Fall of Wonderland!

Twenty-Two

SISTERS OF BLOOD
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★♥︎♠︎♣︎♦︎

Everybody's eyes were glued to Lori. Alice burst into the room, knowing that Rose, Julius, and the Queen followed her. The guests of the party shrunk back against the walls in small clusters. The Knaves stepped forward.

"Lori... What's going on?" Alice demanded. She conjured a shield of Starlight as she grouped with Anahita, Mali, Valentina, and even Jude.

Lori's hands filled with orbs of water. The corner of her mouth perked up. "Alice. It's good to see you."

"I'm going to ask you one last time." Alice pulled her fingers into a fist. "What. Is. Going. On?!"

Lori shrugged. "Lucy, help me take care of them." The figure next to Lori nodded, grinning maliciously.

Alice didn't have time to react, to cry, to scream. She merely had a moment before Lucy, Lori's friend, was on top of her. Alice struggles against them. Why weren't they holding a knife?

Lori.
Lori doesn't want them to hurt me.

Alice knew she had an advantage, but still spared a moment to glance at her friends. Lori was using water to hold Mali in place against the wall. Anahita faces the Queen of Hearts, while Jude was up against Rose. Julius had a knife out as he ran at Valentina.

Julius had a knife.

That was all Alice needed to shove Lucy off of her. She used her powers, not even noticing the light gathering around them. Her shield dissolved, instead the light was gathering in Alice's hands as she sent a punch at them.

Lucy stepped back, grabbing their jaw. They had no idea what they were in for. Alice had been doing this for years. Kids who made fun of Lorina. Those who criticized their poor address. The fact that their father was a different sign from their mother. Alice bested every bully in a fight. They learned not to mess with the Liddell sisters.

Lucy? They were sure a bully in Alice's eyes.

She swung her fist again. This time, Lucy recovered faster. A fire filled their eyes, but they held still.

"How does it feel?"

"What?"

"To realize your sister would go out of her way to defy you. To side with people who are practically strangers over her twin."

"It doesn't matter. She'll pay no matter what." Alice decided.

"She instructed us not to hurt you or Mali. What she doesn't know is that the Queen has informed us to throw that rule out the window."

"Looks like I'm not the only one betrayed tonight."

"I've taken a liking to Lorina. Maybe I'll go easy on you." Lucy reached into their belt, drawing a sword Alice hadn't even noticed.

Alice concentrated on the magic in her hands, willing it to form a sword of Starlight similar to Lucy's. Alice actually knew quite a bit about sword-fighting. Each Knave was required to learn three weapons. Alice had chosen the bow, sword, and shield.

Lucy was the first to strike. They aimed straight for Alice's chest. Alice sidestepped out of the way. She parried Lucy's next thrust and stepped backward. Lucy did the same. Alice tried to move toward her friends, where she would have an advantage.

No matter how hard she tried, Lucy was leading them toward the stairs. Up they went, still at a tie. No matter what Alice did, they still blocked each other's moves. Alice stepped back once again onto thin air. She was falling off of the stairs, where there was no stairwell to block the way.

Alice didn't scream. She thought quickly, grabbing Lucy's arm. If she would fall, they would come with her. Only, Alice could control the winds. Lucy's sword landed across the room with a clatter.

Alice landed on her feet, moments after Lucy, who lie in a pile on the floor.

"You're clever, Ace."

Alice glances around the room. Jude was barely dodging Rose's shuriken, Mali was holding her own against Lori's water magic, Anahita was struggling against the Queen of Hearts... what was most surprising was how Valentina was holding her own against Julius. Alice applauded her strength mentally as she tried to come up with some semblance of a plan before Lucy recovered.

They had to get out of here.