Ava's War: Book 3 of 3

Chapter 16

True to his word, Owen spent several hours trying to wrangle a spider, running through the forest and waving a vine over his head like a lasso. The spiders, or whoever was controlling them, played along. The metal creatures would move close, teasing Owen, and then skitter away. Lucas and Ava followed the merry pursuit further and further into the forest, laughing until they were crying.

The metal creatures lured Owen so far out into the trees that they came upon the mechanical spider Lucas had knocked out several days ago when he found it attacking Ava. Owen gave up on his pursuit, wandering over to examine the fallen beast.

"Oh, Captain Planet, I didn't know you had it in you," Lucas teased.

Owen blushed and snatched his hands away from the metal gears. He waved his hand and Lucas tripped on a root newly emerged from the ground.

"Want me to show you how to actually wrangle a spider?" Lucas asked, grabbing the root that had tripped him and swinging it like a rope.

Owen looked at his watch. "It's getting late, we should probably go back."

Ava and Lucas echoed the movement, squinting at invisible watches on their wrists.

"I think I can get us back to camp," Owen said.

"Do you now?" Lucas asked.

"I've been studying the traps during guard duty. This camp is very well protect—"

Owen grunted in surprise as Lucas grabbed him around the collar and jerked him backwards. A second later the biggest metal spider Ava had seen yet slammed past them. Other creatures exploded out of the trees, stampeding back towards the camp.

"What's happening?" Ava yelled, over the crash of scraping metal.

"Let's go," Lucas shouted, loping back into the forest.

"Watch! Lucas!" Ava shouted, dragging him sideways, away from a falling tree. Two spiders had collided—shearing the tree trunk clean in half with their mandibles.

"They're going insane," Owen muttered.

"Something's wrong," Lucas said. "We have to get back."

"Be careful," Ava barked. "Don't go too fast."

It was an agonizing return trip through the forest as they ducked and weaved past snares and traps. Lucas tried to break into a sprint several times, only to be nearly impaled by the spiders rampaging through the trees. They reached a steel cable leading to the camp and Lucas flew up it. Owen and Ava followed suit.

"Lucas, thank God, do you know where Av—" Rhea stopped abruptly as she saw Ava hoist herself onto the platform. "Ava," she said, lowering her eyes. The softness of Rhea's tone unnerved Ava more than anything else.

"What is it?" Ava asked. "Is there news from Gaia?"

Rhea didn't say anything.

Ava's heart pushed against the invisible band now constricting it. Spiders continued crashing through the trees below. She could hear shouts and screams echoing through the camp. What could all this have to do with her?

"Oh good you found her," Taylah said brusquely. "Ava, follow me." Eyeing Lucas and Owen, Taylah added, "You two had better come too."

Walking back to headquarters, Ava felt like she was walking the length of a diving board and the pool below was filled with metal scorpions.

When they arrived, Taylah gestured that Ava should settle herself into one of the comfy chairs. Owen moved to stand behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder—her physical and emotional brace.