Arachne's Web

by Elizabeth Corrigan

  As Demitrius walked up the stairs to the stage, Gavin’s heart rate increased. Is he going to kill me in front of all these people?

  “Gavin Ibori.” Demitrius smiled and held out a hand, which Gavin shook automatically. “It’s an honor to meet you. I watched the games with great interest, and your performance impressed me.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Gavin said, his head spinning.

  “I work with the deans at Chora University, who were similarly affected by your performance on the battlefield. We feel it would be a crime to let such talent go to waste, and we would like to offer you a position at our university in the medical department. Would you like to train to be a doctor?”

  “I…” Gavin blinked, not sure what was going on. “Of course, after my year of obligations.”

  “This is a one-time-only offer,” Demitrius said. “Good for this year only.”

  “But… I… There are contracts, fees I have to pay if I break them…”

  “We’re prepared to pay those fees.” Demitrius gave Gavin a look that suggested he was being an idiot.

  The realization struck Gavin that Demitrius had found a way to get Gavin out of his year of fame and offer him the chance of a lifetime in the process. Maybe I’m not going to die today. “In that case, I accept.”

  “Excellent.” Demitrius clapped Gavin on the back. “Let’s get out of the limelight and go somewhere we can discuss the details.”

  Gavin gave one last wave and smile to the audience, a genuine smile that time, and let Demitrius lead him backstage.

  “Is this for real?” Gavin asked as soon as he and Demitrius were in the quiet room behind the stage. “Are you really sending me to medical school?”

  Demitrius raised an eyebrow. “Do you need to go to medical school?”

  “If I want to practice medicine in this life, people are going to expect me to have degrees, so yes.” Gavin ran his hands over his head. “I really thought you were going to kill me because of the fame thing. I didn’t remember the rules until the games were over, and by then—”

  Demitrius let out a full-bellied laugh. “Yes, well, I’m sure my daughter would never speak to me again if I killed you.”

  “Roslyn.” Once the memories had started coming back, they had continued to return at a steady trickle. He knew who all his fellow Transients were and their relationships with each other.

  “Indeed. I always did like you better than that miscreant she traipses around after.”

  Gavin sighed. “She loves Jack, not me. There’s not much you or I can do about that, however much we want to.”

  Demitrius smiled as if at some inside joke Gavin didn’t get. “Oh, I think you’ll find you’ll have your chance this time around. Speaking of, I haven’t found Roslyn in this life. Have you seen her?”

  “No. But then, since I started getting memories back, I’ve been trapped on a forest in Bellerophon. I haven’t run into anyone except you.”

  “Fair enough.” Demitrius patted Gavin on the arm. “All right, I guess I’d better go head off that shrew who’s trying to manage your life. Don’t worry. We’ll sort everything out and ship you off to Chora tomorrow.”

  “Thanks, Demitrius.”

  Demitrius opened the door that led outside, in the opposite direction of the stage. “Why, hello, young lady,” he said to the brown-haired girl who was standing outside.

  “Windla!” Gavin rushed over to greet his girlfriend as Demitrius slipped past her. “I didn’t know you were here!”

  She looked beautiful, her blue dress the exact color of her eyes, and he tried to summon the love he had felt for her every day for the past few years. It was there but felt empty compared to the emotions of lives he had recalled.

  “I know.” Her voice sounded hollow. “I was sitting in the third row, and you didn’t even glance my way. You kept staring at the man from Chora.”

  “I’m sorry. I—”

  “Who’s Roslyn?”

  “Roslyn?” Crap, she must have heard our conversation. The fact that he was more concerned about her discovering he was a Transient than her knowing about Roslyn spoke volumes. “She’s Demitrius’s daughter. She—”

  “You love her.”

  Though he opened his mouth to say, “No,” the word wouldn’t come. He couldn’t lie to Windla. He cared too much about her. But he couldn’t let her learn the truth, either, so he couldn’t make her understand how much he had changed in the few weeks they’d been apart.

  Windla’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m such an idiot. I’ve been telling everyone the winner of the Bellerophon Games loves me, but apparently there’s been some other girl all along. More fool me.”

  “Windla, I—”

  “Please. Don’t. Just leave me alone.” She turned and fled.

  It’s for the best, Gavin thought as he heard the door click shut behind her. It was never going to work out between us, and it’s better to hurt her now rather than later.

  The door clicked open again, and he wondered who it was. Has Windla come back? Has Endetta come to scream at me? He turned around and saw that Windla had returned, but she wasn’t alone. Tegan O’Leary was standing in the doorway, holding a laser pistol to Windla’s head.

  “Hello, Gavin. Good to see you again. I’m afraid you’re going to have to come with me.”

  Chapter 44

  Present Day

  Lexi broke every speeding law on her way to Daphne, and Bliss didn’t care. They had little chance of getting to Gavin before Tegan did, but they had to try.

  About halfway through the ride, Will reached over and put his hand on Bliss’s. “It’s okay. We’ll get to him, even if we need to go to Arachne to do it.”

  “I don’t know why you’re comforting her.” Lexi took her eyes off the road for a second to glower at them in the rearview mirror. “It’s my brother who’s in danger.”

  “He’s a Transient. He matters to all of us,” Will said. He didn’t talk after that, and he kept his hand on Bliss’s for the rest of the ride.

  When they got to the amphitheater, news crews were packing up their cameras, and cars were departing. No one looked panicked, so Bliss had to assume the interview had gone as planned. She breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe they were in time after all.

  A man and a woman were arguing publicly among the seats. Bliss felt like she should recognize the man, and she realized why when Will hissed, “Demitrius.”

  “No business making him an offer like that,” the woman said.

  “And you, ma’am, have no business interfering in my business.” Demitrius hadn’t noticed them yet. “I’m paying you your money, so you have no reason to complain.”

  “You think I care about the money? This is about supporting Bellerophon! It’s about the glory of the games!” The woman seemed genuinely offended. From the look of her designer suit and coiffed hair, appearances mattered to her, and whatever Demitrius had done had made her look bad.

  “I know all about the glory of your games. You were prepared to turn a fine young man like Gavin into meat for your propaganda machine, and I simply won’t have it.” He looked up and saw Bliss, Lexi, and Will gaping at him. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to speak with these people.”

  As Demitrius made his way over to them, the woman looked them over and found them wanting. They’d spent over an hour in the car and hadn’t taken time to freshen up before coming in, and their ordinary school clothes did look out of place at a formal press conference.

  “What are you doing here?” Demitrius asked, his voice sounding as dark and harsh as it did in Bliss’s memories. “Other than violating my rule that none of us spend too much time together.”

  Bliss cringed, but Will was not cowed. “The only rule we never follow.”

  “Indeed,” Demitrius said. “I suppose that means you’ve come to lend support to your fe
llow, then.”

  Winding a strand of hair around her finger, Bliss said, “Not exactly.”

  “Oh, come off it, Demitrius,” Will said. “You have to know what’s going on with Arachne. I just don’t know why you haven’t put a stop to it yet.”

  Demitrius appeared puzzled. “Arachne?”

  “The fourth moon in the system? The one controlled by a government branch run by Phedre Turin? The one where you buried something that is apparently coming back to bite us in the ass?” Only Will dared to talk to Demitrius like that.

  “I don’t have time for your conspiracy theories, young man.” Demitrius’s voice was harsh. “There is no such place.”

  “Come on,” Lexi said. “Even I’ve heard of Arachne, and you know I don’t study science if I can possibly help it.”

  Demitrius frowned. “I rather feel as though you are having me on.”

  Will rubbed his forehead. “Please, please, please do not tell me that you had Camarilla block all your memories of Arachne. I cannot tell you how insane and dangerous that would be.”

  Demitrius’s lips turned down farther. “I can’t believe I would do any such thing. It’s far more likely this is some elaborate practical joke on your part. Or honestly, not that elaborate, now that I think about it.”

  “Think, Demitrius,” Will said. “Do you remember why you came to this system from your home planet? You’ve always said you won’t tell us why, and it’s never occurred to me it’s because you can’t. You must have made yourself forget.”

  Demitrius inhaled and held his breath for several moments. His gaze became unfocused, as if he were searching his memory. “That does sound like something I would do.”

  “That’s really, really bad.” Will paced around in a circle. “Phedre—you remember her, right? The one obsessed with finding out why we’re here—found some ancient box you left behind, and she’s killing Transients to open it. She sent Tegan to kidnap Gavin, and we have to stop her.”

  “Tegan O’Leary? Working for Phedre? That can’t be right. None of this can be right, but if it is…” Demitrius trailed off, and a hard look came into his eyes. “You three need to find Gavin now. He should be backstage. Keep him safe. I’ll find Camarilla. We’ll figure this out.”

  As the three jogged over to the stage, Will muttered, “Stupid Demitrius. So short-sighted.”

  “How is it that no one has talked to him about Arachne in the past twenty years?” Lexi asked.

  “Well, let’s see,” Will said. “You were dead. Bliss was dead. Jack, Cobalt, Roslyn, and Gavin were dead, and Tegan and Detrick were working for Phedre.”

  Lexi stuck out her chin. “What about you?”

  “I was in hiding! I didn’t want Tegan to kill me too! Someone needed to stick around to help you guys when you came back!” Will climbed the stairs to the stage, Lexi and Bliss on his heels.

  “And the others?” Bliss asked. “Obseverus? Domina? Astrid?”

  Will shook his head as he pressed the button to open the backstage door. “They must have forgotten, too, and Camarilla must have been too busy obeying Demitrius’s commands to think about what they meant. She’s always been kind of rigid that way.”

  Lexi darted past Will through the door, no doubt anticipating a reunion with her brother. “He’s not here,” she said as Will followed her in.

  “What?” Will crossed to the back door. “Maybe he just stepped outside.” He pressed the button to open that door and poked his head outside. “Gavin?”

  Bliss scanned the amphitheater seating. Only a few people remained, and none of them were Gavin. Lexi and Will came out to stand on the stage with Bliss.

  “He’s not here,” Lexi said. “Which means either he’s gone to take a breather somewhere, or else—”

  “Tegan’s got him,” Will said with certainty. “Looks like we’re going to Arachne.”

  Chapter 45

  Present Day

  Tegan shoved Windla into the Spirit’s hatch, though she didn’t have to shove her. Windla and Gavin had cooperated with her all the way from the amphitheater, but the use of force was so satisfying. Stupid girl Gavin loves. Stupid Gavin. So perfect all the time. I wonder what Roslyn’s going to say when she meets Blue Eyes here.

  Jack and Cobalt jumped to their feet.

  “What the—?” Jack started.

  “Let her go, Tegan,” Gavin said, his eyes locked on Windla. “I said I would go with you to the ship if you let her go. You don’t have to hurt her.”

  Tegan nodded. “When you’re in the force field circle, I’ll let her go.” Tegan had no intention of hurting Windla. She was just a means to an end. But Gavin didn’t have to know that. She moved to the wall controls, keeping her pistol trained on Windla. “You two idiots inside had better not try to fight me, or I will shoot.” She pushed the button.

  Jack, of course, tried to rush her. She saw him coming a mile away and aimed the pistol shot straight at his chest. He collapsed face-first at her feet, his head hitting the steel floor with a solid, satisfying thud.

  “He’s going to have a nasty headache when he wakes up. Now, one of you help me get him back inside the force field.”

  “Will he wake up?” Gavin asked.

  At the same time, Cobalt said, “I’m not helping you imprison my brother.”

  Tegan answered Gavin first. “Of course he’ll wake up. I had it set to stun. I need you alive on Arachne. But don’t think for a second I would hesitate to turn this force field on right now and slice Jack in half if you don’t get him inside the cage. I’m not that desperate.” She was bluffing. Tegan was that desperate. If she didn’t have three Transients for Phedre, the bitch would sacrifice her or Detrick. Probably me. I’ll be closer.

  Gavin rushed to pick up Jack and put him inside the force field cage then stepped inside as well.

  The fool. Always so honest and noble, he believes everyone else must be too. Tegan pushed the button, sealing them inside.

  “Now let Windla go,” Gavin said.

  Tegan nodded at Windla. “You can go. But tell anyone what you saw or heard, and I will come back for you, and you will regret it.”

  Windla looked at Gavin, her terrified eyes full of tears.

  Gavin said, “Go. I’ll be fine. Just go.”

  Windla looked about to say something, but instead, she turned and ran out of the hatch.

  Tegan looked Gavin up and down. “Was that a lie from our beloved hero? You won’t be fine, you know.”

  “I know. But what was I supposed to tell her?”

  Gavin’s sad voice wrapped itself around Tegan’s heart and squeezed. Part of her wanted to abandon the whole stupid plan.

  “Cuttlefish…” Gavin said.

  Tegan pushed her feelings away. Everything would be fine. Gavin would come back, like he had before, and she would find out where they came from. That was all that mattered.

  Twenty Years Ago

  “They’re not going to tell us anything,” Tegan told Phedre. “They don’t trust you, and since I’m working for you, they don’t trust me, either.”

  Phedre smiled, but Tegan could tell her new boss was annoyed. Phedre had spent the last two hours grilling Dr. Hannah Carriger about Arachne’s secrets, and Tegan, at least, had concluded the woman didn’t know anything. Either Roslyn and company had done a good job keeping anything they discovered secret, or they hadn’t found anything. Tegan—and Phedre, it seemed—was betting on the former. Transients were, as a general rule, good secret keepers.

  “Don’t worry, Tegan, dear,” Phedre said. “They’ll tell us. I’m sure they’ll need my help with something here.”

  As soon as her fellow Transients had seen Phedre emerge from questioning Dr. Carriger, they had disappeared into one of the camp’s many tents. Phedre led Tegan over to it. When Tegan reached to open the tent flap, Phedre grabbed Tegan’s
arm and put a finger to her lips.

  “I’m just saying she might have some insight that we don’t,” Jack said.

  “Maybe so, but I still don’t trust her,” Roslyn answered.

  “She’s your mother,” Gavin said.

  “Yes, and I’m only alive because she wanted to manipulate Demitrius. When that didn’t work, she had no further use for me. Excuse me for having trust issues.”

  “Okay, so she’s evil,” Jack said. “She might still have some useful information. Like what a Ringati is.”

  Having apparently heard what she’d been listening for, Phedre pushed back the tent flap, stepped inside, and held the flap open until Tegan followed. Tegan was surprised by Phedre’s courtesy until she realized Phedre was using her as leverage. I’ve got one of you on my side, the gesture said. Think how many more I can lure in.

  “As a matter of fact, I do know what a Ringati is,” Phedre said. “And I would be happy to tell you—for a price.”

  “You want money?” Cobalt asked.

  Phedre glared at him. Apparently, she only tried to catch flies with honey where Tegan was concerned. “Of course not, you idiot. I want information. I want to know everything you know about this miserable rock and how it relates to us being stuck on this side of the galaxy.”

  Gavin and Jack raised their eyebrows at Roslyn, who threw her hands in the air. “Fine! Tell her! But when this all blows up in your faces, don’t blame me.”

  “There’s not much here,” Jack said. “Just a giant sealed-up hole in the ground. To open it, we need a device and the blood of three Ringati. But we don’t know how to activate the device or what a Ringati is.”

  “May I see the device?” Phedre asked.

  Jack shrugged, pulled a black-and-green rock out of his pocket, and tossed it to Phedre, who caught it.

  She turned the rock around in her hand, looking at the sigils scribed into it. “Elleks,” she said, pressing one of the symbols. The rock glowed green, and Phedre smiled. “All it takes is a little proficiency of language, Jack. ‘Elleks’ means ‘power.’”