{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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She watched with trepidation as Commander Almont extracted a long gold key from inside their jacket pocket and inserted it into the lock. Turning it once before pulling the door open and gesturing for them to enter.
Adah peered around Commander Almont's tall frame, assessing the space from top to bottom. From what she could see, the room was just as lavishly furnished as the rest of the castle.
Equipped with a marble fireplace cracking with heat, a small dining table with place settings for two, a bookshelf full of colorful volumes, and, of course, a bed. Which was bigger than her sleeping loft in her mother's cramped downtown apartment.
The bedchamber wasn't designed for modesty. No changing curtain or shade—except the thin white linen hangings around the bed.
Adah swallowed hard, thinking back on Lord Ezra's comment in the after-study about picturing him naked.
Ever since he'd said the words, they'd been buried inside her thoughts. Now, it was impossible not to imagine Ezra stripped down of his finery. She turned to find him standing in the moonlight. Her gaze wandered down the long column of his throat, following muscled lines until they disappeared beneath a white cravat.
She couldn't help but imagine the wide chest and sculpted shoulders hiding beneath his fitted jacket.
Adah wrung her hands and squeezed her thighs together. Her body tense as her gaze dropped to his sword belt.
The commander's stern tone drew her from the lurid reverie. "I will be back in the morning to collect you for tea. Be ready for me when the breakfast bell tolls."
"And what if the princess and I are hungry before the breakfast bell tolls? Which way would the kitchens be?"
Adah thought it a strange question to ask.
The commander's jaw tightened. "I'll have a tray of food sent up."
Ezra set his hand on the pommel of his broadsword, another question on his lips. "And what if I wanted to escort my lady on a midnight stroll? Are we free to do so?"
A midnight stroll? Hallows, he was really trying to sell their ruse.
"For your safety, we ask you not venture out of your room this evening. The wedding festival has brought guests from all over the realm, and we wouldn't want you to get swept away in the commotion." They paused, scowl deepening. "Two of my guards will be stationed at the entrance of the tower to ensure you are left alone."
Ezra inclined his chin and smiled like a feral dockside cat. "How thoughtful of you."
His tone indicated he thought the commander was anything but thoughtful, and she rather agreed. They were being held inside the South Tower like prisoners.
But why?
"Good night, Princess Adah and Sir Ezra," Lou Almont said. "Sleep well."
Heavy footsteps sounded down the stairs as Commander Almont made their exit, the rhythm matching that of her thudding pulse.
