Page 133 of Thief of Hearts

“Well, at least now we know what’s going to happen when you start to pick the lock.”

“If there’re more of these boxes, they will keep getting smaller and smaller, which will make the keyholes smaller and more difficult to open,” he said.

“Hopefully that means the spiders will be smaller next time, too. I have faith in you,” I told him.

He lifted his tools as if he was about to begin.

“Wait,” I said. “Do you have some kind of accelerant?”

He reached into a different pocket and tossed me a vial. “Put it in your mouth and spit through the flames. This is all I have left, so make sure it counts.”

I tucked it into my belt for when I needed it.

“I’m ready,” I told him.

What had happened the last time happened again. The clink of metal on metal and the sound of those doors opening.

Would it be spiders again?

Or something else?

Preparing myself for anything, I lifted the torch again.

Spiders.

But they were twice the size the last ones had been. I provided cover for Zain, being bitten continually while brushing them away from him and then smashing them beneath my feet. My sandals began to feel a bit slippery, given how many spiders I had squashed.

You just have to hold on until he opens the box, I told myself. Then this will all go away.

I clenched my teeth, determined not to call out despite all the bites. I didn’t want him distracted.

“Done!” he finally yelled, and I nearly collapsed with relief. The spiders vanished.

I turned. “Another box?”

“Another box,” he confirmed.

“It will be fine,” I said in an attempt to convince both of us. “They’re just spiders. We’ll be fine.”

“Ready?”

“Yes.”

There was the clinking of metal, doors opening.

Spiders that were twice as big as the last ones. Like the size of small mice.

They were much harder to stomp on, as their larger size seemed to make their bodies thicker and stronger. I got my sword out and started stabbing everything around me. These ones didn’t attempt to climb on me—they were headed straight for Zain.

I heard him call out a few times and curse. I sliced and stabbed and skewered everything I could. I could feel sweat pouring down my back. I couldn’t ever let up because we would be overwhelmed.

At one point I had stabbed so many that my sword fell, laden with bodies. I used one of my feet to clear the blade and went back to protecting Zain.

Because the lock was smaller, it did take him more time. It felt like an eternity. Like this would never be over.

Until it was. “Done!”

I was breathing hard and sat down on the ground next to him. I handed him the torch and took out my waterskin. I was in dire need of a drink. I offered it to him and he shook his head. “I just want to finish this.”