Chapter 13

Chapter

Thirteen

T he leg was long, spindly and covered in wiry black hairs. Its narrow, tapered tip tapped the ground three times before a matching version of the same leg appeared. And another. And another.

Although the creature’s body hadn’t emerged, I knew exactly what I was looking at. This was a spider. It wasn’t like the teeny-tiny spider we’d already spotted; if the legs on this version were anything to go by, this was the size of one of the wheels on Hugo’s Jeep. At least.

‘Bloody Amy,’ Hugo muttered. ‘She told us. She told us there was a huge spider. It turns out that she wasn’t exaggerating.’

More of the creature slid out from underneath the fern. I gazed at its rounded, furry belly, which grew more russet in colour as it was revealed. I clenched my jaw, banking down the temptation to blast the thing was as much fire magic as I could muster. It wasn’t doing anything wrong. Not yet, anyway.

It tapped its foreleg again then slipped forward another inch. As I lifted my eyes, I realised I could see the spider’s face. There were two large pincer-type appendages close to its mouth and several furry stripes across its head, which gave it something of a punk-like appearance. But it wasn’t that which caught my attention; once I’d caught a glimpse of the spider’s eight glittering eyes, it was impossible to look away.

My mouth was dry and my palms were sweaty. I’d never understood arachnophobia before now but suddenly, confronted by a spider that was the size of a spaniel, I got it. My hand shot out and I grabbed Hugo’s arm. It was a truly dumb thing to do because that movement was more than enough to catch the spider’s attention.

All eight eyes swivelled towards us, then the spider hissed and reared up. I expected it to attack us but instead it jumped away, disappearing from view with a speed that took my breath away. I swallowed with relief; we’d been far luckier than we deserved.

‘Perhaps it’s time to leave after all,’ Hugo said.

There was no perhaps about it. I nodded and hastily re-sheathed Gladys. ‘Let’s go. Now.’

‘Thank fuck,’ Hester’s muffled voice said.

And with that, we sprinted away in the opposite direction. At first we kept pace with each other but it didn’t take long for Otis to pull away, his small body and his ability to fly making him far faster than Hugo and me. He scooted forward, zipping between tree trunks and leafy bushes. By the time I called out, he was already out of sight.

‘Otis!’ I shouted. ‘Stay close!’

If he’d heard me, he didn’t answer. I tried to speed up but the ground was getting boggier and with every squelching footstep it was harder and harder to run with any speed. I gritted my teeth and looked helplessly at Hugo. ‘Can you see him?’ I asked. ‘Can you see Otis?’

‘No,’ he answered abruptly.

That was when we heard the scream. I’d never heard a sound like that from Otis before but it was definitely him – and it was definitely a shriek imbued with pure terror.

Hester rocketed upwards, yanking herself out of her burrow in my jacket. Her face was white with fear and her hands were bunched into fists. ‘Otis!’ she cried. ‘Where are you?’

Again there was no answer and Hester’s body quivered. I snapped my hand out to grab her before she also took off. ‘We can’t lose you too, Hes. Stay with us and don’t go flying off. We’ll find Otis, I promise.’

She struggled for a moment then relaxed. I released my hold on her. Her bottom lip was trembling but she was calm.

‘Come on,’ Hugo said. ‘I think he went this way.’

I called out again, shouting Otis’s name at the top of my voice as we ran in the direction he’d disappeared. There still wasn’t any answer and his silence was more chilling than his scream.

We finally escaped the squishy ground for a firmer section that made it easier to run. Hugo sent out a blast of carefully directed air magic to push aside the low-hanging branches and thick foliage that lay in our way.

I could feel my heart pumping hard in my chest then, when we veered around the thick trunk of a large oak tree, it seemed to stop altogether. Oh. Oh .

We were in a small clearing. Weak sunlight was filtering in from a gap in the foliage overhead. Strung from one tree to another was a glistening, silvery web that stretched horizontally for at least twelve metres and vertically for even more. Drops of water from a recent rain shower clung to it, sparkling in the dim light.

Under any other circumstances I’d have been awestruck by the web’s beauty, but I couldn’t admire it now because in front of the web – and blocking much of our view – was another spider. This arachnid wasn’t the size of the first one we’d seen, nor was it the size of the second monstrous version.

This spider was the size of a car.

I’d withdrawn Gladys again without even thinking about it. Doubtless a creature such as this was covered under the country-wide law that protected magical species in their own habitat. I couldn’t attack the spider, not under any circumstances, but I could certainly use Gladys to hack away at the web. And if Otis was in danger, I’d do whatever I could to protect him.

Standing beside me, Hugo gulped in a sharp breath, his eyes flicking from side to side as he assessed the situation. Hester had no such compunction. She was already flying over and yelling at the top of her voice, ‘Where is my brother, you eight-legged freak?’

The giant spider jumped; apparently it had been unaware of our approach. It executed a perfect half-turn and I caught a brief glimpse of Otis trapped in the sticky folds of the glittering web before his body was obscured again. My stomach lurched with fear. I wouldn’t allow him to become a spider’s lunch. I couldn’t.

‘You and me, buster!’ Hester shouted, her voice cracking on the last word. ‘You and me! Put ’em up! Come on!’

The spider, an immense creature of monstrous, cold beauty, gazed at her with its eight glistening black eyes. I could see images of Hester reflected on the shiny surface of each eyeball. Compared to the arachnid, she was minute – she had no chance.

Panic clawed at my throat, then my limbs acted almost of their own accord and I lurched forward with Gladys raised. I barely managed three steps before Hugo grabbed my collar and hauled me back. I hissed at him angrily but he shook his head, his expression far calmer than mine. Wait, he seemed to be telling me. Just wait.

The spider chittered at Hester as it rubbed its pincers together. I heard a whoosh as it exhaled a blast of air, then its vast mouth opened revealing a gaping black hole. Terror for Hester and Otis rocked me to my core.

‘Good morning,’ it said.

I blinked. So did Hester. Even Hugo, who had acted with far more sense than the rest of us, appeared stunned. The spider spoke in a deep male voice – and he had an accent. In fact, he sounded almost exactly like Alan the shopkeeper. A Brummie monster spider with good manners? I shook my head. What on earth was going on?

Hester recovered first. ‘Free my brother,’ she shouted, ‘or prepare to die!’

‘That is exactly what I am trying to do,’ the spider huffed. He reared up and rubbed two of his legs together in front of Hester. ‘However, it is not easy with these limbs. Perhaps you can help. Your fingers appear dainty enough to extract him safely.’

Hester didn’t relax; she was squinting at the giant creature with undisguised suspicion. ‘This is a clever trap, right? Encourage me to help free Otis and trap me in the process!’

Her concern was reasonable until you considered all the facts. ‘It’s not a trap, Hester,’ I said softly. ‘The spider speaks the truth.’

‘You don’t know that!’ she protested.

Hugo gave her a crooked, gentle smile. ‘Yes, she does.’ He glanced at me then at the spider. ‘The smell,’ he said. ‘That deep scent that pervades these woods, and the magic that accompanies it, are designed to repel curious passers-by. That came from you, didn’t it?’ he asked the spider.

The creature stared at Hugo. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking; it could have been disgust, admiration or even love. The facial features of enormous spiders were not designed to give much away, not to my eyes anyway. ‘It is clearly not as effective as it used to be,’ he said finally. ‘After all, you are here.’

‘Oh, it’s effective,’ I told him. ‘It was so strong that it ramped up our curiosity. Most other people would have turned and walked away but I’m afraid we like to investigate places that others would avoid.’

The spider tapped another of his long legs on the ground. ‘Hmm. You are not the first to enter these woods in recent days.’

He was talking about Amy. ‘Did she see you?’ I asked. ‘The other person who was here?’

‘No, but she saw one of my children.’ He raised his body an inch before lowering it again: I supposed that was the arachnid version of a shrug. ‘Elves have always been more resistant to my spells than other creatures. That makes you … more annoying than the others who walk on two legs.’

I wouldn’t disagree with him on that point. Hell, I wouldn’t disagree with him on any point. I wouldn’t dare.

Hester had no such qualms. ‘Why are you all standing around talking?’ she shrieked. She flung herself at one of the spider’s massive legs as if she were trying to knock him off balance. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t move an inch. ‘Otis is still trapped! Help him!’

‘Sorry, Hester,’ Hugo said.

I nodded. ‘Sorry.’

She glared at us. ‘Don’t apologise to me! Apologise to Otis!’

The spider shuffled to the side and exposed the full scale of his vast web – and Otis’s tiny, trapped figure. ‘I am sorry,’ the spider murmured. ‘It was never my intention to trap your kind. We do not eat two legs – only six legs is food for us.’

Six legs? Insects, then: flies, beetles, those sorts of creatures. But it would take a vast amount of normal-sized insects to fill this spider’s belly. Horrified, I wondered if there were bluebottles flies zipping around these woods who were similarly gargantuan but I shook off the thought before it took hold. Hester was right: our priority had to be Otis.

He’d been silent since his scream for good reason. As far as I could tell, he’d flown headfirst into the web and instinctively started to struggle. The more he’d thrashed around, the more he’d been trapped as the silvery web silk had reacted and wrapped more tightly around his body. Several strands around his head had forced his mouth closed, and his poor wings were similarly bound. No wonder the spider had told us he couldn’t free Otis from his own trap; disentangling the little brownie was not going to be an easy feat for anyone.

‘Don’t worry, Otis,’ I told him. ‘We’ll get you out of there.’ Somehow. Unable to speak, his body twitched in silent response. Unfortunately that only embedded him further in the tricksy web.

‘Try not to move,’ Hugo advised. Otis glared at him to indicate that was easier said than done.

Hester sniffed wetly and reached forward to touch him. ‘Don’t,’ I advised her. We had enough problems; if Hester brushed against the web silk, she’d probably be trapped as well.

She withdrew her hand but sent me a mournful, pleading look. ‘Please help him,’ she whispered. ‘Please hurry.’

The giant spider chittered again. ‘Your sword will be best. I can guide you where to make the best cuts.’

I’d all but forgotten Glady was in my hand. She hummed quietly as if to indicate that she was aware of the need for delicate movements. I nodded and carefully twisted her blade while the spider raised one leg and gestured to a section of the intricate web. I licked my lips, raised Gladys and carefully sliced through several strands of silk.

Otis was trembling so much that the whole web was shaking; one slip and I could inadvertently hurt him – or worse. I held my breath and felt sweat break out on my forehead.

I glanced again at the spider. He moved his leg, pointed to another section and I directed Gladys to follow. In the end it took eight separate cuts in specific areas before Hugo could reach in and pull Otis free from the web, although the little brownie body was still bound up by several loose strands.

I reached into Hugo’s cupped hands where Otis now lay and gently brushed one of them, then drew back abruptly. No wonder he’d been so effectively bound up: the web silk was like super glue.

There was a flicker of movement in my peripheral vision. I turned and spotted several smaller spiders waiting by the side of the clearing, six of them, each with a small pile of newly harvested leaves beside them. I felt a brief chill as I wondered how many of these creatures were lurking inside the woods before reminding myself that they were friendly. I should have learned my lesson from Athair: appearances were often deceptive.

‘Nettle juice,’ the giant spider explained. ‘It will dissolve the silk.’

Hugo placed Otis gently on the ground and scooped up the piles of nettle leaves that the smaller spiders must have collected for this very purpose. With nothing more than a grimace as the plants stung him, he squeezed the leaves until dribbles of green juice slipped out and fell onto Otis’s body. ‘That must hurt,’ I said.

‘It does,’ Hugo replied through gritted teeth. ‘But I’m being a tough man so you’ll look kindly on me later.’

I considered a snarky response, then I leaned in and kissed his cheek. His grimace gave way to a brief smile. ‘You can kiss the rest better later,’ he said.

‘I will,’ I promised while Hester tutted with annoyance.

We waited for the nettle juice to do its work. The giant spider had told us the truth; although it took several minutes, the green liquid worked and Otis was eventually freed.

It took him a while to speak. First he flexed his wings to make sure each one was in working order before he attempted to flap them and rise up in the air. Next, he brushed himself down, his face blank as he wiped away the remaining droplets left by the nettles. His exposed skin now had a definite green tinge to it but I decided telling him that probably wouldn’t help his mood.

Eventually Otis straightened his shoulders and looked at Hester. His bottom lip trembled – and a second later he threw himself at her. ‘You were prepared to take on that monster for me. You’d never have won but you didn’t care. You are a true warrior, Hester.’

The spider watched them. I hoped he wasn’t upset at being called a monster. ‘The tiny two legs speaks the truth,’ he said.

Hester hugged Otis back, her emotions equally choked. ‘I thought you were going to die. The last things we said to each other were angry and I thought I’d never get the chance to say anything else. I’m so sorry I argued with you. I won’t do it again.’

Otis smiled. ‘You will, Hester,’ he said. ‘But that’s okay. I’d be disappointed if you didn’t. I love you, no matter what you do.’

‘I love you, too.’ She started to cry.

I looked away; it felt like we were intruding on their close sibling relationship by watching them. I bent down and carefully picked up a few more nettle leaves to clean Gladys’s blade.

As I did so, Hugo spoke to the spider. ‘I apologise sincerely for intruding into your habitat. We should have heeded your scent warning and left the area immediately.’

‘The fault is mine,’ the spider told him. ‘I know my appearance is frightening for your kind, and that my web holds particular dangers for certain creatures. I should have done more to ensure the safety of any two legs who ignored the warnings.’

‘This is on us, not you,’ I said firmly. ‘We made the mistake.’

The spider’s eight glittering eyes fixed on me. ‘I used to do more to keep your kind away, so I must take responsibility for my actions. To do otherwise is to be powerless.’

I suspected that the spider was trying to teach his assembled children a lesson, but I was adamant that we were the ones at fault, not him.

‘I have grown complacent in my old age,’ he continued. ‘In the past this did not happen to me. It has been many hundreds of years since I mistakenly caught a creature I did not want to trap, but I cannot forget the power I possess. Spider’s silk is wonderful. It is strong and it is beautiful.’ He sighed. ‘But it can be deadly if due care is not taken.’

I stiffened immediately. I knew that he did not mean drugs – it was doubtful he even knew that the drug spider’s silk existed – but suddenly it was all I could think about.

Only Hugo seemed to sense the direction my thoughts had taken. His hand reached for mine, his thumb brushing against my palm in an attempt to reassure me.

Blood roared through my ears and my heart rate ratcheted up. I could almost taste the spider’s silk on my tongue, the way it tingled and teased before I swallowed it down, the way the chemicals translated to my brain and my magic and the very core of my being.

Otis coughed. ‘Don’t worry about it,’ he said. ‘We’re engaged in a mortal battle with a fiend. This was a mere stumble by comparison.’

I thought about the way the drugs would fly through my veins at supersonic speed, electrifying my body with a delicious thrill that was like no other.

‘Shh,’ Hester hissed, nudging her brother. ‘Don’t say things like that. You could have died, Otis. The spider might give us compensation for our suffering.’

‘ Our suffering, Hes?’ he asked.

Hugo’s hand increased its pressure on mine but I was lost in my imagination as I remembered how spider’s silk would rub up against my magical powers and … and … and…

‘Did you say fiend?’ the spider asked. ‘Those who have been corrupted by magic of the blood?’

‘I’m afraid so,’ Hugo replied.

The spider hissed. ‘That is unfortunate. I thought they had all been destroyed generations ago, but I suppose that evil always finds a way.’

I was brought back to reality with a bump. I shook my head free of my traitorous, self-defeating thoughts and gazed at him. ‘Why would you think that?’ A sudden new tension filled my body. ‘Why would you think they’d all been destroyed?’

‘I often heard whispers from the villagers who lived near this place. When I was small, I often ventured into their dwellings and watched them. I heard this whisper from several of them a long time ago. But it was many, many moons ago,’ he admitted.

The spider’s eyes swivelled around, watching each of us in turn as he expressed his confusion. ‘I heard that one of your kind possessed the means to rid this world of every fiend, so I assumed they had already done so. Why would you not destroy them if you had the means to do so? Fiends are indeed devilish and dangerous. They should not exist.’

All four of us were staring at him in shock.

‘What means?’ I asked, my voice little more than a desperate whisper. ‘What means would rid us of every fiend?’

‘I do not know,’ he answered. ‘I did not hear the details.’

‘How long ago was this?’ Hugo demanded.

‘As I said,’ the spider told us. ‘Many moons.’

Hugo persisted, anxiety colouring his words. ‘How many moons exactly?’

‘I do not keep track of time in the way that you do,’ the spider said mildly. ‘Your lives are fleeting but I have been in these woods for a very long time. And it has been a very long time since I have been to the village below.’

He lifted his enormous head and seemed to gaze off into the distance. A ball of frustration tightened my stomach, but then he spoke again. ‘I heard of it after these woods were first coppiced but before the magna pestiliencia took hold.’

Hester buzzed in my ear, ‘Huh? Is he still speaking English?’

I checked Hugo’s expression; neither the brownies nor I understood the spider’s words but, from the look on Hugo’s face, he did.

‘You said one of our kind possessed these … means,’ Otis said. ‘Do you mean a brownie? Or an elf?’

The spider tapped one of his legs, then another. ‘I mean one of you,’ he said. ‘All of you. Your kind with two legs.’

That didn’t exactly narrow it down. It felt like we were being handed the keys to the kingdom – but before we could grasp them, they were falling into a bottomless drain in front of our eyes. ‘Can you remember anything else about these whispers?’ I asked.

‘I cannot. It was a very long time ago.’ The spider regarded us solemnly. ‘I sense a change in you,’ he said. ‘In all of you.’ He wasn’t wrong. A new sense of possibility seemed to cling to us all even though my frustration at the lack of hard facts and answers was almost painful.

‘We should go,’ I told him. ‘Thank you so very much for your help.’

He nodded. ‘You are welcome.’ He turned his glittering eyes on Otis. ‘My sincere apologies again, Tiny Two Legs. My children will help you find your way out of these woods.’

‘Thank you,’ Otis whispered. ‘I am glad we met you.’

I was too. ‘What’s your name?’ I asked.

The spider chittered for a final time, as if he were chuckling. ‘My kind have no need for such labels,’ he said.

He turned away and bent towards the ragged gap in his web that I’d created with Gladys’s help. He clearly had some work to do in order to repair it. ‘Fare thee well,’ he told us and then, in a quieter voice, ‘If you truly are locked in battle with a fiend, you have my deepest condolences.’