Page 61 of In Violent Waves

“Otto thought something like this might happen,” Maelys said, handing the yarrow to Lyra.

“A warning would have been nice,” Lyra snapped, ripping the yarrow from Maelys’ hand.

“He would have told you, but …”

“It involved me,” Wilder supplied. “And I don’t like knowing.”

Lyra stared at him with her mouth parted in surprise. That made sense. He did very much seem to make his own decisions and forge his own path.

“In the future, if it has to do with my well-being, you let me know,” Lyra said around Wilder as she looked directly at Otto.

He stood with his hands in his breeches pockets, looking for all the world like he was on an afternoon stroll.

“Noted,” he replied with a dip of his chin.

“Time?” Wilder asked Otto.

“We’ll find your stallion up ahead. They won’t catch us by the time we reach the border.”

Wilder nodded and prodded the horse along.

Otto was right, of course.

They found the black stallion next to a massive ash tree. Otto mounted the beast and kept pace behind them. With each jostling step, Lyra’s backside ached.

It made her breathing labored as she tried to hold her breath to keep from crying out. She pressed a hand to her chest and tried to breathe around the pain.

“Do we need to stop?” Wilder asked.

“No. I just want to be there already.”

She wanted to be anywhere but where she was. In pain, pressed against him. It increased with that thought, but was different.

A searing burn lashed down her hip and leg, all the way down to her toes, and she screamed. Wilder yanked the horse to a stop.

“Gods, woman! What is it?”

“Something—something bit me!” she shrieked, scrubbing at her hip and thigh. She felt something crawling under her hand and flung herself off the horse.

Wilder was right behind her, staring at her with a confused and horrified expression.

Lyra didn’t care. Something had bitten her, and it felt creepy and crawly. She ran in place as if she could dislodge whatever it was and ripped at her clothing.

“Otto—” Wilder barked as he continued to stare at Lyra as she flailed about.

“I can’t see,” Otto breathed, his face twisting in confusion.

Wilder gripped hold of her hands, keeping her still.

“Stop moving for one second so I can see,” he ground out against her lurching.

There was a command in his voice she hadn’t heard before, so despite the pain and the icky feeling, she halted. But she couldn’t help the bouncing of her leg or the tremor down her spine.

“Gods,” Wilder whispered, as something dropped from her and onto the ground.

It was about the size of an acorn and almost as dark as the fertile earth beneath their feet, but with eight long and hairy legs.

“It’s a witch’s curse spider.”