The Web

by Eva Natsumi

  “That’s the easy decision,” Saye murmured. “Who know’s what else has spider’s silk in it?”

  “Not these pants.”

  “That you think.”

  “I really do pride myself in my work Saye…”

  “Halt!” A woman jumped from atop the trees, silencing the Rogue mid sentence.

  “Very funny, Mia,” the Rogue said, side stepping the woman known as Mia. Mia didn’t budge. She wore a fierce coldness, her hand at her hilt. “Mia, it’s me. Move.” Mia shoved the rogue as he tried to pass again. From out of the brush men and women, some with faces Saye recognized as the ones who grabbed her from the web, appeared. They all wore the same look of coldness. Instinctually, Saye stepped closer to the rogue.

  “This is a dumb joke,” the Rogue said with cool eloquence. Besides the slight clenching of his jaw, his disposition didn’t falter. “I’ve recovered our stolen hostage.” Saye scoffed, muttering under breath:

  “You’ve found a dog that chooses to follow you because it has nowhere else to go at the moment.”

  “In that scenario you are the dog,” he responded in kind.

  “You are no longer welcome here, traitor.”

  “Luka?” The Rogue snapped his head toward the man who had spoken. He was of average height and build, with dark hair and dark skin. He was missing one eye. Saye didn’t recognize Luka, which made her feel a little easier. He, at least, hadn’t tried to rape her. “By what means and whose head did that conclusion come?” The rogue attempted to step to the missing-eyed man, but Mia pushed him back. The rogue was getting agitated.

  “It’s of no consequence,” Luka replied. His voice was callous and his one eye dark. The Rogue watched him speak, shaking his head incredulously. Luka stared at the Rogue with unblinking apathy. “Go quickly, Soul. Far away from here. We’re only keeping you alive this long out of fealty for the years of good service you did give us.”

  “Luka, who is making you say this?” It happened so quickly. The rogue called Soul again tried to push past Mia, however this time Mia pushed back with her steel. She sliced open his abdomen. Soul stumbled back in to Saye, and Saye barely caught him.

  His eyes closed as though with lemon juice: stinging, cold betrayal. He shrunk in to Saye. When he opened his eyes they were white and clear. He stood tall, the blood from the slice seeping in to his clothes and dripping down his pants. He stood and took his hand off the draining wound so that his palm hung against his side, red and dripping. He looked them all in their eyes.

  “I hope it was good.”

  He turned and walked away. His bloodied hand dripped red droplets on to the mossy, forest floor. His abdomen drained down his pants. Saye attempted to help him, but he shrugged her off, opting instead to walk the blood off.

  They’d been walking for over an hour. In silence. The forest offered no discussion. The only sound was the crushing of blades beneath their feet, the whistling of leaves, and Soul’s hard breathing. The moon shone in full force and all around the woods were masked in an eery, grey light.

  It seemed like Soul knew where he was going. It seemed like this would be a good time for Saye to leave and go home. But he was hurt. If she could just help him she could go home already. At least that’s what she was going to tell herself.

  “How are you feeling?” Soul was already a couple feet ahead of Saye when she spoke to him. He walked quickly and anytime Saye stopped to catch her breath, Soul gained yards on her. He kept walking at the sound of her voice. He kept walking in spite of everything.

  “Brilliant,” Soul said through gnarled teeth. Saye chewed at her lip, contemplating which route would get her home the fastest: his revival or his death. She played with the dead skin on her lip. It had been awhile since she’d had a good drink of water.

  “Are you a traitor?” Saye asked. The forest stayed quiet save for Soul’s mumbled growl. For someone bleeding half of their body weight, he sure walked quickly. “I mean, you took me to them, alone. I expect you wanted a ransom. Are you a traitor?”

  “As much of a traitor as you.” It was the most Soul had said since they’d left.

  “I am not…” Saye ground her teeth. She planted her feet in the soil, contemplating her next move. The wind whistled like bells and chimes, the leaves blew as soft as feathers. This Spring was one of the coldest on record and bumps prickled her skin. She rubbed her arms, watching him turn around and close the gap between them. Soul made a red carpet of blood, blanketing the leaves and blades of grass. He limped as though it were his choice. The moaning wind only amplified his silence. Saye glowered, watching his stubborn muteness and resolute waning health. Hostage may not be a choice, but hospice certainly was. Was she to spend her youth waiting for her captive to die?

  “Can I just…” Saye ran up to him, her footfalls like a breeze across the blades of grass. She touched the tip of her dark, delicate finger to his open and poorly clotting insides.

  “No!” Soul barked, pushing her off. Saye fell. Soul reached for her, his face contrite, and fell too. The earth gave way beneath them. They fell further and further, soil tumbling around them. Roots groped around their arms and were yanked perforce by gravity. Crystal and stalactite blurred around their eyes. The moon shrunk. They landed with a thud.

  No Man's Land

  Soul never lost consciousness. The whole time they were falling through he couldn’t help but wonder if Saye was alright. She was a stubborn twat for getting them in the situation in the first place, but she was delicate. They had stumbled on an old Under World opening, that much was clear. It was ancient, it didn’t even have wiring, but Soul had seen the markings right before they fell.

  They fell fast and hard. Soul hit his head on cold rock with Saye landing on top of him immediately after. As if the bleeding knife wound wasn’t enough. Saye rolled off of him limply.

  “Saye!” Soul called, shaking her awake.

  Saye groaned, “I’m fine.” Thank god, Soul thought, Now I can go back to dying. Soul rolled back on his side, groaning. His head throbbed like a metal drum. Soul allowed himself to peak in Saye’s direction. She was on the edge of an underground pool of water. The water sparkled as a chimera. At first yellow and then green, it was all the colors of the rainbow, purples, blues, pinks, and pearls. Saye ran her fingers through the water and she looked like she was running her fingers through the fountain of youth.

  “You’re a healer?” Soul muttered, somnolent. His eyes were black and bruised and his lips cut. When he spoke his lips cracked and bled. Sometime during the fall Saye’s clothes had torn. Just enough that Soul could get a glimpse of what lie beneath. As if he weren’t vulnerable enough, he felt his cock stir.

  She was beautiful. All dark and forbidden curves. If Soul wasn’t so bloody irritated by her, he would take her in every way possible.

  “Why didn’t you bloody heal me back when I was limping my way through the forest. I was starting to think ‘maybe she isn’t a soul draining succubus of the netherworlds’ and then you…” Soul growled, lifting his head to yell at Saye.

  Saye walked to him and pushed his head back against the stone. “As I recall you didn’t want any help.”

  Soul watched her. The small of her back curved delicately. As she bent over, iridescent light from the cave pool reflected on her naked skin. Through her gown, the tips of her nipples touched his skin, growing hard at the touch.

  “See something you like?” Saye mocked. Soul redirected his gaze, yet he could still see her from the peripheral.

  She ran her hand over the festering and blood soaked wound. As she did so it began to cauterize and heal. Where it was once sanguine, bleeding, and open, it was now pink and new as if no injury had occurred.

  “That should do it.” Saye sat back, cross legged and tired looking. Her eyelids drooped and she breathed heavily. Soul watched enamored. She was vulnerable and exposed. Soul’s eyes traveled down from her heaving breasts to where her legs lie wide open.

  Soul moved to her so he was
only inches from her face. Saye fluttered her eyelids, startled by the shadow he cast. She frowned when she saw him. Soul grabbed the nape of her neck, pulling her closely by her soft hair.

  “You don’t touch a Princess,” Saye said, smiling.

  Soul laughed harshly, “I’ll remember that when I see one.”

  Saye raised her hand and slapped Soul hard across the face, that his gold skin burned red from the imprint. She raised her hand again and he grabbed it, forcing it down by her side. Soul laughed and embraced her so that their contempt and fire knew a vessel. Their lips parted and their tongues met.

  Soul stopped kissing and pulled apart, saying: “Is this what a royal fuck is? I tell you ‘princess,’ I’m not impressed.” Saye bit him so hard that she tasted the blood she had just healed. She ripped at his chest, scrambling to tear apart the walls of the chest she had just made new. Soul couldn’t help but smile as she ripped in to him, it was exactly how he had imagined their coupling. Their embrace was bloody. It was painful and scarring and beautiful.

  Saye kneed Soul in the abdomen. He opened her with that very knee and pushed her to the ground, hard. Hard enough for Saye to scream in some impossible to discern amalgam of pain and pleasure. The stone thrust against her naked back and sliced her skin open. Saye wrapped her arms around his neck and clawed at his back. Saye was trying to take everything from Soul. She was trying to take more than he had. But dammit, Soul would give her anything she wanted.

  He entered her hard and rough, her legs spread wide against the grey stone floor. The intensity was felt throughout the large cavern. The stone walls echoed fusions of Saye’s screams and Soul’s groans. The water rippled by Soul’s thrusts. They reached their peak together, their flesh held so tightly it was colorless. A thin line of blood trickled indiscriminately from beneath their bodies and down the slick grey stone to the shimmering pool below.

  Saye’s lips were as red as rubies and Soul’s healed skin burned red with claw marks. Soul fell to Saye’s side as Saye cuddled against him. She traced her dark finger against his chest, following one of the many scratches she made. As her finger followed the scratch, Saye healed it and made it new, but just as the bloody and wounded flesh turned new again, Saye scratched it freshly open. Blood dripped from Soul.

  Saye tripped on the last rocky step coming out of the cave. “Are you okay?” Soul asked upon seeing Saye sprawled on the ground, lying in a woman shaped crater. It had been a relatively easy journey out. Once the morning had come the path out was lit. All they needed to do was follow the light. The tunnel was a little slippery from rain flood, moss, and morning dew, but other than that it was as though it had been designed for them.

  Until the home stretch, apparently. They had to climb down moss and mud laden rocks to reach the forest floor. Soul offered to go first, that he may help her down. Saye had, of course, refused. She climbed down first and promptly fell on her face.

  They had waked earlier that morning without a word as to what had happened the night before. It wasn’t as if anything actually could happen. She was a princess and he was a rogue, it was always going to be that way. The night had been… indescribable. It had been mind blowing, wonderful, and out-of-this-world. If Saye could do it again she would, all the time, every day, forever. But she couldn’t. And Soul knew that too. They were on the same page. It couldn’t happen. Ever. So they waked without a word and walked out the now illuminated tunnel, without a word.

  “I’m fine,” Saye said, standing to her feet. “Your hands were shaking,” Soul said. He stood behind her, having immediately climbed down after Saye. “I am Princess Aranea—“ “Of the United Kingdom of Shit, yes. But what was that? Why were your hands shaking.” Saye brushed the dirt from her. “It was nothing.” She started to walk.

  Around her it shone jade. Mossy green forest trees grew so high one couldn’t see the tops, they disappeared in to the pale gold light of the sun. The trees were as thick around them as the sticks they stepped on underfoot. The grass was a pale emerald that shimmered wet with dew. They could hear birds chirping, grasshoppers moaning, and the sound of bushes quivering with wildlife.

  “It was something.” Soul grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her around. He pulled her back so that she was looking up to him. He removed his hand from her that they stared at each other without force or mutiny. The sunlight streamed on their faces. “It’s a tremor. It’s nothing. Nothing can be done; I’ve had it since I was born. I suppose you’ll call it royal inbreeding.”

  Soul softened. “I’m surprised I didn’t notice.”

  Saye turned away and continued on toward the blanket of green and gold. “I’m not,” she muttered.

  Soul walked up beside her, nonchalantly kicking a few of the sticks along their path. He hummed a sundry and familiar tune, something that was heard in Aranean child hood. “You don’t know where you’re going.”

  “I suppose you do?”

  “This is No Man’s Land; only a few leagues from an Under World opening.” Saye stopped, cocking her head thoughtfully at his reply. “Then that means we’re only a few more leagues from the great United Kingdom.”

  “Why would a traitor want to go back there?”

  “I am not a traitor! If I go back surely someone will…”

  He smiled. “Slice of your head?”

  “Well what about you, then? Your own troop cut your belly.”

  Soul scowled. “I was mutinied. Now, try to understand: in my scenario I’m the UKA and my troop is you.”

  Saye smiled, humming the same sundry and familiar tune heard in Aranean childhood, and said: “That’s what you think…”

  Who Are You?

  It was another league of silence. Another dizzy, green scene of forest and croaking crickets. Saye decided that she hated Soul. She decided that if something were to happen to him, she wouldn’t mourn his death. If a branch were to fall on his head or if he tripped and punctured his abdomen, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. Quite the contrary. She wished that would happen, so instead they didn’t go on walking another league of dizzy, green silence.

  “So… am I going to your Under World as a hostage now?” Saye questioned. A branch crackled underfoot as she stopped to contemplate the absurdity of following her captor to her doom. Soul turned around and quickly closed the distance between them.

  “How do you see yourself now, Saye? As a hostage or a traitor? It’s up to you.”

  “Is it really? If I were to walk away now would you not run after me?”

  Soul narrowed his gaze. The woods seemed to quiet at their closure. He lowered his head, the shagged curls of his sunset red locks falling across his eyes.

  “I’m walking away…” Saye sing-songed her threat across the forest air.

  His jaw clenched. “Would you run?”

  Saye cocked her head just slightly to her shoulder, that she could almost see Soul from the corner of her eye. She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Will you follow?”

  “As a traitor or a hostage?”

  “As Saye.” Like a mallet to a gong, her answer bounced off the forest walls with splendid resoluteness.

  Soul turned and walked away brusquely. “Not as ‘Princess Aranea?’” He questioned harshly. Saye scoffed and ran after him. She pushed him in the back so that he nearly toppled over.

  “Who are you?” She asked, though her query felt more leadened than the simple words conveyed.

  “I’m Soul,” he replied bluntly, that his answer hit her question like a dull wooden stick.

  “Ha!” Saye laughed sardonically. Soul furrowed his brow. “You are a rogue,” she said.“You are of the Under World. You are this and that and be damned if anyone question other wise.” Soul protested but Saye spoke over him, poking at his chest. “No! I am Princess Aranea, and I’m not sorry that I’m not afraid to say what I am.” Soul reached for her. Saye knocked him away. He pulled her back forcefully that her back was against his chest. She fought him, battling as he groped one arm across her
struggling breast and the other between her writhing thighs.

  He growled in to her ear: “You will have me.”

  Soul ripped open her shirt, exposing her breasts to the cool forest air. His hands ran back and forth across them, squeezing ferociously. Saye moaned. Her thighs quivered and he held her that she didn’t fall. He growled in to her neck, lavishly kissing up and down her hot skin. Her moans became the metronome to their heated dance. Saye sighed for him and he bit the space between her neck and shoulder. She screamed.

  He tore off the last of her clothes and pushed her to the forest floor. She fell to the mossy earth in pleasant contempt. Soul advanced like the looming forest shadows. Saye scrambled to her feet. Sunlight flickered around her like fireflies. She darted away and disappeared in to the trees. When she felt she could be seen no longer, she pressed her back against a tree and listened. She couldn’t hear anything. Her breaths seemed arrogantly loud against the still forest.

  A shadow eclipsed Saye’s lids and Soul’s darkly chiseled face appeared in her eye line.

  They embraced. As she moved her arms around his neck he stuck his hand between her thighs and made her dance. She moaned and spread her raven hair like a plague. Sunlight warmed their bodies, his muscles glistened with sweat while the forest light played around them.

  He pushed her body back against the harsh bark, sticking his head in her bosom and thrusting his fingers deeper. The bark made her skin bloody; crimson trickled down her thighs and between the grooves of the dark bark. She thought she must be screaming. In pain or in pleasure, it made no difference. Her mind was a fog. Everything was green and gold, white fog and red blood. In her head sweet music played like her last act.

  She begged him to enter her.