Dusk had streaked orange and grey across the sky above the trees with the translucent moon and stars looming further above. The guards stationed outside the lodge were whispering in cautious tones. Torches were already burning down the path leading to the entrance. The dining hall was empty. At his usual table, Vilsin sat across from Cherry with his head resting on his closed hand. He had been wearing the same artificial smile since leaving the hospital with Cherry and Tarrich. He had not touched his meal in the slightest while she picked through the meal of roast goat garnished with vibrant vegetables.

“Not hungry, Lieutenant Argos, was it?” Vilsin asked without his smile fading. At attendant came to fill Vilsin’s cup with wine. The attendee seemed puzzled when he placed his hand over the top of the cup and waved her off.

“I apologize. The food seems delightful. I tend to be a picky and light eater. May I ask why you look like the cat that had devoured someone’s pet bird? Cherry retorted with veiled concern.

Vilsin feigned offense by placing his hand at his chest and asking, “Why, doctor, haven’t I been hospitable? I agreed you would take care of your patient after we questioned him on the attacks he was so unfortunate to witness. Now Cherry Argos, would you mind telling me about your days of service?”

Cherry stood and said, “I wouldn't be doing my job right if I didn't check in on Tarrich before I recount my many tales. If you would excuse me.”

Vilsin kept staring at Cherry as she made her way out of the dining hall. Out of sight, she quickly picked up her pace into the corridor where they had given Tarrich a room. She entered hastily, shutting the door. Tarrich turned to her with a panic.

“Doctor, the questions they asked me, I had already told most of it to the nurses. I don’t know what they wanted from me here. Do you think Vilsin knows I saw something that day with the monster at the hospital?”

Cherry put her head against the door while hushing Tarrich. “Yes. The questioning was just for show. There is something more going on here. Please try to stay calm. We will get out of this somehow. I doubt that is Vilsin anymore. I need to verify.”

Cherry was fumbling through her bag before finding what she needed. She had brought a vial of the liquid chrism along with the syringes this time. She unscrewed the metal cap on the vial, dipping her finger in it. Cherry then placed her finger into her mouth, rubbing it against her gums forcefully. She then closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the slight rush before opening them. The blood vessels in her eyes had turned violet.

Her vision, while not as clear as during her full awakening, was still sufficient. A terrifying void was drifting through the lodge towards them. Expanding her gaze she at first, she imagined she was not able to see outside of Leoris, as it was just darkness. But as her eyes became accustomed to the darkness, she perceived a pulsing mass of black shadows coalescing deep in the forest. They were all shuffling on top of each other. Her breathing became labored as the panic set in on her. She stepped back towards Tarrich’s bed.

Turning to him, she gasped, “We have to get out of here now!” As she exclaimed this, a thin bony hand opened the door, revealing a woman in a black veil. Her yellow eyes shone beneath unblinking. The Spider appeared gaunt and drained.

Tarrich squirmed in terror in his bed. “Those eyes. The Devil! I saw them that day in the woods. In the storm of blood and bone with so many teeth,” he let out a terrifying cry.

“Yea, you are creepy as fuck. I’ve heard all about you. I don't have a clue when you took over Vilsin, but coming alone is a mistake with me!” As Cherry reached for a syringe from her bag and went to plunge it into her wrist, a tendril shot out from the shadows behind the Fallen matriarch. It stabbed her in the forearm, making her wince with pain and fall to her knees.

The Spider stepped to the side as Vilsin entered the room. “No one has taken me over. My beloved Marnie has been revived, and I stand by her always.” He picked up the syringe and admired it with the matriarch beside him. “Curious. So, you are willing to dose yourself with the toxic fluid of the Oldest in exchange for power. My wife here has mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, she admires your attempt to reach for them. On the other hand, it's disheartening to witness humans taking the same path as the Oldest.”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Cherry stared up at them with sweat on her brow and squeezed her bleeding arm. Looking Vilsin over, she could see a faint red flow in wisps of black smoke surrounding him. She grit her teeth, telling him, “Sir, I believe your wife is dead. And you are pretty damn close to dead.”

“No one I’ve spoken to seems to be familiar with the Argos family from Dakken. In fact, Marnie says that she finds no firm connection between you and anyone from the capital.” The dull sound of Vilsin’s footsteps echoed on the floor as he walked towards Cherry and Tarrich coldly. Tarrich watched feebly from his bed, shaking as he clutched his sheets.

She defiantly smirked and said, “Yea, well, your wife is also a thousand-year-old angry bitch.”

Vilsin's eyes now seemed dead, and a smile was plastered beneath them. “I don’t believe liars. My wife would speak for herself, but she gave birth to our son last night and is weak from it all. She has many children to care for presently. I asked her what to do about you.”

He approached Tarrich with an empty expression in his eyes. Vilsin’s hand stretched over Tarrich’s throat and with unnatural strength he began crushing his throat. Cherry lashed out at Vilsin with a fist. “I won’t allow you!” Vilsin kicked her off her feet in the stomach. It landed squarely below her sternum, causing her to cough and gag. Cherry rolled on the ground, gasping as she watched Tarrich struggle in vain for his life.

“My Marnie wouldn’t let me do this to you. She said the threads attached to you are bringing something dangerous from both the east and west. So, you get to live for now until we know best how to use you. Bait for larger prey.” Tarrich was thrashing in his bed, tears filling his eyes. Cherry reached and grabbed a long candle stand in desperation. The Spider stood between her and Vilsin. Cherry swung with all her might as the matriarch blocked and bent it in half before shoving Cherry forcefully to the ground.

Cherry recovered quickly and drew a dagger hidden beneath her blouse. She rolled towards Vilsin, poised to strike. With one hand, he parried her strike. She flipped the dagger adeptly, instead slashing at him. Before she managed to cut him, there was an audible pop as Vilsin removed his hand from a lifeless Tarrich. He then grabbed Cherry by the collar and tossed her into the wall across the room. “My beloved must rest tonight. For tomorrow will be a big day. She wants to thank you travelers. For sharpening her fangs. You made her sense danger for the first time in a while. You forced her to dance with more ferocity and cunning. One of your other friends is being taken to a cell within the lodge. I’ll have the guards escort you to her.”

Vilsin picked up her bag and left Cherry there laying on the floor motionless with defeat filling her face. She had a hard time seeing, and her ears were ringing. Several hunters entered the room. They looked at the scene questioningly. However, Vilsin abruptly told them to lock Cherry up with the other one. They were speaking in tones of uncertainty, yet Cherry was unable to understand what they were saying. They lifted her up to walk. She seemed unable to see beyond two feet in front of her. She heard a metal door open, and she couldn't determine whether she had walked into the room by herself. She just stood there blankly, looking at the floor.

Someone was talking to her, but she couldn’t understand them. It was another moment before a familiar warmth pulled her close. The smell of lavender. Cherry began sobbing. “Why are you here?”

“Do you need to know that right now, dear?” Demalyn spoke softly to her.

“Yes, please, what am I doing here?” Cherry had no strength in her voice.

“The best you can,” Demalyn said, trying to pacify her.

“It is all our fault. We brought this upon this town. To these people. And even when we tried to help, we’ve made it so much worse. After we crashed three years ago, I couldn’t let us look away from the truth of it all, couldn’t let us just chase after Desdin’s fairy tale. I had to make him see what we did by breaking the Glass Road to make us responsible. He needed to want to make this right with me. I made him think it was his idea to hunt down the Fallen that fled. But I wanted it too.” Cherry was breaking down with heaving sobs at Demalyn.

“He knows. He wants to help too.” Demalyn sat on the floor with her.

“If he tries, he will die, Dem. He can’t win. She has remained five steps ahead this entire time. She has us trapped here.” Cherry covered her mouth, trying to control herself.

“I am not trapped.” Demalyn pulled Cherry’s face to hers and winked. “I came here to wait on our next move. She has gotten into the town. I killed the thing that she turned the archivist into.”

“She has the lodge under control, as well. And who knows what else? The more we struggle in her web, the more tangled we become. She is toying with us. I just want to get back on the road with all of us together.” Cherry began wiping her eyes and nose on her sleeve. “I’m worried that Desdin is out there by himself right now.”

Demalyn smiled at her. “Desdin’s hope never burns out, remember? He will give us a signal when he is ready to take this thing head on. When he does, we will join him. After all, he is hopeless and will go off to die in a dumb way without us. And when we know we are in a fight together, there isn’t anything that can stand against us. So stop the tears and rest here with me until it is time.” Cherry quieted down and lay there in Demalyn’s lap with the moon now shining through the barred window.