The Hunt Pt. 2

"Don't be so down, my little Croissant," Kirian purred, latching her arms around Cress's shoulders as they walked down the street. Kirian, Vianna, and Ian had all helped her search over the two weeks when they were free. "Maybe she found a way home."

"That hurts just as much. Even if we fought, would she really leave without saying goodbye? I want to say she wouldn't, but in her mind, she probably thinks she's doing me a favor after how I reacted."

"Maybe," was all Cress could respond as she pushed up her plastic glasses. She'd already lost two pairs and was now down to her last one with an out of date two year old prescription.

"Well, maybe, it's for the—"

Vianna elbowed Ian in the ribs, knocking the wind out of him. He'd been reluctant to join the search and used Illia's abandonment as fuel for his anti-Illia agenda. It was only after Vianna threatened to dump him that he joined as their escort, not that they needed one. Learning more about Kirian's life had opened Cress's eyes to the disguised people around the city who were clearly monitoring Kirian and Cress wondered why Illia had never said anything.

"Don't listen to him, Cress. He thinks he's being supportive but I guess he doesn't value our relationship that much."

"W-Wh- I just think we're going overboard. She clearly doesn't want to be found. At this point Cress is just stalking her. Like Kirian said, maybe she went back to Libya."

Ian was the only one still in the dark about Illia's true identity. In his eyes, Illia was still just Cress's immigrant girlfriend who had disappeared after a fight, so his reactions were justified, if a bit insensitive.

"Daddy's lackeys have been watching the airports, buses, and trains," Kirian said. "And it's not like Illia can blend in. How many six-foot-tall women with tattoos on their forehead do you see around?"

That had been another part of the lie. Now that the other girls knew the marks on Illia's forehead were eyes, they'd collectively agreed to tell people that they were "traditional tattoos" unique to Illia's village. They'd twisted the truth so much that even Cress sometimes was convinced of the lie.

"Still, it's been two weeks and nothing. You know I love you, Cress, but I really think we should give up. She clearly doesn't want to be found. Shouldn't you respect her decision?"

"Shut up, Ian," Cress snapped. "If you're just going to complain, go home. And stop telling Mom about what's going on. She keeps calling saying she's worried about me and she's nagging me to go home until I've calmed down."

"Is that really such a bad idea?! You barely sleep and you hardly eat, even though you spend every day walking around the city."

"And what would you do if it was Vi?"

For once, Ian kept his mouth shut and instead pulled Vianna closer to him. His expression softened and he sighed in resignation when Vianna kissed his hand.

"You'd be just like Cress, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah… Though I still think what we're doing is pointless. Isn't there another way? Are you sure she didn't know anyone else in the city besides you guys?"

"Maybe the witches? She was talking to that dark haired one that night and there's also the old lady, Yara. How would I even contact them, though? It's not like there's a witch hotline to call. Who else…"

"Holy shit. You're a genius, Ian!"

"I know. Wait, why am I a genius?"

Cress ignored him and pulled Kirian and Vianna into a huddle. "He's right. Illia might not have known anyone in the city, but she wasn't alone."

Vianna was the first to piece it together. "How would you even talk to them? Not to mention it's winter so they're either diapaused or die in the winter."

"Didn't Cress say there were a bunch in Illy's room the day she disappeared?"

Cress's stomach turned and she swallowed the bile building in her throat. She tried to be discreet, wiping her clammy hands by squeezing the bottom of her shirt, though she was sure the others noticed.

"Exactly. So we should focus on trying to find some. I don't know if they understand human speech, but one I encountered at the store listened to me when I brought up Illia's name."

"Then let's go to that store. Maybe it's still there."

Kirian's footmen cleared the liquor store before they arrived, earning the group a sour look from the owner when they walked in. His attitude quickly changed, however, when Kirian laid a stack of hundred dollar bills on the counter, turning him from a grumpy old man into an accommodating host.

"Have you seen any spiders around?"

The store owner frowned and scratched the back of his balding head. "You trying to say my place is dirty? I keep the place as clean as possible, so no. Why do you care?"

"We're looking for a rare species my friend spotted here last month," Vianna fibbed. "I'm working on my PhD in arachnology and was hoping to capture it for study."

"Aracha-what? Is it worth anything? How much you willing to pay if you find it? Cress sighed as the man's eyes shined with dollar signs. She could only guess how much money Kirian had just given him and now he was trying to milk them for everything they had.

"We can discuss a finders fee later," Kirian said. She nodded at one of the goons standing by the door to come over. "Until then, why don't you go with Jeff and get some dinner, on me."

"I won't turn down a free meal." The old man looked as hesitant as he did excited. "But you better be done by the time I get back."

"Sure," Kirian said dismissively as the man left.

"I guess money really does talk."

"Of course it does!" Kirian said, beaming. "How else do you think daddy got someone as beautiful as my mom to marry him?"

"Aren't they divorced?"

A devious glint flashed in Kirian's black eyes. "And now her alimony lets her run her boutique without worry."

"I'll never understand rich people. Then again, Illia is a princess and a general. She's probably rich as hell. Not that it matters since she's in exile."

The group turned the liquor store upside down for half an hour, setting hundreds of bottles on the floor to search the back of the shelves and digging through the stockroom. True to his word, the store was remarkably clean for such a dingy liquor store with barely a speck of dust anywhere to be seen.

"I still don't get why we're looking for a spider," Ian grumbled. "What the hell does a bug have to do with finding your girlfriend?"

"It just does, Ian. I know it's crazy, but just go with it. Besides, Vi was right, for all we know the spider I saw is sleeping through the winter or dead."

"What if you called to it? As a researcher I hate to suggest something so primitive, but you said it responded to you last time."

Cress shrugged. It was worth a try.

"Hey, spiders! Are you in here? Come out so I can ask you something!"

Nothing.

"Try again!" Kirian said excitedly.

"I need to talk to Quelurillian!"

There was no response again and Cress sighed until she deflated and squatted on the floor. Then, her eye caught movement on the shelf in front of her.

"Holy shit, guys. It worked!"

The group gathered around, careful not to get so close they spooked the tiny creature. It was still the same size as the last time Cress had seen it and it raised its two front legs as if waving at her.

"Do you remember me? I need to find Illi- Quelurillian. Can you help?"

The spider recoiled before spinning in a circle with its plump abdomen and wiggling its thin legs.

"What the fuck…" Ian muttered under his breath.

"This is groundbreaking! How is it Cress can communicate with it at all? Mom would lose her mind if she saw this!"

"Quiet, Vi! You're going to scare Cress's new friend away!"

"All of you shut up," Cress snapped. She wasn't sure what to do next, so she held out a trembling hand towards the little spider. Its dark brown legs wriggled in excitement and it was all Cress could do not to scream and throw it when it hopped onto her palm.

"Should we put it in a jar?"

The spider jumped several times on Cress's hand. It reminded her of Illia's small ticks.

"I don't think it likes that idea, but you're right, Ian. It's cold and windy outside and I don't want something to happen to it."

As if resigning itself to Cress's logic, the spider spread its legs flat and laid motionless on her palm.

"I've got something," Kirian said, reaching in her black leather purse and pulling out a small vial full of white powder.

"Kir, you can't put the spider in a vial of co—" Vianna glanced at Ian. Clearly he was ignorant of Vianna's wilder side. "Just dump it out and make sure to rinse it. And I mean dump it! I don't feel like babysitting you today."

"Fiiine," Kirian grumbled disappearing to the back of the store. A few minutes later she came back with an empty vial, twitching her nose which earned her a slap on the back of the head from Vianna.

"It'll just be for a little while," Cress whispered to the spider, nudging it into the vial. It waved its arms in protest, but skittered in.

Illia tracker acquired.