Page 137 of The Spider Queen
I blinked. “Water trolls?”
“Water trolls. They live in bodies of water.” He nodded and gestured with his chin to the lake. “When you think of trolls, you think ugly, right?”
“Right.”
“Well, they’re not. They’re beautiful.”
“Beautiful. But they choose to be ugly?”
He smiled. “They’re not very social creatures. Ugliness keeps others at bay. Even magical creatures.”
“Interesting.” I looked out at the lake, hoping to see a beautiful water troll, but none were forthcoming.
“I have another question,” I said, polishing off the last of the bread.
Thane laughed. “Of course you do.”
I ignored his amusement. “The last ward… Why was it easy to break?”
“I’ll answer your question in a moment.” He gestured to the spread in front of us. “What do you want to eat next?”
“Have any chicken? Or fish?”
“Not chicken—something else. But trust me, it’s better. I have fish too.”
“Then I’ll have both. Please.”
He smiled and loaded up my plate. Only when I ate did he return to my inquiry. “Each ward wanted something from you. The first wanted pain. And the second wanted truth. The third wanted sacrifice.”
I swallowed a bite of tender meat and went for another. “Sacrifice? What did I sacrifice?”
“Take your pick,” he drawled. “You’ve almost sacrificed your life.”
“Almost,” I agreed. “Was that enough to break the ward?”
“Maybe. You also sacrificed Hunter.”
“I didn’t—”
“Not in the traditional sense, no. You didn’t physically kill him.”
“Just his heart,” I muttered. I set the food aside. No matter how good, it couldn’t erase the taste of guilt.
Thane was silent a moment, and I wondered if now was the moment we had been waiting for—to unleash our anger. But I suddenly hoped we wouldn’t. I was tired and confused, and the only thing that mattered was making sure Hunter was being taken care of.
“Is Hunter—did he—”
“He’s safe,” he assured me.
I breathed out and nodded.
“As far as other sacrifices go,” he went on, “there was your army.”
“Army?”
“Of spiders. They fought the golden wasps. Do you remember?”
“Yes, and then I watched them all fall into the Atlantic.”
