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

that now, Aspect. Accept your death with dignity,” Aliria said, placing her hand on my chest.

Immediately, the Aspect’s presence lessened, allowing me to breathe again and the pain to subside. I looked up into Aliria’s hornet-stripe eyes and shuddered at the insidious glee in them. “Unfortunately, there is only one way to get rid of the demon whispering in your ear. I must shatter your bonds.”

“What!”

“Mother, no!” Eris shouted and ran over to me.

With a snap, Eris and Raven froze in place, living statues unable to move.

“The hell are you doing?” I went to move, but my legs wouldn’t work. I couldn’t move them.

“Aliria, stop this. You’re going too far. Duran has proven himself; I don’t want to lose a valuable asset.”

Aliria turned and nodded. “I completely agree. Duran will be an excellent addition to our cause, but I want him under my bailiwick.”

Magnus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Are you sure this is the right course of action?”

She smiled, a dark, dripping smile as her eyes glinted. She walked over to me and ran a single long finger over my cheek. “Don’t look so grim. This is a good thing. I’m giving you power, and I’ll even let my daughter have you. But you’ll serve much better under my control. Eris is too young, inexperienced. I’ll teach her the proper way to use the mantle of the Hive, but for now, you’re far more useful under me.”

“Magnus, stop this,” I pleaded.

He shook his head, apologizing with his eyes. “I’ll be sure to compensate you handsomely for this slight, Duran. It wasn’t my intention, but Aliria could be right. This may be a boon to you.”

Chitin slithered out of her fingertips and formed spikes at the ends of her fingers. With a press, she stuck them into my chest, and emerald mist drifted from her into my veins. It burned like acid as she pumped more and more of it into me; it traversed through me till it reached my heart and smothered itself over the Aspect’s darkness.

It burned out the Aspect, and with a scream of agony, it fled. “Farewell, knight. For what it’s worth, I had fun.”

Something bubbled up through my lungs and into my throat. My stomach lurched, and I heaved obsidian smoke out onto the gray stone floor. It poured vile from the depths of my organs, as the wisps of hive magic sought out and forced every last shred of the Aspect from my body. I vomited until nothing came out but screams, and I fell to all fours, coughing until my throat burned, raw.

Alert! You are no longer soul bound to the Monarch of the Hive.

Alert! You are now soul bound to the Monarch of the Hive.

Alert! Scorpius’s Blessing Unlocked!

+15 to Constitution and Agility

Unlocked (Hive Mind) Special: Scorpion Tail

 

“What…what did you do?”

“I made you mine, Duran. Now. Bow to your queen, knight!”

Her will pounded into my psyche and demanded to be obeyed. It was a command, one that I couldn’t disobey.

I fell to one knee under the shattering command of her voice, and I lowered my head despite fighting with everything I had to stop it. She was too strong.

The cold stone sank through my thin cotton pants, but it wasn’t what chilled me to the bone. I was powerless to go against Aliria; her mere voice struck me still and forced me to obey. Eris and Raven hung frozen in place. I couldn’t help them, and they couldn’t help me. I was truly alone against an enemy I couldn’t even fight.

Aspect!

It bubbled from my chest, but gone was the frigid ice I’d grown accustomed to. Now a pleasant warmth spread through my body as a warm, gentle voice spoke in my ear.

“Hello, knight. How may I assist you?”

I need my chitin.

“Unfortunately, previous access to the Hive Mind has been severed. We can no longer use chitin molding. If you wish to use Chitin Molding, you will need to access the Hive Mind Ability once more.”

Just fantastic. I’d been relying on the ability to mold my Exoskeleton to my whims. Now faced against Aliria, I’d grown complacent, too reliant on my abilities.

I’ve forgotten what made me strong when everything else fell apart. It’s never been my class, my abilities. It’s been the fact that I refused to give in and just die. I survived when Mom, Dad, and Micah were killed in front of me. I survived watching Sophia kill herself. I survived the guilt that ate at me for decades.

I’m a survivor.

And I’ll survive you, bitch. I won’t let you just take what you want from me.

I rose to meet Aliria’s superior gaze with fire in mine.

“No.”

Aliria stepped back. Her foot thumped against the stone behind her. “What? Do as you’re told, knight. Bow!”

Her voice pounded through my psyche and demanded obedience, but I steeled myself, and it didn’t have the impact she wanted. She had no power over me.

I stood and stared her down. “You are not my queen!”

Alert! Class Modification!

Class: Hive Knight (Errant)

The errant is a knight that has broken away from his monarch in order to go off on his own to right wrongs or to test and assert his own righteous ideals.

Alert! You are no longer Soul bound to the Monarch of the Hive.

Her command over me shattered, and I quickly equipped my sword. I took a single step forward as Aliria scowled.

“An Errant. I didn’t think you had it in you. Why are you so bothersome?”

I drew my sword and levied the tip at her. “Just because you have power, doesn’t give you the right to use people like objects. I am not yours to command and you will pay for what you’ve done.”

For the first time, a