Episode Twenty: Ghosts: Scene 23

Kanesha caught up with me after school. “Okay. I couldn’t…”

“We had an idea. If she doesn’t remember who she is, she might still remember the spider connection.”

“Ooh.”

“Mike’s ex was big into collecting spiders. He’s talking to her. Live spiders, that is.”

“Is that why she’s his ex?” Kanesha quipped.

“Yup.” I grinned. “He didn’t like sharing her with eight legged critters.”

“They don’t bother me.”

I shuddered slightly, not sure why spiders bothered me. Or maybe it was just the legs. “Too many legs.”

“Same number as Sleipnir. But that’s better than trying to track Akan genealogy.”

“Keep with it. I also found out she can’t be sworn to another god.”

“Phewf.”

“Yeah. That would have caused complications all over the place.”

“It would.”

“I’m working on the theory that she didn’t come out of the woodwork when her husband started making all of this noise because she doesn’t know who she is.”

Kanesha elbowed me. “You already sort of said that.”

She was right. I fell silent for a moment. “Spiders.”

“Get used to it. At least they aren’t going to be bigger than you.”

“Anansi might be if he shapeshifted.” But he hadn’t. I mused on that for a long moment.

It’s the female spider that weaves the web. Not the male. But Anansi wasn’t entirely male, I was sure of that.

I was rather glad to be entirely female myself without any of that confusion. Maybe it was something I could talk to Zaid about.

Or Loki, who didn’t always seem to be entirely male either. Was I even sure…no. I was sure and certain.

Just attracted to both men and women. I could live with that. “The female spider spins the web.”

“Aso is also Mistress Anansi.”

“What if she’s like some of the Egyptian god couples? Not a separate individual, but essentially a part of him? That would explain why there’s so little about her.”

Kanesha blinked. “And why he needs her back. Loki said what he did, but…”

“Loki meant it. Love can make you crazy.”

She mock punched me. “Hey!”

“Well, it’s true. I’d go back to Hell for you. Even knowing what it’s like.”

“I won’t put you in a position where you have to. I…”

I put my finger across her lips before she could promise. “Don’t. Don’t make promises. Not unless you’re sure you can keep them. No. It’s my job to keep that from happening.”

And I would.

But she was not another part of me, only a mortal I cared for. Would that be enough?

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