by Amy Cross
“What others? Everyone died, Abby.” He pauses, with a flicker of anger in his eyes. “I killed five spiders with my bare hands. A kind of supreme anger burst up through me, it took control, I didn't even care about my own safety anymore, I just knew that I had to rip them apart. It was almost as if another person was breaking free from my soul.” Another pause, and he stares at his hands as if he genuinely can't believe what happened. “I had no idea that I was capable of such things. Some darker part of my soul just seemed to wake up.”
Hearing a faint gasp nearby, I turn and spot a burned and bloodied figure on the ground about twenty feet away. Ignoring the pain in my belly, I limp toward the figure, only to realize when I get there that it's Absalom. I drop to my knees next to him, but I can already tell that he's badly hurt. It'll take a long time for him to heal from something like this, but at least he's alive. There are tears of relief in my eyes as I reach out and put a hand on his chest, to let him know that I'm here. If Absalom had died, I'd have been completely lost.
“Thank God,” I whisper. “Absalom, I think we're the only ones left. Everyone else who was at Gothos is dead now.”
“I...” He stares up at me, barely able to open his eyes, and after a moment I realize there are thick black veins slowly spreading all over his flesh. “I've been... trying to block it...” he stammers, his voice even lower than a whisper, “trying to... keep the venom from getting to my heart. I can't hold it back for much longer, but...”
“But what?” I ask, trying to ignore the growing sense of panic in my chest. “Absalom, tell me what I can do to help you!”
“You have to go on,” he replies. “You have to finish this.”
“Finish what?” I wait for an answer, but I've got a horrible feeling that I already know what he means. “I can't fight a war,” I tell him. “Absalom, I'm just not that strong.”
“You're... more than strong enough...”
I shake my head.
“I believe in you,” he whispers.
“No,” I reply, “you don't. I overheard you and Oncephalus back at Jagadoon, I know you both thought I was a complete failure.”
He shakes his head.
“I heard you!” I hiss.
“You were supposed to overhear us,” he continues “We set it up that way, it was the final part of your training. It wasn't enough for you to simply know that we believed in you. We had to knock you all the way down, and make you rise up again so that you'd believe in yourself.”
Staring at him, I feel a sudden wave of panic in my chest. “No,” I stammer, “you're just making that up.”
“Find her and ask her if you must,” he replies, “but it's true. I'm sorry, Abby, but it was the... only way to ensure your strength came from within, rather than from us.”
I shake my head, still not quite able to believe what he's saying. Still, there'll be time to argue the point later. Right now, all that matters is making sure that Absalom recovers.
“The spiders have been tricked,” he continues. “Abby, I saw one of them, the creatures from...” He lets out a gasp, and his whole body starts trembling.
“The creatures from where?” I ask. “Absalom, what are you trying to tell me?”
“The very first lines of the Book of Gothos,” he whispers. “They were true. About a race of demons that existed before recorded history, before all of us. And those creatures, those demons... They're back...”
“You're not making any sense,” I tell him. “You're delirious. Those stories were just myths, they were a story told to children.” When he doesn't reply, I realize he's starting to slip away. “Absalom!” I say firmly, patting the side of his face. “Tell me how to save you! You can't leave me!”
“The venom is getting into my heart,” he whispers. “Drop by drop, but...”
“Tell me what to do!” I shout.
“Abby -” Jonathan starts to say.
“Leave us alone!” I scream, pushing him back as I watch more black veins spreading across Absalom's body. “Tell me what to do,” I sob, leaning closer. “Absalom, there's always a way! Tell me how to save you!”
His lips move slightly, but he's too weak to speak.
“There is a way,” I stammer, filled with panic as I watch more and more black veins growing across his ravaged chest. The venom is pulsing through his body, searching for another route to his heart. “You can't leave me alone,” I whimper, with tears running down my face. “Please, I need you, you're the only one who knows what to do, without you I'm just -”
Suddenly I feel something squeezing my hand, and I look down to see that he's managed to reach out to me.
“If you die,” I tell him, as more tears fill my eyes, “it's all over.”
I wait for him to reply, but he's getting weaker by the second. No matter how much I hate this idea, I can feel a slow sense of realization filling my chest, a kind of dread tugging at my heart, telling me that my worst fear is about to come true. Finally, reaching into my pocket, I pull out the box containing the Creolian petal. Maybe there's only one thing I can do for him now.
“You should use this,” I tell him, sniffing back tears. “I know there was someone you loved once. You should use this so you can see her one more time.”
“Keep it,” he whispers, before looking past me, as if something has caught his attention over my shoulder. “I can already see her. She's right here. She's come to fetch me.”
I turn, but there's no-one there. And then, when I turn back to Absalom, I realize that his body has fallen still.
“No!” I shout, shaking his shoulder. “Absalom, wake up! I have so many things to ask you! I need to know what you meant about demons, and about the spiders being tricked! You can't die now! I need you!” I wait for a reply, but his lifeless body simply rests among the ash. “Absalom! I still need your help! Absalom, please!”
I wait.
Nothing.
“He's dead,” Jonathan says finally.
I pause for a moment, with more tears in my eyes, before turning to look up at my brother.
“He's gone, Abby,” he continues, his body already starting to heal the horrific injuries he suffered during the battle. “I guess even a vampire can't survive a dose of spider venom to the heart.”
Shaking my head, I look back down at Absalom for a moment, convinced that he's going to suddenly wake up. I keep telling myself that he can't be dead, that after everything that has happened he's just resting. There have been so many miracles in my life, I just need one more. Leaning down, however, I place an ear against his chest and listen, and sure enough there's no sign of life at all. All I can hear is the faintest hissing sound, which must be the venom burning through what's left of his heart.
“Come back,” I whisper, as a shiver pass through my soul. “Please, I need you...”
I close my eyes.
Nothing. His body is already cold.
“What do we do now?” Jonathan asks finally.
I wait, hoping that somehow I'll have an answer even though all I feel in my soul is a rising sense of hopelessness. Looking around, I can't help remembering the first time I came to Gothos all those years ago, with my father. Even though he's long gone, in some ways Gothos served as a reminder that at least his era was still with us, that the things he stood for were still part of the world. Now Gothos is gone, and Absalom is gone, and the war against the spiders has ended with absolute defeat. Merely surviving doesn't feel like enough, and suddenly I realize that I'm so cold, I can barely keep from shivering.
And then finally I understand what I have to do. It's the only option left to me.
“Karakh,” I whisper.
“What about it?” Jonathan asks.
I turn to him. “I... I have to go there.”
“But I thought -” He pauses. “Abby, I thought there was a prophecy. If you go to Karakh, you'll...”
His voice trails off, and I can tell that he understands.
“I know,” I say firmly, getting to my feet, “
but I don't have a choice. If there's a prophecy, I can't change that but...” As a cold wind blows across us, I realize that as well as fear in my chest there's also a sense of determination. For the first time in my life, I know exactly what I have to do. “First I'm going to bury Absalom,” I continue, “then I'm going back to New York to gather some things for the journey, and then I'm going to face my destiny.” I take a deep breath, as the wind stirs the ashes at my feet and the vast, empty plains of Gothos stretch out all around me. “I'm going to Karakh.”
Emilia
It's just like the great palace I saw in my dreams.
Stepping forward, I feel a cold chill in the air as I look around at the vast gossamer walls. For a moment, I'm filled with stunned wonder at the thought of other spiders having once ruled this place, of the vast empire that ruled from Karakh. This palace was the seat of such great power once, and it will be again. I've read the Book of Karakh over and over, of course, and I know every story by heart; now, for the first time, I'm seeing where those stories took place. Ahead, for example, there's the vast spiral staircase upon which Emitus the Wise is said to have delivered his speech against the Annabites, and a little further up there's the huge stained glass window built by my grandfather Arachnos the Elder. I knew those stories were true, but still, to actually stand here now....
I'm home.
I've never been here before, at least not that I remember, not since I was a child and I was whisked away to safety just minutes after my birth, but...
I'm really home.
With tears in my eyes, I turn and watch as Skellig and the hooded creatures follow, with the spider armies close behind. As heir to the throne of Karakh and daughter of the great Arachnos, I was given the honor of being the first living being to cross this threshold, but what really matters is that the spider race has found its home again. This moment is the seed from which our empire will return. I know it's wrong, but I can't help feeling proud. I never thought I could lead an army, but with Skellig's help I've managed to bring my people home. If only Keller could see me now...
“There is no need to wait,” Skellig says as he steps closer to me. “All that is required is one drop of spider blood on the ancient web, and your father will receive the strength he requires to return to us from the void.”
I turn to him. “It's that simple? That's all I have to do?”
He nods. “Ever since Karakh was hidden, the web has been waiting for this moment.”
“Where is the web?” I ask, turning and looking around. My heart is pounding with anticipation. Finally, I'm on the verge of meeting my father in the flesh. I've been waiting all my life for this moment.
“This way,” I hear a voice whisper in my mind, and I realize that Father is already reaching out to me. “Hurry, Emilia. I am ready to return.”
Hurrying across the hallway, I make my way up the staircase until I find a small stone altar set beneath the stained glass window. Part of the altar has been cut away, revealing the frailest, oldest web I've ever seen in my life. It's exactly how Keller described it, and again I'm struck by a sense of sorrow that he didn't manage to survive long enough to come here again. Still, he always told me that he had faith in me, and I can't shake the hope that in some way his soul might be able to see me now, on the brink of victory.
“Is this...” I pause, stunned that the web could have survived. I've read about the ancient web, of course, but to see it, and to know that it survived all this time, is a miracle that I can barely comprehend. It looks so fragile, as if the faintest breeze could blow it away.
“The ancient web was spun by the very first spiders,” Skellig explains as he joins me at the top of the stairs. “Every king has a duty to add to the web. The section you see before you now was spun by your own father, and one day you shall add your own section after ascending to the throne. For now, however, the web acts as a conduit. One drop of your blood will be enough, and your father will be able to step out of the void and join us here.”
“But...” I stare at the web for a moment, before turning to Skellig. “Blood?” I say finally. “Are you sure that's really what I'm supposed to do?”
“Do not delay, Emilia. Your father awaits.”
“But the Book of Karakh always said that blood should never touch the ancient web,” I point out. “It's very clear about that fact!”
“Not in normal circumstances,” he replies, his eyeless sockets filled with crackles of energy, “but these are not normal circumstances.”
“But Keller once told me that blood on the ancient web was considered a heresy.”
“Keller was a foolish old man,” Skellig continues, “and he clung to old ways of thinking. He read the texts so often, he refused to even contemplate the possibility that they might contain certain inaccuracies. You must free yourself of such constricting orthodoxy, Emilia, and rise to this occasion. It is your destiny.”
“Are you saying the Book of Karakh is wrong about the web?” I ask cautiously.
“I'm saying that your father is waiting for you,” he replies, taking my right hand and holding it toward the web. “Royal blood must be spilled.”
“This goes against everything Keller ever told me,” I whisper, feeling a growing sense of concern. “He always said the ancient web was the source of the spiders' strength, that it shouldn't be -”
Before I can finish, I feel a sharp pain in the palm of my hand and I look down to see that Skellig has sliced my skin. He quickly turns my hand over and squeezes tight, and a moment later several drops of blood fall down onto the section of web. I pull away, but it's too late and I watch as my blood stains the strands. Finally, to my horror, the web starts to shrivel until finally it falls away, leaving nothing behind.
“What happened?” I whisper, taking a step back. “Was the web supposed to disappear like that?”
“It was,” Skellig replies, with a hint of anticipation in his voice. “Tell the gathered masses that Karakh has been reclaimed. Tell the remains of the spider species that they are home, and that they fought well. Tell them that their efforts are greatly appreciated.” He turns to me. “Tell them that we shall remember their sacrifice.”
Turning, I see the spiders waiting at the entrance to the palace's great hall. Some are in their human forms, but most are in their pure, spider bodies. I know they're waiting for the moment of victory, to be told that we're home and that our empire is about to rise again, but there's a sense of growing unease in the pit of my belly and as I take a step forward I realize I can hear a faint rustling sound all around. Looking up, I see that the gossamer walls are starting to shrivel and blacken, just like the section of ancient web. It's almost as if the palace of Karakh itself has suddenly become infected by some kind of darkness.
“What does this mean?” I ask, turning to Skellig as patches of dead web start falling to the ground like burned snow. “Why is Karakh starting to crumble?”
“Karakh was built by the first spiders,” he replies, with more and more energy crackling beneath his skin. “They had the temerity to place their palace directly on top of the ancient ruins they found in the mud, as if they thought they could seal off the world that had come before them.” He turns to me, and there's a growing sense of anger in his voice this time, as if he's been holding back for so long. “Then they erased all mention of the demons from their history books, and they pretended we were just a myth. They thought we would never return.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask, trying not to panic. “What demons? What ruins?”
“Behold the fall of Karakh,” he continues, stepping toward me. “Like Gothos, it turns to dust. And behold, too, the final fall of the spiders. They, like the vampires and all the other species, serve no further purpose. Before, there were only demons. It shall be that way again, once the prophecy of the thirteenth demon has come to pass.”
He reaches his hand out toward the far side of the hall, and when I turn I see to my horror that the spider army is starting to wither a
nd die. Rushing forward, I hurry down the steps, but by the time I reach the first of the soldiers they've already begun to crumble. Wide-eyed with horror, all I can do is stare in shock as every single one of my beautiful spider warriors falls to ash, their agonized screams filling the air as they die. Within seconds they're all gone, and there are tears in my eyes as I drop to my knees and start desperately sorting through their remains, hoping for some sign of life.
“What have you done?” I shout finally, turning to Skellig and seeing that he and the others of his species have gathered at the foot of the steps.
“How does it feel, Emilia,” he asks, “to be the last of your species?”
All around, the walls of Karakh are disintegrating now, with more ash falling to the ground. It's as if death itself is spreading through every web that was ever used to build the palace, and when I look down I see that even the floor is starting to die.
“Gothos had to fall,” Skellig continues, “so that Karakh could be found. And now Karakh must fall, so that our home can be found, and so that our species, not yours, can rise again from the depths of history.”
“No!” I shout, stumbling to my feet and rushing forward, only for a sudden, vast pain to strike my head and knock me back down. When I try to get up, I realize that the pain is familiar: my father is reaching through to me from the void, but this time he's stronger than ever. “Help me!” I scream, as the pain gets worse, filling my body. “Father, we've been betrayed! These creatures used us! Father, you have to stop them!”
“I do?” my father's voice asks, echoing in my mind. “Really, Emilia? And why, after everything that has been achieved, would I want to stop them now?”
Raising my head despite the pain, I look at the stairs and see that they've fallen to dust. The air is crackling all around, shimmering with an intense field of energy, and a dark figure is starting to emerge from a ripple of light. Feeling a burst of hope, I realize that Father is returning, just as he promised. There's still time to save Karakh, to fight the demons and save our species.
