Page 87 of A Throne of Blood & Vengeance

Chapter Twenty-One

Vail

“Stop!”Cali ordered a second after the white wolf loping ahead of us skidded to a less than graceful stop.

“What is it?” Samara called out even as she tugged on the reins, drawing our mount to a halt. Draven and Kieran did the same.

I leaned to the side a little more so I could scan the ground but didn’t release my hold on Samara. She’d stopped crying half an hour ago, and we’d both been content to ride in silence. Not the tense kind of these past couple of weeks, but a strangely comforting one. I didn’t think everything between us was resolved, but for the first time, I had hope that I could actually fix them.

I just needed more time to do that, which meant we needed to make it to that damn temple alive. Cali and Rynn had both sensed something—even if I couldn’t see it. I grimaced. If it wasn’t on the surface, then it was below.

Trapper spiders.

Most of Lunaria was covered in forests, ranging from tropical to snow-covered; it was impressive how quickly the climate changed between the northern and southern ends of the continent. Then there were the badlands, a unique ecosystemthat contrasted sharply with everything else. They were flat and arid—so much so that the ground cracked and faint lines scattered out in every direction, as if the earth itself was begging for rain, which it rarely got, as the storms seemed to always bypass it.

Cali landed in front of us, wisps of red hair plastered to her face where they’d slipped free from her braid. We were lucky it was overcast, but even without the sun beating down on us, the heat was stifling. The horses were sweating but so far seemed okay with our steady jog.

“Spotted a trapper.” Cali’s mouth twisted in distaste. “Where there’s one . . .”

“There’s more.” I grunted and tightened my grip around Samara’s waist. “If it’s a colony, their tunnels could extend for miles.”

“Or it could be just a few that split off from the group,” Draven said, but he sounded doubtful.

It seemed unlikely we’d get that lucky.

“I fucking hate spiders,” Alaric muttered.

“Same,” Samara echoed. “I had nightmares for a solid week after the cave.” A chill seemed to run through her, and she leaned further into my embrace—something I greedily accepted as I inhaled her delicious scent.

I’d never admit it, but even I’d had a nightmare or two after we’d encountered those arachnid-like starfish in the cave outside House Harker. The creatures themselves had been nightmare-inducing, but what really terrified me was remembering Samara dangling off the ledge with a tentacle wrapped around her leg while a monstrous starfish waited beneath to devour her.

Those things had been unexpected. At least trappers I’d unfortunately dealt with before.

There weren’t as many predators in the badlands because of the harsh terrain and climate, but the ones that dwelled here were crafty. Trappers were spiders as large as Rynn in her wolf form that lived in tunnels beneath the ground. They’d earned their name because they built pits hidden beneath trapdoors in their tunnels. When they felt the vibrations of something walking by, they leapt out and dragged the unsuspecting prey underneath, where the walls were lined with their sticky webs.

Thanks to all the cracks in the ground, it was difficult to tell where the trapdoors were. To make matters worse, their breeding season was coming up, and they were stocking up on food to feed their young, which meant there were probably twice as many traps as usual and the spiders would be extra aggressive.

Because Lunaria was the gift that kept on giving.

Reluctantly, I let go of Samara and slid off the horse. Cali was clearly stressed, because she didn’t even bother giving me one of her death stares when I moved to stand beside her.

“You’ve been in the badlands more than any of us.” I kept my gaze locked on the ground in front of us. “What do you think we should do?”

“Throw your body out there, wait for the trappers to jump out, run real fast,” she replied without missing a beat.

I laughed darkly, drawing Rynn’s attention from where she was also seeking out the trapdoors. Fangs that were several inches long flashed at me as she snarled before going back to trying to find a path.

Remorse hit me hard. I’d always respected Rynn. She was smart and clever, and while she could be blunt at times—she lacked Samara’s ability to speak honeyed words—she’d always spoken the truth. I liked her no-bullshit approach to things.

It wasn’t just Samara I’d lost when I’d taken that crown and handed it over to Carmilla. It was Rynn . . . and the Velesians too.

Samara, I hoped to win back, but I wasn’t sure if Rynn would ever trust me again—and the Alpha Pack would be out for blood.

“As delicious a snack as Vail is,” Samara said as she swaggered to Cali’s other side, “I don’t think he’ll be enough to distract all of them. Not if they have a large colony.”

My dick instantly hardened at Samara referring to me as delicious, and I had to subtly adjust my pants.

“Won’t know until he tries.” Alaric shrugged before half falling, half leaping off the horse he’d been riding with Kieran.

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