Page 112 of The Shadow Fae Rhapsody
The governor and his sentries are chasing me again. They’re brazen enough to enter into the edge of the forbidden forest now. Too bad for them, I know these parts of the woods like I know my heart.
One by one, I lure them right where I want them to be.
“You little brat!” the governor screams as he lunges towards me. I sidestep from him easily and he tumbles forward into my trap.
The governor breathes in quick gasps, clutching his abdomen. “What have you done?”
His body twists and turns until he is unable to move or speak from the stickiness of Jessica’s web. I watch him as he struggles viciously. His eyes are bulging from anger and panic. The stench of his fear is far worse than his perfume.
All eighteen of his guards are caught in Jessica’s web too. I feel their fear as they thrash to escape, only to get themselves further entangled in the trap.
Hope rises to their faces when they see me.
“Please, Princess, let us go. There are wolves in these woods,” a guard begs through tear-streaked face.
There are far worse creatures here.
“I know you’re a good person. You wrote that letter to save us,” another one says.
Just because I don’t want my family to kill the villagers, these guards think I’m noble enough to let them go.
“We were just following orders…” an older guard pleas desperately.
Orders…
“Did the Governor tell you to steal my Nameday presents?” I ask him.
“I will return every trinket—”
“I don’t care for them. I just don’t understand why you slaughtered the pony my uncle sent me. You didn’t do it for the meat, you simply did it for fun. The same way you hurt the tavern maid in the village.”
“And you…” I drawl and look at another dark-haired guard. “You put those arrows through Jessica’s body.”
Anger burns deep in my chest. Every evil thing, every misdeed, I saw it. These sentries and the governor are bad people.
Liars and murderers.
“Yes, we’re guilty of all that. Let us face the judgement at the capital in the eyes of the Elders and the gods,” one argues.
Even bad people deserve justice,noble and virtuous Aerin would say. She is probably right. But I’m not like my sister. I strum the spider silk to call my friend.
Once for‘Hello, Jessica, I’m still alive.’
Twice for‘Help!’
And thrice for…‘Dinner is here.’
This is the only mercy I can grant them. When she’s not playing with her food, death by Jessica is usually swift. Once darkness falls there are far worse creatures that roam the forbidden forest.
I hear the scuttling sound of my friend as she draws closer. She has molted twice since the last time we met, her bulbous abdomen growing larger. My friend is far bigger than Judge or any Noctrals now.
Jessica gasps in surprise. “What is this? Treats?”
I nod, watching my reflection in her eyes. All eight of them.
She clasps her hands to her mouth, blushing at my gifts. “Rhianelle, you shouldn’t have.”
The guards flail desperately at the first sight of Jessica’s shining black fur.
