I guess it depends on how frayed my thread is.
Kassam turns to me and extends his hand. Wordless, I join him, trying not to cling too hard as we head up the long ramp to the tower's base. Before we can make it to the doors at the top of the ramp, they open up and a woman dressed in a brilliantly red dress steps out. She's got dark skin and even darker hair, pulled back in a thick twist at her nape. Her eyes are bright as she eyes us, her gaze resting on Kassam. She doesn't comment on his nudity, or even blink an eye. "My lord Kassam," she says in a rich voice. "Right this way. Your rooms have been prepared."
Of course they were expecting us. It's that whole “fate” thing again. Even so, she doesn't look at all like how I expected the Spidae to look. She's soft and pretty and her dress is utterly flamboyant, with a deeply scooped collar to show off her impressive cleavage, and her skirt has a jillion tucks and flounces to make it look fluffy and full and ornate. Somehow when he'd told me about the Spidae, he'd made it sound like they were men. Creepy men. They're gods, though. I…guess they can be pretty women in red dresses?
I nudge Kassam, waiting for him to introduce me. When he gives me a puzzled look and says nothing, I decide to speak up. "Thank you for hosting us. We've traveled a long way to meet the Spidae. Are you…one of them?"
Her eyes widen and she chuckles, raising a hand to her mouth to hide her smile. "No. My name is Yulenna. I serve the Spidae as their anchor. They will greet you once you are settled. It might take a while, however. I will see to your needs until then." She turns toward the tower and gestures that we should follow. "After me, if you please."
Oh. An anchor. I feel stupid. I nudge Kassam again, but he's only gazing at the woman thoughtfully. "They have always lived here in the mortal realm, yet you are the first anchor they have taken. Has something changed?"
"I'm not sure how to answer that," Yulenna says in a brisk tone as she leads us inside. "I am mortal, my lord. I have only served my lords for a year now. Anything prior to that I would have no knowledge of."
"But you serve as an anchor? For their magic?" Kassam presses, his brows furrowed.
"I serve as a reminder of the humanity that they serve," Yulenna continues gracefully. "And I tend to all their needs. If you mean that they require my assistance in order to draw upon their magic, the answer is no. They remain as they have always been…in that particular aspect." Her smile grows broader. "You must be Kassam's anchor, then."
"I am." I hold my hand out to her. "I'm Carly."
She gives my hand a puzzled look and then turns to Kassam, as if he has the answers. "Follow after me, if you please."
"Tell the Spidae we wish to see them tonight. Tell them that Kassam is here."
"They know you are here. They will see you when they are ready."
Kassam frowns, displeased at that. "I am tired of waiting. We have traveled far."
I touch his wrist, because I'm willing to wait a few more days if it means I get more time with him. What if the next moment is my last? The Spidae can avoid us for a week and I'd be totally fine with that. "We can wait a bit longer. Truly."
"Time does not flow the same for them as it does for us," Yulenna says, heading up a ramp inside the tower itself. "My task is merely to make you comfortable until they realize you are here. They do not keep you waiting out of a power play. They are simply unaware you are here yet, perhaps."
Kassam doesn't look convinced, but when I touch him again, he focuses on me instead. He takes my hand, and we follow the woman deeper into the tower.
The interior is just as creepy as the rest of the place. It's not particularly well lit, with sunlight streaming in from the windows outside, but other than that, there's no source of interior light. Everything seems shrouded in shadows. Pale stone is everywhere, and instead of stairs leading up into the lofty tower, it's all a series of curling ramps that move up one wall and circle upward. I suppose that wouldn't be too weird except everything—literally everything—is covered with spiderwebs. Huge, alarming amounts of spiderwebs. They cover every inch of surface, dangle overhead and brush against my skin as I walk, and to make matters worse, there are big “clumps” of web of various sizes that look like cocoons. In addition to that, the ramps lead to what look like thick curtains, parted in the middle. It isn't until I peer closer that I realize that the “curtains” are made entirely of webbing. I touch one, and Yulenna is there immediately. "Touch nothing," she says, her tone firm. "There are things behind these doors that are not for you to know."
Oh…these are doors? I shudder as we walk forward again, and then I can't stop noticing just how many doors there are, and Yulenna passes all of them. I frown to myself, wondering why there are so many rooms for only four people, but it seems impolite to ask. For all I know, the Fates here are big entertainers for the other gods or something.
The tower seems to go up endlessly, far past the height I thought it would be from the outside. I'm relieved when Yulenna finally pauses near another heavy set of curtains and opens them, revealing the room inside. "These are your quarters. I hope you'll find them to your liking. I'd also like to ask that you not go wandering without an escort. My lords are very private and don't wish to have their things disturbed." She turns to us. "If you need anything, I will be by several times a day to check in on your needs."
I glance over at Kassam, but he's not looking at me. Rather, he's frowning at the shadowy recesses of the tower's ceiling above the door, almost as if he sees something there. To my horror, the webs crisscrossing every inch of the tower seem to shiver. It's not the shiver of something small, but something heavy moving through them.
"The spiders will not harm you, Lord Kassam," Yulenna says, as casually as if describing a painting. "They answer to my lords only. Think of them as no more than a flea."
Out of the corner of my eye, I see what looks like a long, pale white spider limb disappear into the shadows. It's more the size of a small horse. "That's not a flea," I say faintly.
"They will not harm you," Yulenna says again, and gestures at the room waiting for us. "But again, I encourage you not to wander unescorted."
Message received. When Kassam puts a hand on the small of my back, escorting me in, I'm more than ready to go. I'm also relieved to see that our room is brightly lit despite the shadowy interior of the main tower. We have a window and a balcony, and warm sunlight streams in through the curtains open to the outside. There's also a fire burning in the enormous, oversized fireplace made of the same soft-looking rock (also covered in spiderwebs, which worries me a little). If you get past the whole “spiderwebs” thing, though, the room is lovely. The blanket atop the large, oddly puffy bed is made of a soft-looking weave with all the colors of sunset, and bright throw pillows are tossed atop the head of the bed. Comfortable chairs are perched near the fireplace for warmth, another vivid blanket casually draped atop one, and something tells me that Yulenna is the one responsible for all the colors. There's another pair of curtains off to one side that probably lead to a bathroom of some kind.