13. I Draw The Line At Spiders
Sage was true to her word. The sky beyond my window had barely begun to lighten when I was dragged from my bed and ordered to dress. Though my room had warmed overnight, it was Baltic outside as a pale, champagne light glittered on the snow. Mist hung in the air. I smoothed my glove over my hair. Wasn’t it enough that I was going to my death? Did I really have to suffer frizz as well? Would the witches take my body back to Nairsgarth and tidy me up for my funeral, or would I be left to rot where I fell?
My breakfast churned in my belly. Maybe ladling all that sugar into my porridge had been a bad idea.
The palace was warded, which apparently meant we couldn’t teleport from within its walls. As such, Lady Celyn, wrapped in an elegant coat trimmed with a fur collar and cuff, led us out of the grounds and into the city. The team of silent fae she’d brought along shot furtive glances in my direction. Every one of them was tall and beautiful, with clear skin and eyes that were just a little too vibrant to pass for human. The gleaming shades of blue, green, amber and brown made it hard to pretend I hadn’t noticed the attention I was getting. Did any of them really believe I’d be the one to break the curse, or were they getting an eyeful before I was shredded apart by the howling creatures Jacques had warned me against?
Nobody spoke, not even Pansy. The thin, cold air pricked at my eyes, or maybe it was just my impending doom making them water.
The broad square outside the palace gates was quiet at this ungodly hour, and the streets were still. In the distance, through a sheer veil of mist, the dark shadow of the forest crowned the lip of the valley. I hesitated. Was it too late to change my mind? I might not be able to go home, but there was nothing to say I couldn’t live out my natural life in Neath. There was no law that said I had to risk my life to break the curse that had absolutely nothing to do with me. I could sprint for the trees. Safety lay in that direction.
If I chose my safety, people would continue to die.
I turned my back on the trees and trudged after my companions.
A mane of burning red hair obscured my view, and my damp eyes shifted to Lady Celyn. The cold suited her, casting a rosy hue over her porcelain skin.
“This is where we part ways, Aliza,” she said solemnly. “It has been an honour to meet you, and host you here at the palace. I wish you every luck on your quest. I have a parting gift for you.”
One of her companions, a man–male–with honey-coloured hair, stepped to her side, offering her a long wooden box. Celyn opened it, revealing an ugly necklace. A grey-blue oval gem sat in an ornate twist of gold.
“This pendant belonged to the first queen of the fae, Claudia, who ruled sixteen thousand years ago. Each court was entrusted with safeguarding an heirloom of hers. This is Tir o Gaeaf’s, and now, I entrust it to you.”
Sixteen thousand years old, and they were just handing it over to me?
“Oh, it’s lovely,” I lied, “but I really can’t accept it.”
“You must. Queen Claudia was a seer, and she knew you would come. She left this to you. The other heirlooms are yours too, but of course, their courts and safekeepers have long since fallen.”
“Oh.” What could I say to that? If some batty, ancient queen had seen fit to foresee me in her will, it would be churlish to refuse. “What about all the other women who tried to break the curse?”
Had the fae palmed it off on them, only to pilfer it from their corpses when they failed?
Celyn lifted the necklace with care as she said, “None crossed the paths of myself or my predecessors, and more”s the pity. The heirlooms are imbued with Claudia’s own magic. This pendant will offer you protection.”
Well, as I was facing the gallows, who was I to turn down a bit of protection, even if it was only a quarter of what Claudia had intended? Would her daggers, once more strapped to my hip, protect me too?
I barely had to duck my head to allow Celyn to place the chain around my neck, tall as she was. The cool metal settled against my skin, below my initial necklace. I lifted the ancient pendant as though it was made of glass, examining it closely. With the weak dawn sunlight shining through the stone, it looked slightly less hideous. I tucked it under my shirt with a smile. It was a nice gesture if nothing else.
“Thank you. It’s an honour.”
Lady Celyn sank into a curtsey. “The honour is mine.”
My chilled ears heated at the attention. It might have been a welcome relief if I wasn’t aware that they were also glowing beetroot.
“And now I bid you farewell. I hope we meet again, Aliza.”
I pressed my lips into a thin smile, knowing I would never lay eyes on Celyn again. Before long, I’d either be dead or back in my own world. If I survived my quest, I’d leave the necklace with Sage. She could return it to its rightful place. It was the least she could do after dragging me into this mess.
The blond male slid the box into his pocket and spread his arms. His eyes shifted to me. “Take my hand. It’s necessary for teleportation.”
That wasn’t right. I hadn’t had to hold Sage’s hand when she’d used her warp crystal. Maybe it was some ancient fae custom; they seemed the type to get their knickers in a twist over rules and etiquette. I wrapped my cold fingers around his. I glanced sideways to find Pansy beside me, her eyes glittering with excitement as she grasped her own escort’s outstretched palm. One by one, the witches linked hands with the fae.
I opened my mouth to ask about the crystal, but before the words could form, darkness rushed in, obliterating Tir o Gaeaf in an icy crush.
My body became light, weightless, expanding and separating, until I was sure I was nothing but a cloud of atoms whizzing through a lightless wormhole. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, I had no control over any part of myself. I wasn’t even sure myself was a thing anymore. All I knew was panic as I unravelled on the dark, magical wind.
All at once, everything came crashing back together with immense weight. I was being squeezed, flattened. I was going to die.
Something slammed against my chest, forcing me to heave a great, sucking breath into my lungs. Warm air. Something cool tickled my cheek. I opened my eyes to find myself face down in the grass. My scrambled brain understood that I must have arrived in Tir o Haf, but that was all it was capable of. It certainly couldn’t make sense of the muffled voices all around me. And my body? I couldn’t so much as twitch my fingers.
Slowly, feeling came back, as did my wits. I blinked and pushed myself onto my trembling hands and knees.
“Easy now,” somebody said, laying a hand on my back. “The first time can be something of a shock.”
That was an understatement.
“That was not…” I broke off, panting. “That wasn’t the same.”
“What are you talking about now, girl?”
I shook my head, its contents swirling grotesquely. “The warp crystal.”
Somebody tutted. Even in my state of disarray, I had no trouble guessing who. “Of course it’s not the same. Warping and teleporting are entirely different. The crystals open a portal that we simply step through. Teleporting is fae magic. It is much more complex.”
Why had nobody warned me just how horrible teleporting would be? If I’d been prepared… Honestly? Nothing could have prepared me for that. I much preferred the crystal method.
Nausea swirled in my belly, filling my mouth with saliva. No. No, I refused to part with my breakfast. I screwed my eyes shut and breathed through my nose, waiting for the sensation to pass.
Eventually, I composed myself enough to kneel upright, only to find all the witches and our fae escorts gathered around, watching me with trepidation.
Pansy sprang forward. “Water?” She thrust her skein at me, but my stomach churned. I waved her away.
“She looks clammy,” somebody observed.
I felt clammy. I felt like I’d woken up with the world’s worst hangover. I wanted nothing more than to crawl into my own bed, back home, and wait for the suffering to pass. But everyone was watching me, judging and waiting. We were in true enemy territory now, and sitting around feeling sorry for myself was practically inviting something to come and eat me. I summoned whatever strength still lingered in my poor body and rose carefully to my feet. The world swayed, but I kept my balance, and a few seconds later, everything levelled out.
“Are you well?” Sage asked. I couldn’t say it was concern for me that tinged her voice, but there was definitely something there. Concern for her precious quest, probably.
“Never better.” My voice came out dry and hoarse. Nearby, Pansy hesitated, still clutching her water, and I held out my hand with a small smile.
The water still carried the cold of Tir o Gaeaf, and as it tracked its icy path down my gullet, it dawned on me that the sweat coating my skin wasn’t only a result of teleporting. It was hot here. Heatwave hot. The sun baked down on my head, making my scalp prickle. I swept my fingers through my hair in an attempt to rid myself of the part and protect myself from sunburn.
For the first time since my arrival in Tir o Haf, I took in my surroundings. There were plenty of leafy trees offering shade, but they were spaced too far apart to be considered a wood. Tall wildflowers blanketed the gently rolling ground, their colourful heads swaying and whispering in the balmy breeze. Bees and butterflies hovered, and wisps of fluffy white clouds dotted a blue sky blazing overhead. In the distance, mountains lined the horizon, their snowy caps glittering in the sunlight. It certainly didn’t give off imminent death vibes. In fact, it was beautiful. Vivid.
My hand drifted to my pocket, itching to snap a picture, but then I remembered that my phone was dead, and that I might soon be joining it.
“I bid you farewell.” The blond fae shifted his gaze to me. “Good luck.”
He and his companions disappeared with a series of faint pops, leaving me to gulp away the lump in my throat. I only hoped his lucky tidings would be enough.
“Let’s move on.” Sage wasted no time in setting off through the flowers. They reached her chest, buffeting and swaying around her tiny form.
I took a deep breath and followed the witches deeper into Tir o Haf.
Just when I was beginning to consider digging out the sunscreen I’d packed for my ill-fated trek to the Fairy Glen, Sage veered away from the meadow, leading us into denser shade. I breathed a sigh of relief. I enjoyed the sun, but judging by its intensity, we were nearing midday, and I had no interest in burning to a crisp. It was cooler amongst the trees, but just as pretty. Large, creamy white mushrooms grew at the mossy bases of the trunks, and clumps of yet more flowers grew in the sun-speckled shade. A tinkling stream rushed over a rocky bed, and we took the opportunity to refill our skeins before following the spongy bank as it wove between the trees.
My stomach began to grumble, and I eyed the mushrooms with increasing interest. They were enormous, certainly enough to make a hearty lunch, but like everything else here, they probably wanted to kill me.
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.
I blinked, my anger temporarily forgotten. I’d never seen Sage so riled. Her moss green eyes glared, and her lips curled back from her teeth.
“We must do this,” she insisted, her face whitening. “We cannot afford to dally. Aliza is the first human to come to these lands, willingly or not, in over two centuries. If we give up now, how long will it be until the next one comes? I—we cannot turn back. Aliza is our only hope.”
I buried my face in my hands. To the surprise of nobody, they weren’t going to listen. They couldn’t care less about me or my life. I was a tool. A tool to get what they wanted. I was trapped.
“I hate spiders,” I whispered, my body succumbing to trembles once more. “I can’t do spiders.”
Somebody wrapped their arm around me. “It’ll be alright,” Pansy murmured, stroking my shoulder.
It wouldn’t. It was a disaster, and I was woefully unprepared. I was no promised one. I was no queen. I was just a pathetic human, trapped in a situation much too big for me, and I wanted to go home.
A pair of small hands cradled mine. Hands splattered with oozing blue liquid. The spider equivalent of blood. I snatched mine away, scrubbing them on my sopping trousers, but looked at Sage, half crouching to peer imploringly at my face.
“Aliza. I know you didn’t ask for this. If I could wake the princes myself, believe me, I would have done it hundreds of years ago. But I cannot. We cannot do this without you. If the spiders are too much for you, I will scout the area and see to it that you never lay eyes upon another, but we need your help. Please, Aliza. Help us.”
I swallowed. Moss green eyes held mine. They were using me. I, as a person, meant nothing to them, but… if I turned my back now, how many innocent people would die? Could I give up, live my life, with that weighing on my conscience?
I licked my lips and nodded. “Okay. But you have to keep them away from me.”
Sage deflated, sagging with relief. “The spiders?”
I nodded again, my throat tightening. I didn’t want to think about them, or even hear their name.
“Right.” Sage straightened, all business once more. “Hazel, Meadow, with me. Pansy, can you, er…” She gestured vaguely in my direction with a faint expression of distaste.
Pansy snatched my hand, tugging me to my feet and up the bank to dry ground. I walked with my head low and my shoulders hunched, as though that would prevent anything lurking above from reaching me. “Tea. That’s what you need.” She leaned in and said in a conspiratorial whisper, “And a cookie.”
I couldn’t force my lips to curve. Not now that I knew exactly what stood between me and my freedom.