Free Elysium's Love Triangle by Aoife Metcalfe Page B

Cezers will run riot.
    We must fight.  We must survive.
    Not only for the sake of our own species, but also for the humans.
    I think about how the Cezers treat humans.   Nate is right.
    I squeeze Daniel’s hand tighter.
    The war, whether we like it or not, has begun.
    It will not be won easily.
    *
    I am eating lunch, still very much reeling from Rejon’s letter.
    A lot of my Arachne group are outside now.
    They have transformed themselves into spiders, of all things.
    Daniel told me that all Arachnes have the power to do this .   They generally do it when they ’re hiding, or when a human wakes up before they’re meant to.
    If anyone ever sees a spider in their room, soon after or right before a nightmare, it is almost definitely an Arachne . 
    They don’t transform themselves often though, Nate explained.  You can only do it ten times in your whole life. 
    You have to choose wisely.
    I think I was happier before I knew all this.  A spider was just a spider then.
    Greg walks up sits down at my table, right across from me.
    “Hi stranger,” he smirks.  “It feels like ages since we’ve talked!  Where did you get to yesterday?”
    I find myself smiling at him.
    It’s nice to be around someone who’s in a good mood.  There w asn’t a lot of cheerful Arachne s after this morning ’ s meeting.
    “Oh, I went on a trip to the zoo,” I reply.  “What did you get up to?”
    He nods and dips one of his F rench fries into some tomato ketchup, “All sorts.  I would tell you but then you might be implicated in it.”
    I laugh.
    His voice lowers; the look in his eyes goes more serious, “Were you with the blue eyed class?”
    I tell him that I was.
    He sits back, seemingly pondering, “Do you think there’s something weird about them?  The way they all stick together . . .”
    I strenuously deny this.
    I do so with a bit too much fervour. 
    I realise, to my dismay, that I’ve probably just raised your suspicions.
    He looks amazed and stops eating suddenly, to study me, “You are one of them now . . . How did I not see that?”
    My heart drops.
    How much does he know?
    “I have no idea wha t you are talking about,” I sound far too guilty , again . 
    He doesn’t answer.
    Instead he focuses on his food again for a moment.
    “Angelica called ov er last night,” he changes the subject.  “Said you needed some time alon e with spider-boy . . . I’m not one to judge but it seems like you’ve only known him a few days and . . .”
    I interrupt, a red flag having been raised in my head, “Did you just call him spider-boy ?”
    I am very much beginning to worry about how much Greg Harshaw knows.
    Greg seems to find my r eaction strange, “Yeah, he collects pictures of spiders.  It’s my nickname for him.  Are you okay, Katy?  You seem edgy or something.”
    We are all a bit ‘edgy’ since the meeting.
    I need to get a grip.
    I relax.  This is Greg I’m talking to.
    “I’m sorry,” I apologize quickly, my voice sincere.  “I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, I’ve a tonne of homework to do . . .  You know how it is . . .”
    I see the mischief returning to his eyes in a second.
    He is forming a plan.
    I know it.
    I can’t help but grin.
    “Hey, what do you say we escape here for the day?” He leans in closer, animated now.  “I want to introduce you to some friends of mine.”
    I can never say no to him.
    Even when I know I should.
    There’s just something about him, something between us, which makes it impossible.
    “Where would we be going?”  I ask, helplessly intrigued.
    I love the blue and white check shirt he is wearing.
    It goes well with his blonde hair.
    “It’s about an hour away ,” he remains elusive on purpose.  “You up for it?”
    I don’t know what Daniel would think.
    He hasn’t said anything but I don’t think he likes Greg much.
    Greg unconsciously runs a hand through his hair now.
    The word ‘temptation’ doesn’t cover how well he looks