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

single drop of fear rippled through her insectoid eyes, and I smiled. “Not so easy when your prey fights back, is it?”

I turned to Magnus, who’d gone back to rest on his throne. “Are you going to interfere?”

He shook his head and tilted his head to Aliria. “This was her gamble, and it backfired. I will not help either side. Settle your differences.”

“I’m going to settle it with my sword through her throat.”

Magnus sat back and placed his hands in his lap, fingers intertwined. “If you can.”

He snapped his fingers, and Raven and Eris appeared next to his throne beside Jasmine and Magnolia.

I tuned them out; they were safe for now, and I had to focus on Aliria. Even as I was, I wouldn’t be able to beat her easily. But I’m not suffering under the penalty any longer. I’m at full strength.

Before we fought, I equipped my shadowsteel armor and lowered into my stance.

Aliria stood, not moving, a half smile on her face.

I charged her.

My sword whipped toward her head, but movement came in from the left, and I stopped mid-swing as Jasmine stepped between us.

“Move, Jasmine!”

She shook her head. “I cannot.”

“Why?”

Jasmine stepped toward me, her arms outstretched as liquid obsidian rushed over her. It crawled up her face as two points of ethereal green lit up the darkened stone.

“Because I cannot allow you to harm my queen.”

Chapter 29 - Darkest Knight

What?

I stared at Jasmine as the quiet and shy girl I’d come to know transformed into an obsidian nightmare. Two short swords forged of chitin appeared in her outstretched hands. The glossy black chitin formed smooth over her skin, rounded, where mine was usually rough and jagged.

“Jasmine? You’re a Hive Knight?”

“Did you think you were the only one?”

I held up my off hand, relaxing my posture. “Stop this. I don’t want to hurt you.”

She rushed forward so fast, I barely brought my sword up in time. Her twin blades arced towards my head, and only at the last second did I manage to put my sword between us.

I stagged under the strength of the blow and had to take a step back.

Jasmine chuckled through her dark helm. “As if you could. Now I’ll ask you the same. Bow before your queen. I, too, wish not to spill your blood.”

With a jerk, I forced her swords away and stepped back. Shit. She’s strong—and quick. I grounded my stance and glared at her.

“Aliria is not and will never be my queen. I’ll die before I ever bow to her!”

Her shoulders slumped as her head dropped. “So be it.”

Before she’d even finished speaking, she charged me. I was ready for her incredible speed this time, but still she was faster than me.

I blocked her swing and struck with a side kick. The blow took her in the stomach, but she absorbed it easily because of her chitin and stumbled for only a second before she righted herself.

I’m a better fighter than her, but she has the advantage here.

The room was even ground for both of us, smooth stone and wide-open space gave us plenty of room to maneuver and would neither help nor hinder us. But I didn’t want to fight her. She wasn’t my enemy.

“Jasmine, please. We don’t have to do this!”

“I’m afraid we do. If you will not serve and will not stand down, then I will do what I must to protect my queen. I’m sorry. I liked you, but none come before my queen.”

Damn it! There was no getting through to her. I’ll have to subdue her first. I glanced down at the poison running down my blade. Poison Blade is really useless against another knight. I just need to get rid of it. It’s not going to help now. What I need is more strength and speed.

I just needed to buy time. I didn’t want to unleash Will of the Immortal. Despite how powerful it was, it also had a stronger backlash, and I wasn’t trying to kill her, I just wanted to take her out of the fight.

My inventory was filled with dozens of items, and I quickly grabbed two smoke bombs from my burglar’s kit and tossed them in between us. They rolled across the slate and burst with two subtle explosions before they both billowed a ton of smoke that quickly filled the room and obscured both of us.

I knelt with my sword raised and hastily pulled up my interface.

Delete Ability: Poison Blade?

Y/N

 

Yes.

With it gone, I had two ability points, and I needed to make my choice quick. I flicked over to the ability list.

First Tier List

Aura of the Arachnid

Poison Blade

Exoskeleton

Chitin Shield

Hive Guard

 

Second Tier List

Chitin Armor

Chitin Sword

Arachne’s Blessing

Scorpius’s Blessing

Mantearia’s Blessing (Locked)

Apocrita’s Blessing (Locked)

Hive Mind (Passive)

 

Aura of the Arachnid. That’s the one that boosts my Attack Damage, Movement Speed, and Verticality.

It was exactly what I needed at the moment, and I hastily selected it. Chitin Armor was also tempting, since I’d gotten used to having it, but it brought up a very interesting question that I needed answered.

If I could use Chitin Armor through the Hive Mind, why would I ever take the Ability?

“Because through the Hive Mind, you have a greater access to your full range of abilities, but at a greater cost. The corrupted Aspect took on much of the burden for you, and you paid in blood. But I am unable to do as it did. If you wish to use the Hive Mind, it will put a greater strain on your body and stamina.”

So basically, it’ll raise my Battle Fatigue much faster if I use it from the Hive Mind versus just acquiring the ability