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

the way I imagine a cruel child who pulls the wings off a fly smiles as the fly tries to crawl away. I was the fly, and I wasn’t going anywhere.

“I know. However, you did manage to surprise me a little with that hold, and that right hook was as solid of a punch as you’re likely to ever land on me,” she said, still holding that smile that chilled me to the bone.

Her gi had come loose during the fight; the pale flesh of her shoulder and collarbone peeked out at me from within her clothes. She caught my eyes, and her smile twisted into one of lasciviousness. She pulled at her belt to let her top slide down her arms.

While not the first time I’d seen her body, I still marveled at the beauty of her curves. Her breasts, small and firm, pale nipples erect as she reveled in my gaze. She shimmied her hips into my groin, leaning down to whisper in my ear. “You gave just as good in that fight, dear guild leader. How about you give it to me even harder now?”

I shook my head. “I’m not nearly drunk enough to handle you right now.”

She leaned over to whisper in my ear. “We can always fix that, or you can just give in and take me here and now; you know you want to,” she said, sliding her hand towards my pants.

I shouldn’t. In the back of my mind, I knew where this led, but I wasn’t in the best state at the moment. I wasn’t in a good head space after reliving my past, and thinking about Sophia always tore at the fragmented remains of my soul. I needed some avenue of escape, and it presented itself as a hyper-sexual sociopath, staring down at me with bedroom eyes.

Evelyn leaned down to kiss me before biting at my lip and lowering her hands to the hem of my shirt. Honestly, I might have given in if she hadn’t pressed her hands on my chest as she removed my shirt and brushed against my ribs. The pain I’d been ignoring flared to life, and I fought back a scream.

“Son of a bitch.”

“What’s wrong?” Evelyn asked, her face displaying curiosity rather than concern for my wellbeing.

“Think you broke a couple of ribs,” I hissed.

A flash of understanding came over her. She rose in one fluid motion, sensing that playtime wouldn’t be happening. “You should drink a health potion and get some rest. We’ll pick this up another time,” she said.

She swiftly bent down and retrieved her gi, turning toward the door. She slid her tunic back on, tying in neatly back into place and walked over to the entrance of the room.

“Have a good day, guild leader,” she called, shutting the door behind her.

I just stared at the door for a moment in wonder at the situations I managed to get myself in. As beautiful as she is, I should know better than to keep getting involved with her. I’ve gotten used to her, so I forget how utterly terrifying she can be.

A message from Markos interrupted my thoughts.

D.

Come down to the grotto. There’s something you need to see.

 

I sighed. Odd, he usually gets uppity when I intrude on his work. Let’s see what the hell is going on. I made my way through the castle and to the main gate exited through the main gate, the only entrance or exit for Castle Gloom-Harbor. A strategic advantage to be sure, but a significant pain in the ass when I needed to get down to the cove. I nodded at the current NPC guard operating the gate.

I should probably get to know the new guards at some point. We’d lost a few during the last siege, and I hadn’t gotten around to learning the names of the new NPCs. I was always a little weirded out by NPCs. Technically they’re not alive, but even after thirty years, I still find it hard to tell the difference between players and NPCs off the bat.

The steps leading to the grotto were always damp and mossy from the spray of water that crashed and broke against the rocks. I climbed down carefully and rounded the bend to the cave itself.

Markos was waiting for me and not paying any attention. I nearly collided with him. I put my hand on his shoulders to steady him and ensure he didn’t topple over into the cold water.

“Whoa there, bud,” I said, taking my hands off him once I knew he wouldn’t fall over.

Markos looked up from the ground, wiping the small bit of dirt and water from his white robes. He stared at me, but how he could see me through his thick, shaggy mop of brown hair covering half of his face was magic beyond anything I’d ever witnessed here.

Markos was a younger-looking man of rather average height and a paper-thin frame. A stiff breeze could cut him in half. It had been so long since I’d seen them, I couldn’t quite remember the color of his eyes. I wanted to say blue, but I wasn’t sure about it. He had a thin, angular face without a wisp of facial hair to complement his slight stature.

“Sorry, D, I didn’t see you there,” he said frantically, “I was just coming out to wait on you, though the fates ordained this fortuitous encounter.”

I stifled the sigh I felt coming. “What’s up? Your message was vague.”

He motioned me to follow him instead of answering my question. “Come with me, quickly.” He turned to walk deeper into the damp cavern. “This is something truly spectacular,” he said, rushing ahead in the dark.

Unlike Markos, I took my time navigating the slick cave. One wrong slip and I’d end up in the drink, a prospect I didn’t