Page 42 of The Spider Queen
Sort of.
“What?” I shouted out loud. “How can you be ‘sort of’ alive?”
Take a drink.
I don’t want a drink.
It was your idea to switch from beer to vodka. The vodka will help. Trust me.
I took a sip of the vodka cranberry and grimaced. I hated the flavor, but it was Anita’s drink of choice for pre-gaming, thus we had vodka and cranberry in abundance.
Are you going to tell me what’s what?
No.
Fuck you, Thane.
Okay, maybe you’ve had enough vodka.
The damn spider was right, but fuck if I was going to listen to him. I threw back the rest of the drink. I was spinning in circles. Each question hatched five more. And when Thane wouldn’t explain, it drove me crazy.
Will you calm down? I can feel you whipping yourself into a frenzy.
You’ll never confide in me.
I swore I could sense an eye roll.
Just earlier today, you were convinced that you were going insane. You didn’t trust yourself—you didn’t trust me. Forgive me if I’m hesitant to give you all the answers you seek. There are some things you don’t get to know. Not right now.
I want to throw you in the lake again,I seethed.
I heard him sigh.Please, don’t. It takes…a lot…to get out from the bottom of a lake. It’s not like I can swim, you know?
No, I don’t know.
Patience, Poppy. In time, you’ll know everything.
Yeah, whenyoudeem it the right time. You keep asking questions and want me to answer them. You ask about my mother and our relationship… Do you think it’s easy for me to talk about that? Do you think I like opening that box?
I got up off the floor and moved to the bed. It was just past ten, and I was tired. And drunk. And angry. So, so angry.
Sleep,he whispered.You’ll feel better.
Don’t tell me what I need. You’re not the boss of me.
You’re right. I’m not.
Almost against my will, my eyes closed. I felt as thoughmy body was being swaddled in a silken wrap.
In my dream, I couldn’t open my eyes, but I could feel.
Everything.
Hands on my body, lips against mine, naked skin slick with sweat. I moaned and writhed and came.
“Come to me,” he whispered. “Open your eyes.”
My dream-eyes opened, and I stared into the face of the dark-haired man with dark eyes. The yearning in his gaze tugged my heart. I gripped the back of his neck and pulled him to me, drinking of his lips like I was dying of thirst.
