Under the Roses

74 - Dusty and Dirty

VANESSA

Vanessa rolled over in bed. The sun was streaming in through a crack through the curtains, shining right on her face. There was a heavy weight on her legs. Wolf.

Wolf shifted, moving off her legs. There was a tap on the door.

Vanessa sat up, rubbing her eyes. Wolf went over to her side and she ran her fingers through his fur. It was soft, warm from the sun.

The door rattled again, and Vanessa glanced up at it. She frowned. Usually, the bell rang for breakfast. She looked at the clock with bleary eyes. It was earlier than usual. "Yes?" she called, though her voice was still ragged from sleep.

"Are you awake?" said a small voice. "I mean, can I come in?"

Vanessa asked herself if she was still upset. Yes, she answered. And yet, she said, "Okay."

The door cracked open. Alice poked her head in first. Her face was pale as ever—maybe even paler than usual, and her nose and cheeks were pink. She slipped the rest of the way in, shutting the door behind her. Vanessa's eyes widened.

"Alice!" she said. "What—?"

Alice glanced down at herself. She was wearing a simple white slip. At least, it had been white, once. Now it was covered in what appeared to be soot and ashes. It was nearly black. The substance was smeared on Alice's bare skin as well: on her hands, up the side of her face, and in her golden hair. Just like before.

"I don't know," Alice said. Her voice was still small.

"Is that..." Vanessa pulled the blankets off her, crawling over to the edge of the bed so she could reach out. She touched Alice's sleeve, and her hand came back with that same sooty substance. She rubbed her fingers together, then wiped them on her knees. "You're not...hurt anywhere? What happened?"

"I don't know," Alice repeated. It was a warble, as if she might cry. "I just woke up, and I was in all of this, and I don't know what happened."

"Are you okay?" Vanessa reminded herself she was still upset. Alice and Whit had lied to her; they'd hid their plan from her. She'd been more upset with Alice. She could forgive Whit for hiding things from her. She didn't know him that well, and hiding things just seemed to be the sort of thing he did. But Alice...Alice was her friend, wasn't she? Friends didn't hide things from each other. Not things as big as putting an entire kingdom to sleep!

But it was harder to stay mad at Alice than Vanessa had anticipated. How could she stay mad at Alice when Alice was like this? Alice hadn't done anything wrong; she hadn't tried to do anything wrong.

Alice mumbled something Vanessa couldn't hear.

Vanessa reached forward to hug her.

Alice jumped back, stumbling on the edge of the rug in the center of the room. "No!" she said. "Don't touch me!"

Vanessa stared, frozen at her outburst. Slowly, she dropped her arms. "Alice...?"

Alice wiped her nose on her sleeve. Vanessa realized it was running. "Don't," she said again, and tears were welling in her eyes. "Don't." She hugged herself. "You can't..."

"What do you mean?" said Vanessa. "Was it something I did? Did Whit do something? Your brother? Red?"

Alice shook her head violently.

"Are you sick?"

Alice shook her head again.

"Then what is it?" Vanessa climbed off the bed and Wolf whimpered. She went over to Alice, who was very still. "Alice?"