The salted sceptre, p.11
The Salted Sceptre, page 11
Otis performed several spirals in the air, dancing in time to our acapella music, and even Hester yielded and started to tap her foot on my shoulder. This was all I needed out of life: good company, good fun and a reason to get up in the morning. Athair would never understand that.
There had been no update from the research team back at Pemberville Castle but I reasoned that no news was good news. The lack of information meant that they were safe and hadn’t been troubled by the vamps; they were simply too busy tracking down leads related to Lincolnshire to get in touch. Yep, something to do with the fresh air and the morning sunshine was definitely making my mood buoyantly optimistic.
That sensation continued all the way to the woods, but as soon as we crossed the tree line my positive feelings vanished.
From a distance the woods looked pleasant; the variety of trees suggested this was ancient woodland that had been here for centuries. As we entered it, I expected pretty plants, tangled undergrowth and an atmosphere imbued with the best that nature had to offer; what I got were dark shadows, a smell of rotting meat and a sense of foreboding so strong that my footsteps faltered barely a few steps in.
Hugo’s expression was tense, and Hester and Otis looked wide-eyed and fearful. ‘I’m not the only one who feels that, am I?’ I said darkly.
Hester swallowed hard. ‘There’s something wrong here. We should leave. We’re not supposed to be here.’
She was right. It was as if something was clinging to the air, warning us off: the woods wanted us to leave. It put me in mind of a mosquito alarm that emitted a high-frequency tone that could be heard only by people under the age of twenty-five and was designed to discourage teenagers from loitering in certain areas, or an ultrasonic cat deterrent.
Beads of sweat broke out across my forehead. It was difficult to resist the urge to turn tail and run out of the woods but I held my ground and Hugo reached for my hand. ‘Amy wandered into these woods of her own free will,’ I muttered,
‘I can’t imagine why,’ Hugo said. ‘Do you want to give up? We can leave now and tell her we can’t find her necklace.’
I glanced at him. I knew he’d abandon the woodland in an instant if I asked him to, but I also knew he wanted to go further inside for the same reason that I was determined to stay: something desperately wanted us to leave this area and that made me desperately want to know why. ‘Not a chance,’ I murmured. He grinned.
‘You two are crazy,’ Hester said, burrowing under the collar of my jacket. ‘I’m staying out of the way. Tell me when it’s safe to came out again – preferably when we’re back out in the open.’
Otis watched his sister disappear into the folds of fabric; usually he’d follow her, but this time his jaw set hard. Their recent argument was obviously still lingering in his mind and he wanted to prove he was different to her; he wanted to act independently, even when his instincts told him otherwise.
He dragged his eyes away from Hes and looked at me. ‘I’m perfectly fine,’ he said. ‘Let’s start searching for the necklace.’ He pulled back his shoulders and flicked his wings defiantly. ‘I bet I find it first.’
‘Probably.’ I tried to sound cheerful. ‘But stay close so we’ve got a chance to spot it too.’ I didn’t add that I needed to keep sight of him at all times in case something untoward happened.
Otis tried to disguise his relief at the order. ‘Sure.’ He pointed to his left. ‘Let’s go that way first.’
We picked our way carefully through the trees. The pressure to leave the woods didn’t diminish but thankfully it didn’t get stronger. We kept moving, pushing against the invisible force that seemed determined to expel us as we scanned the ground for Amy’s necklace. I kept my eyes on the left-hand side while Hugo searched the right and Otis scanned the area in front of us.
‘There are some fresh molehills behind that bush over there,’ Hugo said. I paused to look. He was right.
Otis buzzed, ‘And I think that’s a badger’s den in front of us.’
Interesting: whatever was trying to push us out wasn’t malevolent enough to scare away the animals. That thought lightened my spirits somewhat. ‘Maybe it’s a strange sort of ward,’ I said. ‘Something environmentally friendly designed to preserve the woods but keep out the destructive force of humans and elves.’
‘Brownies aren’t destructive,’ Hugo said. Otis flashed him a grateful smile.
‘No, but their DNA is closer to ours than to a badger’s. It could be something a local witch has conjured up to keep the likes of us out.’
‘Possibly,’ Hugo said. ‘Although—’ He stopped in mid-sentence. A slow grin spread across his face, causing his dimple to appear and my heart to skip a beat. ‘There. I caught a glint of silver. That’s a chain. I think we’ve found it.’
His sharp eyes galvanised us into action. We spun round and dashed towards the spot. Otis zipped through the air, letting out a crow of delight as he got close, while Hugo and I followed on foot.
‘It’s definitely a necklace!’ Otis called.
Hester popped her head up to observe the proceedings. ‘Well, whaddya know?’ she said. ‘There really is a necklace and this isn’t just some sort of weird trap.’
I grinned and knelt down to scoop it up, but before I could Hugo put a hand on my arm. ‘Wait,’ he advised. ‘It might yet be a weird trap.’ He circled around the silver chain. ‘Let me check it first.’
The necklace was nestled on a bed of verdant green moss; I could see its broken clasp even without kneeling down. There was nothing that suggested a trap; there were a few twigs nearby and a brown leaf caught in one of the silver links, but the placement was messy rather than artful. There wasn’t a scrap of evidence to suggest that Amy had sent us here with a nefarious purpose.
‘I can’t sense any magic, Hugo. This isn’t the source of that repelling force. We’d know if it were.’
‘I’m only double checking. It pays to be prudent.’ He sent me an arch look. ‘As you should have already learned when you took a tumble down that gully before finding the dagger. One day, when you’re as experienced as I am, you’ll understand the value of being extra careful.’
Yeah, yeah. I rolled my eyes; this situation was not remotely similar to that one. ‘Look,’ I pointed down. ‘There’s a teeny spider. Who knows? That might be the one that freaked out Amy. There’s no danger here, no trap.’
Otis flitted closer to the tiny creature. ‘It’s very small,’ he said doubtfully. ‘I mean, I’m small and even I think that spider is small. Is that really what scared her so much?’
We watched the small black arachnid scuttle across the moss. It paused for a moment, as if thinking then jumped, twisted around and darted out of sight. It was definitely far more afraid of us than we were of it, and it was far too small and far too real to cause my cravings for spider’s silk to rear up.
I glanced again at Hugo then bent down and scooped up the necklace. Nothing changed and no traps were triggered.
‘It doesn’t mean I wasn’t still right, Daisy,’ Hugo admonished. ‘Look before you leap.’
‘He who hesitates is lost,’ I returned.
I caught his flash of amusement and smiled. I picked up the necklace to give it a cursory examination. It was a pretty thing and the silver was real, although it didn’t appear particularly valuable in monetary terms. Given Amy’s determination to get it back, I suspected its sentimental value was high.
I put it carefully in my pocket to make sure it wouldn’t go astray again. ‘Mission accomplished,’ I said. ‘But not every question has been answered.’
Hugo’s eyes gleamed. ‘Do we leave this godforsaken place as fast as we can?’ he asked. ‘Or do some more investigating to find out why it feels as if we shouldn’t be here?’
‘Do you even have to ask?’ I asked.
Hester, who was still buried amongst the folds of my coat, hissed in irritation. ‘Yes! Yes, we do have to ask. And you know what the answer is? It’s no. Hell, no. Let’s get the fuck out of here as quickly as possible.’ Nobody responded and she muttered under her breath, ‘Why do I even bother?’
Suddenly Gladys, who’d remained sheathed by my side during our search, hummed loudly. It wasn’t a light-hearted sound; I knew that tone, and it wasn’t an attempt at banter with Hester. That sound was a warning.
I stiffened, immediately withdrew her blade and tightened my hand around her grip. My gaze swung nervously from side to side as Hugo stepped forward, squinting at the undergrowth. ‘Something’s in there,’ he said.
No sooner had he finished speaking than there was a rustle. Hester squeaked and her head disappeared back under my collar. Otis bravely remained where he was but his wings were quivering as he scanned the area.
There was another rustle. I licked my lips. It was coming from somewhere low, close to the ground. ‘It’s probably just a small animal,’ I whispered. ‘One of those moles. Or the badger who lives nearby.’
Hugo grimaced. ‘They’re nocturnal animals, Daisy. It’s ten o’clock in the morning.’
‘There will be other creatures here. Plus it’s pretty dark and gloomy. Maybe they think it’s night time.’
As if in response, there was a scratching sound somewhere to my left. I turned just in time to see a large fern-like leaf tremble as something brushed it from underneath. Definitely an animal, then.
I held my breath – and that was when the first leg appeared. Cumbubbling bollocks.
Chapter
Thirteen
The leg was long, spindly and covered in wiry black hairs. Its narrow, tapered tip tapped the ground three times before a matching version of the same leg appeared. And another. And another.
Although the creature’s body hadn’t emerged, I knew exactly what I was looking at. This was a spider. It wasn’t like the teeny-tiny spider we’d already spotted; if the legs on this version were anything to go by, this was the size of one of the wheels on Hugo’s Jeep. At least.
‘Bloody Amy,’ Hugo muttered. ‘She told us. She told us there was a huge spider. It turns out that she wasn’t exaggerating.’
More of the creature slid out from underneath the fern. I gazed at its rounded, furry belly, which grew more russet in colour as it was revealed. I clenched my jaw, banking down the temptation to blast the thing was as much fire magic as I could muster. It wasn’t doing anything wrong. Not yet, anyway.
It tapped its foreleg again then slipped forward another inch. As I lifted my eyes, I realised I could see the spider’s face. There were two large pincer-type appendages close to its mouth and several furry stripes across its head, which gave it something of a punk-like appearance. But it wasn’t that which caught my attention; once I’d caught a glimpse of the spider’s eight glittering eyes, it was impossible to look away.
My mouth was dry and my palms were sweaty. I’d never understood arachnophobia before now but suddenly, confronted by a spider that was the size of a spaniel, I got it. My hand shot out and I grabbed Hugo’s arm. It was a truly dumb thing to do because that movement was more than enough to catch the spider’s attention.
All eight eyes swivelled towards us, then the spider hissed and reared up. I expected it to attack us but instead it jumped away, disappearing from view with a speed that took my breath away. I swallowed with relief; we’d been far luckier than we deserved.
‘Perhaps it’s time to leave after all,’ Hugo said.
There was no perhaps about it. I nodded and hastily re-sheathed Gladys. ‘Let’s go. Now.’
‘Thank fuck,’ Hester’s muffled voice said.
And with that, we sprinted away in the opposite direction. At first we kept pace with each other but it didn’t take long for Otis to pull away, his small body and his ability to fly making him far faster than Hugo and me. He scooted forward, zipping between tree trunks and leafy bushes. By the time I called out, he was already out of sight.
‘Otis!’ I shouted. ‘Stay close!’
If he’d heard me, he didn’t answer. I tried to speed up but the ground was getting boggier and with every squelching footstep it was harder and harder to run with any speed. I gritted my teeth and looked helplessly at Hugo. ‘Can you see him?’ I asked. ‘Can you see Otis?’
‘No,’ he answered abruptly.
That was when we heard the scream. I’d never heard a sound like that from Otis before but it was definitely him – and it was definitely a shriek imbued with pure terror.
Hester rocketed upwards, yanking herself out of her burrow in my jacket. Her face was white with fear and her hands were bunched into fists. ‘Otis!’ she cried. ‘Where are you?’
Again there was no answer and Hester’s body quivered. I snapped my hand out to grab her before she also took off. ‘We can’t lose you too, Hes. Stay with us and don’t go flying off. We’ll find Otis, I promise.’
She struggled for a moment then relaxed. I released my hold on her. Her bottom lip was trembling but she was calm.
‘Come on,’ Hugo said. ‘I think he went this way.’
I called out again, shouting Otis’s name at the top of my voice as we ran in the direction he’d disappeared. There still wasn’t any answer and his silence was more chilling than his scream.
We finally escaped the squishy ground for a firmer section that made it easier to run. Hugo sent out a blast of carefully directed air magic to push aside the low-hanging branches and thick foliage that lay in our way.
I could feel my heart pumping hard in my chest then, when we veered around the thick trunk of a large oak tree, it seemed to stop altogether. Oh. Oh.
We were in a small clearing. Weak sunlight was filtering in from a gap in the foliage overhead. Strung from one tree to another was a glistening, silvery web that stretched horizontally for at least twelve metres and vertically for even more. Drops of water from a recent rain shower clung to it, sparkling in the dim light.
Under any other circumstances I’d have been awestruck by the web’s beauty, but I couldn’t admire it now because in front of the web – and blocking much of our view – was another spider. This arachnid wasn’t the size of the first one we’d seen, nor was it the size of the second monstrous version.
This spider was the size of a car.
I’d withdrawn Gladys again without even thinking about it. Doubtless a creature such as this was covered under the country-wide law that protected magical species in their own habitat. I couldn’t attack the spider, not under any circumstances, but I could certainly use Gladys to hack away at the web. And if Otis was in danger, I’d do whatever I could to protect him.
Standing beside me, Hugo gulped in a sharp breath, his eyes flicking from side to side as he assessed the situation. Hester had no such compunction. She was already flying over and yelling at the top of her voice, ‘Where is my brother, you eight-legged freak?’
The giant spider jumped; apparently it had been unaware of our approach. It executed a perfect half-turn and I caught a brief glimpse of Otis trapped in the sticky folds of the glittering web before his body was obscured again. My stomach lurched with fear. I wouldn’t allow him to become a spider’s lunch. I couldn’t.
‘You and me, buster!’ Hester shouted, her voice cracking on the last word. ‘You and me! Put ’em up! Come on!’
The spider, an immense creature of monstrous, cold beauty, gazed at her with its eight glistening black eyes. I could see images of Hester reflected on the shiny surface of each eyeball. Compared to the arachnid, she was minute – she had no chance.
Panic clawed at my throat, then my limbs acted almost of their own accord and I lurched forward with Gladys raised. I barely managed three steps before Hugo grabbed my collar and hauled me back. I hissed at him angrily but he shook his head, his expression far calmer than mine. Wait, he seemed to be telling me. Just wait.
The spider chittered at Hester as it rubbed its pincers together. I heard a whoosh as it exhaled a blast of air, then its vast mouth opened revealing a gaping black hole. Terror for Hester and Otis rocked me to my core.
‘Good morning,’ it said.
I blinked. So did Hester. Even Hugo, who had acted with far more sense than the rest of us, appeared stunned. The spider spoke in a deep male voice – and he had an accent. In fact, he sounded almost exactly like Alan the shopkeeper. A Brummie monster spider with good manners? I shook my head. What on earth was going on?
Hester recovered first. ‘Free my brother,’ she shouted, ‘or prepare to die!’
‘That is exactly what I am trying to do,’ the spider huffed. He reared up and rubbed two of his legs together in front of Hester. ‘However, it is not easy with these limbs. Perhaps you can help. Your fingers appear dainty enough to extract him safely.’
Hester didn’t relax; she was squinting at the giant creature with undisguised suspicion. ‘This is a clever trap, right? Encourage me to help free Otis and trap me in the process!’
Her concern was reasonable until you considered all the facts. ‘It’s not a trap, Hester,’ I said softly. ‘The spider speaks the truth.’
‘You don’t know that!’ she protested.
Hugo gave her a crooked, gentle smile. ‘Yes, she does.’ He glanced at me then at the spider. ‘The smell,’ he said. ‘That deep scent that pervades these woods, and the magic that accompanies it, are designed to repel curious passers-by. That came from you, didn’t it?’ he asked the spider.
The creature stared at Hugo. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking; it could have been disgust, admiration or even love. The facial features of enormous spiders were not designed to give much away, not to my eyes anyway. ‘It is clearly not as effective as it used to be,’ he said finally. ‘After all, you are here.’
‘Oh, it’s effective,’ I told him. ‘It was so strong that it ramped up our curiosity. Most other people would have turned and walked away but I’m afraid we like to investigate places that others would avoid.’
The spider tapped another of his long legs on the ground. ‘Hmm. You are not the first to enter these woods in recent days.’
