WONDER ( Twisted Forbidden Tales ) Book Three

Two Worlds and Two Faces Part One

ALISSA

I watched as Hank headed off to the kitchen inside our room suite. I wasn’t surprised that he knew what was happening after hours here at the Purple Pansy Bed and Breakfast. After all, in his realm and Happy Town, similar things had happened due to that woman Christine and the unknown cloaked person we all tacitly named the mastermind. So, far on our journey, we have only encountered light changes within Wonder Kingdom.

However, things were different for places like Orchid Island that were closer to Heartland Palace’s border range. As I had discovered before while trying to help Hank in Happy Town when I was disguised as the Mad Bandit, the closer one was the deeper they were affected and further the was the less one was affected. It was strange but also made sense. My instincts were gearing up that there was an important clue in this fact, but now I was exhausted from the travel and both Anfim and Hank had noticed.

I unzipped my yellow raincoat and draped it over the armchair alongside Hank’s blue one and dragged my feet toward the ensuite bathroom where a luxurious soaking tub and fluffy towels scented with lavender drew me to undress and climb right in. Tilly had truly changed her style this time looking more sophisticated and ladylike compared to the pink frills and childlike demeanor she had back then.

The welcoming soak was what I needed as I let my thoughts wander back into that time. I knew Hank had questions but he never asked me about it and I was grateful to him for that because I wasn't ready to talk about it just yet. But now, after he picked up on my animosity toward Tilly Tulip, it was only right for him to know the ins and outs. We were here to cure him from a poison that was originally meant for me. I couldn’t leave him hanging on what this place and these people were like especially Tilly, who made things complicated for me.

She was Anfim's cousin true enough, so I gave her face, keeping the secret between us about her friendship with Ultima Web. If Anfim knew he would be heartbroken and a deep grudge and possible feud may even ensue between their two families. Anfim could help in detoxing one of the poisons from Hanks's body, but as for Tilly, that was a whole other matter altogether. Tilly was as two-faced as one could get but I couldn’t deny her extensive knowledge and ability to maximize the potential to cure Hank completely by using the full effects of the Euphoria Orchid that only she and her mother Queen Rainbow Rose could develop out of it.

After a good soak and wash in the tub, I got out, dried off, and wrapped myself in one of the fluffy white lavender-scented bathrobes available to us as guests. It wasn’t called Purple Pansy Bed and Breakfast for nothing I guess, my thoughts making me giggle a bit foggy from the bath just now. I blinked my eyes twice at least some of the exhaustion I had felt from before had subsided leaving behind a subtle hunger.

The bedroom had changed from its sumptuous deep purple and gold to a sumptuous king-sized bed, dressed in crisp white linens and fluffy pillows. A delicate chandelier hangs from the ceiling now, casting a soft glow over the room. Even the windows that were once laced with curtains now frame picturesque views of the island's lush landscape, their panes decorated with trailing ivy and colorful blooms.

But what was more intriguing was the sight of Hank in his dual visage waiting for me as he sat on the bed. The bed tray was already set up and aligned with food, just right for Topsy's turfy palette from the onset of emotions I had been experiencing lately.

“It’s not much, but should keep us full for tonight. If you want more I can cut up some fruit for you later to snack on. You can start without me while I go freshen up. Come sit and relax now. There is nothing we can do since the shifting has already started.” Hank said with a gentle smile on his face. It was odd because of his appearance but also sweet because despite the difficulties he was facing he still managed to move around with ease.

He was so different from the smiling stick in the mud I watched from afar back in Happy Town at that time. Looking at the tray with the food he prepared for two. I was slightly surprised my eyebrows arched up at the turkey, cheese, and bacon croissant sandwiches with cherry tomatoes on the side. Paired with a small bowl of cream of mushroom soup next to the plate with the sandwiches and a tall sparkling glass of kiwi lemonade. Yup, that feeling in me was getting stronger. How could Hank know my preferences so well? I thought about those sudden images previously that I had pushed to the back of my mind after being deterred on the journey.

“Go, ahead then Hank, I won’t stand on ceremony then, I’m indeed famished,” I said smiling back and gently climbing into the bed near the tray folding my legs under me while still clad in my bathrobe. He waited til I started eating before retreating to the bathroom the sound of the door clicking closed behind his entrance. The sound of water was heard soon after followed by several sneezes. I listened intently for any signs of distress but after 5 minutes of water running and slight splashes, I knew he was fine and continued on with the light dinner snack he had prepared for me.

The clicked opened fifteen minutes later, letting out an aromatic steam filled with the scent of citrus and herbs. I turned around just as Hank emerged from the bathroom door and gulped. No longer a dual version of cat and man, it seemed the sneezes I had heard earlier contributed to another shift in him from the poison.

His silhouette cut a striking image against the fading light, tall and lithe, with an aura of quiet confidence. With each step, Hank’s athletic form was revealed beneath the soft and Fluffy, matching bathrobe-like material that draped over his shoulders, flowing loosely around him like a regal cloak.

“Um…” Was the only retort I could make at the moment for my throat had suddenly become dry.

“Like what you see Issa girlie!?” Hank’s deep and slightly hoarse voice, resembles a lazy drawl that seduced my ears to the point of declaring pregnancy.

But it was his face that truly captivated attention. A handsome visage and chiseled features exuded an air of confidence and allure. His hands, strong and capable, hung at his sides with graceful ease. Ears perked up slightly, adding a feline charm to his demeanor.

As he moved closer to the bed next to me, strands of silver spiked hair glistened under the gentle light, framing his face in a striking contrast. His nose, elegantly sculpted, led down to a mouth that bore a subtle smirk, hinting at a playful nature beneath the surface.

“What are you playing at right now?” I asked with a frown and pout on my face. I was embarrassed by my gawking but I would give him hell before letting on to how much I was attracted to him no matter in what form he sported.

“So, that’s how you’re going to play it hmm? Okay, I’ll bite,” he said sitting across from me on the bed. His eyes held the most mesmerizing allure as he looked at me with amusement. No longer the enigmatic green I had come to love but now golden yellow orbs, still reminiscent of a cat's gaze, sparkled with intelligence and vitality, drawing one in with their magnetic pull.

“What do you mean?”I asked acting aloof and unaffected by his powerful presence. He simply didn’t answer me and picked up his sandwich and ate with gusto. He polished the sandwich and the tomatoes off in no time, gulping down his lemonade and then getting up to clean up the tray and take the dishes back to the kitchen.

“Stay and rest, I got this,” he said before heading over. He must have seen my expression before I asked for help. My feet touched the bare wooden floor, feeling the low tremble of the shift still taking place. I wondered how long it would last before it was complete and what would become of the Purple Pansy Bed Breakfast for the night. I was fed up with the detours we had already taken and would be beyond irritated if any more surprises came our way.

The loud and shrill ring of the telephone placed on the antique writing desk that sits against one wall in the bedroom, caused both Hank and I to freeze for a moment before I headed toward it. As expected it was Anfim on the line, bearing news that left me feeling uneasy and on alert for tomorrow morning. Even though Anifim could take us to the Orchid Sanctuary he still needed permission from one person.