CHAPTER 151

"Oh!" Eulalie felt her spinnerets moving, and she realized that her body was producing webs. Knots, hundreds of them, flitted through her mind, each one perfect for a different situation. Some were good to prevent strain on the rope, others to prevent strain on the participant. Different weaves could produce ropes so smooth that they wouldn't leave a mark, or thick ones that prevented muscles from flexing. If she wanted, she could easily get Naia's hands behind her back, perhaps bind her forearms together. Would she look better on her knees, or—

"I think that's enough," Naia replied.

Eulalie realized that she was on the edge of the fountain, her mouth open in anticipation and a piece of webbing in her hand. Her deft fingers had already braided it into a simple rope nearly six feet long.

"But this...this isn't sexual." She looked around, trying to find somewhere to stash her rope. It was too big of a piece to eat. "I'm not...horny. Why does it feel like this?"

"Desire isn't always about sex, little spider." Naia leaned forward and booped Eulalie on the nose. "But once my house is back, you can tie me up anytime."

Those last six words sent a rush of excitement through Eulalie. Not only would Naia look beautiful all tied up, but her aqueous body meant that Eulalie didn't have to worry about hurting her. She could just phase through the bindings and escape, giving Eulalie plenty of feedback to pursue her passions.

"Okay, right, the house." She coiled the rope around her waist like a belt. "So we can't open the portal, we need to wait for Mike. So what can we do now to prepare him for when he gets home? My assumption is that he's going into a trap."

"A trap set by someone powerful," Amymone agreed. "That could be problematic."

"So let's make sure he's ready for anything." Eulalie turned and looked at the dummy house. "I don't suppose you keep a stash of magical items in that version of the house for emergencies, do you?"

"Anything of interest would be in the Vault," Naia replied. "Ratu may have something, but that stuff is extremely dangerous. And I don't think she has any weapons if that's what you're getting at."

"Well, shit." Eulalie stomped a foot in frustration. "I was really hoping we could find a magic sword or something."

"Magic swords?" Amymone's face lit up in excitement. "What would you say if I told you I know about a magic tower full of them?"

Eulalie smiled so hard that her fangs extended.

Beth had been in space for less than a minute before the others appeared in a blaze of golden light. Pestilence and Famine looked livid, but Jenny sat calmly on her rocking horse.

When War appeared, his features were tightly pinched. Every vein in his body bulged dramatically as he clenched his fists and shrieked.

"Sixty! Fucking! Years!" War turned toward Murray. "This has to be a violation of the rules!"

"I assure you that only a couple of minutes have passed in the real world," replied Murray.

"She made me dig holes to find her!" War grabbed at his face in frustration. "That has to be against the rules!"

"The winner of each round has been able to kill the loser in the manner of their choice," Murray said. "She wanted you to dig a hole to find her and then have it cave in on you and crush your skull. That does not violate the terms of your agreement."

"The fuck it doesn't!" War took a swing at Jenny, but his sword passed harmlessly through her.

Fucking crybaby, she replied. War continued to attack her, his movements harmless.

Beth put her hands over her mouth. To an observer, she probably looked shocked. In reality, she was trying to hide the biggest smile ever. Jenny had not only won the round, but had trapped the horsemen for sixty years just for the fun of it.

And she would bet good money that Jenny didn't experience all sixty of those years. All the doll had to do was withdraw her consciousness so that she was at the table. Those years would have taken mere moments.

"Would you like to attack again?" Murray asked.

War's eyes bulged out of his head, and he looked at his siblings. The three of them huddled up and muttered to each other. Beth wondered what they were even talking about.

You could always quit, Jenny offered.

War broke the huddle and started to say something, but Pestilence yanked him back in.

"What happened in there?" asked Reggie. "Did you really make them dig you up?"

I got bored. Jenny let out a giggle, then rocked her horse over to where Beth stood. So I gave them hints. War had to use his sword to dig me up like a bitch.

"I attack again!" War declared.

I wouldn't, Jenny warned. I'm the hide-and-seek champion!

"Fuck you," he replied.

They found themselves on the ground in Kamchatka again. This time, War's army arrived with several aircraft carriers full of planes and drones. His troops never set foot on land. Instead, they launched an aerial assault.

War, who stood with them, sneered in anger. Jenny was nowhere to be seen.

"Let's see your shadow people take something out of the sky," he muttered. "Each of these planes is equipped with the best surveillance technology known to man, so even if you pull your bullshit, I won't have to spend nearly as much time—"

A plane exploded overhead, the wreckage crashing into the side of a nearby mountain.

Beth could no longer contain her laughter, which drew dirty looks from the horsemen.

"But I thought she was using shadow people for her troops!" Famine's face paled. "It had to be. The toys were acting as gateways, right?"

Guess again! Jenny then blew a raspberry at them and made airplane noises as War's airforce was destroyed one plane at a time. Beth clapped her hands in glee while Reggie did a series of dance moves next to her.

"Knock that shit off," Famine told them, but they ignored him.