“I should have sent Kanesha.”

Thruor shook her head. “Wait.”

I pushed some more of the food around my plate. It was good, but I wasn’t that hungry.

Then I felt her come in. I sensed her. She was wearing a red and white dress, that fell below her knees and was strapless. Her skin was, like most of the people here, even darker than Kanesha’s.

“It’s her,” I murmured.

“Kanesha wouldn’t have been able to confirm that.”

I was pretty sure Thruor sensed it too. Maybe she’d just wanted a second person so she could be absolutely sure.

“You’re the spider collectors?” she asked as she approached. “You’re brave, coming here.”

“The outbreak’s over,” I noted.

“Mostly. You’re still brave.”

I grinned. “Don’t worry about us.” Now, what did we say to her? Lay it all out, the truth? “Besides, with what’s going on…”

She tensed. “Witchcraft is what’s going on. Or something.”

Thruor shook her head. “It’s not witchcraft. It’s not somebody trying to stop the remaining people from dying. Too powerful for that.”

She narrowed her eyes. “White people don’t…”

But she sat down anyway. I turned my face towards her a little. “It’s a god doing it.”
And to that, she nodded. “Which one?”

“Anansi.”

And a shudder went through her. “I…”

I reached to put my hand on her wrist. She let me. The contrast made her look even darker and me even paler. “You remember.”

“I don’t remember. I just…I’m a witch. Or something. I just know, and he’s looking for me, and…”

This might be easier than I thought. “He is. And I know all about knowing without remembering.” I felt a smile curl the left corner of my mouth. “I have experience with it.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m not going to say here.”

“I thought…”

I removed my hand. “Thruor, I think the vampire’s back, and I think she brought friends.”

“Vampire?”

“Obayifo.”

She frowned and then shook her head a little bit. “Obayifo.”

“Let’s just ignore her until she starts something,” Thruor suggested.

I didn’t want to be seen starting a fight in a strange place, but I knew she was right with that until.

And I knew we would have to finish it.