Chapter 42: Wonders

Climbing down the ladder to the bedroom below, my feet plant on the cold floor beneath my toes. Chase still wasn't back in the room yet. Taken into consideration from what he told me earlier, it was best to give him some space. We both need it. I couldn't think of what else to tell him at this point. Not like it would do any good to tell him of the two-headed raven. It was strange getting that let alone what it said about him. Out of everything that bird said, it told me that. How could it know anything about that?

Never the matter, it isn't important. There's more crucial things at hand such as meeting with the Red Queen in a little over a week. Today's the twentieth. The Red Queen's birthday is the twenty-eighth. It was almost time. I had to be ready. There shouldn't be any distractions over silly boys and feelings. Besides, getting entangled with him at a chapter like this. . . it would be dreadful. Rancor from the Red Queen knew my place with her to be that unwanted family member. She always felt resentment toward me.

But who's to say that it's really her fault? She had every right to feel that way toward me even if I am her niece. We were too different. You would think that to be a good thing as a Wonder. We all were. Maybe it was just that I was the one who's too wondrous for her taste. Who's to know?

Certainly, there was no way I was close to understanding anything. Things weren't clear to me at all. It was like a fog blurring the whole truth of the matter. There was something hidden. Chase was luckily doing more research if he was ever to find anything that would be helpful. My mother surely was not. What a disappointment to think she would have grown up a bit and acted more maturely. She wasn't the slightest bit helpful and a complete waste speaking with her despite the little help she offered. To imagine as a mother she'd be less bitter toward me would be lovely. But after all this time I've realized what her biggest fear was.

Me.

No wonder she is the way she is. There wasn't an understanding for her completely reasoning as to why, but there was a hunch that it had part to do with my existence on what exactly my destiny is. She had to know everything. Part of why she didn't tell me the truth was because she didn't know what I'd do with the information. She knows me. She raised me. My mother treated me like I was a monster. She was wrong, of course, but it still hurt.

She definitely could've raised me better, but it looks like it's too late for the rest of her part. And that is completely fine. Still, it would be nice to know if she actually shows just a little bit of love toward me. Her daughter. . . I wanted to love her. She was there when my father died. She got over it surprisingly quicker than those expected. Everyone was there to see him and to see how she did not shed a single tear during the service. Watching his crown float along down the ocean with his remains was depressing. It was the first time we were all together for once. That gave me little hope.

I caught myself completely zoned out. My eyes were fixated on the crackling of the painted stone walls completely unaware that I was trapped in my own thoughts. To good surprise Chase didn't catch me. There was no telling how long he'd be nor telling how long he's been down there. Instead of focusing on that, my attention drew over toward an easel, two blank portraits perfectly lined on it with a stack of paint on the side. Finding myself intrigued with a brilliant idea, my first instinct was to grab the paint and the supplies and set everything up.

Yellow, white, green, blue, purple, and red paint are squeezed from a bottle onto a walnut palette. A tiny paintbrush dotted into the white and yellow paint creating a pretty beige mixed in with the rest to create a perfect color of a pinkish-white resembling a humanistic skin color. Smiling to myself, I swirl the paintbrush onto the canvas to begin to paint. The perfect image was in mind as I got down to work putting together a masterpiece.

Time went by as I was finishing up my artwork. It only needed a few more touches of added highlight and shadows and it was finished. My nose began to itch again for the third time as I scratched it with the back of my hand. Everything was a mess. There was paint all over the floor and on my clothes. Hopefully Enoch wouldn't be too mad about it. Adding the last few touches my lips couldn't help but start to sing.

"If you wonder a dream where life begins," I sing slowly in a minor key, "there you'll find it's at the end. Oh what a day to live at the other side of the rainbow. Light shines. . . so bright. Oh what starlight, in my eyes. . . shining brightly like a dream. . . Oh starlight, come shine for me, for me, for me."

"I didn't know you sing."

I jolted, paint flinging from the paintbrush to the portrait. A sharp gasp exhales from my throat as I try to fix it by carefully rubbing a white spot away with a splotchy red finger, mixing it in to give it an unnecessary glob in that directed spot.

Turning around ever so slightly I nearly jumped again not realizing how close he was to me. He was right behind me staring at the painting, examining it closely. I watched him focus on the art taking it in.

"How long were you standing there?" I blurted.

He smiled, his eyes turning back to me before retreating. "Long enough."

"So," I ask slowly. "What do you think?"

"I didn't know you painted either." Chase said, oblivious to the intent of my question.

"I don't really. It's just something to do when I have nothing else." I shrugged, looking back at the portrait of something I thought was pretty. "Wh-what do you think about the picture?"

"Is it you?" He asked, his eyes fixated. "No, that can't be. This looks more a goddess. However, it's not too far off."

My face flushed, turning away from his flattery. "Shut up, no it's not." I argued brushing it away. He smiled, his eyes softening as if he was laughing in his mind. I could see it in his eyes. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It's just. . . you're covered in paint." Chase said with a knowing grin, holding back his tongue from laughing as his eyes flickered to the spots on my hair and face and clothes.

"Well, now you are too." I jest before stabbing the brush into the paint before a splat of bright pink covers his cheek. My own eyes shoot wide realizing what I had done. My teeth clamp onto the inside of my cheek to contain fits of laughter. His face was priceless, completely stunned that I would smash paint on him.

"You wouldn't be laughing if I did that you you." Chase retorted quickly with his cheeks flustering.

"Oh, please, you wouldn't dare." I said with a taunting look in his direction. His eyes flared up, his hand striking at the other paintbrush doused in blue from when I dropped it earlier. He splattered it all over the front side of me. My mouth fell open in disbelief and shock. "Chase, no! Not the dress!"

"Oh please, as if it isn't already ruined," he scoffed with a hearty laugh as he emptied the contents of a red bottle on my face and clothes dribbling onto the floor. My eyes were clamped shut in fear of it getting in my eyes.

"You think you're so funny, don't you?" I said wiping the paint from my eyes to open them to a grinning Chase enjoying himself.

"Actually, I think I'm hilarious." Chase let out a laugh. A scoff fell dryly from my lips.

"Har. Har." I said dryly before swabbing a bit of paint on my finger and running it along his shirt. "Now you got some on yours."

"With that little streak? Ha!" Chase laughed before reaching to grab another bottle of paint to attack. I gasped, not ready to be a walking color so I smashed the palette into his chest knocking him off guard as the colors rubbed into his crisp white shirt. It was too late as cold paint oozes into my hair, drizzling down to my neck.

"Why do you gotta be so mean?" I wailed loudly standing there completely drenched in paint. "Why do you have to do me so dirty? Chase, I'm drenched!"

"Whoops." He says sheepishly. I frown at his lame excuse. Instead, I go in for a hug for immense payback. "No, Izzy, no-no!" It was too late. My arms were wrapped around him, pulling him into the sticky paint of a hug as he groaned.

"You showered me in paint. You deserve it." I said with a grin as I held him captive in my hug. Pulling away with a grin, he had an unamused expression and a purple print on his face. I rolled my eyes at him now wishing for a bath.

"Our first night here and I already need a bath. Gee, thanks." Chase said as he started to wipe at the paint I rubbed on him.

"You just read my mind." I said with a cross of my arms over my chest, frowning at him knowingly for soaking me. He grinned sheepishly as he began to turn away slightly from me.

"I'll draw you a bath." Chase said randomly. "I did get a bit too carried away. This is the least I could do for you." He smiled reassuringly patting the top of my head. My eyes shut with a smile as his hand rubs my smothered hair in paint.

While he went to occupy himself with that, I turn to clean up my mess. I pick up my paintbrushes and clean up the paint from the floor. Scrubbing at the hard wood to get the stains out felt impossible with only a dry rag. A mop would do better.

"I can fix that." Chase said quickly coming in from the next room over. He bend down on his knees next to me taking the rag from my hand as he cleans up the rest of the paint. I almost stop him but he continues, insisting warmly, "You go on and get yourself a bath. I put bubbles in it for you too and a few candles just how you like it. Go on. Relax, Izzy. You deserve it."

I smile at him, bending down to wrap my arms around the backside of him. My curls fell over his shoulder as my hands tangled around his neck from behind as I lean in putting a gentle kiss to his cheek. "Awww. Well, aren't you the sweetest?" His face lights up with a blush.

"I-I try." Chase said completely smitten, his hands instantly reaching toward mine around his collarbones. His fingers fiddled with mine making my smile deepen.

For a moment, we were lost in each other's eyes with all things around us forgotten. It was like time stopped for a brief second. Naturally I began to lean toward him, realizing how close we were. His face was so close to mine my only instinct was to pull him closer with my own. My eyes lingered to his full lips, imagining sweet thoughts before returning back to reality, retreating from him as my arms pull away, my attention focusing on my bath.

I got to my feet making vague contact before turning around from him letting him finish cleaning the floors as I made my way toward the bathroom. Shutting the door behind me and slamming myself against it, I let out a shaky breath to calm my nerves. That was way too close.

Disregarding my thoughts, I took in view of the bathroom. There was a legged tub in the middle of the small room with bubbles of fresh smelling peppermint and lavender filling my senses. Candles surrounded the area of the tub making it look romantic. I couldn't believe Chase set the whole thing up for me. It was such a simple gesture, but entirely sweet.

I bathed in the tub, washing off the paint from my body that I could see before getting out. I smelled like a fresh meadow the minute I wrapped a soft cotton robe around my skin. It was heavenly.

I step out into the bedroom where Chase was leaning against his bed. Uncomfortable at the exposure of my body in his presence, I quickly scamper to my trunk to find something to wear. Pulling out a nightgown, I shove Chase to the bathroom for him to have a turn and for me to receive some privacy to change. It wasn't too long after he had come back out in a robe himself. He had on a black shirt and white sweats with two little red lines on each side of the hip.

"You got something there." Chase pointed out as I tried to get but couldn't find. He rubbed his thumb gently around my forehead picking at my eyebrow before yellow rubbed off my head. "Just some paint you missed."

"Oh." I didn't know what else to say. "Thanks."

He delivered a short sweet smile before heading over to his bed on the other side of the room. I slid on my heel in a complete one-eighty turning my attention to the painting staring at the detail work and the colors of my art. The paint was still wet, barely drying as it would take awhile.

Glancing over toward Chase in his direction there he unfolded the blankets of his bed uncovering the solid white sheets underneath. Figuring to do the same, I mimicked his actions by pulling the covers back from my bed. He reached over and turned on a lamp at his bedside while putting a book down on his bed. His fingers flipped over the cover and turned the pages until he stopped in a certain spot; most likely the place he left off. He continued to read in silence. He plopped on the bed with his legs crossed underneath him as he delved into the book.

"What are you reading?" I sparked up conversation grabbing his attention. His head lit up bolting toward my direction.

"Oh, just something on the Wonders of Wonderland. You wouldn't be interested." Chase shrugged before pulling himself back into his book. I frowned.

There was hardly any entertainment. There was nothing to do here at all unless stare out at the top of the lighthouse. Thankfully it was only our first night here so we are bound to do more things during our stay — whatever it may be.

There was no telling of the time. Instead of bothering about it, my best bet was to get some rest. Drowsiness was already overtaking my senses as sleep took over. My eyes closed into darkness welcomed by dreams.

I blinked my eyes open adjusting to the light in the room. It was dim but enough to make out the little fissures around the room. Chase was still very much asleep. It must've still been exceedingly early. Nonetheless, I slip out of bed going over to the trunk and pulling out some clothes to change into. I change behind a changing screen. I discard the gown and throw it over the screen to hang before throwing over a white flowy dress. Satisfied with my look, I walk out from the screen, my eyes drawing in on Chase who slept peacefully.

My feet walk toward the front door throwing it open and walking all the way down the stairs to the front of the lighthouse. I thrusted the door wide open where the wind wrapped up around my hair in all directions in a wispy dance. My toes dipped in the sea pulling me in further. Inhaling deeply, my senses pick up on the salty air that magnified the volume of my hair. It felt lovely and warm. It was inviting, calming my nerves tremendously as I rested in the moment taking in everything at once.

The sky was beautiful as it lit up in its arrangements of colors of the sunrise as the moon began to hide behind the clouds. It was a glorious sight to take in to start off the morning. All that was needed was for some lofi soft-beat music that would really start the day on track. The peace and quiet was nice too. The waves crashing into the shore in the distance was music to my ears. Nature was beautiful on its own.

The thought of retreating inside occurred. The Red Queen's cards are looking for me. They'd want to turn me in. There was no way of them not finding out quickly. However, the lighthouse has been initially abandoned for over three hundred years. Still, it was too much of a risk. They could be searching on the beach. That is where we last were before they had found us. Geez, that was maybe over a week ago. The risk still remained. Fear of getting caught drilled into my mind.

I sneak back around to the front of the entrance, walking up the many flights of stairs back into the bedroom. Opening the door slightly, Chase was still sound asleep in his bed with one foot hanging over the edge. My lips curled into a smile watching him sleep with the cutest expression stuck to his face. My hand coddled his head, pushing a few strands of red from falling over his eyes. There was no way to stop myself brushing his soft hair gently over across his forehead, mesmerized by his beauty. He was breathtakingly gorgeous.

My stomach didn't flutter with butterflies nor did my palms sweat when I was ever around him. It was never like that. It was sudden, unexpected, but perfect in a sense of calmness. A sense of peace and happiness entwined with excitement and contentment. He gave me joy. At least, that is when I'm around him.

Enough thinking. Having Chase on my mind would worry me too much. Getting too attached to my feelings at a time like this would be disastrous. If something were to happen to him. . . there's no way to ever forgive myself. However, telling myself to not care so much would allow myself to believe that I'm heartless. In reality, I'm just afraid of losing him. The fear of grieving all over again hurt me deeply inside. Feeling the pain of losing somebody I love would be too painful to visit again.

That's why I should never get myself too close. That's why I never have. Not only with him but with anybody. There's always been that constant worry and now it's amplified because I've learned more about myself especially because of this destiny thing that I never asked for. It didn't make sense to me. Why me?

Pushing my thoughts aside my eyes scan the room in the early morning. Deeming it useless to find entertainment in the bedroom, my attention is drawn to the ladder reaching to the surface of the lighthouse at the top. Memories of the two-headed raven flashed through my mind in remembrance of what it told me. What the bird said about Chase. . . My eyes shut shaking my head vigorously to ward off the thoughts. There was no room to be thinking about us.

My feet planted on the ground on the top part of the lighthouse. Bright light emitted into the room from the windows welcoming the morning sun. Today felt like to be a good day. All that had to be done was to ignore the bad parts about it.

A sigh slipped from my parted lips fogging the glass. The waves crashed against the shore pushing and pulling itself. The sun rose beautifully over the horizon, the orange bright light heating off the ocean blue beneath. A strand of my hair was pulled behind my ear causing me to turn around to see a smiling Chase behind me. The haze in his glossy eyes from just waking up gleamed over like glass. His hair tussled from tossing and turning all night was a nice look to him. It was messy and everywhere but even then I found it adorable.

"How long have you been up?" He asked me with a yawn protruding from his lips. His cheeks had a rose tint from sleepiness as the warmth still radiated from his just-woken-up state.

I shot him a smile. "Not too long."

He took a seat beside me on the bench, his eyes gleaming over toward the ocean below then back toward me. He knocked his knee into mine casually trying to get a reaction out of me. Instead, my smile widened as I jerked my knee back at him with a playful jab.

"The Queen's birthday is in seven days." Chase pointed out in the blue. "Do you have a plan?"

"Yes." I said simply with a nod. "Once it's time we'll barge in on her birthday party. We'll sneak past the guards and if we can't do that you can distract them for the time being so I can sneak past them. Then, once I confirm my place with Red and have her know the full truth, everything will go back to normal and to the way it was."

"Well, almost." Chase said sadly.

"Right, the curse." I nodded my head in agreement, staring out at the glass where the green curse was overhead in the firmaments above. My thoughts wondered about that too. Surely, there had to be something to fix that as well. There has to be something I can do.

"Let's not dwell on the bad." Chase said bringing me out of my thoughts. "Let's do something fun, shall we? We've got awhile here at the lighthouse. Let's make it enjoyable while we can."

I smiled up at him wondering what was going on inside his head. "What do you have in mind?"

He thought for a moment before a grin spread across his cheeks. His whole face lit up with excitement. Chase's hand overlapped mine, getting me off my feet before dragging me down the ladder of the lighthouse until we had abandoned the whole building completely.

He pulled me along to the back of the lighthouse where a storm shed was at the bottom. The metal bars were swung open revealing a dark cavern.

"What are we doing?" I asked him. My arms crossed over my shoulders as I watched him entering the dark filled room.

"I was exploring around yesterday and I found this." Chase yelled out from inside. I couldn't see anything through the darkness so my ears strained to listen. There were heavy thumps as something hard crashed into the wall, or whatever that was hidden in the dark. He emerged from the storm shelter carrying a small boat over his head. "We can go for a boat ride. Or canoeing if you prefer. Either way, I thought it would be fun. Are you up for it?"

I didn't shrugged my shoulders in agreement. A boat ride could be fun. It would get my mind off a lot of things. It might be nice to have a boat ride and relax in the silence. We both needed the break anyways. It was strange how we never took a break from each other. One way or another we've always stuck together.

Following Chase to the waters, he sat the boat down and steadied it so I could get in easily. He pushed the boat further into the water before jumping in as we floated down the waves. I sat back, leaning backward into the seat to get more comfortable. Chase looked around appearing lost.

"What's the matter?" I asked him before stretching a hand to the ocean, circling my finger into the waves of blue.

"I forgot the oars." Chase said quickly. Looking back at the beach sure enough were two wooden oars perched up against the back of the lighthouse. Chase let out a deep breath from his lips. "Guess we'll just have to wait and see where the boat takes us. Are you ready for a ride?"

"Why do I get the feeling you did this on purpose?" I teased him slightly. He shrugged, a smile breaking across his face. It was contagious, bringing me to grin along side of him.

"We'll just see where we go." Chase said casually.

I lean forward making the boat shake slightly, looking over at the water beneath. We drifted away around the shoreline as the tides pulled and pushed us in, further from the beach and toward the open sea. Uncertainty filled my mind.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked him. Chase only shrugged his shoulders carelessly.

"Sure, why not?" Chase said before sitting down into the boat enjoying the ride of us floating across the sea of tears. I leaned back into the boat to stare up at the cloudy sky as my eyes slowly drifted off to a brief sleep, snoozing away at the sun warming my skin like a blanket.

A slight nudge to my foot startled me in my slumber. The second time it occurred, my eyes opened to see ourselves inside of a dark cave. I sat up slowly with a yawn.

"You finally decided to kill me?" I let out a snort jokingly as my voice echoed off the walls of rock.

"Oh, hush." Chase wavered me off with a gesture of his hand swatting at the rhetorical question. His attention wasn't drawn to me. His face was pointed upward to the top. My gaze met his where he found an arrangement of small gemstones.

"Where are we?" I decided to break the silence as I took a look around the cave. The walls of rock were crystallized as it glistened in the shadows. The waters beneath us glistened as well with a shimmering sparkle that glimmered in the reflection.

"My guess is that it is a cave." Chase said simply.

I rolled my eyes, retorting quickly, "That's well established. I mean where?"

"Not sure. It is a bit weird." Chase said scratching the top of his head in confusion. "Oh, check it out! Glowing crystals!"

Intrigued and confused as to what he was saying, I sat up and looked around. Lo and behold he was right. They felt familiar to me. It was almost exactly like the cave back in Ever After. It was when Faybelle was first introduced to me and I went to her birthday party and she showed me the cave. She said it was like staring at the stars. She was right. And it was so today. The boat slowed down without an ongoing current pulling it. We floated in the midst of the cave staring wondrously up above at the glimmering crystals.

"Amazing. They're like little starlight's but up close." Chase said completely mesmerized.

I nodded in agreement, my attention drawn at the rocks. I've never seen anything like them. They were so sparkly and bright. They danced off the cave and into the water, reflecting it like a mirrored glow of light like a lantern.

It aas enchanting. The light pulled me in wanting to touch it. "So pretty." I said with a whisper.

A hand pushed a few strands of curls behind my ear. My neck turned the slightest over toward Chase who sat closely next to me. Realizing he was closer than anticipated my immediate response was hesitation, backing up ever so slightly.

"Why are you acting so nervous?" Chase asked me. His eyes bore into mine, his hand falling still against my cheek. He was so close. His breath was warm against my cheek.

"N-no I'm not." I squeaked, my lungs unable to work. I was flustering under his touch. His touch was so gentle and soft. It made me blush.

Chase smiled. His gaze scanned me, observing me ever so closely. There appeared to be things on his mind. It was evident on his face. They averted back in forth as if he was inspecting me. My eyebrows scrunched in confusion, not understanding why he was looking at me in such a way.

Instead of immersing myself into it, I turned away. I leaned over the boat, my gaze following my own reflection in the water, perfectly mirrored back in amazing lighting. The crystals had a great brightness to them that brought the room to the perfect ideal fissure of light.

Even then, my attention span fell short. Chase leaned over to the side making an awareness of his presence reflecting back but he was oblivious to. His brows furrowed quizzically with something dire on his mind. There was no need to turn around. It was seen perfectly through his reflection.

However, the decision wasn't made for me. His hand was pressed firm against mine forcing my gaze to fixate on his hand atop of mine watching it wrap into his. He inched forward with the slightest movement as the boat had to steady itself from the slight turbulence of the ride.

"Iz?" He said out of the blue. I shot up with only my stare as my attention darted to the vastness of his ocean eyes.

My hand tightened around his as a response before my lips could move. "Yes?"

A tint of pink cascaded over his pale face turning him a little off-color. He bit his lip with uncertainty. He lacked in his boldness much in my presence. Sometimes his bravery turned to vulnerability. He was afraid to be seen as such. Funny how I could tell, but he has always been like that around me.

"Can I tell you something, Iz?" asked Chase with a persistent edge to his tone. He was serious. He was lost in the moment and couldn't get himself out. He didn't want to leave it either.

I nod slowly waiting for him to continue. "What is it, Chase?"

"I. . ." Chase was flustered, his cheeks reddening by the second. He was hesitant. I was afraid of him finishing his sentence. "Iz, I'm crazy. Something is wrong with me. Because every time I look at you I get all flustered inside and my hands sometimes get sweaty. My heart races every time I think about it. But Izzy, I cannot hold it in any longer. I've fallen harder than a dormouse into a teacup. I'm falling apart and incredibly happy all the same."

"Chase, you're confusing me." I interrupt him. "What are you saying?"

"Izzy," a smile breaks across his lips, completely helpless, "I've fallen, Iz. I've fallen completely, utterly, madly in love with you."

To be continued...

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