Edmond tried to make a turn in mid-flight. He bounced off the wall to the right, and for a brief second I saw claws reach --
I was already on the move as well. So, I realized, were Maggie and Lord Snow. It was a small area, and I feared we were going to trample over each other in our attempts to save Edmond and Five.
I caught Five, startling her into a hiss and bite -- but I got her. I handed her off to Maggie, who shoved the squealing kitten into her bag and closed the top. Edmond had fallen to the floor. At first, I thought he was injured, but he spun and swatted at something moving that I couldn't easily see.
However, I could hear them. Now that everyone had stopped yelling, I could hear the little clinking sound as the ice spiders swarmed across the walls of ice. I couldn't begin to guess how many there might be, but I got some idea of their size when one leapt at me, and I had to knock it aside. Ice spiders appeared to be about hand-sized -- white, cold creatures with little eyes of bright blue that were almost impossible to see.
Or maybe I didn't want to see them and let my mind start guessing at how many.
"Mark, Edmond, back up," Maggie said softly. Her voice trembled, and that made me shiver. "Lord Snow, don't go farther."
"I have thicker fur, and I've dealt with these demons before," Snow said. "Yeti --"
"George, actually," the Yeti replied.
"George, friend," Lord Snow said. "Are we close to somewhere safe?"
"Only two more yards."
"Take the kitten," Maggie said and handed the still startled Five back to him. He took her gingerly in his hands. "Edmond, go with her -- don't argue. We're all going to pull back."
"Just remember that I already got one," Edmond reminded us. He walked back to stand at my feet and looked up. Then I heard him sigh. "Tell me that you can see them."
"I can hear them," I offered.
"We can all hear them. Get me on your shoulder. If you're going to try and hold the line, then you had better know where the line is."
It made sense. I carefully knelt and let the cat leap up. Rather than sit on my shoulder, Edmond draped himself across my neck. He was less likely to fall off.
"There are six of the beasts about three feet from you on the right-hand side, about even with your elbow," Edmond warned. I backed up five steps in haste and looked where he had indicated and saw a shifting movement there. Now I had to decide how I could use my meager bit of magic to stop them.
Lord Snow came to stand at my side. He could see the creatures too.
"Any on the other side?" I asked.
"Nothing," the two cats chorused.
I moved a little more to the left side of the hall -- and heard something above --
I leapt aside just as something dropped from the ceiling, brushed along my hand with tiny needle claws, and hit the floor. Lord Snow leapt on it, and it disintegrated into ice dust.
"Oops," Edmond said. "Sorry."
He was looking up as well as to the side now. That was better.
What was not good was that my arm had started to burn with pain. "I suppose they have venom in their claws?"
"Ah, yeah," Lord Snow said. He looked up at my hand. "Oh. Maggie!"
"I don't need --" I started to say.
But maybe that wasn't true. Things were starting to look odd. The ice was more green than blue.
The ice spiders were red. And there were a lot more of them than I had thought. Hand-sized venomous icy spiders are not a pleasant sight, and it drove me insane. I yelled and leapt straight at them. Edmond shouted, too -- but I wasn't listening to him. I was faintly aware that he burrowed his way down the back of my jacket.
I reached out and began to pound spiders with my fists. Some were still alive when they hit the ground -- but not for long. I leapt up and down on them.
Edmond had dug all his claws into his back, and that Lord Snow had backed away in haste. Maggie was yelling for me to come back.
"He's killing them. I don't know how he can see them, but he's getting them all," Lord Snow said while I gleefully crunched three more under my feet.
"I can see them!" I shouted. I was aware that Edmond had deserted the safety of my back at some point and was beside Maggie now. I felt lighter. "There's one! And another!"
I pounded a few more, crunched another beneath my feet, but the rest made a fleeing line of red.
"They're escaping. You can't run from me!"
I started after them.
"Mark!" Edmond shouted. I could hear the frantic beat of his wings. "Don't be crazy!"
I spun -- and saw something huge and red, lunging at me. I brought up my hands to attack, magic playing at my fingers.
"ACK!" Edmond yelled, and the enormous red monster dropped to the ground.
He still didn't know how to land. Edmond, not a monster. I looked around at the others and saw red, orange, a bit of blue.
"Oh," I said. I glanced over my shoulder. "They're gone now. Everything looks really strange, guys. And why are the floor and walls moving? This can't be safe."
I sat down. Edmond started to back away.
"Sorry, Edmond --" I started to reach out for him, but then I fell sideways.
"Mark?" Edmond said softly. I could see the shape of him now, all black along the edges. Good.
Then I closed my eyes.
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