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“Krevasta.” Kal’s breath was hot against her ear as he pulled her close to his chest. “Hold on to me. Don’t let go.”

When the first spider dropped from the ceiling, Lila almost screamed. Its legs were longer than she was tall. More of them followed, their bodies wet and gross in the glowing light. They moved so fast, scuttling across the walls and ceiling like something from her worst nightmares.

Tor exploded out of the water, and oh god, he had actual claws now. He put himself between them and the spiders, water running off him. His eyes looked like actual fire in the dark, and he was making this deep rumbling sound that she could feel in her chest.

“The tunnel,” Kal whispered, already backing up. He held her firmly but carefully, like she might break. “Stay quiet.”

She pressed herself against Kal’s chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat against her cheek. The spiders were everywhere now, their legs making horrible clicks and scrapes. One jumped at them, but Tor was there in an instant, his claws ripping through it with a wet sound that made her stomach turn.

“Close your eyes,” Kal whispered, but she couldn’t. She watched as Tor fought, his movements fluid and lethal. His red eyes seemed to leave trails in the darkness as he spun and struck, keeping the creatures away from them.

The tunnel entrance felt miles away. Each step Kal took was measured, careful not to splash or make sudden movements. She could feel the tension in his muscles and knew he was ready to fight if needed. More spiders dropped from above, their mandibles clicking hungrily.

“Are they…” Her whisper caught as one of the creatures landed right by them. “Are they hunting us?”

“They’re always hunting,” Kal’s voice was grim. “But they won’t touch you. I swear it.”

A screech filled the chamber as Tor caught another spider mid-jump, tearing it apart. The sound made her flinch, and Kal’s arms tightened around her. She felt this weird rumbling in his chest, like he was growling, as two more spiders came at them.

The glowing algae made their eyes shine like black glass. She counted eight legs on each one, though they moved so fast it was hard to be sure. It looked like they were wearing armor, all black and shiny.

Tor backed up toward them carefully, step by step.

Her heart thundered. He’d deliberately put himself in danger, between them and the spiders. He was so big that he blocked most of her view, but she could still see the creatures’ legs moving at the edges of her vision. The clicking echoed all around the cave, and she had no idea how many spiders were actually there anymore.

Then the spiders started moving slower, and their clicking got less aggressive. She felt Kal’s grip loosen a tiny bit as the spiders backed away, making this odd empty circle around them.

A massive spider came out of the shadows, easily twice the size of the others. It moved differently, all slow and deliberate, like it was thinking about every step. Its red eyes fixed on Tor, glowing with an intelligence that made her breath catch.

Tor didn’t move, didn’t attack. The chamber fell silent except for the soft lapping of water against the stone. She could have sworn something passed between them, not like talking, exactly, but… something else.

The big spider tilted its head, making soft clicking sounds. It reminded her of how her mom’s old cat, Princess, would do those slow blinks when she was trying to be friendly. The spider’s eyes did this pulsing thing, and then it nodded. She blinked. No, it had actually nodded.

Then all the spiders just… left. Their legs made soft scratching sounds as they disappeared into the shadows, following the big one. The cave was empty again in less than two seconds, and she shook her head, wondering if she’d imagined the whole thing.

She let out a breath. “Did… did you just talk to them?”

Tor turned to face them both. “Not exactly. But they understood.”

Her heart still raced as she watched the last of the spiders disappear into the shadows.

“What just happened?” She turned to face both boys, noting how they exchanged glances. “And don’t tell me that was normal. I saw how you both reacted.”

Kal ran a hand through his wet hair, water trailing down his chest. “Krevasta don’t usually hunt in swarms like that. And they definitely don’t… communicate.”

“That big one,” she pressed, wrapping her arms around herself. “It understood you, Tor. I saw it.”

Tor shrugged. “It recognized something in me. Something… familiar.”

She bit her lip. “Because you’re different now? Because of what’s happening to you?”

“We should head back,” Kal interrupted, reaching for his clothes. “Your mom will worry.”

She planted her feet firmly. “No. You’re keeping secrets from me. I want to know what’s really going on.”

“Lila,” Kal started, using that gentle voice adults use when they’re about to tell you something’s too complicated for you to understand. “There are things we don’t fully get ourselves. The changes happening to us, to all Izaeans…”

The ground suddenly trembled beneath her feet, cutting him off. At first, it was tiny…just a little vibration she felt through hersoles. Then the water in the pool began to ripple, small waves lapping against the rocks.

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