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thirty-three

L eaves whipped at my face as I ran through a misty forest—chasing my mother, yet again. She continued to evade me and I didn't know why. The mother I knew would never hide from her daughter. "Slow down," I called, panting.

"I can't," she said determinedly.

"Why?"

"Because he'll catch us."

"Who? Who will catch us?" I asked in frustration.

But she was already gone.

I woke up sweating, wrapped in Galen’s lion form.

I scratched his head absent-mindedly and locked eyes with Raf who was sitting on his makeshift bed a few feet away.

I cleared my throat and stood up to stretch.

I’d barely slept last night, thinking about the looming visit with the Oracle.

When I did dream, it was the same recurring one that had been haunting me for weeks.

.. My mother and I in the woods. Sometimes she was care-free, sometimes she was scared.

But it was always the same… I never caught her.

I'd also dreamed of spiders crawling down my throat… my nostrils. I woke up gasping for air several times. Maybe that’s why Raf was staring—I’d probably made it difficult for everyone to sleep.

What was my mother trying to tell me? And why wouldn't she just get on with it, instead of sending me cryptic dream messages?

As we climbed the last few miles of mountain before reaching the witch's cave, we were blessed with blue skies and singing birds.

They were the only signs of life as the trees grew sparse and the air became thin.

The habitat was rockier now, with large purple boulders casting spider-shaped shadows at first glance.

Louis shot an unfortunate deer with a stream of water as we neared our destination, sensing a false threat.

The laughter it brought forth helped cut the tension that was looming over us all.

The rocky trail ended at a cave large enough to be a castle.

The witch’s lair was a wonder to behold.

It was completely formed out of lavender stone that shimmered under the direct light of the beaming sun.

The Oracle’s home had one main entrance and several smaller openings, where I imagined we were being watched from.

The overall shape was that of a skull with multiple eyes and a large gaping mouth.

It was a humble home for an immortal soul, even if it was made completely out of Kunzite.

Two male faeries approached as we hovered near the entrance. We’d made a plan: If anything started to go south, the guards and Louis would run out with me, while Galen and Raf faced the witch. I gripped Galen’s arm as they drew near.

I could tell they were Fae, because of their pointed ears and snarling fangs, but they mostly just looked like the living dead.

They were haggard, with tattered clothing, emaciated bodies, and unkempt beards.

Their eyes were completely black, with no whites to be seen.

I wondered if they’d once lived normal lives, before they’d made the mistake of coming here.

I swallowed hard, glad I hadn’t eaten much for breakfast.

“Lady Ellesmere of Aurelius, Princes of Nymera, you may follow us. You can leave your dogs outside,” one of them said.

I exchanged glances with the brothers. “The guards come with us,” I said firmly. My words were received with vacant stares.

“She will not see you unless the guards are left outside,” the other one repeated. Their faces had been drained of emotion, like they were nothing more than vessels delivering the Oracle’s message .

“That’s fine,” Galen replied. “They can watch the horses.” He turned towards Robert and Alaric. “If anyone comes near the horses, tear their throats out.”

I blinked at his language. I’d assumed the Oracle’s men were just being rude, calling them dogs, but maybe they were canid shifters. Robert had never revealed his pneuma to me, and I’d never asked.

“Follow us.” The two men turned around and walked slowly towards the cave. As we entered, it felt like being willingly swallowed by an ancient monster. I moved closer to Galen and he draped a protective arm over my shoulder.

The cave was littered with trinkets. I found the dolls and small wooden horses, abandoned on the floor, the most disturbing.

Rusty weapons were scattered next to bone-dry skeletons.

Gold coins and jewelry sat in overflowing trunks and bags on the floor.

Spider silk covered everything. I couldn’t tell if the riches surrounding us were a trap to lure people in or unwanted offerings.

The tunnel forked into several directions and I tried to take note of each way we turned.

I started to frost the walls, willing the ice to stay as we moved deeper underground.

Galen used his flames to light our way when it became too dark to see.

Webs grew thicker, walkways narrower, forcing us to walk in a straight line, with Raf in the front.

Her two guards stopped so suddenly, I nearly plowed into Louis.

One of them hissed, “She’s coming… You may ask one question each.

The penalty for breaking a bargain with her is death .

She can smell trickery and deceit. Do not bother with games…

” They faded into the dark, while the rest of us huddled together around a flame Galen had summoned. And then we waited.

A small woman emerged from the shadows and Galen clutched me tighter.

My pulse flickered like a wind-blown candle as I took her in.

I’d expected her to look eternally young as a true immortal, but instead she was old, frail, and withered.

She was hunched over awkwardly, as if it had been a long while since she’d been in faerie form.

Her white hair was long and matted together, her teeth stained brown.

A simple white cotton dress hung from liver-spotted, pruny flesh.

So this spider liked to play games. Did she really expect us to believe she was less of a threat in the form of an old lady?

Unfortunately for her, Raf had done his research, and he’d already warned us that she could take any shape that she wanted.

Regardless of her form, I could feel her power buzzing around us.

If she was a parasite, able to siphon magic from anyone unfortunate enough to need her services, then she’d consumed her fair share.

The energy surrounding us was suffocating, as if we were standing in a crowded room with limited oxygen.

I clutched my stomach, trying not to vomit. This had been a terrible mistake.

“Hello, Marigold,” the witch said with round, curious eyes.

Her voice had a whimsical quality to it that somehow made her even more unsettling.

“I’ve been waiting for you… holding onto your prophecy for such a long, long time.

Your web was spun in the stars before you were even born.

You can imagine my excitement when I learned that you were finally on your way to see me. ”

She had a prophecy about me . Me ?

I broke out in a cold sweat as she continued, “Such a sweet soul you have.” She stared past me, as if she was studying it, then turned to Galen. “I bet she tastes divine.”

He wrapped his arms around me. There was no glow that emanated from her, but her eyes… they burned silver, with the light from a thousand souls. Ice crystals formed in my blood as I wondered how many people she’d devoured in her immortal life—if their uhras were somehow trapped inside of her.

“A world walker and three Princes. My my my… what a special occasion this is. This calls for tea. Shall I send for some?”

No one responded right away, so I answered, “Thank you for the offer, but as you probably know, we’re in a hurry. If you’d be so kind as to answer our questions, we’ll be on our way.”

She frowned, letting me know I’d offended her, before a tight smile returned to her face. “Ah yes, you are part-human, after all. Humans are always in such a hurry. If we must be all business, so be it. Ask your question, lovely child.”

I turned to the Princes and they gave me encouraging glances. I cleared my throat and asked, “How do I manifest my world walking gift so that I can return to Erador?” I braced myself for the cost as I squeezed Galen’s hand.

“A rare gift… to traverse across galaxies. I am powerful, but even I cannot perform such strong magic. The cost for this answer is simple, and I be lieve you’ll find it quite fair.

Come back and visit me when you’ve found your pneuma.

You must arrive— and stay —in your animal form for the duration of your visit.

You’ll have one week to pay the cost, once you’ve discovered what you are. ”

My eyes darted to the brothers. Raf’s face was set in stone, Louis was looking at his hands, while Galen sneered at her. They said nothing to discourage me, but I had a hunch we were all thinking the same thing— trap .

Spiders weaved webs for one purpose: To catch their prey. But if she wanted me dead, why didn’t she just kill me now? There was a missing piece to this puzzle, something I didn’t understand. I had no choice but to go in blindly and hope the gods were on my side. They’d taken me this far.

“You’ll let me leave… after I visit you?” I asked, thinking of the husks of men I’d seen earlier. A fate worse than death.

“You’ve already asked your question.” Her rotted teeth flashed into a grin. I cringed, praying my animal form was something formidable—something that could hold its own against a witch.

“It’s a deal,” I said through gritted teeth. As I spoke the words, it felt as if manacles had clamped around my wrists. I looked down and saw nothing, but their presence continued to linger.