Crown of Shadows (Court of Midnight and Deception #1) - K. M. Shea Page 0,1
just as creepy but mercifully still even though Bagel was now sniffing its thin tail. “Yep, the spiders are the bigger threat. It’s time to prioritize!” I sprinted across the pasture and hopped the fence in record time. When I clattered into the barn the horses standing in the paddock neighed their morning greeting, but I ignored them and grabbed the big shovel I used to clean stalls and the can of wasp spray Dad kept by the garden supplies.
I stopped just long enough to kick off my useless flats and put on the spare set of paddock boots I always left in the barn, and then I was back out in the pasture before Bagel finished inspecting his friend’s tail.
I tucked my slacks into my paddock boots, trying to give my legs more cover, and popped the lid off the wasp spray.
Should I use my magic?
As a half fae I had it, and I’d learned how to use it as a kid. But while I was decent with magic, I was not fast. And if one of those spiders got past me, I didn’t know if I’d find it before it started terrorizing the barnyard.
The human—and the most efficient—way it is!
I peered over my shoulder at the fae horse, but it thankfully didn’t seem inclined to move, even when I got between it and the tree line that shaded the spiders.
The spiders’ oddly jointed legs made a clicking noise as they skittered in the shadows, crawling over what looked like a few dead animal carcasses.
I sprayed the underside of my shovel with the wasp killer, my stomach curdling with my nerves. A few of the spiders crawled toward me, their fangs parting in a sign of aggression.
That was enough to prod me into motion. “For the chickens!” I smashed my shovel into the two closest spiders and was incredibly relieved when I raised my shovel to see I had successfully flattened them. I’d been half afraid I wouldn’t be able to kill them.
Two more rushed me, but I sprayed them with the wasp killer—I’d have to tell the guy at the hardware store that the can really did have the fifteen foot reach it advertised.
The sprayed spiders stopped and started wigging out, waving their creepy legs and giving me enough time to smash them.
That became my pattern—spot a new target, spray it, and smash it.
I had to be fast. When I stopped to breathe, a spider actually reached me and tried to bite me. Thankfully, it couldn’t get me through my leather paddock boots, and I was able to crush it before it moved up my leg.
It seemed like there was no end of the spiders. More came out of the tree line, rustling leaves and clicking their legs as they rushed me.
Sweat dripped down my spine and made my blouse stick to me as I smashed spider after spider.
How can there be this many? I sprayed one spider, stopping it instantly, then smashed my shovel down on another, shivering when I heard the disgusting crunch of its abnormal shell. And why are they here?
I crushed the spider I had sprayed, then wiped my forehead off on my arm. I should tell Mom to hire a pesticide company.
Another three minutes of spraying and crushing, and the spiders finally dwindled.
The ground was gross, and the air had a disgusting, bitter scent to it.
I planted my shovel in the ground and made a face at the gore. “One thing’s for sure—I’m not letting the horses in this pasture until we get at least two rainstorms. Do you hear that, Bagel?”
I turned around to address the donkey, but he’d wandered off and was playing with water in the water trough up by the barn.
The fae horse-like animal, however, was where I’d left it. And scuttling toward it was a stray spider I’d missed.
I choked on my own spit as I snatched up my can of wasp spray and wrenched my shovel out of the dirt, then ran after the spider.
It didn’t seem like the fae horse saw it—it was too busy glaring at me, its ears pinned to its skull as it made a very hoarse, bark-like noise that sounded pretty ominous.
“Spider!” I panted as I ran toward it. “Watch out for the spider!”
I was catching up fast, but the spider was almost to the horse, its nasty leg joints clicking as it hopped a few steps.
I shook my can of wasp spray and tried to aim for it.