“Spider!” Because, yes, shrieking the obvious aloud would so make her situation better.

Then again, how could it get any worse? The sticky web clung to her, and the more Sue-Ellen moved, the worse it got.

And I thought those skinny tunnels that I could barely scrape through were tough.

The tummy-clenching, body-sweating fear as she’d inched through those tight spaces proved less horrifying than the chittering sound that filled the room.

It was probably a good time to note that chittering sounds, especially combined with her current web situation, equaled a bad thing. A very bad thing. The thing she was most terrified of.

Spiders.

Don’t mock. The swamp had some pretty nasty specimens. Cousin Felicia never did manage to find a husband after the biting incident on account of the swelling never going down.

No biting. Oh hell, no biting. Sue-Ellen couldn’t help but shudder, and that only served to remind her of the situation. A girl stuck like a bug in a floor-to-ceiling web.

Stuck so well she could only slightly tilt her head to see around her. The beam of the flashlight dangling from her hand cast more shadows than clarity. But the predator who owned this place didn’t stick to the dark pockets.

Sue-Ellen was pretty sure the spider delighted in showing off its multi-jointed limb, popping it into clear view, the stark illumination highlighting the coarse hairs on the appendage.

Dear, Grandma. Please tell me you have a voodoo cure for this.

A leg that big and hairy meant…

Yeah. Really big, ugly spider.

Even more panty wetting? It wasn’t alone according to the sudden tap on her shoulder.

She let out an epic scream. Like a real cavern-shaking one.

These arachnids apparently didn’t have ears because they didn’t suddenly go into paroxysms with blood streaming from orifices.

Shame. Because Sue-Ellen didn’t have a backup plan. This wasn’t a dream. She couldn’t just pinch herself awake.

Nor could she count on rescue. Remiel seemed pretty clear he wouldn’t help her. Even if he wanted to, she’d not told Remiel where she’d gone.

As if he’d come looking. She’d been nothing but mean to him. Now, she reaped the reward.

The web barely shivered as the first spider—Hairy-ella one—approached. The size of it almost made her heart stop.

Big couldn’t even describe it.

Unnatural. Against nature’s order. Seriously, nothing this grotesque and scary should exist.

As the tip of a claw slid across her abdomen, pausing a moment to poke a bit deeper at her belly, she really, really, really freaking hoped for a miracle.

A miracle named Remiel.

If you’re listening, Remiel, I could use a hand.

Nothing.

Please.

Did he hear her? Did he approach even now? Timing his perfect attack.

The tip of the leg sliced at her shirt. Given her arms were stuck, it gaped open. “Perv. You must be a man.”

The spider didn’t reply but, instead, ran its claw over bare skin.

Remiel! She practically screamed his name. I need you.

Like now.

She closed her eyes and wondered how he’d enter. Probably running, with a can of bug spray in one hand and a lighter in the other. The whole web would ignite.

Hmmm. On second thought, no lighter, he’d just—

Slurmp. Something wet and slimy hit her, and she opened her eyes to see a gaping orifice still dripping goo. She’d rather not know if it was butt or mouth. Whatever it spat out was beyond gross and smelled rank.

It also made her gooey. On the brighter side, it didn’t burn.

Yet.

“You’re going to regret this,” she huffed, fear bringing the fighting words.

As if to reply, another wad of goo was shot at her head. She managed to only barely miss getting it full in the face by yanking her head to the side. The painful tug on her hair made her suck in a breath.

Seriously. This is how I die? A virgin in a spider’s nest?

So unfair.

Why aren’t you doing something about it, then?

Why didn’t she?

Because I’m as weak as a human.

Or am I? It’s been weeks since Parker poisoned me. Weeks of not receiving that daily suppressant. But surely if her other side were awake, she would have seen signs?

I have heard her voice a time or two, I think.

Only a time or two? The thought was hers and yet wasn’t.

Are you there?

I never left.

If her gator was there, then she wasn’t helpless.

You weren’t helpless before. You survived. Not everyone who dealt with Parker and Anastasia fared as well.

Just look at Remiel.

The poor guy. She’d blamed him. The victim.

Such an idiot.

The goo around her hardened, and several hairy legs began to poke at her. Way too many legs. The clack of mandibles was overkill considering her elevated level of terror.

Scared or not, she wouldn’t give up. A Mercer never gave up. A Mercer fought to the bitter end—and cheated if they could.

Facing the many-faceted unblinking stare of the ugliest spider she’d ever seen, Sue-Ellen growled, “Hasta la vista, spidies!”

It was an awful Terminator/Arnold impression, but it served as a focal point for her will. The will she needed to become something else.

Something great and primal.

Digging her hands deep into the sleeping pit within her mind, she grabbed at her beast. The gator’s essence proved heavy and sluggish. How she missed the ease she’d once taken for granted. Once upon a time, she used to easily slip in and out of her shape.

Come on, big girl. She tugged on her sleeping gator. Let’s go play.

The other half of her began to move in the right direction, slipping into the cracks that were needed to control.

That’s a good girl. Come on, we have to do this. She cajoled her beast, knowing the time grew short, and still, her gator proved reluctant.

So it might be a good time to tell you…

Tell me what, she asked herself, trying to not growl in impatience.

Things have changed since the last time you saw me.

Changed how? And it did matter? They wouldn’t survive the next hour if her gator didn’t act.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

With a sudden surge of strange power—stranger than Sue-Ellen recalled—her other half took over, and she morphed.

Body and limbs reshaping, the joints adjusting, the muscles thickening, her skin hardening into a more leathery countenance. Her change pushed at the goo, and even dissolved parts of it. The steaming stench actually proved quite pleasant.

Weirdest thing.

Lips curved, and her eyes fell to a half hood as an odd euphoria relaxed her limbs.

I suddenly feel a hell of a lot better. Stronger, too. She smiled as she easily tore at the remaining web and stood.

Stood? That was new. Since when could her gator manage to balance on its two tiny back legs?

Then again… She looked down. I don’t think I’m a gator. Her limbs looked rather long still, and green.

Most of her still looked pretty much Sue-Ellen shaped; it just wasn’t a gator. Not even close, because gators didn’t have wings.

“What the fu—” She never finished the curse because something hissed, and a sharp-tipped leg stabbed.

Oh, hell no. She dodged, her reflexes so fast in this shape. Fast enough that she managed to whirl and grip the leg.

Yank.

Tear.

A shriek.

A smile because now Sue-Ellen was armed. A giant swing and she knocked a few more limbs askew, which caused a bit of consternation.

Time to play. She propped the leg on her shoulder and said, “Let’s go, biatches!”

Then she worked out a bit of frustration, and for the curious, she was quite good at it.

See the thing about growing up with brothers was that Sue-Ellen knew how to defend herself. She just didn’t usually win, mostly because her brothers were giants compared to her. That wasn’t a problem with these unacceptable affronts of nature.

Her new shape gave her speed and strength. Add in a whole lot of anger issues, and she had a never-ending fuel for it. Her frustration started with Samael.

“Lie to me about being his brother, will he,” she huffed as the leg she held jabbed at a freaky eye.

Squish.

Squeee!

“What a no-good jerk!” she huffed. But then again, was Remiel that much better? “Misogynistic pig. Telling me I have to be with him forever. Ha.” Swish. “I’ll be the one deciding that.” Slash.

And still on the thread of Remiel. “I can’t believe he won’t even try to escape.”

Rip.

She dangled her fresh weapon and addressed the now much-less-legged spider. “Then again, some would say it is flattering that he wants to stay here with me.”

A random thought hit her, and she scowled. “But does he want me only because he doesn’t have any other prospects?”

For a man who didn’t exactly have his choice in women, he certainly had no problem putting her off.

As she mulled this point, the spider tried to retreat, but she lunged and grabbed it by a hairy leg. “Oh, hell no. You’re not going yet. I am not done dealing with my issues.”

The arachnid yanked and sacrificed another leg before scurrying off. His poor companion lay on the floor unmoving.

Remiel chose that moment to enter and looked at the body, her, and the pile of legs strewn around her.

“About time you arrived,” she snapped, the words sounding strange with her forked tongue.

“Did you miss me?”

“No!” Yes. She glared.

His nose wrinkled. “You need another bath.”

She threw the leg in spear-like fashion at his head.