The Human Hunter

Chapter 6

A particularly cold draft of air along her skin had Emma blinking open tired eyes some time later. Her vision seemed partially blocked at first, but when she realized what was causing it, she couldn't help but smile and whisper, "Hey there, little guy."

The small spider tapped the bridge of her nose a few times, then scurried down to her shoulder and onto a small web leading to a bar of the cage right as footsteps sounded from outside of the cave. Emma got herself up, feeling much better after her earlier terrible back pain and near-drowning. She wanted to thank Widow again for the hammock, but when an extremely tall figure ducked into the small room, she couldn't manage to look away.

Oh my god. He's huge!

Well, not Goliath huge, but he was incredibly tall. Widow's ceiling began fluctuating as the little spiders fled from the man, his head forcing them to move or possibly be squished or pushed from their perches. Emma shifted hesitantly near the open door to her cage, not really sure what she should do, when she heard Widow's raspy voice come from behind her.

"What are you doing here, Legs? I did not request a trainer for my catch."

While the two began to converse, Emma took in the new man's features, noting that he had to be at least seven feet tall since she was around five seven. Widow had been taller than her by several inches, but this man literally towered over him. He wore a gray suit with a dark red undershirt and was very lanky. He didn't seem to have an ounce of muscle on him, but then it hit her.

He's a type of daddy longlegs, not a black widow.

Her eyes jerked up to the man's face at that realization, but she immediately flinched when she noticed him staring down at her with unfeeling gray eyes that matched his long silver hair.

"Madam has sent me to train her. She does not wish to have any further... incidents, like the one at the bathing pools," the man said.

Emma grimaced and shifted a few inches back into her cage as Legs continued speaking, returning his attention to Widow. "Zesya drowned, and Brai is in the medical ward, unconscious."

Widow replied with a hint of anger in his voice. "I was pulled into the current pool and they wouldn't let me go, so they ended up going in with me. It is no one's fault but their own."

"Be that as it may," Legs replied, "your catch has caused the incident to occur so Madam wishes for her to undergo some basic training before she takes her later in the week."

Legs looked back down at her once he'd finished speaking and she swallowed hard as his hand extended, long fingers curling in a come-here gesture. The tips of them were black and filed to points that made her much more hesitant to take his hand, even though she had a feeling that he had no intention of actually helping her up.

"Come," he said in a monotone voice when she didn't move.

No thanks. Not interested in training for anything. My time at the gym has been more than enough for me. She scooted back against the side of the hammock and bit her lower lip, eyes narrowing on his hand.

"Her name is Emma. She may be more willing to go with you if you use it," Widow said, making her look up at him, surprised.

He actually remembered my name? I thought he had just brushed it aside when I gave it to him.

She was just opening her mouth to say something to him when she felt her left ankle being yanked hard, forcing her out of the cage and onto the stone floor near the entrance before she was released. She got just enough time to pull on her dirty jeans and tug on her sports bra beneath Widow's shirt before she was grabbed again and thrown over Legs's shoulder, then carried out onto the small rocky ledge. A faint breeze wafted over them as they moved, bringing the tall man's scent to her nose and causing it to wrinkle with distaste.