Page 202 of The Spider Queen
That’s a given. Let’s say we succeed. Let’s say we stop Lucifer and Xan from getting into Heaven, we stop them from fighting a war on Earth. What do you want then, Poppy?
You’re giving me emotional whiplash.
Let me tell you what I see.
The vision he sent me was vivid and full of yearning. Thane had sent me many images of us together, fantasies, sexual promises yet to be fulfilled. But this was different.
A gaggle of children of indiscriminate ages, dark-haired, long-limbed, their laughter ringing through the trees as we chased after them. A picnic at the edge of a magical lake where nymphs swam to the surface, begging us to join them.
More laughter, happiness as bright as sunshine and full of love.
The dream cleared, but the warmth remained, our tethered connection pulsing gently with it.
I never had that kind of hope, Poppy. I never let myself wish. Not like this. Not with the others.
The others. He meant the other women who’d tried to free him—and failed.
I wasn’t meant to have that life with them. But when it was you, that dream is what stopped me from tumbling back into despair and insanity. So share that dream with me, Poppy. Hold on to that. And when the last flame of hope is about to be extinguished, picture us. Together. Our family. Because that is worth the fight.
Chapter 33
The sky was ominously dark for what seemed like hours, though I had no idea how much time had passed. Neither sun nor moons peered through the black clouds. We sat in darkness, talking through our bond. But finally, the blood rain ceased, and the haze evaporated.
It was nighttime, and the Ebony moon was now the fullest moon in the sky. It didn’t radiate moonbeams. Instead, it cast an all-engulfing shadow. But with the aid of the other two moons and the twinkling stars, I was still able to see shapes and forms.
“Thane,” I croaked.
It was the first word I had uttered out loud in a good amount of time. My throat hurt from lack of use. After the sound of incessant drops hitting sand, my ears didn’t know what to do with the sudden silence and they were ringing.
Thane stood and closed the umbrella. When he realized what he’d done, he laughed and then tossed it aside. He reached down to help me stand.
We’d made it this far, I realized. We hadn’t given up. We hadn’t succumbed. We’d battled monsters, terrain, insanity. We still had a long way to go, and we had no idea if the walls of Heaven stood.
For all we knew, there could be a battle on Earth happening at this very moment.
“What do we do now?” I asked.
“I’m not sure.”
“The Ebony moon is at the highest point, isn’t it?”
“Maybe. Or it may only look like it’s at its highest point.” He shrugged, not appearing concerned.
It had been too many days since I’d bathed or brushed my teeth. My hair was in desperate need of a wash, but I hadn’t thought to ask my spiders for anything so trivial. I grabbed the strands of my greasy hair and braided them. When I realized I didn’t have a hair tie, I sent up a silent curse. Suddenly, my hair was tied at the end, courtesy of shimmery white spider silk.
Now if I could only do something about my breath…
My mouth filled with leaves.
Trust us…they said. They spoke as one, but I could hear them now. Maybe that meant my own powers were growing.
I chewed the leaves, releasing a strong mint flavor.
Thane was running a comb through his hair and scrubbing at his stubble. He looked at me and grinned.
I shook my head. Despite the turmoil and the state of the world, I’d gladly spare five minutes for a quick shower.
“Not having any trouble seeing in the dark now, are you?” he asked.
