What was he even doing out here? He should bedrawing up battle plans, strategizing or whatever, safe in theconfines of the encampment, not caught in a spinner’s web somewherein the Lowland wilderness.
“I take it from your silence you know who Iam.”
That was a stupid statement considering she’dtold him she was Trateri, and every Trateri knew who FallonHawkvale was. Guess he was a little more out of it than shethought.
Lifting her voice a bit, she said, “Eamon,we’ve found our quarry.”
Damn it.
“Who is it?”
“Hawkvale.” Her voice was flat andunemotional.
There was a moment of stunned silence andthen a low, “Fuck.”
That about summed it up.
“There are two others as well.”
The other two men were set further back inthe webs and didn’t seem to be moving. Neither stirred at Shane andEamon’s voices. She was afraid to shout in case the noise attracteda spinner.
The venom coated on the webs had most likelyalready been absorbed into their skin. It was amazing Fallon was asawake and alert as he was considering the amount of web wrappedaround him.
“Can you cut them out?” Eamon asked.
Shea observed the threads skeptically, notdaring to touch them. “Not unless we want to attract the wholenest.”
There was restrained cursing from Eamon. Inany other situation it would have been funny given how quiet he wastrying to be.
Shea’s skin itched with the need to get outof there. They were entirely too exposed. It was only a matter oftime before their luck ran out.
She could always abandon Fallon and his mento their fate. Take Eamon and run. No one had to know they foundthe Trateri’s leader. That would be the smart plan – the safeplan.
Shea wasn’t going to do that though. No, shewas going to try to save them just as soon as she figured out asemi decent strategy. She blamed her mother for this overwhelmingsense of duty and responsibility to those who didn’t always deserveeither.
But the only plan she could come up withmeant someone acting as a decoy.
“Shane, wait ten minutes and then startcutting. If you can’t get the other two to wake up, leave them andget Hawkvale away from here.”
“I can’t-“
“You can. I’ll keep the spinners distractedwhile you work, but you won’t have much time before they’re onyou.”
“Wait, Eamon,” Shea whispered as his shadowmoved.
“Someone has to act as the decoy, boy.”Eamon’s voice was strong and firm. “Don’t worry about me. I’mTrateri. We’re not so easy to kill as you Lowlanders.”
Knowing that arguing with him was useless,she dropped her head and stared at the ground, wishing she could behonest with him about who she was, that she could tell him that hewas an amazing leader and an even better friend.
Clearing her throat, she forced down wordsthat might make her feel better but were ultimately useless.“They’re not overly fond of fire so setting their webs aflame mightgive you enough time to get away.”
She couldn’t see it in the dim light, but sheknew he nodded before his shadow disappeared.
She whispered, “Good luck and thanks foreverything.”
Her fingers found a loose thread at thebottom of her shirt and pulled nervously as the minutes creptby.
Seeing Fallon’s head sag, Shea made her wayover to him and said his name softly. When he didn’t respond, sheslapped him.
