“Well, it's about damn time!”
My head jerked up at the sound of the masculine voice. There, on the stairs before me, stood a man. He was about my age, with pure white hair and pale skin. He wore an old fashioned suit without a jacket, but with a lovely tapestry vest, from which he pulled a gold pocket watch. He peered at the watch, then at me.
“I was expecting you thirty-three minutes ago,” he chided me.
“Who are you?” I asked him as I stood. “And what are you doing in my house?”
“This isn't simply a house, my dear.” He grimaced. “It's a gateway.”
“A gateway to what?”
“To where,” he corrected me. “And I suppose that was inaccurate as well. The gate lies beneath the house. The building itself is merely a disguise. Subterfuge for the subterranean entrance to Wonderland.”
“I know jujitsu,” I warned him.
“Yes,” he drew out the word as he narrowed his eyes on me. “I assume that's some kind of warrior training that Theodore taught you.”
“You knew my uncle?” I gaped at him.
“Alice, dear,” he huffed. “I knew your whole family. I was present at your birth.”
“Well, how was I supposed to know that?” I nearly shrieked.
“Didn't Theodore tell you?” The man scowled. “That was remiss of him. Perhaps he left you a letter somewhere?”
“A letter? Telling me that a man was going to meet me after his funeral?” I rolled my eyes. “Sure, it must be here somewhere.”
“A letter telling you who you really are, Alice Wild,” the man said sternly.
“Wild?” I asked. “My last name is Turner.”
“By all that's bloody, it is not!” The man appeared deeply offended. “What an awful name. I suppose Theodore thought it was amusing–turning away from Wonderland or something silly like that. Turner is an action, not a name, and it is not yours. It belongs to an earther, one of those people.” He waved his hand toward my front door. “You are a Wild, the last Wild in all existence, and heir to the throne of Wonderland.”
“Oh, wow.” I blinked at him. “You're bonkers, completely mad. There's a crazy person in my house.”
“As if that has any bearing whatsoever,” he huffed. “Now, I assume that Theodore would have left something for you in his laboratory. Shall we?”
“How do you know about the laboratory?”
“Alice, do keep up,” he snapped. “I know you and your uncle. I've been here several times to check on you and receive progress reports for Their Majesties. The Card Kings of Wonderland are very concerned for your safety.”
“The Card Kings?” I asked as I followed him downstairs to the basement. “You just said that I was the heir. Maybe you should rethink your delusions.”
“Ugh.” He rolled his eyes. “I don't have the patience to explain all of this to you, just hurry up!”
“Where are we going?”
“To Wonderland!” He stopped and turned to stare at me in bafflement. “Are you a bit slow? Theodore never told me you were stupid.”
“I am not stupid!”
“All right then,” he growled, “let's go.”
“I'm not going anywhere with you! I don't even know your name.” I stopped midway down the stairs.
“I am Warren White.” He bowed. “At your service, Queen Alice.”
“Oh, now I'm a queen.” I chuckled. “I can't believe this day.”
“You must!” Warren declared. “If you do not believe, we are all lost, Your Majesty.”
“All right, easy now, Warren.” I held up my hands. “It was an exclamation. Although, I'm not too sure what you want me to believe in.”
“Why, in yourself, of course! And it would be foolish not to since so many others already believe in you. Truly; how much belief does one woman require?”
“Who believes in me?”
“Nearly all of Wonderland,” Warren growled. “Enough of this! Let's go, Alice! We're already late!”
“Okay, Warren.” I rolled my eyes and followed him down to the basement.
I know it sounds crazy, but I was just happy not to be alone. I didn't care if the man was a lunatic, at least I didn't have to think about Theodore lying dead in the ground while I laid in an empty house. Anything was better than that.
“Aha!” Warren was in my uncle's laboratory, at his desk, and had found an envelope in the drawer. “Here it is. I knew he'd leave word for you.”
Warren handed me the envelope, and I saw that it had my name scrawled across the front of it in my uncle's handwriting. I scowled at it a moment before I tore open the sealed envelope and read it aloud.
“Alice, my sweet girl, there is so much that I haven't told you, but I'm sure that Warren will explain; either him or Nicholas. You can trust them completely, as well as the Card Kings. They all have your best interests at heart because your best interests are also theirs. Things are about to get topsy-turvy for you, Alice. I wish that I could be there to help you, but if you're reading this, it means that time has come to an end for me. It runs here, not like over there, and I have lost track of it, it seems. But your time is now, Alice. I have done the best I could for you. I have given you the tools you'll need in the days to come. Fight, my sweet girl; fight for Wonderland and her people because both
