SOLVED. YA Fantasy: Boy and girl on desert journey accompanied by fantastical creature resembling spider who can do magic to make it rain. Spoiler ahead. [s]

[Adela]

hi! dying to find this YA novel I read in around 2012. The main identifiers that I remember are that it describes a teenage boy and girl that are on some sort of quest. at one point they travel through a very dry desert and are accompanied by a spider-like creature who is very kind. they had very little water and the spider creature did some magic with sticks to make it rain, then he ate the flowers that grew after the rain because that was the only food he could eat
later, the spider creature dies, and his body goes up into a cloud of dust because he was so dry and malnourished.
the boy and girl sleep in a tent.
there are references to selkies in the book, as well as a castle or tower surrounded by water
I know this is not too detailed but I'm hoping the spider creature who eats flowers is identifying enough!
hope we can find it!

[Genesistrine]

Seaward by Susan Cooper

[Adela]

Genesistrine wrote: "Seaward by Susan Cooper"
THAT IS THE BOOK!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

[Genesistrine]

Yay! :happy dance: