Page 108 of The Princesses of Ruin
I swirl the beaker, allowing the last bits of the replication potion to be subsumed by venom. The liquid turns a clear amber all the way through and settles.
We’ve done it.
“This is it,” I say. “Rouse him.”
Scarlett runs to the corner and deactivates the runes keeping Iksah in a deep slumber. She opens the cooling chamber and removes the deer leg we’d stuffed there in the hopes that I could work this venom out. I spear the hunk of meat with a spindle and bring it to the desiccated spider.
Iksah clicks his chelicerae at the sight of the meat.
“This is going to work,” I tell him with conviction.
I pour a few drops of the replicated venom over the animal leg and hold my breath. The golden liquid drizzles over the hide and slides down to the ground with no effect.
That can’t be. No, it just needs more.
I pour another splash over a spot where the meat isn’t as thick.
Nothing.
Another healthy pour over the leg, dousing it with most of the beaker’s contents.
“Zane.” Scarlett grabs my shoulder.
“No,” I murmur. “No, it’s just the hide. Or it’s too cold. We need to—”
A sizzle crackles where the first drops touched. It spreads, bubbling. The second spot begins to hiss.
“Yes!” Scarlett exclaims. “You did it!”
Iksah drags himself forward and puts his entire mouth over the acrid-smelling deer leg. His fangs fumble the meat, and he can’t seem to summon the strength to push the leg into his mouth. I use my spindles to pick it up and help bear the weight as Iksah swallows it whole.
“He says he needs to rest for a few hours, but he’ll want to eat again,” Scarlett says. “We have another deer leg, but…”
“We need to hunt for him,” I say as I stand back and give Iksah some room to rest.
Scarlett shakes her head. “I will. You can’t be galivanting about hunting beasts. Your arm needs time to heal.”
I look at the straps holding the egg to her stomach with a wash of fondness. She’s an image of maternal strength. My body lights up with joy, and protective fury.
My spindles take the beaker from my hand. I touch her on the baby bundle. “You shouldn’t begalivantingabout, either. The child needs you.”
She nods toward the beaker. “Less so now. He just needs a bit of my blood.”
“He?” I ask.
She smiles softly and nods. “I can hear him. Alyse’s power is so strong.”
I cradle her cheek and kiss her with fierce gentleness.
“You’restrong. The strongest.”
She kisses me back, then presses her forehead to mine. We breathe each other’s air, and I disappear in the joy of the moment. Just the baby spider boy between us and his biological father gaining strength every second behind us.
When I roused tied to his back, tromping through the snow with my head cradled in Scarlett’s lap, I knew I’d be forever in his debt. I’d not intended to save him when I threw myself at his attacker. My thoughts were for Scarlett alone, and the venom we needed.
We’re bound by mutual need, for love of our family, but Iksah got me home. He sacrificed his magic and his strength to hurry us here. He desecrated his mate for us to save our people. He made it possible for me to hold Scarlett again, even if it’s just with one arm.
And I’m never going to let this go.
