Fall of Wonderland!

Sixteen

TEARS OF WORRY
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"She soon made out that she was in the pool of tears which she had wept when she was nine feet high."

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Valentina screamed as soon as the bubble of water dropped. Julius was already running, already out of sight.

"Alice, Alice, Wait!" She scrambled to her side. Alice was sitting up. Valentina knelt in front of her. "Hey, where'd he hurt you?"

Alice glanced up at her vacantly before slumping against her. "Alice, keep your eyes open." Valentina ordered. Alice was still.

"No," she whispered. "No, no, no, no..." She repeated, voice growing louder. There was blood everywhere, covering both of them. Alice would know what to do if she was conscious right now. She thought. But she's not. I need to stay calm.

"Mali. Mali can heal her." Valentina decided. She scooped Alice gently into her arms and began walking. Valentina knew the way back, she was sure of it. She pulled out her phone.

"Jude, something happened. I need you to wake the other Knaves." Before Jude could reply, Valentina had hung up.

Blood dripped onto the sidewalk as she ran.

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"Valentina, what happened?" Anahita demanded, eyes wide.

Valentina knew how she looked. Dripping wet, sweating and crying, dirty. Worst of all was the blood. It was everywhere.

"Alice!" Mali screamed. Her voice was raw, like an animal screaming in it's last moments before slaughter.

"Please, you have to heal her," Valentina stumbled over to the couch in the common room. Jude was there, clearly shaken by Alice's state. They lay her on her stomach, head twisted to the side slightly. She was still limp.

Mali ripped them back of Alice's shirt open. She pressed one hand to the first stab wound. It was right near Alice's heart. Nothing happened. Gray color leaked onto Mali's hand before she pulled it away, as if she had touched something too hot.

"What was the weapon?"

"A knife."

"Did it have iron in it?"

Valentina nodded. She was not going to let Alice die. "Jude," She snapped. "Call an ambulance."

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Valentina had gotten back hours ago from testifying to the Card Council. They believed her, of course, because of Alice's wounds, Julius' sudden disappearance, and the fact that they had found the door inside his closet. Oddly enough, the Queen of Hearts did not seem proud. There was already a crew coming to clean out Julius' room. Everything but the valuables was discarded.

"The Archmage says that she's the only one who can formally renounced Julius' position as Diamond Knave. A new person will get the marking in a few days." Mali was saying to Jude and Anahita.

When they saw Valentina enter the room, they went silent. Everybody was worried about Alice, but Valentina had felt Alice's body grow cold, she had seen the knife sink into her back, powerless. Valentina had been the one to believe Alice when Anahita and Mali did not. They had been solemnly silent around her. Not unfriendly, but a bit awkward. Surely, they had all heard Valentina enter Alice's room last night. Valentina had needed to see some remnant of her, something to know that Alice was still out there. The Ace wasn't allowed visitors, not even Ms. Liddell or Lorina could come inside.

"Valentina," Jude greeted. "It's good to see you up and well."

Valentina winced. She wasn't the only one who had spent a few days in her room, and yet Mali wasn't getting any comments about it.

She turned to the group, forcing a smile. "Same to you all. Maybe we should go out to eat for lunch?"

"That's a great idea!" Mali proclaimed. "I know this amazing burger place."