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

glass of the top-shelf whiskey, not nearly as full as the others, and knocked it back. The drink was already starting to hit me. A soft fuzziness slipped in from the edge of my vision.

I poured one more and drank it slow. After nearly three glasses of liquor, I was finally ready to face Magnus.

He hadn't moved from his seat. Both he and Aliria watched me devolve in silence. Magnus still held his look of sadness like he’d accidentally kicked my puppy, rather than shoved a stick of dynamite in my skull and lit it.

Regardless of the turmoil I was going through. All I had to do was ignore it and keep pushing on. Easier said.

I put the thoughts out of mind and focused on Magnus. "Okay, so we've been here for a thousand years. How? Why?"

Magnus sighed and leaned back in his chair as he worked through his thoughts. "Are you sure you want to know? It won't change anything. You can leave, you know, go back to your castle and live the rest of your days in peace."

"After all this, all I've gone through these past weeks, just pack up and leave?"

"Of course. You weren't supposed to be involved in the first place. A mistake on my part for handling the situation poorly, but nevertheless, you can wash your hands of this, go home and spend time with your wife."

His words were tempting, enticing even. I fiddled with the ring on my hand, considering his offer. Just leave Magnus to his own devices and go back to running the guild and spending time with Eris. It was my dream goal. The goal I'd been trying to find for so many years—a life I was content with.

Magnus was a bad man, yes, who kept company with some of the worst scum I'd ever come across here, but who was I to cast stones? With the things I'd done, I had no room to judge anyone, and he was right, after all.

This wasn't my problem. I liked his offer, and I was going to take it. Walk away from all this, go home, and spend a week in bed with Eris.

I told this to Magnus, but what I said wasn't what I meant to say. My words twisted, and what I spoke wasn't what I'd said.

"Regardless of any of that, I'm here now, so tell me."

Godsdamn it, Ouroboros!

This was the second time it’d taken over my words. Whatever purpose it wanted me for was here, with Magnus, and I knew too well the pain that awaited me if I tried to fight it.

I growled under my breath. Fine. I know you’re listening to me, so hear this. I’ll cooperate, for now, but don’t you think for a second I won’t settle accounts when this is all said and done with.

He rose from his chair, along with Aliria. "Well, if you want to know the truth, then come with me."

I finished the last of my drink, slammed the glass down on the table, and stood, walking with them out of the dining hall.

Magnus led us through the hallways. The sameness of it all made me think I was being led in circles. I doubt I could find my way out of this place if my life depended on it, holy hells. Magnus knew right where to go, and before long, we'd arrived at another plain unmarked door. Without a word, the door opened for Magnus, and he strolled inside.

It was a study, well-furnished with extravagant decor, lit by a chandelier that hung above our heads and by several other candles that hung on the walls or in holders around the room. A desk sat in the corner with a plush leather chair pushed against it.

The center of the room was dominated by a scale model of the Isle of Nexus. Crafted with such incredible detail that buildings and towns were recreated almost exactly. Near the center of the map was a model of Castle Gloom-Harbor nestled against Lake Gloom. To the west of my home were the Compass Kingdom and the outlying villages.

I just stared at the detail for a long moment; it was incredible. I could even pick out the capital of the elves, Yllsaria, nestled deep in the Emerald Ocean.

As I continued to gaze at the map, I noticed a few things — places on the map that I'd never seen before. Far in the Northern Mountains, Magnus had mapped the location of the home of the rabbitmen, the Pale Everlands. Which I'd never been to before, but I'd heard it was located on one of the four great mountains. If this map was to be believed, the Everlands were situated on the smallest of the four.

How does he know all this? This is more detail than I've ever seen before.

"What is this, Magnus?"

He grinned at me. "The work of dozens of years and far more gold than I expected."

I leaned over the table, still taking everything in. "For what purpose, though?"

He ignored my question for the time being, instead he was busy showing off his map, rambling about its construction and the time it’d taken. It was a little disconcerting to see the most powerful man I'd ever met nerd out over his creation. At this moment, he reminded me so much of Adam that it was almost funny.

He pointed down at the Rolling Hills that were located next to Castle Gloom-Harbor. I'd traversed across most of them at one point or another, but there was something there that shouldn't be.

"The hell is that?"

"Crystal Court,” Magnus replied, nonchalantly.

I whistled. By the nine kings of hell, that's close to home, far too close. "Does The Alice know?"

"Of course she does."

The queen of the fae usually doesn't take kindly to interlopers into her domain. Wonder how