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The Spidae grunts. “I am not sure if I like Lord Fate as a title either. I suppose you must call me something.” He lifts his shoulders in what must be the most awkward-looking shrug ever, and it’s clear to me that he’s mimicking yet again. “Wait here. I will bring you something.”
I clasp my hands in front of me and do as I’m bid, watching him.
He doesn’t move, and after a few silent moments pass, my skin prickles with unease. Did I misunderstand? Should I get my own food somehow? There’s two doors in the kitchens, one heavy wood one that is sealed shut, a large copper pot placed on the floor in front of it. The other doorway is wide open and I see the slanted ramp of the stairwell that leads up into the rest of the tower. If I go up there, will I run into Faith and the others? The tower seems incredibly quiet, as if myself and the Spidae in front of me are the only people here.
Then, I hear something.
Scuttling.
The sound is faint, like something is brushing up against the webs, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I get to my feet, instinctively moving closer to the Spidae. “Do you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
Before he can respond, one of the massive, silvery-pale spiders appears in the doorway to the tower. My throat turns into a knot and I cower behind the tall god, terrified as the many-legged creature moves into the room. It’s the size of a woale calf, coming up to my waist, and the legs are long and stretch obscenely far. It fixes its horrible, dark eyes upon me for a moment, then it drops something on the floor and turns and leaves again, the webs rustling as it does.
“Do not be frightened of the spiders,” the god at my side says. “They will not harm you. They are extensions of us.”
“Y-you control them?” I cling to his sleeve, relieved he hasn’t pushed me away. I stare after the terrifying creature as it retreats in a flurry of legs. Horrifying.
“Control? No. They are an extension of us.” He shakes his head. “Like a hand, or a foot.”
I stare at him, surprised. I don’t entirely understand, but who am I to question the gods? “So if I see a spider, it’s one of you?”
He inclines his head. “They will never harm you.”
That makes me feel a lot better. I release his sleeve, and I’m chagrined to see that I’ve twisted the delicate fabric in my grasp. I smooth it out with my touch, biting back the apology that springs to mind. He doesn’t want me constantly apologizing. He wants…well, I don’t actually know what he wants. They’ve never had an anchor before, and I’ve never been one. We have to get used to each other. “I’m not always like this,” I tell the Spidae in a soft voice. “I just need to get my bearings and then I won’t be quite so…”
I don’t know the word. Afraid? Timid? Frantic to please?
“I know,” he says simply. “Eat your food.”
When he doesn’t move, I pick up the web-covered pod the spider laid on the floor nearby. I find a knife and carefully cut the pod open, finding fresh peaches. Ravenous, I grab one and bite into it, the juice dripping down my chin. I bite back a moan, devouring the fruit as quickly as I can, and then tearing into the next one. The rush of sweetness helps abate my hunger, but I pick up a third one and bite into it, famished. “Faith mentioned an anchor eats a great deal,” I comment as he watches me eat. “I’m going to need more than fruit. Some meat. Eggs. Flour for bread, if you have it.”
“I will see what I can do,” he says. “For now, eat your fruit.”
I cut off a slice and offer him a bite. “Would you like to taste?”
The Spidae’s mouth curls with a hint of revulsion as he gazes down at the fruit. He stares at it for so long that I think he will refuse, but then he leans forward and takes the slice from my fingertips, his mouth grazing over my sticky skin.
I bite back a gasp, because I didn’t expect that. It wasn’t sexual. I don’t think he knows how to be sexual, or is particularly interested in that. But his hot, wet mouth on my skin sears through my mind.
The Spidae chews, his mouth open and his jaw moves so awkwardly that I’d laugh if I wasn’t terrified of his response. He looks as if he doesn’t know what to do with it now that he has it in his mouth. “Good, right?” I cut myself another slice and chew it quickly, then swallow it and touch my peach-sticky fingers to my throat, reminding him of the next step.
He manages to swallow, a grimace on his face the entire time. “I did not enjoy that as much as you.”
“But you tried it,” I remind him. “It’s good to try things that we’re unfamiliar with, don’t you think?”
“Why?”
“So you learn. So you grow as a person…” I trail off as I realize who I’m talking to. He’s not going to grow as a person. He’s a god. But he wants me to teach him about humans, right? Eating is one of the basic drives. So I cut another slice off of the divinely sweet peach and lick the juice off my fingers. “Mortals have to eat constantly. Might as well take pleasure in it.”
“And do you like pleasure?” he asks, watching me lick my fingers.
“Of course I do.” I give him my best coquettish smile.
In response, he stares at me, his eyes narrowing. I get the impression he knows I’m trying too hard with my answer, and he’s displeased, but it’s out there now. I can’t change it. I manage a wider smile and keep eating.
“If you see one of the spiders in your room, tell it what food you would like, and it will bring it to you if at all possible,” he tells me. “We are not used to permanent guests, so it will be a novel experience for all of us.” His words are dry with a hint of amusement.
