COLD STEEL, BLEEDING HEARTS
It was cold and lifeless.
I can’t do it, she thought. I’m just a character made of ink.
Then something moved in her pocket. It wasn’t the key.
She reached into her other pocket and pulled out the dried lemon flower. Small and crumpled, it looked worthless. But when the shadow-spider’s thread touched it, the flower transformed into a sharp golden needle.
Maya rammed the needle into the spider’s eye.
The creature collapsed into a puddle of black ink. Gasping, Maya searched for Julian. He was tumbling away, just a flickering spark in the dark.