Hive Knight: A Dark Fantasy LitRPG (Trinity of the Hive Book 1) by Grayson Sinclair (poetry books to read TXT) 📗

corners, were tables and booths, all far away from prying eyes or ears. This wasn’t a place to hang your hat after a long hard day’s work. This was a tavern built for shady backroom characters, dealing shady backroom deals.

There was barely enough light to move around without tripping over anything; shadows danced on the walls as the torch flames flickered. I chose a booth by the back with a clear view of the door. My contact had yet to arrive, as he was one for punctuality but was rarely early.

I kept my head low, and my hand tight around Eris’s waist as I made my way over to the bar. The bartender was a well-dressed man by the name of Jackson, mid to late thirties, wearing fine dark clothing and a tailored vest with a red silk pocket square. Jackson had a clean-shaven face and styled dark brown hair that was beginning to gray. He bore a puckered scar from his neck to the base of his jaw, and his bored eyes stared silently at me.

“Ale,” I told him and slid him a coin. He nodded and poured me one, keeping out of reach and sliding it to me, waiting for me to leave before taking my money. We went back to the booth, and Eris slid in first while we waited for my contact. It took him nearly twenty minutes to arrive, while I’d drained my ale in half that time. I limited myself as I needed my wits about me to deal with the man.

As my contact walked in the door, I snapped my eyes to him, taking his features in instantly. Not expecting trouble, but certainly ready for it. Phineas noticed my presence almost immediately; his eyes lit up darkly.

Phineas Carn was a weasel of a man, in every sense of the word. His thin, pinched face constantly looked like he had just tasted something foul. His small, beady blue eyes darted back and forth, looking for his paranoia induced enemies everywhere, while he ran his sweaty palms through his lank and greasy dark hair.

He withdrew a sweat-stained handkerchief from the pocket of his hip-length coat and dabbed at his forehead.

Gods, I hate dealing with him. Though he had eyes and ears everywhere and usually had reliable information, it didn’t matter that I didn’t trust him as far as I could throw him. If he came through for us, it would be worth the headache.

“Good afternoon, Duran,” he whispered, sliding into the booth.

“Phineas.”

He glanced his eyes over Eris, who kept quiet under her hood, his eyes trailing over her form with curiosity before coming back to mine. “Who’s she?”

It was a fair question since I’d never once brought a guest with me when I met with him, but I didn’t feel like explaining anything to this man. I especially didn’t want him seeing Eris’s face. He’d happily sell us both out for that payday.

Eris went to open her mouth, but I spoke before she could. “No one you need to concern yourself with. Now can we get down to business?”

Eris frowned at me for speaking for her. I’ll apologize later, but I can’t risk Phineas knowing too much. I placed a hand on her warm thigh and squeezed. She immediately lost her frown and grinned at me, taking my hand in hers and absentmindedly brushing her hair out of her face. In the process, she knocked her hood off.

The tips of her ears caught the fabric before it could fall off completely, but the damage was done. Her compounded eyes were visible, and one of her ears was sticking out.

Phineas went wide-eyed at the sight of her, his face paled as he looked into the depths of the abyss. His panic was soon replaced by excitement. My knife went to his throat, and I stared him down.

“You never saw her. One word to anyone, anyone at all, and I will make your last moments so painful that you beg me for death, and it will not come. Do I make myself clear?”

He gulped in fear as perspiration bled on his face. “C-c-c-crystal.”

Phineas was many things. Intelligent, ambitious, a backstabbing deviant, and above all else, a coward. He won’t risk his life by defying me.

He nodded at me frantically, but he still had questions about her. I sighed as he asked, “She’s a demi…yes?”

“Yep, now can we get down to business?”

“Where did you find her?”

“She found me. Now. Can we get down to business?”

Phineas grinned a sly smile, showing off his blackened teeth. “Of course, of course, of course.”

I stifled the need to strangle him and asked my questions.

“My guild was attacked over a week ago by an unknown enemy. Hundreds of troops and a full guild to raid us. I need to know who it was.”

“I’m assuming you’ve ruled out the Alliance?”

I nodded at him. “First thing we eliminated.”

Phineas pondered over the question for a moment, drumming his fingers on the wooden table in a staccato rhythm, which was all for show. Despite the utter contempt I had for the man, he had a superb intellect and never forgot anything. Either he knew the answer right away, or he knew nothing, but his thinking was an act.

“Rumors have been making their way to me for months now. Nothing concrete, mind you, just hearsay and secondhand accounts. But according to my sources, there is a person or persons who have been making waves recently. I don’t know who, but they have incredibly deep coffers, buying up anything and everything of value. Unique trinkets, artifacts, weapons, and armor. You name it.” He paused, glancing between Eris and me. “Hell, they’re even buying slaves of all races at prices like I’ve never seen before.”

“Damn,” I sighed, letting my breath out long and slow. “That’s not anything we haven’t figured