Page 109 of When Ashes Fall

I slid the top open and pulled out the spider. Holding it by the abdomen, I avoided its burning secretion as I set it on the table.

They all leaned closer to examine it before confusion marred their faces. They looked from the spider to me.

“What does a silkfang have to do with any of this?” Dromon asked.

“They can’t hurt anything,” Lyra said.

When the spider tried to scamper away, I captured it again. Its overlong legs continued to paw the air as it kept trying to run, but it wasn’t going anywhere.

“You know what a silkfang looks like,” I said to Knox.

“I do.”

“You know every marking on them.”

“Yes. They were all over the tunnels in No Man’s Land.”

“I remember, but did you learn their markings?”

His head tilted to the side as he stared suspiciously at me. “I did. I was curious about them as a child. They’re a fascinating species.”

“They are a very interesting species,” I agreed. “They do a lot of good in the kingdoms; much of our clothing comes from the material they create.”

“What’s your point?”

I held the spider out to him, keeping its abdomen hidden. “Does this look like a silkfang to you?”

Knox stared at me before shifting his attention to the spider. He sat back again. “It’s a silkfang.”

“Is it?” I murmured as I lifted the spider to reveal its abdomen. “What about now? Does it still look the same as a silkfang?”

Again, Knox held my eyes before looking at the arachnid again. He looked bored until his eyes settled on the snake and moon etched onto its stomach. A gorman always bore the marks of whichever caster created it, day or night; it was impossible to miss this one.

CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE

Briar

Knox sat forward. “What is that?”

Instead of answering him, I kept the spider before me as I turned it toward the others, moving it across their field of vision. While I showed them, I also explained the mark and how it came to exist on the gorman.

“Whoever created this gorman is most likely listening to every word we say,” I revealed.

Horror crept over their features as they exchanged worried looks. “Is it your mother?” Lyra asked.

“It could be, but it could also be one of many other casters. I’m sure that if it’s not my mother, then they’ve told her about our discovery.”

I focused on Knox again as I set the spider on the table but didn’t release it. “There were so many silkfangs in the tunnels of No Man’s Land.”

Knox stared at the spider before his jaw clenched and a vein throbbed in his temple. Slowly, his orange eyes lifted to mine, and I saw that he understood this was how my mother knew our plans.

As we stared at each other, I waited for some softening along with his understanding, but it never came.

“How is it killing the plants?” he asked.

I tried not to feel deflated that he’d yet to apologize; I should have known this arrogant prick wouldn’t admit he was wrong. He wouldn’t even give me this.

My resolve to escape this place hardened further as I released the spider. Its legs scratched the wood as it tried to flee, but before it could go more than a few inches, I lifted my hand and smashed it down on the arachnid.