Hive Queen by Sinclair, Grayson (ereader iphone .TXT) 📗

As I shut the top drawer and opened the second one, I found it was filled with Sam’s underwear neatly organized by color, mostly hues of black and gray with some dark reds sprinkled in. A quick glance told me what I was looking for wasn't here. I shut the drawer and opened the last one to find it mostly empty, barring two small chests. I opened one to find it filled with gold coins, nearly to the top—thousands of them, but no hair ties.

With the first one having no luck, I closed it and opened the second one. It was a makeshift jewelry box. Separate compartments for rings, necklaces, and bracelets. All made with the highest level of detail, some with gemstones set into the metal. Why would Sam have these? I've never seen him wear jewelry, except for his wedding ring.

The matching band around my own finger. I played with it as I searched. Spin, spin, spin. There were plenty of beautiful pieces here, but no tie. I was about to close it when one item caught my eye. It was a silver hair clip, masculine in its structure, but it was so pretty with its emerald stone set in silver. It was otherwise unadorned and plain. It suited Sam, and I would have preferred something more feminine, but it would work, and it was still pretty.

I picked it up and held it with my teeth while I pulled my hair back and used the hair clip to keep my hair in place. With my outfit and hair problem solved, my ravenous stomach demanded attention. The children have been sleeping long enough. Time to get them up and go eat.

Closing the drawers, I left our room and headed back to wake Tegen and Cheira. The hallway was clear and silent as I made my way to the guest room. The torches had been lit and cast ample light. I reached the door and entered. The children were right where I'd left them. Tegen was still cuddled into Cheira. I went over to the far side of the bed and shook Cheira; she awoke slowly and yawned, showing her rows of sharp teeth.

"What is it, Aunt Eris?"

"Time to get up, sweetie. Breakfast."

Her rumbling stomach was her reply, and I giggled at hearing it. "C’mon, get your lazy brother up and let's feast.”

Cheira sat up and rubbed her brown, human eyes. Even though both of them were in safe company, they preferred to use their Camouflage to conceal their true natures. I wished they wouldn't, but I understood why.

Cheira turned and started poking Tegen, not gently either, with a heavy voice. "Hey, get up, Tegen. I'm hungry."

He just scooted away from Cheira and waved her off, which made her frown. She grumbled to herself before grinning like a madman. A devious idea played around in her head. She leaned over her brother and whispered to him, "Wake up, or Misumena will eat you."

Tegen bolted out of bed as if it were on fire. "I'm up, I'm up! I swear!"

Cheira rolled on the bad, clutching her sides as she shook with laughter. It went on for a half a minute before she calmed down and climbed out of bed, tears streaming down her face.

She wiped them, still chuckling to herself. "Gets him every time."

Meanwhile, Tegen glared daggers at his sister for pulling her prank. He was upset, and there were a few tears in his eyes, though for different reasons. I went over to him and knelt to wrap him in my arms. "There, there. It will be all right, little one."

Tegen was prone to tears easily, and Cheira knew it, too. For her to be younger than Tegen, she acted like the big sister. The mean tomboy big sister.

"Cheira, apologize to your brother."

She huffed but apologized. She knew she had gone too far. As soon as the words left her mouth, Tegen stopped crying and went and hugged his sister. Much as they fight and bicker, they love each other to death and would do anything for each other. It was a wonderful sight to see, and it made me hopeful for the remaining members of the Hive. With both of the spiderlings up and my belly crying from lack of food, we all headed for the kitchen.

I held both of the children's hands as we left the room and walked down the many stairs to reach the first floor. The top floor bedrooms were deserted, but the second floor was bustling with half a dozen of the maids that kept the castle clean. I hadn't explored the second floor much; it was filled with training rooms and workshops. Things I didn't have any business with, so I stayed away.

We descended even more steps till we reached the first floor. Even though we were still a good distance away from the dining hall, hints of food being cooked wafted our way: baking bread and the heavier scent of cooking meat. Bacon, if my nose was telling me straight. The curious sniffs from the children told me they could smell the food too.

I smiled down at them. "Let's hurry!"

We quickened our pace and, in a minute or two, had reached the heavy door to the dining hall. Before I even opened the door, several people talking at once and boisterous laughter slipped through the crack under the door. I tugged on the door and just managed to pull it open. I held the door for the children and squeezed in just as the door shut with a thud.

If the scents of food were strong in the hallway, in here, they were nearly overbearing. A dozen different smells swirled around me, from the soothing scent of fresh milk to the sharp tang of peppers cooking. Too many different kinds of scents sent my poor nose into overwork, but