Down the Rabbit Hole - Book Four

14. Can't Stop, Won't Stop Moving

"Okay, so just to be clear," I tell the World Walkers, we're all standing outside by the crooked, battered Vault door. "I'm taking you all with me to the Royal Palace so that way you guys can help Quill update the Royals that we're seriously going to need some backup if we're ever gonna bringing these rogue Walkers in, got it?"

"Wait, is this a portal?" Analia eyes the Vault suspiciously.

"Yeah, but it's not dangerous. I mean, it doesn't lead to another dimension or anything," I clarify.

"Maybe not, but you should look into sealing it up." She gives Mom a look. "Any portal can be dangerous."

"I'll add that to the list of things I don't know how to do," Mom grumbles and crosses her arms.

"Guys, focus! Forget that this is a portal," I instruct. "It's helpful because it gets us back to the Royal Palace where my army is. Now then, who's ready to get going?"

"My Alice," the Ace of Spades, Noir, bows to me briefly. "I shall keep forces here unified and will be awaiting whatever backup you commission our way."

"Of course, and thank you," I smile and now turn to the Vault. "Let's go."

♣ ♦ ♥ ♠

Much to my surprise, the first person that we see once we emerge from the Vault is the Queen of Diamonds. "Adara!" Speira looks us over in stunned amazement. "Um, I thought you were on your World Tour...?" She nervously chuckles. "I wasn't expecting you back so -"

"OMG, Speria!" I anxiously grab her hands. "The Tour is cancelled, we got big problems. See these folks?" I gesture at the squad standing with Mom and Quill. "They're World Walkers!"

"What?!" Speira pales and takes a step back in shock. "Did they come here looking for you?"

"No, no! They're from an even different reality than my old world."

"You're a World Walker too?!" Taleia looks me over with disbelief.

"Yeah, it's kind of a long story." I smile with a blush.

"We don't have time for a long story!" Analia snaps. "Take us to this stupid Court or whatever of yours so we can tell them to prepare for war. We do have better things to be doing than screwing around here."

"Prepare for war?!" Speira repeats with astonishment. "Good gods, are you bloody for real?"

"Yeah, I'm afraid so," I curtly nod. "And Analia's right, we don't have time to hang around here. We gotta get back to tracking the Shaman -"

"Well then you should return to that at once!" Speira exclaims. "Allow me to inform the Court of these alarming developments. You can resume hunting and I can handle the other Royals. If they see you, they'll keep you for hours! And they might even want to interrogate these new friends of yours," she looks the World Walkers over quickly.

"Oh, hell no," Analia shakes her head. "I do not have time for another inquest."

"You're right..." I reluctantly admit. "We should just get our supplies and head back out. Do you think you'll be able to tell them everything I just told you? Oh, and stress the importance of assembling an army! We have to send reinforcements to the North!"

"Of course!" Speira anxiously agrees.

"Adara, I think I better take the West Vault to the Red Country," Quill tells me as Speira rushes away. "I have a feeling Adisonia would never forgive us if we left her out of this affair."

"OMG, yes!" I exclaim. "Tell her everything and bring her back here!" Quill and Bishop hurry away.

"What about us?" Taleia anxiously looks her squad over.

"You're with me," I grab her hand. "Just as soon as I collect my Alice Amulet, we're heading back up to the Northern Lands to find these rogue Shaman of yours."

"Don't call them ours," Analia huffs with an eyeroll. "Trust me, they're as much of a pain in the caboo to us as they are to you."

"Caboo...? Um, right. Let's go." I rush off to collect my Amulet. If I'm about to get caught up in a war, I'd feel a little better knowing I at leastwise have this magical necklace with me.

"So, do you know how to close portals?" Taleia asks my mom hopefully.

"Um..." Mom bites her lip.

Analia arches an eyebrow. "It's a yes or no question."

"Here's the thing about that," Mom anxiously glances at me. "I was thinking -and hear me out before you say anything- that maybe it wouldn't be the worse idea if we recruited one more person on this whole saving the realities quest thing of ours."

"Who?" I furrow my brow; my heart is already sinking with dread.

"Well," Mom swallows hard. "Considering the only other Prophet of our lifetime is dead and considering he was besties with a certain guy that -although crazy- is actually a genius, we might wanna consider looking him up for some help -"

"WHAT?!" My eyes widen with horror. "Noooo, no, no, no way," I shake my head vehemently. "We're not even talking about this."

"C'mon! What other choice do we have? I don't know anything!"

"But...but I can teach you!" I desperately insist.

"Honey, we don't have time for experiments," she grabs my hands. "The entire reality of not just this dimension is at stake, but all of them are hanging in the balance. Do we really want the Empire State Building falling through the sky and smashing the Palace to bits?"

"Umm, who are we talking about?" Taseem anxiously asks us.

I grimace. "The Blood Prince."