Page 18 of Villains and Vengeance
I nod. ‘Taking a Captive 101, baby.’
She tuts at herself. ‘It’s my first time so,’ she shrugs, ‘these little hiccups are bound to happen.’
She leans back on the arania’s thick, hairy leg so she can let go of the web with her hands. ‘I guess the question is, what do I do with you now? Do I let Siggy have you? She just fed, but I’m sure she’d just love to wrap you up and save you for later.’
The arania shifts and I tense, making sure my knife is firmly in my grasp, the pointy end tucked under my wrist and ready to shove it straight through one of those black eyes.
Victoria’s eyes flick down to it like she knows it’s there and I’m sure I see worry on her face for a second before her expression clears. She should be scared of me. I could easily take her down and drag her to the others once her eight-legged protector,Siggy, is out of the picture.
‘Or you could back up and let me inside and we could have a little truce. You must be hungry.’ She points to the bag on her back with her thumb. ‘I brought food.’
My eyes narrow, wondering what her game is now because there’s got to be an angle. There always is with this one.
But I back up into the White Bunker slowly, my eyes still on the arania. This ball of fluff hanging from the ceiling might make Victoria feel safe, but it’s just glorified tissue paper. That monster next to her could tear it open and be inside in about three seconds flat regardless of her giving the damn thing a name.
‘Truce,’ I hear myself say.
Victoria advances slowly. ‘Gonna put that knife away?’
I glance at Siggy. ‘Nope.’
‘She won’t come for you … unless you try to hurt us. You should probably know that,’ she says as she steps into the sphere. She looks back at those gleaming eyes. ‘Stay close, buddy.’
The arania doesn’t move and Victoria comes in the rest of the way. I retreat to the far wall, not wanting to give her pet a reason.
Victoria hefts the bag off her back and eases it to the floor with a groan. She opens it and throws me a can. ‘Hope you’re okay with SpaghettiOs. The raviolis are mine. I like them better.’
She digs around in the bag and throws me a fork, which I catch without taking my eyes off her. I open the can with the ring-pull and eat because Iamhungry. I try to ignore theotherhunger that’s beginning to gnaw at me as I watch her go to the opposite side of the cocoon and do the same.
When she’s done eating, she puts down the can and regards me. She doesn’t say anything.
‘What’s your plan now, Victoria? I assume you have one.’
She shrugs, not answering me.
‘How long have you been here?’ I ask, trying something different. Maybe she’ll talk about herself in more innocuous terms.
Her eyes flick to the backpack that I went through earlier and I remember the notebook inside opened to a page with the numbers on it. She’s been counting the days religiously. Maybe to keep track. Or, maybe, to count down.
‘Seventy something days, right?’
She nods hesitantly, not looking surprised that I’ve gone through her stuff.
I decide to go for the direct approach. ‘How did you get here?’
‘Snuck in with one of the shipments,’ she answers readily.
‘Bullshit.’
Her eyes narrow. ‘What did you guys do to get sent here?’
I sit back, resting against the spongy wall. ‘Used fae contacts to help some buddies get out of here before their sentence was up.’
Her brow furrows. ‘An incubus clan?’
‘Yeah.’
She grins and it lights up her face with mirth.
