Miss Knight and the Spider's Web by Vered Ehsani

Author:Vered Ehsani [Ehsani, Vered]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sterling & Stone
Published: 2016-09-05T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

Saving Lilly from the ordeal of interacting with Koki and of entering Mrs. Cricket’s world — the World of Shadows — had unfortunate, albeit intriguing, consequences for me, I mused. It would embroil me in the tussle between the Society and the Law for geopolitical dominance. By assisting Anansi to raise up an unknown paranormal from the dead, I would be pitted against my former employer. Worse yet, I’d have to train with Koki. The mere idea of voluntarily spending time in her presence disturbed me to my core. That we would be collaborating was deeply repugnant.

These considerations consumed me as I followed Kam up the forested hillside and down the rocky slope of the mountain to where Nelly dozed. He didn’t pause once, and I suffered from the speed at which he moved over the treacherous terrain.

“What is the nature of Liongo?” I asked, hoping he might slow his pace in order to answer. “Is he a good sort?”

Kam widened his strides.

I attempted another approach. “What was the cause of his demise?”

His only response was a twitch of his shoulders. All he provided me was the view of his tense back and his restless hands clenching and unclenching with every step. His evident perturbation only added to my own disquiet. What about Liongo bothered Kam, apart from the minor detail of being dead? Despite my best efforts, I received no answer, and we parted ways without a word.

Thus I arrived at the cottage, flustered, unsure what I should do and sensing that in fact I had no choice. Mr. Timmons being absent, I resolved to visit Lilly, if for no other reason than to assure myself that she wasn’t venturing into Mrs. Cricket’s world. Yet how had Anansi detected her baby’s powers, if not through that dark and ephemeral place?

I found Lilly lounging on a couch on the veranda outside her room. It was a pleasant situation, shaded from the elements and yet open to the cool, sweet-scented breeze, the songs of birds and insects, the rustle of leaves and the swish of grass. Despite the delightful view of the savannah afforded by the veranda, Lilly seemed disinterested and devoid of her characteristic vibrancy. She didn’t so much as stir when I approached her chair, and I assumed she was asleep. Only as I turned to go, my purpose frustrated, did she call out to me.

“Stay.”

Relieved to find a companion with whom to share my uneasiness, I sank into a canvas camping chair and eyed her feet that were propped upon a cushion. I was struck by their paleness and squinted. Her energy field was robust, far more vibrant than I’d ever seen it, and I could only marvel at it. Then a quaint notion struck me: was the baby producing the increased energy?

“Are they swollen?” Lilly asked, peering at me through slitted eyes. “I can’t abide such grotesqueness.”

“No, they seem perfectly petite,” I reassured her and refrained from mentioning the enhanced vigor of her energy. “I visited Anansi today.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.