Page 60 of Trapped By Clocks and Hearts

“You look…”

“What?”

Chez shrugged. “Relaxed,” he mused. “Having Allie around puts you at ease, doesn’t it? I can imagine having you around must put her at ease as well.”

My neck burned. The too-recent moment we’d shared downstairs not minutes earlier flashed red hot in my mind. I looked away to dismiss it. “That’s…irrelevant. Why are you here?”

“The Duchess wanted to make sure you all arrived back safe and sound,” Chez began. “Do you still have the mirror that she gave Allie?”

I drew out the mirror from my pocket. With a spell from my finger, the gilded hand mirror grew to about as large as a window, propped up against the round table. The Duchess’s petite form within it was framed with ornate glistening crystal.

“Helloooo!” Curls bouncing around her round face, the Duchess’s melodious greeting sang out as her smiling image waved.

Chez pounced closer, stepping past the plate of waffles. He paused to take a sniff. “Ooh, these look nice.”

Frowning, I snapped my fingers and the tray disappeared with a poof. “They’re not for you.” When I turned back, the Duchess was peering too closely at my face. I nearly jumped back. “What?”

Her big blue eyes were boring into mine. “Your eyes look different,” she started. Her breath caught in her throat almost immediately. “Rabb, do you…have your emotions back again?”

Chez clicked his tongue. “You know what, he did say something that sounded quite a lot like jealousy earlier.”

I glared at the cat. I rolled my eyes again to dismiss him. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“So touchy!” The Duchess’s laughter tinkled through the mirror. “In any case, how was your visit with the Hatter?”

Hot frustration rose in my chest, I pursed my lips. “We almost got trapped there. I almost got a Heartlamp. Allie almost found a way home.”

“Oh.” Forehead creasing in concern, the Duchess shook her head. “Allie must be devastated. She told me about all her experiments and that funny contraption she hangs around her neck that helps find other worlds. Where is she?”

I shrugged. “Downstairs. She’s probably working on something again.”

The Duchess tsked. “That poor girl. Does she still think you’ll let her go home once you’ve drained her Heartfire ember with the Heartlamp?”

I was a little affronted by what I took to be nosy criticism—or perhaps it was a nagging little pang of guilt that I forcibly shook off. The Duchess had no idea what I had to deal with. She had no idea how high the stakes were for me. Then again perhaps she would have rejoiced were she in my position and facing the end of the line. Folding my arms across my chest, I huffed. “That’s my business.”

A gasp near the spiral staircase grabbed my attention.

Allie was halfway up, her eyes wide in horror.

Oh, for god’s sake.

She had been eavesdropping again.

Those honey-brown eyes slid to meet mine, her jaw clenched. “I should have known,” she murmured. “I’d thought maybe I could actually trust you to keep your word but you were lying to me this whole time, weren’t you?” Her gaze dropped. “You never wanted to help me. You’ve only been protecting me because, for some reason, you get hurt when I get hurt. But you weren’t even going to tell me the truth about this.” Her voice shook. “Was the Heartlamp even going to restore my memories or not?”

I cracked my neck in unease. “It would have,” I supplied. “But only before it took your life altogether.” There was a strange lump in my throat. My own words were bitter in my mouth as if for some reason they revolted me.

Allie’s chest heaved. “You’ve been lying from the start. You were never going to let me go.”

My own chest constricted at the look in her eyes. She was right. She was right and yet… “Allie.” I reached for her arm.

She shrugged me off, scorn burning in her eyes. “You know what, don’t even.” She shook her head. “I thought we were finally friends. I thought, after everything—after all this—” She broke off, at a loss.

My stomach was hollow. I couldn’t stand the cold look in her eyes. The disappointment. The regret.

Squeezing my eyes shut for a moment, I composed myself. “Look.” My voice came out dark, deep, and bitter. “I told you from the very beginning. All I needed you to do was to keep quiet, stay out of my way, and stay alive. But no!” I threw up my hands in aggravation. “You keep getting into trouble and trying to escape!”

“Of course, I will!” she retorted. “What makes you think I want to stay here forever?”