Page 26 of Trapped By Clocks and Hearts

Allie’s forehead creased in curiosity as she met my gaze. “Why didn’t you have a new Heartlamp made before?”

I shot her a pointed look. “I haven’t told anyone about this, Allie. About you. If anyone finds out I’m keeping a—” coeur, I almost said before stopping short to amend, “your heart, we’ll both be in grave danger.”

“Perfect.” Allie pounded the table with her fist in enthusiasm. “Then there’s only one thing to do. Let’s go see this Duchess.”

Chez tilted his head to look at me. “You know you’re going to have to cross the River of Tears, right?”

I resisted the urge to groan. “I know.”

Chez’s eyebrows shot up. “Okay. Wow.”

Allie looked from me to the cat and back again. “Is that a big deal?”

Wordless, I averted my gaze.

“Rabb hates that river. He hasn’t been across it in decades,” Chez relayed. “The River is…dangerous for people like him.”

“Dangerous how?”

“Magic doesn’t work there. Rabb will be powerless.”

Allie’s mouth formed an ‘o’ in acknowledgment.

Chez went on, “There’s a man they call The Dodo. He’s a slimy, unscrupulous fellow, runs a gambling den on a steamboat that cruises up and down the river.” He tiled his head to point out, “Only way to ensure no cheating is not to have magic. It’s the only place gambling thrives. He’s carved out quite the market for himself. Of course, the house takes a cut off the top of all earnings, so really, the only winner is The Dodo.”

Her attention now back on her work, Allie merely nodded. “Sounds logical.”

Chez chuckled. “I knew I liked her.” He cast me a glance. “Rabb, doesn’t Allie just glow with such…an ominous positivity?”

I huffed and whirled around to make my leave.

From behind me, sparks lit up the room as Allie soldered something on her work table and a rusty tang tickled my nose.

I glanced back to see Allie blow the dust and smoke from the object on the table before picking it up. I narrowed my eyes at the yellowish orb hanging on a chain as Allie drew it around her neck.

“So,” Allie started to Chez. “This scary Queen of yours. She sounds quite gruesome.”

“Yeah, she eats all the hearts she can get her hands on. Nobody escapes that.”

“Except me,” she quipped.

“Well, we’ll hope so.”

I turned to climb back up the stairs but I couldn’t help but dally near the top so I could eavesdrop on the rest of their conversation.

“Chez?”

“What?”

“Why can’t Rabb give my heart to the Queen?”

“I told you, it’s a weird one.”

“Weird how?”

“It’s empty, for starters.”

“Because I lost my memories?”