Hatter's Heart - Erin Bedford Page 0,47

Cheshire grinned approaching the tree.

I huffed. "Why didn't you say so in the first place?"

Giving me a sideways look, Cheshire gruffly responded, "I was a bit busy, you know. I didn't have the chance. Though, I'm not complaining about being back in this form. At least, I have hands." He held both hands up and perused both clawed finger with great interest.

"Father," Chess prodded his tail twitching irritably. "The portal."

"Oh, yes." He walked over to the tree, making sure to avoiding the pond at its base. His tall height made it quite easy for him to reach up and grab the edge of the hole. His hand glowed a faint purple as he tugged on the edge. "Just have to readjust the threads a bit..." His mouth twisted to the side in concentration.

It was such an intriguing sight, I found myself moving toward him without knowing it. It wasn't until Chess shouted that I realized I was in danger.

"Alice! Watch out."

Something sharp sank into my ankle. Crying out, I glared down at the featureless white head, its sharp jaws wrapped around my ankle. So entranced by Cheshire, I hadn't paid any attention to where I was stepping, ending up with one foot in the pond and one out. Apparently, pretty men made me as sharp as a feather.

"Get off," I shook my leg and tried to dislodge the disturbing creature. A waft of sickness filled my nose and I covered my mouth trying to hold back the urge to gag and simultaneously shake the creature off.

Two pale hands with purple strips wrapped around the wrists grabbed a hold of the head, pulling at the jaws until they released me. I lost my balance and fell into Cheshire. His arm wrapped around me, while his other threw the featureless head back into the pond.

This close to Cheshire, I expected to be gagging on the sickness smell, but I wasn't. Cautiously, I lowered my hand and buried my face into his chest.

"Not that I do not mind your delicious form pressed into mine," Cheshire purred, both arms holding me now, "but what exactly are you doing?"

"You don't stink," I stated matter of fact.

Cheshire snorted. "Well, I'd hope not. I bath quite often."

I lifted my head from his chest and frowned at him incredulously. "It has nothing to do with how often you bathe." I pushed away from him and stepped back until the scent of the sickness hit me once more. Groaning and covering my mouth, I took one step forward leaving only a few inches between us. The scent was gone again. "Curiouser and curiouser."

"What?" Chess stepped up next to me, his head cocked in interest.

"It seems that the sickness is only in the space around your father." I stepped back and instantly plugged my nose, moving my hand over the area in which the sickness laid. "When I'm outside of his aura, I suppose that's a good enough word for it, the sickness tries to keep me away." I frowned and stepped back into Cheshire's personal space. "But once I get past it then... there's nothing. Like the sickness doesn't even exist. How can that be?" I peered up at Cheshire with wide eyes.

Cheshire's lips curled up at the edges. "I do not know sweet Alice but anything that allows me to have you in my arms once again is alright by me." His hands slid around my waist and he shifted closer to me.

I blushed furiously and disentangled myself from his arms. "Uh, yeah. Anyway," I searched for something to change the subject and my eyes fell on the elongated hole in the tree, "you fixed it!"

"Well, of course, I did." Cheshire whipped around, easily distracted. "It was simple as stretching the particles out and redirecting them to go in as well as out."

"How did you know to do that?" I cocked my head to the side, keeping close to Cheshire but away from his grabby hands.

Smiling broadly, Cheshire purred, "Who do you think made the entrance to the Willow tree in the first place? Displacing particles is what I do."

I nodded, pleasantly. "That explains your ability to shift as well. It’s fascinating how much magic relies on simple science." Cheshire and I shared a mutual smile of agreement.

Chess came up behind us. "I don't know much about science, but I do know I want to get out of here."

Reluctantly, pulling my eyes away from Cheshire's enchanting ones, I glanced at Chess. "Oh, yes. We should probably go."

Staring into