“I just realized, crabs are sea spiders with better PR,” Lynx calls out.
“Oh, you’re right,” Rez exclaims. “Why don’t crabs share?”
“Because they’re shellfish!” Zeke answers.
The group chuckles, releasing the tension, yet it doesn’t touch me at all as their smiles grace their faces and their eyes light up. All I feel is dread and nausea as my stomach rolls, and I suddenly wish I could disappear or, better yet, wish my own magic could work on me. I would take away all my feelings and make me beyond numb right now, and slide that cork back into whatever hole Rez ripped through me to make me feel and want to be a part of my family again.
“Sorry, Levi,” Rez stifles her laughter. “You can continue.” She smiles up at me with those gray eyes, and I have to look away as I nod.
“It was actually JP who found some markings on the claws.”
“Yes, but what were they?” JP throws out, no longer waiting for the answer.
“They were an Engrath,” I choke out. “It was found on every spider in that cave, even the Queen.” Chills run up my spine as I remember seeing the swirls of deep lines etched into her claws for each torso, making me speculate how strong the caster had to be.
“What is an Engrath and how do you get one?” Lynx asks, stretching out along the ground.
“An Engrath is a deep spell that is engraved into one’s soul,” I tell him. “For simple creatures, it allows you to control their will.” I look at Blessing. “For complex creatures such as us,” Ilook at JP, “it’s practically enslaving you until death.” I lick my dry lips and look back at Lynx. “And to answer the question, how do you get one? I don’t know, since they no longer teach it. It’s forbidden.”
“Then how do you know what it looks like?” Rez challenges, and I give her a sad smile.
“As a prince, I have access to higher magics material and what is no longer allowed and what’s forbidden. Doesn’t mean I know how to do it,” I explain.
“Who can perform an Engrath?” Chester voices the one question I was dreading.
“Anyone who’s old enough and has the knowledge of it before it was forbidden, or strong enough to have extreme levels of magic and to keep it going? Most importantly, they have to have the intent to use it for the purpose of enslaving someone. Since we are talking about the Darkstars here, you need to remember that the caster has to keep the spell activated during the entire time the spiders are working for them. So, this person is a master at hiding the fact that they are constantly casting or siphoning energy.”
“So, pretty much any one of our dads?” Zeke throws out.
“Nah,” Ryker is quick to defend. “They don’t have the intent. If they did, don’t you think they would have used it on us to reel us into obeying them?”
“Good point,” Zeke relents.
“Gus?” JP helpfully asks.
“No way!” Moni defends, getting in her brother's face. “There’s not an evil bone in that Sphinx’s body. Besides, he’s a Coffee GOD!” She salutes the coffee cup as she whips out a cup of Java.
“He gave you decaf before the Gauntlet,” JP confesses, raising an eyebrow.
“What?!” Moni shrieks, flashing between the colors red and glitterbomb. “He’s diabolical.” She stomps her tiny foot on a rock she’s standing on. “Who could possibly do that to a loyal disciple of the dark ground coffee bean? Who, I ask? Who has the nerve to be that evil? Can he do that? Isn’t he the coffee GOD?! WHY does he forsaken me?” she cries out, her bark turning a dark blue as she sinks to her knees.
“It’s okay, babe,” Chester scoops her up and presses her tiny body to his chest. “He only did it to help you, I’m sure, and look at you. You’ve been a badass throughout the Gauntlet so far, saving our asses.” He tries to soothe her, and it quickly does the trick as her bark starts to brighten closer to green.
“Really?” she asks, sniffling and wiping at her eyes.
“Of course,” Zeke chimes in, giving JP a sharp elbow to the side with the side eye to match. “Bringing those Whispering Death Vines to life was no joke.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Moni perks up as her bark shifts back to her normal greenish brown.
“So if not Gus, or our fathers, who’s been around long enough to know that spell and is powerful enough to pull it off?” Knox asks the question as bluntly as a bulldozer.
I clench my jaw and stare at the ground, not wanting to admit who I think really did it, and I hear the sharp, audible inhale of breath as it pierces the silence. I steady my own breath before following the sound and finding Rez’s watery eyes pleading with mine. My mouth opens and closes with no words forming as my shoulders drop in defeat.
“No.” She shakes her head. “It can’t be him.” Her whisper is faint, but we can all hear her in the pregnant silence. “He wouldn’t do that.”
I move to squat before Rez and take her hands into mine, gently squeezing them while dismissing the ache in my chest that’s slowly growing.
“Do you know of any reason why he would? Because I don’t have any for why mine would, and they are the only mages strong enough that I know of. But Dad is also mated to Lilith and the others, so he wouldn’t be able to hide it Rez,” I try to explain gently, and she shakes her head vehemently, pulling her hands away.
