After The Rabbit (Waldo Rabbit Series) (11 page)

A sense of warmth filled her heart, and Alice found herself smiling from ear to ear. This was what she had always wanted, a happy, loving home with a dear husband and precious children. What could be better?

One of the little girls suddenly stopped and looked in her direction.

“Momma!” she squealed and took off running.

“Oh, come here, honey,” Alice bent and held her arms out. The girl ran past her. “Wait, honey, where are you…” Alice stood and turned about to see another woman in the room behind her.

It was Melissa, the one Waldo had met in the bar, dressed in a silk gown of white so pure it hurt the eyes to look at it. On the top of her head was a thin circlet of gold. The woman looked regal, like a princess from an old tale. Melissa snatched the little girl and held her aloft as she laughed and kicked her feet.

The other children all rushed past, so they, too, could crowd around Melissa. Each of them called out to gain her attention. Little hands were held up in hopes they too might be picked up, as well.

“What are you doing here?” Alice demanded.

Melissa glanced at her dismissively. “Where else should a mother be but with her children?”

“They’re not your children. They’re mine!”

Melissa set the little girl back down. “Your attitude makes you a good nanny, but you need to watch your tongue.”

“Nanny?” Alice choked on the word.

Waldo strolled into the room. Unlike Melissa, he was dressed in the same black robes as when she’d first met him. On his head, though, was a slightly thicker gold circlet.

“Greetings, my love.” He placed a light kiss on Melissa’s lips. Then, he beamed at the little ones. “How are my beautiful children?”

In answer there was a chorus of, “Poppa.”

Alice shook her head. “Darling! What is going on here?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why are you kissing that woman, and why is she pretending to be the mother of your children?”

Waldo quirked an eyebrow. “Because she is my beloved wife and the mother of my children.”

“I am your wife! She must have you under some sort of spell!”

“Oh, not this again.” Melissa sighed and turned to Waldo. “You were the one who insisted we keep her.”

He shrugged. “She’s good with kids. Alice, we were married, but that was a long time ago, before I fell in love with Melissa and returned home. Now she is my wife, and you are the nanny.”

“But you love me!”

“Where did you get such an idea? I never actually said it, did I? And you must know a man sleeping with a woman doesn’t mean he loves her. It simply means he is a man. The way you were constantly forcing yourself on me, it’s not as if I had much choice.”

“But…”

Melissa wrapped herself around his arm and placed her head on his shoulder. “It is only natural for the two of us to be together. We are both mages who were traveling the world. Of course I can understand him in ways you couldn’t possibly. I mean, even our hair and eyes match. We’re perfect for each other. Why would he ever want some silly barmaid who is not even human?”

“You wanted to kill him!”

“So? What wife doesn’t want to kill her husband from time to time?”

“Aren’t you still a White Mage? Doesn’t that make you his mortal enemy?”

“You’re describing most marriages.”

“Plus,” Waldo added. “Your breasts are starting to sag.”

“Erk!” She covered her chest with both arms.

The youngest child, a girl of perhaps two, tugged at Melissa’s skirt.

“What is it, dear?”

“Wanda make poo.”

“Your nanny will take care of it. What else is she here for?” Melisa then smiled at Waldo. “Want to make savage, violent, love to me right here in front of the children?”

“Sure.” He pushed her down onto the carpet as the children formed a circle and danced about them singing.

“But… they… you…” Alice couldn’t form a sentence as she watched him yanking off Melissa’s dress.

Meanwhile, the two-year-old pulled on her hand. “Poo poo, nanny, poo poo.”

The little girl led Alice out of the room.

In a daze Alice looked back over her shoulder. “My breasts are not saggy!”

Little Wanda looked up and gave a shake of her head.

XXX

Waldo found himself alone in the middle of the woods.

Alice and Gronk were both nowhere to be seen, and even the bonfire was gone. It was only him beneath a night sky.

“Disappointing,” he sighed. Waldo then noticed he was wearing his old robes again. “Well, that’s something at least, though I would have liked to have gone back to the castle.”

A girlish laugh drifted from the forest.

He immediately had his wand in hand. Waldo noted it was his current one, the one made of soulwood. Old robes and new wand; it was an intriguing combination.

Stepping out of the woods was a figure in black robes with a lowered hood. For an instant, Waldo thought it was his mother. The form was clearly feminine, with raven hair and pale skin, but the curves were not quite voluptuous enough to be his mother’s.

“If you are disappointed, you have only yourself to blame, little brother. This is your own mind, after all.” He recognized the voice. It was Gwendolyn’s. But it was not the rasp of the sister trapped in a mirror. It was the soft, lyrical voice she’d had when she was still flesh and blood.

He lowered his wand. “Gwen, is that you?”

She approached without hesitation. “It’s me, little brother.”

As she came to stand before him, he was able to get a clear look. It was her. Not the ghost from the mirror, but the girl he had grown up with. She appeared to be sixteen and as alive and well as she’d been on the morning she set out on her First Quest. Her throat was still whole, and her cheeks were rosy. There was even that old teasing glint in her brown eyes.

She held out her arms.

Waldo immediately rushed forward to embrace her. He squeezed tight. Her arms wrapped around him, as well. Waldo shut his eyes and welcomed the warmth and feel of her as they hugged. It had been such a long time.

“I’ve missed you.” He was embarrassed to hear his voice straining. He was not going to cry like some child.

“I know,” she said. He could feel one hand gently patting the back of his head. “You’ve gotten big. The last time we did this, you were twelve.”

He knew this was an illusion, a dream. When you ate the wolfsbane, the hallucinations were always incredibly vivid. Knowing that didn’t make it feel any less real. For this short time, Gwen was with him again. He embraced her for long minutes. Waldo didn’t want to say anything. He only wanted to hold her for as long as he could.

Gwendolyn seemed quite content to let him. She returned his hug in silence, one hand rubbing the back of his head, as if he were a child again.

Eventually he did let go. He quickly rubbed his eyes to get rid of any moisture.

Smiling, she stretched her arms up over her head. “It’s so nice not being trapped in the mirror for a change. Stepping into the world, even if it’s a false one, is so much better than being, a mere observer.”

“Wait, are you really Gwen or my imagination?”

“Yes.”

The look on his face must have been amusing because she laughed. “You’re going to tell me that I have to let you have your fun since you’re dead.”

She nodded. “You know me well, little brother.”

“This must be a delusion. You can’t be the real Gwen.”

“Why not? You know the stories about spirits contacting people in their dreams. We were always very close. It would only make sense if I were able to appear to you.”

“You never have before.”

She shrugged. “Your mind is especially open right now, and you felt a strong urge to see me. Those circumstances might have made a difference.”

He considered her words. It was possible. Maybe this really was the spirit of his sister manifested within his dream.

“Or maybe I am nothing more than your imagination. I could be one or the other.”

“Couldn’t you tell me?”

She had an amused grin. “No.”

“Ruin your fun?”

“Perhaps, and whatever I tell you, you can’t really prove one way or the other. At least not while you are still dreaming.” She craned her neck to look up above. “You know, I’d forgotten how beautiful the stars are.”

“I don’t like them. They’re unnatural. The skies should be perfectly black at night.”

“You only think so because you grew up in Alter. To the rest of the world, this is natural. In many, many ways our home is the exception to what is viewed as ‘normal.’ Haven’t you realized this yet?”

“What I have come to realize is Alteroth is the only civilized place on Earth.”

“Everyone thinks the same little brother, no matter where you travel, people always think their way is the right one.”

“The only difference is I happen to be right.”

She laughed, though Waldo was not sure why.

Gwendolyn glanced back up at the night sky. “This reminds me of being on my quest. Did you know those moments were the best of my life?”

“You’re joking.”

“Hardly.”

“You left Alteroth, traveled through the Barrens, walked for hundreds of miles across a desert surrounded by strangers. You must have suffered. How can you say those were your best moments?”

“It’s because for the first and only time in my life I was free, little brother. I was happy enough living in the castle with you and everyone else. I loved mother, and she loved me, in her tyrannical and horribly brutal way.”

Waldo nodded, understanding perfectly.

“When I left on my First Quest, I was suddenly free. I realized I could do anything I wanted without needing to worry about what mother would think. The entire world was open to me, and everything seemed possible. It was such a glorious adventure.”

“But you died! You had your throat slit.”

“I remember the first night I spent outside of Alteroth.” There was a wistful longing in her voice. “I camped on the top of a hill overlooking a valley. The ground was covered in jasmine. I ate a suckling pig I’d killed with my own two hands. All around me the flowers bloomed, and I fell asleep with their sweet scent filling the air under the stars. Even now, I can shut my eyes and smell the blossoms. The memory is a happy one for me, and what happened later doesn’t change it.”

“I always thought you were miserable, off in some forsaken land far from home.”

“I won’t lie. Walking for miles through a desert wearing black robes wasn’t exactly pleasant, but there is always good mixed with the bad. Haven’t you enjoyed your travels so far?”

“Which part? Almost drowning, fighting for my life against Grandfather, or having to trick a White Mage who wanted to execute me?”

“So none of it has been any fun at all?”

“Well… I did like losing my virginity.”

“I’ll bet.”

“And, I suppose, my time with Alice hasn’t been all bad.”

Gwen rolled her eyes and let out a giggle. “Yes, being with a succubus who is in love with you and constantly showing you affection. It must have been awful.”

“Hey, it wasn’t all pleasant, you know! She is always pushing me down and kissing me, her silly morals keep getting in the way, I have lost track of how many times she has nearly crushed me to death in my sleep, and we keep having sex until I’m completely exhausted and worn out!”

His sister didn’t say a word. She merely grinned.

Waldo could feel his cheeks getting flushed and suddenly began looking at the grass. “Okay, I don’t really mind the last part.”

“It’s all right, little brother. Life is meant to be lived. Enjoy these moments while you can. You will have hard times soon enough.”

His eyes leapt back to her. “What do you mean?”

Gwen hesitated but did finally answer. “Master and servant… do not assume that one cannot be the other. The one who holds the leash bears it, as well.”

“Huh?”

From the woods there was a rustling.

“I’m going now. I don’t want to watch what comes next.” She shook her head slightly. “You have some odd fears, my brother.”

“Wait, you’re leaving?”

“Don’t worry. We’ll see each other again. You know how to call me to your dreams now.” She put her hood up and turned away from him.

“Gwen what did you mean? Does it have to do with Alice and Gronk or my third familiar? Are you saying they are going to control me somehow?”

She gave a slight shake of her head. “You don’t expect a straight answer from me do you? There’s no fun in it.”

“Could you at the very least answer one question for me with a yes or no?”

“You do realize I may only be a figment of your imagination, right? I mean, you’re not really standing here talking to me. Right now, you’re lying on the ground naked, somewhere near a bonfire.”

“If you’re a dream, then everything you’ve said doesn’t really matter. But if you truly are here, there is something I want to know.”

“Fine, just this once, I won’t torment you. What is your question?”

“Will I find my third familiar in Norwich?”

“No.” She walked swiftly into the forest. “Goodbye, Waldo. Stay safe. At least as safe as you can.” She vanished from sight.

“Wait! What do you mean no? Are you saying Enver’s map was wrong? Is there no third Great Monster?” Waldo hurried after her.

As he did so, a horrible figure hopped out of the shadows. Long, twisted ears, beady little eyes, and a twitchy nose confronted him.

“Gah!” Waldo jumped back and pulled out his wand. “Stay where you are.”

Ignoring his words, the horrid little creature took a brazen hop forward.

Another one appeared and then another and another. Dozens of the malevolent things came from the shadows, all of them with fluffy tails madly twitching with blood lust.

Knowing he was no match for such a monstrous horde, Waldo turned to run, only to discover there were more of them behind him. They hopped out of the forest like some swarm of locust! He was completely surrounded.

“Stay back!” He waved his wand about desperately. “I’ll cook the whole lot of you!”

Their throats opened and gave a deafening, “squee.” Then, as one they charged. Waldo let loose a stream of fire to set several of them alight. The rest kept coming. They leapt onto his robes, little paws clutching and grabbing as they climbed and covered him.

Then he felt the tiny teeth of these murderous, flesh eating rabbits begin to nibble.

XXX

“… not saggy, no.”

Alice
slowly awakened.