A woman walked a barren land. It had once been a lush forest, but her kind had burnt it to the ground. The woman stopped, and started to draw a symbol with her foot. Soon she stood in the middle of a ring of runes. She raised her arms to begin summoning a creature to roam and hunt the natives, and collapsed with an arrow through her throat.

I lowered my bow, and stood, brushing the ash off my stomach. I dropped my illusion, called a glamour. It was a miracle my glamour did not wear off while waiting for her to try something. If it had, she would have seen me immediately. My navy skin and purple hair isn't exactly camouflage anywhere, let alone on open land. But I was proud of my unconventional appearance, showing my Wonderlandian heritage. When I had wandered from mainland Faerie into Wonderland, mocked for my skin and speech habits, I was welcomed. Anybody who is willing to stand apart will find a home in Wonderland, I was told. And I did, find a home that is.

Walking over to the body, I thought about the stories the villagers had told me about the mainlanders. They tried to claim their, our, land as part of Faerie. But Wonderland played by its own rules, and its people would protect it from those who would try and turn its madness into reason. When the army of pointed ears did not get their way, they burned the beauty. No longer did this place rich in history exist. No longer was there evidence of the First Alice, at the birth of the human world.

I momentarily debated taking my arrow back, then left it there. It gives a stronger message than the body alone. It says she was killed on purpose. I then found the gem on the left sleeve of her jacket, and placed her finger against it. She phased back to her base camp. I sighed. This was the third one this week alone. I was ready to just let the mainlanders take this patch, but the King of Clubs says that we should never do that.

Then I felt the aura. It wasn't as strong as I remembered but, that was to be expected, she was a faery in Wonderland. But I could still feel the bloodlust and cunning pouring out of her with every beat of her heart. If I can feel her aura, then she could defiantly see me. It was too late to hide.

"Theresa! Hi, it's been a long time, hasn't it!"

I turned to see her. She was on top of a hill, hair floating on a breeze. I could feel her forced smile from here.

"Just going to ignore me are you, Thea?"

"Don't call me that," I snapped.

"Would you prefer I called you by title, your royal highness?"

"In fact I would, miss Rose."

Jessamine grinned, and I knew our game had begun again.