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The Spider grinned, running his tongue over his terrifying teeth, the fire in his eyes twisting brightly.
“Go.” He threw my bag of goods back to me.
I caught it in my hands and hugged it to my chest, then looked back at Keia, her eyes wide and her small chest moving quickly. Pressure pinched my own chest and my nose stung.
Clenching my jaw, I faced the Spider again. “You hurt her and I will show you exactly how easy it is for water to extinguish fire,” I promised, holding his red eyes so he knew that hurting that bird would become a matter of a life for a life.
Even if my nature would not allow me to kill another being, and even if the end so obviously favoured him, I would not hesitate to smother him if he harmed my companion.
But the Cyrva nodded once, a small smile on his lips. A smile that should not have confused my triggered instincts.
With one final glance towards her and the monster, I walked to the edge of his land and jumped, going back the same way I came, noticing how eerily quiet this world suddenly was.
He let me live.
He let me go.
It wasn’t right.
Because the more I thought about it, the more I realised he was playing with his catch. Just like the creature he was, he was merely orchestrating his web and waiting for me to fall into it.
I should have let that other Spider kill me; no matter how terrifying or painful it would have been, I should have let the Velli end me. Because this one seemed patient and cunning, weaving something I could not fathom.
Something that may just be worse than death.
5
Sleep evaded me that night.
Before I’d stepped into my world, I had dipped into a river in the Fairies’ world to wipe off the smell of a Spider from me.
I didn’t know how to act without my companion with me. I felt wrong. Lacking. Confused.
The walk back home had put me on edge. Every eye that had landed on me had made my bones stiffen more and more until hesitance was all I felt when I’d finally made it to my home.
My parents, despite their disapproval at me having taken too long to return, had been as impressed as I’d hoped with my success at the Fairies’ Market. Their delight hadn’t made me feel as pleased as I’d expected. My brother, on the other hand, had been reluctant to compliment my success, his worry overshadowing any other emotion he could have felt. He’d asked why it had taken me so long, and I… I’d lied and said I got distracted while gathering the items. They believed it. After all, it was my first time ever leaving our world, and not only that, it was to the Fairies’.
Then he’d asked the question I’d dreaded: where is Keia?
Dinner had paused, and my parents and their companions had all looked at me. I’d sat frozen, my food untouched with the excuse that I’d eaten something during my trip, and when my brother’s shrewd gaze narrowed, I’d lied again and said she was resting in my room.
I wasn’t sure if they’d believed that lie. Our companions never left our side.
Shame had clutched me hard. I’d struggled to sit there and face them after having lied to them—not once, but three times. So I’d faked a yawn and bid them all goodnight, silently walking to my room.
That hadn’t been the end of my lies; the next morning I said that I wanted to visit the Fairies’ land again, and when Faelyn and Ayen made to accompany me, I’d thrown a tantrum and demanded time alone. They’d been reluctant, but they nodded and left after Faelyn made me promise that I wouldn’t take too long.
I knew once my brother gave his word, he wouldn’t break it. Still, I crossed into the amethyst portal and waited, and when a long time passed and he and Ayen didn’t show, I sighed.
I hesitated. My feet wouldn’t dare take a step closer to the portal leading to the Spiders’ world, but the longer I waited, the bigger the chance I’d have at losing Keia forever.
“Curse me,” I muttered, took a deep breath and willed my feet to move. I had to get my companion.
It was quiet when I stepped into the Spiders’ world, a little earlier than the middle of the day. It was eerie. Silence was sometimes comforting, but this silence chilled my bones.
Because this was where the monsters roamed.
Recalling the huge snakes that hid in the trees, I chose to walk. I looked around every time I saw a kalai running from something—like the hyena I just saw. The kalai were plants that could move using their vines, roots, stems, and leaves. They were slightly smaller than a tiger cub with smooth, squishy green skin, and they tasted delicious—sour when eaten raw and sweet when tenderly cooked.
