Araneae Nation: The Complete Collection

by Hailey Edwards

  “I pretend because reality is too harsh.” His warmth faded. “I have duties to my clan, responsibilities to my family. I have known since I was a small child who I would marry and when. She’s a fine girl with a good heart who’s been groomed to bring me pleasure since she was born. Can you—with all your freedom to do as you please—judge me for wanting to spend what little time I have left as a bachelor with a female of my choosing? One who fascinates me rather than fawns over me?”

  “The way you act cultivates the perception that you welcome the attention.” I scowled at him. “That first night you treated me as if my bedding you was a certainty. That all you had to do was crook your finger and you could have me.”

  “All of us hide our true selves from time to time.” He ran a lock of my vibrant hair through his fingers. “Some of us are just more obvious about it.”

  Before the old argument swept me away, before my anger swelled and I confessed all, I walled up my heart. His pain radiated through me, through the filament that tied my soul to his, and it still hurt me.

  I wiped my eyes where he couldn’t see. “I think you should go.”

  “I think you’re right.” He pulled on his boots and grabbed his shirt. “Thank you for this.”

  “You don’t…” I flinched when he slammed the door, “…have to thank me.”

  Sinking to the floor, I gave into the sobs welling up the back of my throat.

  Nothing had changed. Stare hard enough and illusion shattered. Armand was still the Araneidae heir. The only difference was these days he chose to take refuge under the skirts of females freer than himself while I took refuge under paint and dye.

  We were older. I liked to think wiser. Yet we were still fools where each other were concerned.

  I wiped my eyes and crawled to my trunk. I worked a latch on the underside of the lid and opened a hidden compartment where I kept medicinal herbs for Maisy and myself. The packet I lifted felt too heavy for its contents. I shook several of the wild carrot seeds into my palm then tossed them into my mouth and chewed.

  I grimaced. They tasted as good as unwashed feet smelled, but I ground the seeds into a pulp before I swallowed them.

  While my friends had sworn by the effectiveness of smartweed leaves, when I had been with Armand, I nibbled them daily in preparation for the nights we spent together and still became pregnant. According to the Salticidae healer who acted as midwife for Maisy’s birth, wild carrot seeds were much more effective.

  Not that I regretted having Maisy. How could I? She was the one thing I had ever done right in my life.

  But our circumstances being what they were, I was in no hurry to add to our family.

  Straight-faced, I armed myself as much as with steel and poison as I did with paint and perfume. When I struck out to explore the west end, I strode with purpose. If Pascale had been held there, she must have left clues to where she had gone. Failing that, I could try the guards, but that was a dangerous proposition. Known for their cannibalism, the Mimetidae were more than feared. They were reviled. Their grins seemed sharper somehow, and they liked that edge of fear.

  I usually avoided them at all costs, but I might not have the luxury this time.

  The west end was as far in that direction as the tunnels went. Unless the area had changed, there was nothing down that stretch but guards’ quarters and a few token cells used by those whose guilt a council of their peers had yet to determine. If I got caught, I had no excuse. Being captured would be a very bad thing. Females who dressed as I did, who lived as I did, without a male to protect them, had better learn to protect themselves if they wanted to preserve those freedoms Armand had mentioned.

  The long walk gave me too much time for reflection. My head was down, my mind elsewhere, when a figure coalesced from the shadows and stepped into the center of the hall, barring my path.

  “You’re a long way from where you ought to be.” His gaze slid down my body.

  I returned the favor. He was tall, broad and grinning like a sweet roll had just fallen into his lap.

  I put a hand to my throat and let my voice quaver. “You startled me.”

  He rested a palm on the hilt of his sword. “What are you doing down here?”

  “I’m a guest of the maven’s.” I stepped back. Let him think it was out of fear. I had no desire to let a skilled swordsman trap me in such close quarters. “I must have gotten turned around.”

  “Is that right?” He squinted at me.

  I bobbed my head. “Everything here looks the same.”

  “You look familiar.” He rubbed his jaw. “Oh. I remember you. You’re here with the girl. Pretty little thing. Young too.”

  I paused mid-step. “I should be going.”

  “Why’s that?” He chuckled softly. “You’ve only just arrived.”

  Forcing myself to play my role when I would rather wrap my hands around his meaty throat for savoring his memory of Maisy, I laughed nervously. “I know it’s silly, but at the party last night I overheard this dapper young fellow telling a few guests stories about the history of the nest. He told them the west end was haunted.” I rubbed my arms. “I wanted to come see for myself. I didn’t know the area was guarded, or I would never have come. Is there any way I can make it up to you?”

  “You want a tour?” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “Come on. I’ll show you.”

  I took small steps closer. When I was within reach, he grabbed me around the waist and hefted me up against his chest.

  Reaching into my pants pocket, I pinched some of the valerian root powder from my stash. When he lowered his head, I lifted my hand and blew the sedative into his face. Since his mouth had been opened for a kiss, the white dust flew down his throat.

  “What was that?” He coughed while staggering backward. “Who are you? What…?” He shook his head. “What are you doing here?”

  I pried free of his arms and shoved him onto his knees. While he knelt with his head in his hands, I eased out of range and checked the tunnel to ensure we were alone. His tongue was so thick now he could barely mumble. I had seconds until he collapsed.

  Then I had two, three questions maximum before he passed out cold.

  When his head hit the dirt, I knelt beside him, slapping his cheeks to keep him awake.

  I held his eyes open with my fingers. “Where is Pascale?”

  He blinked at me. “Who?”

  I leaned closer. “The maven’s sister Pascale, where is she?”

  “Not here.” His eyes crossed. “Went…I don’t know. Away.”

  “She isn’t in the nest?” I grasped his collar and shook him. “She isn’t in Erania?”

  “This is Erania.” He gave me a puzzled look. “Do I know you?”

  Careful this time to measure out how much valerian root I gave him, I put a few tablespoons of the stuff in his mouth and helped work his throat until he swallowed it all. He belched a white plume.

  With the kerchief from my bag, I wiped his face clean and dusted his shirt as best I could.

  Valerian root was a strong sedative, but it required help in the form of powdered venom before I’d discovered the perfect mixture for my line of work. With the amount this poor male had ingested, I’d bet he’d wake up in the morning with the worst headache of his life and little memory of me. In any case, I had what I came for—confirmation Pascale was not in Erania. That meant my plan had to change. It meant one way or the other, Maisy and I were leaving tonight. The sooner I got us packed, the better.

  I turned to go, pulling up short when a figure eased from the shadows.

  I tensed with a hand in my pocket, my fingers measuring yet another dose of the sedative.

  “Is the guard alive?”

  Armand’s voice sent cold sweat rolling down my spine. I nodded. “He’s sleeping.”

  “You drugged him.”

  “I did.” There was no point in denying what he had obviously watched me do.

  “Why are you here?” One hand went to his belt,
to the short knife sheathed there.

  I dropped my arms, powder cupped in my palm. “Perhaps I wanted to explore.”

  “Perhaps you ought to tell me the truth before I take this matter to Rhys.”

  “I got lost.” My hand clenched until my knuckles popped.

  “If you were lost,” he asked, indicating the collapsed male behind me, “why attack the guard?”

  “I didn’t attack him.” I nurtured my indignation. “If anything, he attacked me.”

  “I’ll ask you once more.” He stepped closer. “Why are you here?”

  I squinted at him. “What if I said I came to investigate the eerie sounds in the west end?”

  “I would say we gave permission for the pair of hunting kittens to be hidden down here until the celebration. Lourdes visits the stables daily. The surprise would have been ruined if all that mewling led her right to them.” His sigh told me his patience was wearing thin. “You’re stalling. Answer me.”

  I approached him slowly, holding my arms out to my sides so he could see I was unarmed. With his eyes locked on mine, it was easy to get in close, to drop down and swipe his legs from under him. He never saw me coming.

  He grunted on impact, and while he was down, I cupped my hand over his mouth. “I wish it hadn’t come to this.”

  Coughing, he swiped at his face and spat on the ground. It wouldn’t help, at least not much.

  When his struggles ceased and his eyes shut, I ran.

  Armand and the guard would be found soon, and I couldn’t afford to be here when they were. They would have questions, and any answers I gave them would result in my neck getting fitted for a noose.

  The Araneidae stashed caches of clothing and food in hollowed-out trees on the fringes of their forests. When winter storms came, their clansmen never had to go without shelter or supplies as long as they knew where to look, and I did. Every member of their clan was taught their locations, and I had been educated right alongside the other Araneidae children.

  If Maisy and I made it that far, we could raid a cache and replenish our stores.

  She was all I needed. Too bad I had no idea where the maven had taken her.

  I had to grab Maisy before the alarm cry lifted and the nest was locked down tight. We could hit the stables, borrow an ursus and escape through one of the smaller stable hatches. The guards, well, I could get past them. I prayed their removal wasn’t by deadly force. I didn’t want Maisy to witness it.

  Tiah. I had a good idea of where they would have caged her. My vision blurred at the thought of leaving her, but Maisy’s safety came first. My falco could survive without me, my daughter couldn’t.

  But where did I find the maven?

  When I stumbled into the heart of the nest, I bumped into two females. Their heads had been bent in deep conversation before I collided with them.

  I scooped up a glove one had dropped and held it out to them. That was when I noticed their heavy coats. “Where are you going?”

  The nest remained a constant temperature. If they were dressed for winter, it was for a reason.

  The bolder of the two jutted out her chin and took the glove. “The maven said anyone could go.”

  “I’m sure she did.” I noticed the dull gold collar of her shirt—Araneidae livery. “But where?”

  The shy one said, “Fireworks are tonight, miss. The wicks were too damp to stay lit last night. I heard someone left the door open from the storage room to the outside. In any case, the maven knew how the children—how we all—looked forward to the display, so she rescheduled for tonight. You’d better head up soon if you want a good seat. Everyone will be going topside in the next half hour.”

  Her friend yanked her arm. “We have to go or we’ll miss out. The best spots are on the wall.”

  The quiet one shushed her. “Is there anything else, miss?”

  “No,” I murmured, daring to hope this was a change in my fortunes. I stepped aside to let them pass. “That’s all.”

  This might work out better than I ever dared hope. If I was waiting when Lourdes arrived with Maisy, I could grab her and sneak away while the nest was preoccupied with the fireworks display. I thought for one shining moment we had a real chance. So many ifs, too many unknowns, but I had to make it work. I smothered those doubts and dashed to grab my winter gear and stuff my pockets with as much food and as many weapons as possible. Tiah would have to wait. I could pay for someone to smuggle her out of the nest later, if I survived. If not…Tiah would be safer in her cage than with me.

  Hope warring with caution, I uttered one last prayer and went to find my daughter.

  Chapter 4

  Fresh air sliced my cheeks raw on my first step from the nest into the city streets. My eyes stung from the temperature, but the crush of bodies filtering toward the city center kept me shuffling in the right direction. Stealing glances over ducked heads, I scanned for an indication of whether the maven and her family had arrived. Though fireworks were a new extravagance, I had a good idea where the ruling family would gather for the display, the same balcony where they oversaw the summer games.

  Gaining entrance to their box would be simple. Extracting Maisy would be the difficult part.

  As I drifted in that direction, a hand clamped over my wrist.

  A male’s sultry voice purred, “Have you made any progress?”

  Whipping around, I snarled at the handsome man from last night.

  “I’m handling the situation.” It wasn’t a lie. I was getting Maisy and we were leaving.

  He studied me. “You look rattled.”

  “Only my teeth.”

  “You’re alone.” He glanced around. “Where’s the girl?”

  “With Maven Lourdes,” I said, suddenly grateful that meant she was in the safest possible place.

  “Ah.” He sounded thoughtful. “Separation anxiety. I’ve heard that’s common with mothers.”

  “Lower your voice,” I growled.

  “Or you’ll do what?” He grinned. “You’ll run to the maven? And tell her what? You’ve come to murder her darling sister?” His head bent closer. “Or that her darling brother got you with his child?”

  I almost swallowed my tongue. “Who told you—?”

  “Who do you think?” His grip tightened. “You signed a contract, and its conditions are binding. Maven Colleen agreed to compensate you handsomely to complete this job, and so you shall. All she wants is revenge for her son’s death. You understand revenge. You’ve craved it. You can’t lie and tell me you haven’t. A female cast out by her lover, by her clan, by her own family… You want to make him hurt as you have been hurt, to understand loss of the same magnitude as you have experienced.” The stubble on his cheek rasped against mine. “You want this. I can smell it all over you.”

  “All I smell is your breath.”

  “Cute.” He chuckled. “I suppose that comes from keeping company with a child.”

  I eased a knife from my pocket, angling it at his groin. “Tell your maven she can keep her gold.”

  Losing that gold meant breaking my word to Maisy, but she would understand I had no choice.

  “You can’t unmake a deal because you’re having second thoughts about holding up your end.”

  “I’m unmaking our deal because Maven Colleen’s information was wrong. Pascale isn’t here.” I dug my blade deeper and relished the twitch developing beneath his eye. “I can’t very well kill her if she isn’t here, now can I? That was the reason she hired me. She knew I was familiar with the nest.”

  A slow smile lifted his lips. “Is that what you think?”

  That was what I had been told. Fool that I had been, I had not questioned her.

  Doubt made my voice waver. “I’m finished with this conversation.”

  His grin widened. “She wanted you because you’re easy to control. You have a wound she could pick the scab off and make bleed. The thing about old sores is they fester. Pascale’s life is no longer enough. Revenge is not enough. Colle
en wants retribution.” His gaze flickered past me. “Pascale’s line dies with her. Her family will be destroyed as Colleen’s was, even the bastards.”

  My blood ran cold. “You wouldn’t dare. Not in this crowd, in this place.”

  “I wouldn’t.” He shrugged. “But you and I aren’t the only ones with access to Bellaire’s flower shop. A drop of that venom killed the Araneidae maven in minutes. Can you imagine what it would do to a child?”

  “Call him off.” I pressed deeper.

  “I can’t.” He grimaced. “Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t catch him now.”

  I twisted the blade. “You would kill an innocent girl so easily?”

  “Don’t give me that look.” He bared his teeth. “You came here to bloody your hands as well.”

  “You’re right.” I eased the pressure until he relaxed. “But this is my baby we’re talking about.”

  I sheathed the knife behind his balls, watched the color drain from his face and a scream well on his lips. I took a pinch of valerian root and blew it into his open mouth when he began to gape. When his eyes rolled back, I met the stare of a female standing behind us. She’d seen enough to be dangerous to me.

  I met her earnest stare with a plea in mine. “I found him with a serving girl.”

  “I beat mine near to death with a frying pan when I caught him diddling ours.” She laughed at the male’s groaning. “I’ve never seen one go down so hard. Did you twist his cock clean off?”

  “I’m sorry you had to see that.” I hid my bloody hand behind my back. “I was angrier than I realized.”

  Ducking her head, she eased beside me, taking one of his arms over her shoulder, and helped me move him to a bench and out of harm’s way. I think she was under the mistaken impression I cared if he was trampled to death. Desperate to be the first who found Maisy, I turned to the amused female.

  “Thank you for that.” I meant it. She had bought me more time.

  “It won’t kill him.” She winked. “It’ll just give him something to think about next time.”

  She was more right than she knew. He wouldn’t die from his wound. Once he woke up and the pain set him, he might want to though.