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A big dent formed beneath his feet.
I gulped.
He took slow steps towards me, his every move predatory.
I backed away from him.
“Stop,” he demanded, voice hard and tense.
When I didn’t follow his command, the fire in his eyes flashed briefly before it steadied. He pushed his hand forward, his thick, pale-red thread shooting towards me. I gasped when the warm silk coiled around my wrist tightly, drawing me closer to the edge of the pool on his side.
I commanded the water to drag me back, but it was futile. Even when I dug my heels into the earth as he continued tugging me towards him, I wasn’t putting any distance between us.
Turning to Keia, I muttered a smallgo.
But he pushed his other hand and aimed at her. In an instant, she was wrapped in his thread like a bug. She screeched angrily, and when I rushed to free her with my other hand, he yanked on the thread and pulled her to his awaiting palm.
“Don’t hurt her!” I screamed, my beating heart clenching at her pain.
The Spider tilted his head, almost imperceptibly. “Come to me and I won’t.”
I breathed hard, watching my companion with wide eyes. She struggled and jabbed at his flesh, and for a moment I stilled, waiting for him to hiss in pain and release her. But Keia’s loud screeches of pain banished that foolish hope. With bared teeth, I sprang out of the water, absorbing the remaining drops into my skin as I landed a few steps behind him.
He spun around to face me, his gaze intense as he stared at me. When the Spider took a step towards me, I took one back.
He wore tight black pants only, hugging his lower limbs like they were made specifically for him the way my clothes were for me. His upper body was left on view, his chest hard, muscles taut and powerful. Yet even with all his sharpness and bulk, he held a youthfulness to him that alerted me he, too, was not fully mature.
On his chest, right above where his heart would be, was a mark; a red spiderweb, the size of my palm, with a black spider that had red eyes and three vertical red lines on his back.
Recognition came too late.
Cyrva.
The most dangerous breed.
Brutal blood-seekers.
Inhaling shakily, I continued retreating until something stopped me. I looked behind me and saw he’d backed me against a tree. When I turned my attention back to the front, a startled yelp left my lips because the Spider stoodso close.
He placed his large hands on the tree above my head, effectively caging me in.
I thought he was big before, but now he wasenormous. I was so much smaller and thinner in comparison that crushing me with his mere palm seemed possible no matter how I imagined it. All he needed to do was strike me with his hand and every bone in my body would break. Or if that seemed too merciful, he could squeeze my neck and pulverise both my spine and windpipe.
Slowly, I lifted my gaze and looked up at him. The way those ruby eyes stared at me with that swayingfire made my every instinct scream.
“Name,” he said, his eyes still studying me.
I blinked at him.
His red thread around Keia tightened until her screeching became hoarse.
“K-Kenia!” I exclaimed, the beating of my heart suddenly thudding against my vocal cords. My chest rose and fell too quickly, and not enough air seemed to make it to my lungs. “What do you want? I will leave now, I promise.”
I made a move to step away, but his features contorted into a threatening expression. His head dipped towards me, and I stiffened, holding my breath. His nose brushed the curve of my neck before I heard him sniff, his soft hair tickling me. I shook from head to toes, balling my hands by my sides as my eyes watered and my breaths quivered.
“Cry for me, won’t you, little Elf?” he cooed slowly, his voice suddenly rough and deep.
My lips trembled. “I’ll burst out in tears. Please, just let me go.”
