“UGH!” WILDER THREW the leg of the Scythian spider away from her in frustration and disgust. The limb clanked against the next one and bounced back toward her. Wilder scooted backward on her butt. Luckily, the claw didn’t come anywhere near her, but she learned her lesson anyway. She took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled, releasing her pent-up irritation and anger with herself.
The damned spiders would not release their secrets. She’d tried bringing them into contact with every substance she could get her hands on, but the material remained unchanged. Whatever the alloy was, it was entirely inert. She’d attempted every means she had to bend, break, or just mark the silvery surface, all to no avail.
Wilder prided herself on her persistence. It was the source of most of her achievements
