I stepped over the faded peonies and up into the dim of the now abandoned tea room and swept my gaze across the almost empty space. Furi’s loom stood naked against the wall. Otherwise, little evidence of her habitation remained.

She’d hastened her departure, taking barely enough time to catch the very beginnings of the funeral proceedings of the Nobu families. The slight could hardly be helped. And after all, she’d forgiven Nobu’s debt. Apparently, Nobu couldn’t pay her, and yet, somehow, he’d managed to scrape together enough cash to carry off a creditable mourning for his dead.

The great house’s halls had echoed with the wail of criers for the past two days.

Now, quiet spread through the walks and grounds, a welcome relief from the stilting ceremony which had occupied the house now for weeks, but restlessness pervaded and unsettled my nerves. I wanted distance from this haunted place.

First marriage, then death.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him. A dark figure south of tea house. Another to the east. There may well be more surveillants shadowing me.

Careless.

A drape fell over my head and my sight went black. A figure dropped from above me. Six hands reached for my limbs, bound me fast, and wrestled the dagger from my belt. There could be no transforming now. I was caught. An acidic aroma permeated the cloth over my nose. Drowsiness overtook me.

* * *

A lapse of unknown hours passed before I regained consciousness. The astringent scent of animal urine seized my nose. A woven mat, sticky with oil or similar substance had creased its pattern into my bound hands and arms. A velvet softness brushed my bare arm, small feet padded over one leg. Meow.

Cat. More than one, actually. Frustrating. I had to get out of here and my first and unfailing instinct was to transform. But cats would eat a spider my size.

I might evade them, but how many were there? I couldn’t see through the black hood over my eyes. I detected the movement of an air current. An open door or window. And curse it—a nest nearby—at least one. Hungry nestlings shrieked for satisfaction. If I transformed and survived the cats, I’d never get by the savage birds. How was I going to get out of here?

My head ached and a cold conviction caught in my lungs and almost took my breath away. Nobu knew. He knew about me and my Earth Kumo blood. The cats…the nests of birds. I was an escape artist against human captors, but never my worst predators. He knew my weaknesses and he’d pinned me here like a specimen.

Minutes passed, then hours. I didn’t worry. Nobu would be coming. He’d kept me alive for a reason. He or someone would be along to interrogate me soon.

Was this about the death of his brother? I doubted it. Ishiro made it fairly clear there was no love lost there. Was it about an alliance with the Ruling House? More likely. Oh, how Nobu would love to deliver me up to the Ruling House now, complete with evidence of my uncle’s plans.

I wrenched in my bindings. Silk. Impossible to tear. If I could find a sharp edge, maybe.

The scuff of feet and movement as heavy soles trampled through an adjacent room. Men spoke. Was it Nobu? Would he come to question me?

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Nobu’s voice spoke, “Good morning, Ansei. Such a nice morning, don’t you think? I always love awakening to birdsong? Don’t you?”

I remained silent.

“And so much birdsong. It’s late for nestlings, but these are some of my own pets. They don’t always follow the rules. I had them moved under the eaves of this little hut, just to make you comfortable. Are you comfortable?”

“Quite.” My answer was muffled under the hood and I’d slurred my speech deliberately, so he would remove the hood…which worked. He pulled the hood from my head and my eyes dilated in the brightness and then took in my quarters. A small hut. Guard in the corner, lazily leaning against the wall. Six cats roamed freely or slept in corners. Nobu, sneered above me.

“I hope you like cats.”

“Not as well as rabbit, but it will do in a pinch.”

“Be careful what you say in their hearing. You know, turnabout is fair play.”

I exhaled with frustration. “What is this about Nobu? Money? You think Okugawa is going to pay your debts, when he hasn’t any other samurai in the country? You think he’s going to give you wealth so the rest of the nobility can come clambering after him for more of the same?”

“I’m not looking for a handout. I’m looking for fair compensation for services rendered.”

“He doesn’t believe it, Nobu. Hadn’t Ishiro told you? Oh yes, I know. I also know your brother was a traitor—to you as well as my uncle. Such dangerous business, treachery against friends.”

“You should know about treachery.”

“I know treachery’s rewards and I commend you to every blood-stained one of them.”

He laughed me off. “I’m afraid your ghost will have to curse me. I don’t think Okugawa will keep you alive long.”

“Okugawa has had his chance at me, but there was nothing there. I suspect he’ll be pretty bored when you dump a lowly foot soldier at his gates.”

“I have more than that.”

“Really? What have you? Nothing, or you would have already shipped me to Western Capital.”

“I have a full trousseau of silk no human hand could have woven. I have that and you. He’ll know the Earth Kumo have returned. He’ll know of your weapon.”

My stomach turned and it was everything I could do to stifle it from heaving through my throat. “Liar!”

“We’ll see what Okugawa thinks. We’ll see.”

“You don’t have enough yet. You’re looking for more, else why would we be here now?”

“You’re enough by yourself, but your uncle and you together would really round out the package.”

I laughed. “You think my uncle will come after me? He won’t. I assure you. You’ll make a big scene with your silk, though. There’ll be a scandal when it comes out that you’ve stolen all of it.”

He stared, fists clenched around his sword and tempted to strike me. If he killed me, he’d have nothing and it was better that I should die now than that he should go after Furi. I could provoke him a little further.

“What’s wrong with you? The richest domain in Otoppon wasn’t enough for you? With so much mismanaged wealth, Okugawa would be wise to keep you under watch. He does, doesn’t he?”

Nobu raised his sword, blade trembling in his white fisted grip.

“Your problem is you’ve no restraint. Nor your daughter. I can tell you all about her.”

A blast of air flew at my face, but Nobu’s swing hissed to a stop as a shaft of silken filament shot across the room, seizing his sword and his hand.

The Kumo Queen crouched, lithe and menacing at the door. In a trice, she had the lazy guard bound and gagged in the corner.

Chaos erupted, cats hissing and shrieking as the Queen’s hordes rushed the door. Sharp teeth bit at my wrists, and with two short snaps, my hands and feet were free.

The spider hordes spared no time for the cats, but felled Nobu’s men where they stood in the dooryard, wrapping them around in silken fibers and dragging them off to dispose of the evidence. It was over in minutes.

I watched, pale and bloodless as they dragged the bodies slowly up into the foothills.

“You thought it was vanity that brought me here.”

I flinched at the voice of Madame Sato, who now stood at the door, impeccably dressed in a subdued kimono.

“Of course, Nobu had to be dealt with.”

“You covered our blind spot.”

“Earth Kumo were always very good at doing that.”

“Does this mean the alliance is restored?”

She sniffed.

“I suppose that depends upon Furi.”