The Spider Queen

by Emma Slate

  I looked up at the cliffs and then at my surroundings, realizing I was alone on the rocky shoreline.

  I heard a groan in the near distance.

  Scrambling up from my spot, I glanced around, trying to find the source of the noise. I found Hunter propped up against a rock, his face swollen and battered.

  “Hunter!” I called, grazing his neck for a pulse. Slow, but strong.

  He cracked his eyes open. “I’m not dead?”

  “You’re not dead.” I smiled, but then it faded. “You’re not dead,” I repeated. “And I’m not dead. Why aren’t we dead, Hunter?”

  “Stop shouting.” He moaned. “My head hurts.”

  “What do you remember?” I asked.

  “Cold. Ice. Flying out of the cliffs. Ocean. Drowning.” He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the rock.

  “Flying out of the cliffs. Yeah. But I thought we were deep down in the earth.”

  “Maybe not as deep as we thought. Or magic.”

  “Right. Magic. You’re still wearing the backpack,” I said, reaching around him to help him take it off. “Can you move?”

  “Maybe.” He placed his hands on the ground, trying to prop himself up. He gritted his teeth and went pale beneath the swelling bruises. “I don’t think so. I think my left ankle might be broken.”

  I lifted his pant leg to examine it. The ankle in question was puffy, and his foot was bent at an abnormal angle. “Yeah. I think you may be right. What should I do? Can I call someone?” I asked, feeling desperate and shaky.

  “The cell phone is in the backpack,” he gritted. “Help me get this thing off. There’s some Ibuprofen in there. I’ll take a few. That will help a bit. Maybe. I’m not taking off my boot. It might cause more damage to the ankle.”

  Once I got him settled back down and a few Ibuprofen down his throat, I sat back onto the rocky sand. The late day sun moved behind the clouds causing me to shiver. I was cold and wet. But wet wool was still better than no wool.

  “At least it’s still daylight,” I said, striving for positivity even though on the inside I was scared out of my mind.

  “Yeah,” he agreed. “How did we get on the beach, Poppy? How did you get us both to land?”

  “It wasn’t me.”

  “Was it Thane?”

  “Er—no. At least…no definitely not.” Thane had enormous power. Limited at times, yes. And it had been his power that had started my heart again after drowning in the bathtub. But this wasn’t his work. Something had rescued me. Us.

  Hunter looked thoughtful and turned his gaze to the Atlantic, like he was searching for an answer. “Merrow.”

  “Huh?”

  “The Irish call them Merrow—” he turned his gaze to me, “—mermaids.”

  I blinked. “They’re mythological.”

  He shrugged and looked back at the sea. “Do you have a better answer?”

  I thought back to the moment right before I passed out. The shadows, the glinting silver scales, the webbed fingers. And the eyes. God, those eyes. I’d seen loss and sadness in those eyes. Like she’d tried to save so many before me but failed. She would’ve mourned for us if we’d died, that much I knew.

  I sighed. “Where do we go from here?”

  “We? I can’t go anywhere.” He gestured to his ankle. “I’m useless.”

  “I’m not leaving you.”

  “You have to.”

  Shaking my head, I was adamant. “No. I never would have gotten this far without you.”

  “I won’t be the one who holds you back. Besides, the last part of the journey has to be on your own.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “My job was to get you to the cave. The rest is up to you.”

  “You haven’t gotten me to the cave. Not yet. Here, try to stand.” I went to hoist my shoulder under his armpit hoping to get him up. But Hunter was bigger than I was and refused to aid me.

  “Poppy,” Hunter said, blue eyes steady. “You have to keep going. Otherwise, this will have all been for naught. You can do this.”

  Frustration and grief poured through me. “Even if I could think of leaving you—”

  Poppy, came Thane’s voice.

  Thane! I can’t do this! I know you want me to leave Hunter, but I can’t. It’s not right. He—

  There’s a Callaghan on the way, Poppy. Hunter will be fine. I promise.

  You double promise? I asked, sounding like a child, holding in a sniff.

  Double promise, he replied without a trace of mockery. I’ll have his hide, but no one else will.

  For some reason that makes me feel better.

  I wiped my eyes and said to Hunter, “Thane is sending a Callaghan. Can you hold on until then?”

  He nodded, fighting a grimace. “I can.” He bit his lip. “Poppy, I—”

  “I know.” I leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to a non-battered part of his forehead.

  “Go to Thane.”

  “But the cave. Where—”

  “Feel it.”

  Nodding, I replied, “Right.” Maybe one day that would be intuitive for me. Not at the moment, though. Reluctantly, I stood up.

  “Take the pack,” he said.

  “Fine. But I’m leaving you food, water, and a knife.”

  “I don’t need—”

  “And Ibuprofen.”

  “Okay. Now stop stalling,” he said with a smile. “I’ll see you soon, Poppy.”

  I sighed, taking out the items and placing them next to Hunter. I zipped up the backpack and put it on, adjusting the straps to fit my smaller frame.

  “I—yeah, see you soon, Hunter.” With one last look at him, I walked away. I refused to turn back. I was afraid that if I did, I would give in and choose to stay by his side.

  The weak rays of the sun appeared from behind a swirl of gray clouds, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw something bright and gleaming. I whipped my head around. A massive, silver-scaled tale was disappearing into the sea. It flipped up and down for a moment before vanishing all together.

  “A wave goodbye,” I said with a little laugh. I raised my hand and did the same, hoping she saw me.

  Chapter 51

  I’d been walking for an hour; the sun had started to set and though the wind was calmer on the shoreline, it was still breezy. My hair dried in sandy, salty clumps, but I was still soaked to the bone. And feeling guilty for leaving Hunter, but knowing I couldn’t do anything about it except worry. I trudged on, each step heavier than the last.

  You have to stop thinking of Hunter, came Thane’s voice.

  Why? Because it makes you angry?

  No, because it detracts from your focus.

  I’m tired, I whined.

  I know.

  I’m hungry.

  I know.

  I’m cold.

  Poppy—

  I’m not sure I’m even walking in the right direction. The land isn’t speaking to me, Thane. How do I know if I’m getting any closer? For all I know, I could—I stopped mid-step.

  Go on, Thane drawled. You were in the middle of another complaint.

  I ignored him and looked up at the cliffs. They were rough and serrated, a mix of black and gray. Gulls swarmed the rocks, nesting and raising their young. The sun had moved out over the ocean, its rays bathing the rocks in a hue of gold.

  My heart thudded in my chest and blood rushed to my ears. My palms tingled. And then my eyes locked on to a spot in the side of the cliffs. The air…glimmered.

  I watched a bird soar and then attempt to rejoin its family—it neared too close to the rippling rocks and ricocheted off it.

  Something inside of me settled. I’ve found a ward.

  What are you waiting for? Come free me!

  Just a second, I intoned. The third ward is on the side of the cliff—and it has to be at least a hundred feet off the ground. How the hell am I supposed to get to it?

  Climb the cliff, I suppose.

  Oh, sure. Just climb the clif
f. Little problem. I don’t have climbing gear. Nor do I wish to plummet to my death.

  He sighed. You don’t need climbing gear.

  Thane—

  Use the silk.

  Silk? What silk?

  Your silk.

  “What the fuck?” I yelled. I have silk?

  What do you think that was back in the hotel room—you spun your silk and trapped Hunter. And then the battle you had with the golden wasps. You spun silk then, too.

  I thought you did that for me… I thought you gave me your anger and strength to protect me.

  No, Poppy. That silk was yours.

  I definitely hit my head on a rock when I fell into the ocean, right? I peered at the cliff, terrified but intrigued, too. Go go Gadget Spidey Silk!

  Thane laughed. I loved that cartoon.

  How do you know about Inspector Gadget? I demanded.

  How do you? That was way before your time.

  So is Casablanca, mate. You don’t ignore the classics. Besides, they made Inspector Gadget into a crappy movie.

  You are full of surprises, Poppy.

  Enough with the flattery. Help me figure out how to spin this silk.

  You already know.

  Um. No, I don’t. Both times, it just appeared.

  Nothing ever just appears. You have to call it.

  “Call it,” I repeated. I thought back to what Hunter had said about Anita finding me singing gibberish. But it hadn’t been gibberish at all. I’d been calling for silk, and it had saved my life. The only other time I’d called the silk was to stop Hunter—to protect myself.

  When I called it, I was afraid.

  You don’t need to be afraid, or feel some other extreme emotion for it to spin. It’s just not second nature to you yet. One day it will be.

  How do I start?

  What do you intend to use the silk for? How do you envision it helping you?

  I frowned in thought. I wanted a sturdy rope that would secure around my waist, so if I lost my footing, I wouldn’t fall and die. I’d never scaled a wall before, and the last time I remembered climbing a rope was for gym class back in elementary school. This was a cliff! How was I going to scale it?

  It’s easier than you think.

  I don’t—

  How do people get up onto their roofs?

  My eyes widened. A ladder!

  Yes!

  I could—spin a ladder?

  It’s your silk. You just have to tell it what to do.

  I opened my mouth and thought about my intent. Nothing happened. I closed my eyes and tried again. Again nothing. My eyes shot open and anger swelled in my chest.

  This doesn’t fucking work!

  It does work. You’re just not doing it right. What did you tell your silk you wanted?

  A ladder.

  Doesn’t work that way. What is it you want?

  To get to the ward.

  Right. So try thinking about that.

  I craned my neck to stare at the rippling ward and thought about getting up there. I envisioned myself climbing on a ladder, my hands grasping the hardened, opaque rope as I made my way up the cliff.

  Silky thread shot out of my open mouth.

  It curled and weaved and grasped the side of the cliff. It stuck to the rough rocks like white moss and then ascended the mountain. White shimmery threads that resembled fingers clawed their way up. They traveled, and soon, the ends of the tendrils looped around two stones that would act as anchor points for the ladder. Fiber hung down and swayed in the wind. I watched them thicken, grow, and then braid together. The rungs appeared in one blink.

  With a final swish, the ladder straightened, and then stilled. I placed my hand on one of the side ropes. It was hard—as solid as the cocoon I’d spun around Hunter.

  I didn’t understand the rules of magic, but it had seemed like a good idea to thank it. Who knew if it would be fair-weathered?

  “Thank you,” I whispered.

  The ladder gave another swish, like it was letting me know it had heard me.

  I placed my foot on the bottom rung and stepped up onto the ladder.

  And then I began to climb.

  Chapter 52

  I think I’m going to be sick!

  Close your eyes for a moment, Thane commanded. And why the hell did you look down?

  Because I wanted to see what the world looked like from up here.

  You shot out from inside a mountain and plummeted into the ocean—you didn’t get a good look then?

  Uh, I was a little busy trying not to impale myself on the rocks, you jerk!

  I pressed my face against the ladder and closed my eyes, trying to calm my breathing. The wind was stronger high up on the cliffs, but the ladder was petrified and hadn’t moved.

  My hair whipped across my face and my fingers were numb from cold.

  I was only halfway up the damn ladder.

  Part of me wanted to scramble as fast as I could to get to the ward—and what was behind it—but I knew it was better to take my time, lest one of my feet missed a rung and then…

  Yeah, I didn’t need any more mishaps.

  I’d lost count of how many times I’d almost died. If I were a cat, I would be on one of my last lives.

  Are you okay? You went quiet.

  Yeah, I’m okay. I lifted my face away from the ladder rung but refused to look up. If I did, I knew I’d be disheartened by how much more I had to climb.

  Talk to me, I commanded him. Distract me.

  What do you want to talk about?

  You. I felt his surprise—it mirrored my own. Tell me a story about your childhood. Deities have childhoods, right?

  He snorted. I’m not a deity. But yes, I had a childhood. It was a beautiful childhood.

  Do you have siblings?

  I had a brother.

  Had?

  We were twins. He was my best friend. Thane fell silent.

  I’m sorry, I said, starting my ascent again. I was curious as to what had happened to his brother, but I wasn’t about to ask the insensitive question. Tell me something else. Something happy.

  Happiness has always been fleeting in my life, Poppy. Happiness was a luxury I couldn’t afford.

  Sadness for him overwhelmed me. All this time, I’d been battling him, hating him for things beyond my control, when in reality, he was just as much a casualty himself.

  Was there anyone else, Thane?

  What are you asking, Poppy?

  Every generation, there was a woman… Did you love any of them?

  Yes, Poppy. I loved all of them.

  Jealousy shot through my veins, causing me to grip the ladder tighter.

  Easy.

  How can you—

  I felt it.

  Right. I sighed. Our stupid bond.

  I don’t feel about you the way I felt about them. I might’ve loved them, Poppy, and did mourn when they passed. But I didn’t lose—I never felt like any of them were destined to free me. But you…you have no idea how much I want to touch your face, to feel your lips against mine, to hold you in my arms and never let you go.

  I shivered with pent up lust, not knowing if it was Thane’s or mine, or both. But it was powerful, and it had me clearing the ladder faster.

  We’ve already been together, haven’t we? I found my way into your prison and then—in the cave, to break the ward…

  Our essences were together. Not our physical forms.

  We have some powerful essences, don’t we?

  Thane chuckled. Yes. We do.

  So, to be clear, we haven’t been together-together.

  No, Poppy. We haven’t been together-together. When that finally happens, you’ll have no doubt about it.

  Pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?

  Focus on the climb. You can challenge me later. I look forward to it.

  I laughed and kept going. There was a strange relief in the routine. One rung after another, one step after another. Hunger fell away, tiredness fell away, the cold Ir
ish wind somehow invigorating.

  I was three quarters of the way up the ladder when everything around me changed. The air stopped blowing, the birds ceased cawing, and even the waves crashing against the cliffs below me calmed.

  My gaze searched the sky and horizon, looking for anything out of place. Seeing nothing unusual, I turned back to continue my ascent, but I caught something out of the corner of my eye.

  In my dream, they’d flown in a golden wave. Now, they flew in a swarm. The grating sounds of flapping mechanical wings hit my ears, and I felt something wet pour down the sides of my face. I looked up to see if it had started to rain, but the sky was cloudy and white—not dark and gray. I took one hand off the ladder and touched my ear. It came away bloody.

  My ears were bleeding.

  I scurried up the ladder, trying to get to the top before the wasps were on me. My feet slipped and my palms were sweaty, making it difficult to keep a strong hold. When I was almost at the pinnacle, the wasps engulfed me in a cloud of gold. They sank their magical stingers into my skin. Poison and pain loosened my hold on the ladder, but I held on, refusing to let go, refusing to succumb.

  Screams tore from my throat.

  Use your army! Thane yelled.

  My mouth opened and a flood of black onyx spiders emerged. They beat the golden wasps off me. My head rang with the noise of metal scraping against metal and rocks as spiders and wasps went down in a cloud of black and gold. I watched the mass plummet, battling the entire way, until the entirety of it dropped into the ocean, landing with a resounding splash.

  And then all was quiet.

  Taking a deep breath, I gripped the ladder and waited for my heartbeat to calm. Finally, I forced my injured body the rest of the way. I didn’t stop until I was standing on a rocky ledge, the murky magical ward in front of me.

  Chapter 53

  I didn’t take a moment to breathe—I placed my hands on the invisible wall and braced for whatever was to come.

  The ward fell away to reveal a cavern tunnel. I stepped forward immediately, feeling an unmistakable pull. Stone scraped on stone and the ground I stood on rumbled and groaned. I whirled around. The exit to the cave had closed. Instead of dying Irish sunlight and the Atlantic Ocean, I saw nothing but a gray slab of rock.