Page 211 of Vasmora

I gasped, chasing after Branimir, who strode toward him.

“Thank the gods!” Dolion said, wriggling.

Branimir waved a bony hand, sending the creature cowering back to the dark corner, and stared up at Dolion, head tipped. “What are you doing in here?” he gritted out, not bothering to free him from the webs.

“I came to speak with you. An important matter.” Dolion nodded toward me, mustering a half-smile. “I see you found the book. That’s wonderful.”

“What important matter?” Branimir interrupted.

“Would you be so kind as to release me? He has me wrapped rather tightly here.” Dolion craned his head in the direction the spider had crawled. “I was certain he planned to eat me, but he seemed to stop abruptly. Might that have been your doing?”

Branimir groaned and ran his nail along the surface of the cocoon, splitting it loose. “Had I known you were snooping, I wouldn’t have bothered to interfere.”

Dolion stepped down onto the floor, flailing his arms as the sticky webs clung to him. “Yes, well, that is precisely what I need to speak with you about.” He flicked his hand, where a particularly stubborn piece of the web persisted. “You have the ability to command them with your mind, yes?”

Branimir hobbled toward the far wall and leaned against it. “What is your point?”

“It is incredible how alike you and your brother can be, sometimes.” Dolion rolled his shoulders back. “I’m not sure how aware you are of what’s going on right now, but all of Costelwick may soon look like your sleeping quarters. Only, the spiders outside of these walls are infected, flesh-eating monsters, controlled by the god of pestilence.”

“I’m aware,” Branimir said, his voice dulled by boredom.

“Word travels, I suppose.”

“The walls are thin.”

“Right.” Hands behind his back, Dolion paced to the left, grounding to a stop when he reached a web, and I quietly chuckled as he pivoted around, pacing the other way. “This can be stopped, but it requires retrieving the amulet, and unfortunately, Cadavros has hidden himself away with it.”

Branimir ground his teeth, as if the name alone was an offense. “Where?”

“We believe he’s in the tunnels beneath the city.”

“Good grief. More tunnels?” I groused. “Why does it seem every horrible thing inhabits tunnels?”

Branimir cocked a brow at me.

“Not you, of course.”

Clearing his throat, Dolion stepped into his pacing again, changing direction just short of the web. “Unfortunately, we don’t know where, and venturing into those tunnels would prove incredibly dangerous. We need a map.”

“You want me to send one of my pets into the tunnels.”

The mage paused his steps. “I suspect they can move through the tunnels unseen.”

Branimir dragged a hand down his face, the gesture of annoyance reminding me so much of his brother. “And the map?”

“Am I correct in my suspicions that you see what your pets see?”

“You want me to draw a map for you.”

“My, you are incredibly astute.” Dolion pointed a finger, and his chuckle withered to a serious expression. “Yes. A map would allow us to pinpoint precisely where Cadavros is hiding and infiltrate his nest.”

“And what happens when his spiders see you coming?”

Lips pressed to a line, Dolion winced. “I’ve not gotten that far yet, but knowing where to find him may offer some ideas.”

“What is the risk?” Branimir crossed his arms.

“If my theories are correct, your spiders will be seen as one of them. They do carry a small bit of the infection, after all. So long as your pet doesn’t bite one of them, they should return unscathed.” Hands clasped together, Dolion lurched toward him, careful not to get too close, when the spider behind him prowled forward. “It’s our only option at the moment. Kazhimyr may be able to offer some insights, but his memories are hazy.”