{A Fantasy Romance retelling of Alice in Wonderland}
In order to survive, a pirate and a thief must clear their names by traveling into a magical dream world together.
Adah Prideaux, seamstress by day, petty thief by night, finds herself in a world...
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Her eyes squeezed shut as the sound of gunshots rang in her ears.
This was it.
The newest Levesque King would lock her in one of his cages, just like little Lita. Even though five years had passed, Adah never forgot the way her friend reached through the cage, skin blistered from the sun, when she and Reynald finally dared to visit the docks to say their goodbyes.
Guilt came like a storm wave, threatening to drown her in an ocean of tears and unintended consequences. It was her fault Lita had been caught.
Taking a chance when the guard's backs were turned, Reynald tossed Lita a skin of water before grabbing Adah's hand, and the two raced off together down the boardwalk.
Tears burned in her eyes, but Reynald urged them on, rushing towards the back entrance of an old playhouse he worked at in the evenings. When they'd made it inside, Adah fell to her knees, sobbing for the girl that had been their friend.
"One day, we'll make them pay," Reynald told her, with ice in his blue eyes. "One day, this island won't be run by those filthy Levesques." Adah wiped her eyes and leaned her forehead against his chest. "You'll see. Things will get better."
But Reynald had been wrong. Things in the city hadn't gotten better. And now, all the running and scraping by had landed her here.
Adah held her breath, waiting for the inevitable, when Mercado's cool hand clasped hers. "It's time for us to go."
In an instant, she felt like she was... floating. Bobbing up and down like a ship in the harbor. Weightless and warm. Comforted like her father was singing lullabies beside her bed.
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Consciousness returned slowly. Her neck and back stiff from lying on a cold floor. The air was damp but held the sweet scent of spun sugar and saltwater taffy.
Daring to open her eyes, Adah gasped. One moment, Adah had been standing in Mercado's apartment, terrified she was going to be handed over to the king, and the next, she'd been transported... here.
Wherever here was.
She found Mercado standing in front of a circular table in the middle of the room, eyes closed and hands folded in prayer. As he whispered words into the darkness, torches and candles sprang to life, one by one, illuminating the room with an orange glow.
