it is and that is the last thing any of us want. I know no one else can know what needs to be known to get to the bottom of this." His eyes focused on me. " I also know I want to be by your side through this.”

  Something in the way he spoke, the familiarity in his tone and the way he moved was tugging at something in the back of my mind that I could not quite place as hard as I tried. There were also questions. So many questions I wanted to ask but also many he would not answer, likely because he could not say, much as I could not remember.

  Magic is funny that way, especially where we come from.

  The thought came unbidden and brushed uncomfortably close to one of those things, so I forced myself to change trains of thought.

  “We have known each other for a while, yes?” I asked carefully.

  “Indeed, we have only met a handful of times, but I believe we were once rather close a long time ago.”

  “In a life I don’t remember.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that too much. Those memories will come back in time, you just need to stop thinking about them so hard.”

  “Easier said than done,” I grumbled.

  After a few moments of silence Morpheus sighed.

  “I know there is still much you need to know, and you know there is only so much I can say.”

  “Of course. Such is the way of magic where we come from.” Now that I had thought it, I could say it though what it meant was still out of reach. From the look on his face, he knew exactly what I was talking about.

  “Indeed, though it tends to make allowances when the situation requires. Like right now, what I can say is I know what is going on and I know how you fit into things. I came here to help, to offer my services to help you unravel the truth. This situation, if left unchecked, could lead to disastrous consequences for all.”

  “If you are here to help, then why the fight?”

  “Because fighting is fun, I was interested to see your skills, and I brought my men in case we ended up needing backup. I promise, they really are quite talented and quite loyal.”

  I leaned back in my chair, mulling over his words while I examined the strange man in front of me. Like the Hatter, he was close enough to ordinary to pass for an ordinary person using glamor. I personally preferred him without it. Skin closer to a burnished bronze than tan, silky dark hair that looked like someone wove together pieces of the night sky. Then there were his eyes, a dazzling emerald green that was difficult to look away from, not that I wanted to.

  I found myself wondering how many people on this side knew what he really looked like behind the glamor. Did he always have it on, or was it only those who had seen it before who could see it? Why would he show me?

  Because he wanted me to trust him, of course. No, he needed me to trust him. There was a reason it had to be him who came…Wonderland has its own rules.

  I shut down that train of thought before it gave me a headache. There would be time for puzzling that out later. For now, I trusted Morpheus, and we needed a game plan.

  “Alright, Morpheus. What do we do?”

  “I say we continue onward. I will follow your lead and hopefully along the way we can figure out some of those questions. And I do enjoy the chance to get to know you better,” he said. It was possibly one of the most straightforward things he had said that night, though he was thankfully not nearly as obtuse as the Hatter.

  We exited the tent right as Rapunzel was directing Morpheus’ men to set up the tent and collect wood. She appeared stern and demanding but I knew she was secretly enjoying every second of it. When I came up and clasped my hand on her shoulder she jumped slightly.

  “Did you two get things all sorted out?” she asked cheerfully.

  “As sorted out as they are going to be given present circumstances. Hopefully once we get to the camp my friends can help us…untangle some of these knots to get a clearer picture of what is going on.”

  She gave me a quizzical look.

  “Huh. So that’s what talking sideways around a secret looks like. Interesting. What now?” she asked.

  I looked around at the bustling camp and then at the sun, which still shone brightly.

  One would have thought it was morning but looking at the horizon I could see the sky was already beginning to darken. We maybe had an hour before darkness fell.

  “We stay here for the night. Make sure everyone is back before the hour and set up a watch schedule. Tell them the rules and if anyone asks why, tell them about that one time we went on morning watch after our first dark night,” I said, eyeing the skyline suspiciously.

  Having all these people here made me nervous. There was no way to completely protect oneself from a tantibus attack, and one could never be too careful. A shudder rippled through my body as I stuffed back the memories. It was enough to drive a person mad, and a miracle I managed to not only survive but keep my sanity. As Rapunzel turned and walked off to speak to the men Morpheus looked at me, confused.

  “It doesn’t appear to be getting late in the day,” he commented. I turned around to face him.

  “You have never spent the night in Neverland have you?”

  “Can’t say I’ve had the pleasure, but I have heard all sorts of nonsensical stories about how it works from people who have never been back home. Perhaps you could fill me in on how it really works?”

  “First things first, you cannot count on the position of the sun to tell the time. The sun here does not move as it does in the other realms. Legend has it that once the sun completes its journey across the sky, the realms will be no more." I paused, making sure I hadn’t lost them in my explanation. “At night, the sky darkens, and the sun becomes like a moon, but never will there be complete darkness in Neverland. There are some nights, though, that are much darker than others. Tonight is going to be one of those nights, and that is why everyone needs to stay within the camp. Trust me when I say that once darkness hits, you want to stay within the boundary line until the sun is shining brightly once more.”

  “What would happen if I were to go out in the dark?” he asked, honestly curious.

  The look in my eyes must have said everything for he backed down as soon as he finished his sentence, focusing on his feet.

  I walked over to one of the men who was building the woodpile and grabbed him by the arm.

  “Get the fire started, now. Keep a stockpile of wood and keep the fire going through the night. And whatever you do, do not break the circle,” I commanded, pointing to the trail of herbs encircling the camp. He seemed confused by my orders, but when he saw Morpheus nod his confirmation he nodded as well. I clapped him on the shoulder.

  “Good man. Now, what do we have in the way of provisions?”