A Princess for the Witch Doctor (Legends of Rahasia Book 3)

Chapter Forty-Eight

"Boaz, I..." My throat swells up with everything I want to ask him. I want to reach through and hug him. If only I could fit into places as easily as Kaliya's damned spider!

"Have you found the name?"

I pause, tongue caught in my throat. "I'm sorry?"

"I asked if you found the name." His eyes are alight now behind those spectacles. In his face, I still see some of Ryu's features. An attempt at familiarity in a foreign land. But his eyes, so intense. So, focused on that singular question. "Tell me, have you found the name?"

"Uncle Bo..."

He inhales, impatient, as though holding back from scolding a child. "The name, Arnina. None of it will have mattered if you don't find the name."

"Find the name, stop the war. I know, uncle." I swallow my questions, letting them drop like lead into my belly. "I have leads."

"Does the sultan know?"

"The sultan's grandmother is the one giving me those leads." I lean closer, but my uncle remains sitting on the simple cot, etching marks into the walls. "Uncle, how are you?"

"Oh, Arnina, I failed you all." He looks up as footsteps echo down the hall. Kaliya's spider crawls up my arm to rest on my shoulder blade. "Go back to your rooms. I'm fine, okay? Don't worry for me. Worry for the Empire!"

I push myself onto my feet, hurrying away from the source of the footsteps and ducking into an alcove. A soft breeze runs against my damp flesh, my heart beating rapidly until the footsteps finally die away.

Slowly, the spider raises a single, spindly leg. I follow its directions until I finally reach my room. I set the tiny creature onto the doorframe, waiting until it crawls out of sight.

"Thank you," I whisper, feeling quite silly for thanking the miniscule spy.

Footsteps as another night watch turns the corner. I pull the door shut after me, grateful to have made it out when I did.

***

ME: Why did I even put spiders into this story? Last time I saw a large one, I screamed.

Kaliya: But I like spiders. And your characters have more of a say than you do.

ME: Anarchy, I tell you.