The Spider Queen

by Emma Slate

  Not just humans. But all creatures.

  Water flipped and crashed as the bow of a mighty wooden ship rose through the sea. It was busted and broken, the sails ripped and torn.

  “Will that thing even sail?” I asked in dumb amazement.

  “Yes. Poseidon has provided,” Aloysius said.

  “Who’s going to captain this thing?” I asked. “I’m no sailor. And I know you guys aren’t either…”

  Aloysius rubbed the back of his neck. “The ghosts of the ocean.”

  “Oh, sure,” I murmured.

  I heard a splash, and in the distance, I saw a small boat floating toward shore. But it was empty, and the oars rowed themselves.

  A shiver worked its way down my spine.

  Aloysius waved with his non-injured hand to the rowboat. I gathered my boots and metal armor and clambered into the boat. Meghan followed suit and so did Dorian. Aloysius climbed aboard last and then settled himself across from me.

  The oars slipped into the water, and then we were being rowed toward the ship.

  “Knife,” I said to him.

  With his non-injured hand, he reached across his body and pulled it from his belt to hand to me.

  I yanked at the hem of my shirt, sliced off a strip, and then dunked it into the ocean. “Hand,” I commanded.

  “Bossy,” he muttered but gave me his injured palm.

  I smiled as I wrapped it. I heard his sharp inhale of his breath. “It stings, doesn’t it?” I guessed.

  “Yes.”

  “Sea water helps heal wounds.” I closed his fingers and gave him back his hand and knife.

  “Thank you, Stella,” he said quietly. He lifted his head and stared at the looming ship that grew larger the closer we rowed toward it.

  The rowboat sidled up to the ship and docked. Along the side of the ghost ship was a wooden rope ladder. I looked to my companions.

  “You first,” Meghan urged, appearing pale.

  I grinned but held my tongue. No use teasing Meghan about her fear of water, the sea, and now sailing.

  I grasped the rope ladder and scaled up. The ship’s side was at least twenty feet high. My feet hit the deck and I looked around. Whatever spirits commanded the ship, I couldn’t see them.

  Bowing my head, I said, “Thank you.”

  The sails snapped, causing me to jump. I let out a startled laugh. Even I wasn’t above being spooked.

  Meghan jumped onto the deck, followed quickly by Dorian and then Aloysius.

  “What now?” Meghan asked.

  “Now,” I said, turning my face to the sky. “I ask them to take us to the Island of Mist.”

  Chapter 29

  “I hate you.” Meghan glowered at me right before she threw herself against the railing of the starboard side.

  So far, I was the only one who hadn’t been plagued by seasickness. We’d been on the water for a few hours, clipping along at a good pace as far as I could tell. Not that I’d spent any time sailing when I’d lived in Manhattan, so I really couldn’t say.

  I stood at the helm, the wind in my hair, breathing in the salty spray. “No one held a knife to your throat and asked you to come along,” I pointed out with a wry smile.

  She glared again and wiped a hand across her sweaty brow. “How long until we’re there?”

  I shrugged. As soon as I’d uttered our destination, the ghost ship had immediately set sail, but it wasn’t as though ghosts were good conversationalists and could tell us how long it would be before we got there.

  “Have you really never left the desert? I mean, aside from hunting in the forest?”

  Meghan shook her head. “Why would I leave? Where would I go?”

  “I don’t know. Don’t you have a sense of adventure?”

  “Not all of us feel the need to wander, Stella.” She looked like she wanted to say more, but she quickly placed a hand over her mouth.

  Aloysius and Dorian came up from below deck. When they’d gone to explore, they’d both been green around the edges. Now they looked like they’d found their sea legs.

  Dorian held up a cask. “I don’t know what’s in this wine, but it settled my stomach.”

  “Mine too,” Aloysius agreed.

  Meghan held out her hand and Dorian handed over the cask. She took a long draught and then clutched it around the neck.

  “What else did you find below deck?” I asked.

  “Four immaculate rooms, each fit for a king,” Aloysius said with a grin.

  “What about food?” Meghan wondered. “This ghost ship has wine, which is great, but—”

  “There’s a banquet waiting for us,” her brother interrupted.

  “Lead the way,” Meghan said. “And you’re right. This wine is doing the trick.”

  “Stella?” Aloysius asked.

  “I’m fine,” I said, turning my gaze back to the horizon, to the golden disk that was starting to set. “I’ll be there in a bit.”

  Aloysius lowered his voice when he spoke to his sister and told her to go ahead and eat. I heard their soft footsteps as Meghan and Dorian left. Aloysius came to stand next to me and placed his hands on the rail. His hands were so much larger than mine, tanned and weathered, scarred.

  The wind blew a curl across my cheek and over my eye. Aloysius reached out, obviously wanting to tuck the hair behind my ear, but at the last moment he remembered what I’d said about his touch. His hand fell to his side.

  “You’re beautiful in the dying light,” he said, his voice rich.

  I looked at him. His eyes appeared liquid. I lowered my walls and reached out to touch his emotions. He was genuine. He was pure. And he wanted me.

  My shield went back up and I turned to look out at the vast sea.

  “I could make you forget him.”

  I smiled sadly. “If I were human and he was anything other than what he is, I might believe you.”

  He sighed.

  “Your sister…she warned me.”

  “About what?”

  I bit my lip and looked at him. “Your tender heart.”

  He scoffed. “She’s lying.” His tone was teasing, gentle.

  “Please tell me I’m only hurting your ego,” I joked back. “I couldn’t stand it if I was actually hurting you.”

  “We hardly know each other, Stella. You intrigue me. That I’ll admit. But anything deeper at this moment?” He shook his head. “That would be insanity.”

  “Insanity,” I murmured.

  I felt emotions for Lucifer I had no reason to feel. And they’d come on strong and fast. I was drowning in a rip tide of emotion for him.

  We had something. I was sure of it.

  “Come on, Stella.” Aloysius pushed away from the rail. “Let’s eat.”

  I woke up because I was tossed out of bed. I hit the wood planks hard. Moaning, I rubbed my tender knee, trying to get my bearings. I hadn’t slept in days, and last night it had finally caught up to me. I’d collapsed onto the bed after a delicious meal, served by unseen hands. No doubt if I got up and headed back to the main dining cabin, I’d find a breakfast spread just as delicious as dinner the night before.

  But my mind wasn’t on food. As I looked out the small window to see early rays of dawn, I realized the ship was rocking. And there was yelling coming from on deck.

  I scrambled up from my spot on the floor and hastily pulled on trousers and boots. I ran from the room, my dark hair flying into my face. It had grown out considerably in the last few days. Back to the length before I’d cut it.

  Salt mist sprayed my skin the moment I stepped up onto the deck. Aloysius was yelling, calling out commands to Dorian and Meghan.

  “What the—”

  Something slithered around my feet. My eyes widened when I took in the massive tentacle. It quickly looped around my body and held me captive. It wasn’t squeezing and I could still breathe, yet the air in my lungs leaked out in a long stretch.

  “Stella!” Aloysius called, running toward me.

  Ano
ther tentacle appeared over the bow of the ship and knocked him aside. Meghan rushed to her brother’s aid as Dorian darted for me, his sword raised, ready to slash the tentacle that contained me. And just like magic, arrows rained from the sky, launched from bows. The ghosts pirating the ship were coming to my assistance.

  The arrows had no effect on the monster tentacle holding me. I was dragged over the railing; I hit the cold water, and the rest of the air in my lungs escaped. Still, I didn’t struggle because there was no point.

  Down and down we went. My dark hair marred my vision, but the beast that held me was too large to see in its entirety. It was nothing but tentacles everywhere.

  Finally, it released me, and suddenly I could expand my lungs. Breathing underwater had become second nature, despite the fact that I’d only done it once before.

  As the sea monster with its fleshy pink tentacles floated out of sight down into the gloomy depths of the sea, another form swam toward me.

  His face was sculpted. Wide, gray eyes over a patrician nose. A beautiful mouth, currently curved into a smile. Long, dark hair brushed his well-defined chest. He floated in front of me, his gaze on mine.

  Welcome to my realm, Stella of Purgatory. His voice was inside my head.

  I blinked. Poseidon?

  His smile widened and he somehow managed a bow—as much as one could bow while floating underwater.

  Was that your sea monster that pulled me under? I couldn’t stop the snideness of my tone.

  The Greek god seemed to have a sense of humor and let out a chuckle. A stream of air bubbles blew from his mouth.

  I couldn’t very well pull you under myself.

  Why not?

  Do you really want to waste precious time asking about the way of the Gods, or do you wish to know why I wanted to speak to you?

  I waved my hand in the universal sign to continue.

  Your humans are not welcome on the island. They will not step foot on shore. They will drop anchor and you will take a boat to land. You will walk through the mists and you will find what you are looking for in the meadow.

  I swallowed in fear at his pronouncement.

  This journey is yours alone, Stella.

  He paused.

  I waited patiently as I processed what he said.

  Are you going to say anything? he asked.

  If this Greek God thing doesn’t work out for you, you can definitely score a job writing messages for fortune cookies.

  Poseidon blinked and then he smiled. He said you were funny.

  Ice ran in my veins. Lucifer had already spoken with Poseidon. What kind of relationship did they share? Were they allies? Was I walking into a trap?

  Have you seen him recently?

  He cocked his head to the side. Do you actually care? Or are you worried he’s going to magically swoop in and stop you?

  I wasn’t sure of the answer, and the last thing I was going to do was figure it out in the depths of the ocean. Poseidon was not my confidant. I hadn’t spent a lot of time around immortals and deities, but I knew one thing: they were self-serving. No good would come of me telling Poseidon anything personal.

  I think I want to get back to my quest.

  He bowed again. Stella, it was a pleasure meeting you. I hope our paths cross again soon.

  Before I could reply, I felt a pair of arms reach out and grasp me, hauling me to the surface.

  Chapter 30

  I collapsed onto the deck and brushed the hair from my face. Aloysius was next to me, breathing hard, his clothes stuck to his skin.

  Meghan draped a heavy cloak around my shoulders, and Dorian did the same for his king.

  “Is there something you want to tell us?” Aloysius asked, absently taking a steaming mug from Dorian.

  “Uh, not really…” I sent Meghan a grateful smile as I accepted a mug from her hands and took a small sip. Broth. “The ghosts?”

  She nodded and then shrugged.

  I sighed.

  “Stella,” Aloysius snapped. “I just dove into the sea for you. Me. A desert man with a fear of deep water. This was after a tentacled monster attacked our ship in case you—”

  “It’s not our ship,” I reminded him.

  The man actually growled and glared at me.

  “You were under the water for at least fifteen minutes,” Dorian voiced. “You should have drowned. Immortal or not.”

  “I should’ve pulled your lifeless body onto the deck. Instead you’re fully conscious,” Aloysius stated softly. He shoved the dark hair off his forehead, and the scarred part of his face looked stark against golden skin.

  I looked into the mug of broth and tapped the rim. “I can breathe underwater.”

  Meghan snorted. “We gathered that much already, Stella. The question I want to know is, if you can breathe underwater, then why didn’t you swim to the ship?”

  “And how can you do such a thing?” Aloysius demanded. “You didn’t get that ability from your parents. They can shift from human form to their true forms, but not into a water animal.”

  A memory came to me, of my parents shifting into spiders. I’d ridden on the back of my mother when I was a child. “You’ve seen them shift?” I asked in surprise.

  “Yes,” he said, his face still pale. “It was…a sight to behold.”

  “Terrifying,” Meghan added. “Two giant spiders…”

  “You live in a desert with massive scorpions and moving sand dunes. A sea creature just attacked this ship which is being sailed by ghosts, but my parents shifting into spiders is too much for you?”

  “We’re getting off topic,” Aloysius said. “Tell us why you can breathe underwater. Please.”

  “I have merrow essence.” I shrugged, trying to play it off, knowing it was unusual. Knowing I was unusual.

  Even though I kept my head down, I saw out of the corner of my eye the three of them exchanging looks.

  “How can that be?” Meghan finally asked.

  “I’d really rather not get into it,” I stated. My mother’s history was not mine to share, even if it did directly affect me. “More importantly, we should discuss what Poseidon told me.”

  “Poseidon?” Aloysius raised his eyebrows in clear surprise.

  “Apparently he’s quite dramatic in how he wanted to approach me. So he had his sea monster bring me to his domain.” I quickly filled them in on what he said, about how they couldn’t come with me onto the island.

  “You mean we have to stay on this forsaken boat without any reprieve? For how long?” Meghan demanded.

  “No idea. He didn’t tell me how long it would take to cross the ocean to get to the island, and he didn’t tell me anything about the island itself, except that I’ll find what I’m looking for in the meadow.”

  For all I knew, there would be another long journey the moment I stepped foot onto the shore. And that wasn’t something I even wanted to contemplate. I’d think about it when I got there.

  “I need a bath,” I said, throwing off the cloak and standing.

  “Wait,” Meghan called as I walked away, wanting to escape below deck. “You can’t just—”

  “Let her go,” Aloysius said.

  I was suddenly exhausted and I’d only been awake for a few hours. In that time, I’d been pitched from my bed, taken hostage by a sea monster, and exchanged snarky barbs with a Greek God. A Greek God who could’ve made my life a lot more complicated than he had.

  He’d warned me.

  Why?

  What was his end game?

  Did he want me to earn my freedom? Even if he and Lucifer were friends, why would he stop his friend?

  I had no idea the thought processes of the Gods.

  Closing the door to my cabin, I sighed. In the middle of the room was a huge wooden tub filled with steaming water.

  “Thank you!” I called out to the ghosts who’d prepared such a luxury and then hoped none of them were around expecting a peep show.

  I quickly stripped out of my wet clothes and
then stepped into the tub. I moaned out loud as I sank into the steamy water. Before I even reached for the bar of soap, I leaned against the sloped side and closed my eyes.

  I was quickly falling into a doze when I felt a blast of hot water fill the tub. My eyes flipped open to find Meghan standing over the tub, bucket in hand, glaring at me.

  “Um, ever heard of knocking?” I demanded as I quickly attempted to cover myself.

  She rolled her eyes and then sat down on a stool. “It’s time you and I had another chat.”

  “You don’t think we could do that in about half an hour when I’m dressed?” I demanded.

  “No.” Her eyes pinned me in place. “Why didn’t you ever mention you could breathe underwater?”

  “Because I didn’t think about it.”

  “Really? Despite the fact that you were going to be traveling with humans—desert people—who already fear the water? My brother, the king of our people, jumped overboard to save you because he thought you needed help.”

  Shame and remorse coursed through me. “I’m sorry.”

  “Those two words don’t mean anything, Stella. You can’t make those kinds of mistakes and expect everything to be forgiven because you say I’m sorry. He’s my only brother and he would’ve sacrificed himself for you.”

  “Why?” My voice sounded small. “Why would he do such a thing?”

  “Because my brother is inherently good. And he would sacrifice himself for a greater cause, and he knows that you need to accomplish your task.”

  “It’s my cause,” I said, finally looking away, not able to hold her penetrating stare.

  “You still don’t trust us—him, me—after everything we’ve done for you.” She paused. “You’ve never had a tribe, have you?”

  For the first time in my life, I felt like I owed someone else an explanation. Even with Herron, I never felt the need to explain. Sure, I gave her some information, just so she wouldn’t worry when she was apt to worry. But this… This felt different.

  “I only want to tell it once,” I said softly. “So if you let me finish my bath in peace, I’ll get dressed and I’ll sit with you and your brother and Dorian, and I’ll tell you why we’re here. I’ll tell you everything.”