Between Roses ✓ | Wattpad Version

Chapter 27: In Which The War Began

Eryn was blinded by the light. Then, she began to hear voices.

"—waking up!"

"—more benzodiazepine!"

"My Hornets—!" shouted the Red Queen.

I'm back. She thought and struggled to wake up more. The contraption to keep her tongue in place had been removed for some reason. Then she realized she was still strapped to the bed. She tugged at the rope, but it was too tight.

Of course, it was easier said than done. She scowled.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light. People screamed, and Eryn shut her eyes tight. Footsteps scurried around her frantically.

"Stop them!" Treeza shouted.

"Hi," came a little boy's voice next to her. Then on both wrists, she felt a light touch of teeth. It was Duxim on one side and Rugisque on another as hare and mouse, and they were chewing away at the rope.

"You two!" She blinked. "Where have you been, Rugisque?" She had not seen him in the dungeon.

"Oh, hiding around." Rugisque grinned at her and continued to work on the rope. "I got everyone out."

"Yeah, he's a hero."

"Duxim, you can be one, too," Rugisque said.

"Keep chewing, you two."

"Quartz?" Eryn turned her head around as best as she could. It was hard to see anything taller than Duxim and Rugisque as the bright light lingered just above their heads.

"They took all our weapons, but they didn't take our sanity."

Sisha was there, too. But what about Ace? The grip around her wrist weakened and both sides snapped off. With a groggy head, Eryn slowly sat up and squinted her eyes against the bright light. A man in a red suit was crouching towards her. He was a short man with brown hair and sideburns.

"The chemicals will still affect you. Here, I'll carry you," he said, his voice low. Eryn couldn't imagine how he was going to manage when his entire body began to shape shift and in a burst of rose petals there sat, ready to ride, a cat beast as big as a car with auburn fur and two pairs of ears.

"Get on," the cat beast growled, and Eryn didn't even hesitate. She grabbed his fur and got on top. When he rose to his full height, she had to practically lie down on him so as not to be blinded by the light. Her head was still dizzy and the spots where she'd been shot began to tingle as the numbness wore off.

"This way." Quartz and Sisha were crouching out of the domed garden, keeping low as the Jabberwocky Hornets scampered around with their visions obscured by the light. The cat beast man followed with Duxim and Rugisque behind.

"I am Frith. Five of Hearts," the cat beast introduced himself as they left the dome. As soon as they cleared the building, there was a loud explosion and glass shattered everywhere.

Up ahead, an orange, evening sun was low on the horizon in a ripple of Underland and within that, was a vast wasteland with gnarly trees growing every which way except up. A battle was in the midst. Clean red suits were the Jabberwocky's army. Torn red suits, white blouses, and some men without shirts were the real Hornets. But Eryn couldn't see him anywhere.

"Where's Ace?" She looked at Quartz and then Sisha but neither of them said anything. Their silence could mean a gazillion of things. She didn't want to think about the 'what if' and kept the hope in her heart that he was alive and okay.

He seemed fine, but what if...? Eryn bit her lip in worry.

"I need to let you off," Frith called to her. Eryn hopped off and he bowed his head then galloped off to join the battle, jumping head in with claws unsheathed.