Page 62 of The Mating Quest

This time she let Ethan lead the way. Lucas brought up therear.

“The spiders are the worst,” Lucas said as he walked in back of Ilana. “Even for shifters. Or Changelings. Their venom is lethal so you can’t shift and expect to fight them. Dragon fire can fight them off, but you may not be able to shift into dragon form because dragons are forbidden in the chamber. Beware theOllpheist. Monster spider with skin so tough, nothing much willpenetrate.”

His next words sent a chill down her spine. “The spiders are attracted to darkness. Dark magick. Good thing none of you carryit.”

They reached a doorway where blackness yawned ahead, only this darkness had the taint and smell of musty foulness. The air suddenly turned ice cold. She held up a hand, feeling the breeze and shivered. This wasn’t ordinary, but manufactured by powerfulmagick.

Lucas hung back. “I can’t go any further. Dragons are forbidden from entering this section of the cave. There’s a veil that prohibits us. I advise you to stay in Skin until you enter thechamber.”

Shadows danced across his face as he glanced at Chloe. “I’ll let you in on a secret. The dragon scale is kept in a crevice on the wall. You’ll know it by the shining light it emits. When Chloe touches the dragon scale, and the glow brightens, it means she is the one meant for it. The spiders will all vanish. Whatever you do, don’t touch the dragon scale until she does. Chloe, the scale is inside a blue bag lined with magick. Don’t remove it. It’s that potent and could harmyou.

“I wish all of you luck. I hope you make it. I think you will, and if youdo…”

He looked directly at Chloe now. “Do you like steakdinners?”

She gave a flirtatious laugh. “Of course. I’mLupine.”

“Great.” He beamed. “It’s a date,then.”

With a salute, he turned and leftthem.

Chloe turned to Ilana with a too-wide smile. “Shallwe?”

They stepped into the darkness.Wind blew the bone torches out, leaving only the electric torches, which barely cut through the inkyblackness.

Ethan felt a cool breeze. He turned toward it and saw a faint gold glow in a distant crevice. Chloe saw it aswell.

“The dragon scale,” shebreathed.

So close, yet not close enough. Ethan lifted his torch higher, seeing nothing. This nothing felt more ominous than the snakes. The stench of something evil and foul drifted on the air.Like good and evil are battling it out in the sameroom.

Everyone, stay close and watch yourselves. He looked back Ilana. “No heroic measures. We work as a team. Everyone gotit?”

She ignored him, but did not break off from the group. Ilana pulled out herdagger.

They advanced perhaps two yards into the chamber when Dakota yelled. “Something’s crawling up myleg!”

Ethan threw his torch into the chamber, close to the crevice where the faint glow was. The torch became brighter, illuminating a large circle of light near the wall. His theory was correct. The magick in the torches responded to the magick of the dragon’sscale.

But the light also showed what he dreaded. Chloe let out a tiny gasp. Spiders. Hundreds, no probably thousands of them, crawling on the floor, the walls, the stalagmites and stalactites. The floor was a mass of writhing black crawlingspiders.

A few approached and he stomped on them. They died, releasing a banshee scream that hurt his sensitive Lupineears.

“Watch it everyone. Remember what spiders do. They spin webs, so careful where you tread,” he cautioned as they slowly advanced toward the circle of light provided by his torch. “Chloe, behindme.”

Spiders crawled all over them. He shook them off, ignoring them, but some of the larger ones bit, leaving red welts on his hands and arms. He heard more than a few gasps and a shriek but he couldn’t look back, only lead theway.

Netting dropped down on all of them, yanking them upwards into the air. Ethan cursed, but remained still. Next to him in another web, Chloe struggled. The silken threads were tough, and laced with a corrosive that bit her skin. Every time he struggled against them, they sank into his skin. His sister whimpered inpain.

“Chloe, stop struggling! Staystill.”

Close, so close, he could almost reach her. His right hand was trapped against his hip, but he could reach his knife…there! Sliding it out of the sheath, he put the blade to the webbing and sawed. One thread popped free, enabling him to pull closer to his sister. He began sawing at her webbing, ignoring the burningpain.

Blood began to coat the webbing. His blood. Dakotascreamed.

“Shift into wolves,” Ethan shouted. “Your fur will protectyou!”

Ilana was cutting through the webbing holding her hostage, using her dagger. She dropped to the ground and ran tohim.