My questions and prayers were answered when Sage called us to a halt beneath a particularly thick tree, and the witches drew their knives and set about picking the mushrooms. Drawing confidence from their lead, I pulled out one of my daggers, crouched low and chose a particularly plump mushroom. The moment my black blade sank through its stalk, the whole thing withered, shrivelling up like crepe.
Interesting.
I eyed the dagger with renewed respect, turning it over to examine the blade. Did its cut turn anything into an old prune, or just mushrooms? The blade, though dark, reflected the branches overhead remarkably well. I watched the image of gleaming leaves sway over the blade, revealing dazzling glimpses of sunlight.
A hulking shadow blotted out the sun.
My skin froze, prickling with ice, and slowly, hardly daring to look, I lifted my eyes from the dagger to the tree top.
Eight round eyes stared back.
Fuck this shit.
I staggered to my feet, scrambling backwards. A rock struck my heel, and cool water splashed over me as I landed in the stream, but I barely noticed it. Didn’t bother to look. The witches were exclaiming, but I couldn’t hear their words. What I’d taken to be tree branches moved with predatory stealth. Eight great legs, each one at least as long as me, crept between the boughs.
My voice had abandoned me. I pointed, vaguely surprised to notice I still clutched my dagger, and mouthed wordlessly.
The witches followed my point, and all hell broke loose.
The gargantuan spider lurched, darting down the tree on scuttling legs, faster than even my worst nightmares could have imagined. I let out a wobbling scream, and the monstrosity clicked its pincers and scurried towards me. I wailed louder, and my back collided with a rock. I’d reached the far bank, and I was trapped.
This was hell. I was going to die. I was going to be wrapped in arse-silk and turned into human soup.
My scream turned to a shriek as the spider loomed over me, its awful feet splashing into the water. I was paralysed. I could do nothing but stare into those many, glaring eyes.
Of all the ways to die, not this, please not this.
A wall of water, far bigger than the stream warranted, collided with the spider, roaring as it tore past, leaving me untouched.
It wasn’t over yet.
The beast hadn’t been carried far. The wave flattened, sinking into nothing as quickly as it had come, leaving a jerking tangle of legs waving in the air a few feet away. The witches descended, swords drawn, and ear-splitting shrieks and furious clicks filled the woods as the blades rose and fell, sending blue liquid spraying into the air. In moments, the spider fell silent, its legs curling in on itself.
“Aliza!”
I only too gladly tore my gaze from the dead monster and found Hyacinth staring down at me.
“Are you hurt?”
My chest hurt, a crushing weight pressing against my sternum. My fingers grappled, but I found no wound, only furiously heaving ribs. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t get enough air. My skin was flushed and icy at the same time, and tears blurred my vision.
“Can you stand?” She eased the dagger from my grip, setting it down, and then her warm hands grasped mine, hauling against my weight, but I barely made it halfway up before my knees gave out and I landed on my arse with another splash.
“It’s alright.” Pansy’s voice. “It’s dead. It can’t hurt you.”
“I-I can’t,” I gasped between breaths. “I can’t—do this.”
Nobody answered. Of course they didn’t. Nobody cared what I wanted.
“I’m going—home.”
An impatient tut, followed by Sage’s voice. “How many times must I tell you—”
“I know!” I shrieked, my voice burning my already raw throat. I was on my feet without meaning to stand. “You’ve told me plenty of times, the rifts are sealed. But you didn’t tell me there would be spiders!”
A sob burst from my mouth, and I brushed my hands frantically over my sopping body, trying to rid my skin of the creeping sensations crawling over me. It was no use. I was going home, and if I couldn’t get home, I was going to lock myself in my room in Nairsgarth and never leave it again. Fuck the princes. They could rot for all I cared. I was not going to die for them. I refused to deal with this bullshit for another second.
“Take me home,” I demanded, but Sage opened her mouth to argue. “I mean to the castle! Take me back. I’m not doing this.”
“Aliza…” Disappointment and worry warred in Pansy’s eyes. I didn’t care. I didn’t want or need anyone’s approval.
“Get me out of this fucking wood now,” I snarled, not daring to look up, but convinced I could sense yet more giant spiders creeping closer. I hunched forward, making myself as small as possible. Nobody spoke. Nobody even made a move. “Get me out,” I repeated. “Take me back. Now. Now!”
“No.” Sage matched my glare with her own. “Don’t you see? This”— she gestured in the direction of the dead spider, but I couldn’t bring myself to look. A fresh wave of shivers cascaded over me — “it means we’re close. That was no natural beast. It’s one of Maelgwyn’s creations, a guardian. The princes are near. We cannot turn back now.”
I stomped to the bank and plonked down on a stone, crossing my arms. “I’m not taking another step until you get me out of here.”
“You would turn your back on the crown that will be yours by right? On immortality?”
“I don’t want to be immortal!” I snapped. Why was nobody listening to me? “I don’t want to be a queen. I just want to go home and live my own life. I never asked for any of this. I didn’t mean to come here. I don’t care about the princes, and I don’t want your bullshit rewards!”
My voice rattled through the trees, leaving ringing silence in its wake. Even the birds stopped singing.
The witch’s hands balled into quivering fists. “Are you trying to bring more of those creatures down on us?”
“Sage,” Hyacinth said soothingly. “The poor child has had a fright. Give her a moment—”
“We don’t have a moment!” she all but shrieked.
