CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
As Switch, Arachnid, and the Giver ran up the flight of stairs to Deck One, Switch could not help but stare at Arachnid’s back, because he was ahead of her and leading her and the Giver up the stairs. She was sure that he was some kind of illusion, maybe another one of the Collector’s tricks, but his large back looked very real to her, as real as the steps under her feet. Yet she still couldn’t quite accept his appearance here, because she had assumed that he had died back at that beach in New York.
“Arachnid, it’s so great to see you again!” Switch shouted as they climbed the steps. “How did you survive being attacked by Fusion? We thought you were dead.”
“I didn’t die,” said Arachnid without looking over his shoulder. “I was hurt, but I survived.”
“Amazing,” said Sw
