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

Makenna dropped her pack and ran over to her so she could run her hands over her coat. Cinder reveled in the affection, but the others weren't so accommodating with her. Evelyn hummed under her breath for a few moments, eyeing Makenna before she got tired of it and yelled at her.

"Quit playing with your horse and let's get a move on, we're already behind schedule."

Makenna stood with a jolt. "Right, sorry!"

She leaned to pick up her pack and closed it. She motioned with her hand, and the pack vanished. Makenna expertly climbed onto Cinder, a method that seemed the most natural thing in the world. I'll have to see if I can get her to teach me that. As soon as she was in her saddle, Evelyn led the group to the castle gate, which opened from a sharp whistle from Gil. A young-looking man on top of the wall gave a sharp nod and lowered the gate for us.

The heavy wooden gate thumped on the dirt road, sending more than a few clouds of dust spiraling into the wind. The whistling breeze muted the clomp of hooves over the wood; it screamed past our ears like the wail of the dead and brought with it a chill from the lake below us.

I shivered despite the beating gaze of the sun. We rode off the gate, and with a command from the gate guard, the massive gate began to rise back once more. The Gloom Knights all stayed for a moment to make sure that it was secure before we set out.

As soon as the gate shut, Evelyn took off at speed, not bothering to look behind her to see if we were following.

With a swear from Gil, the others raced to catch up with her. I followed along, but at a reduced speed. Just enough to keep them in sight of me while I tried to master horsemanship.

Lacuna was a very smart horse, and she helped me as much as she could. It took around a couple hours or so of riding before I got the hang of it. Lacuna would neigh and speed up whenever I was in danger of falling behind, so she made for a competent instructor.

Once I had learned the basics of horseback riding, I sped up to join the rest of the party. Gil rode side by side with Makenna, while Adam and Evelyn were leading the group from the front. I had no idea the direction we were heading, but at least they did. Gil turned in his saddle to look at me when I had caught up with them.

"Hey, look, who finally joined the group."

Makenna let out a snort of laughter but spared me a smile and a look of solidarity.

"It’s okay, took me a few good tries before I got the hang of it, so don't let it bother you."

I nodded my thanks to her. I’d spent most of my attention on learning the ropes of riding by myself and making sure the children weren't going to fall off, and I had neglected to notice that we had been heading in a different direction than the one Sam and I took to the Compass Kingdom.

We’d passed out of the green plains and hills that surrounded the castle and were now in unfamiliar territory for me. There were still plenty of trees and green grass blowing in the wind, but it seemed like with every passing mile, there was a little less life around us.

It took me quite some time to notice, but after three or four hours of mostly silent riding, I had to speak up.

"What's going on with the surroundings?" I asked Gil.

He took a look around as if he didn't understand my meaning.

"Oh, this is your first time being out this way, so I guess it would be a bit of a shock if you've never been here before." He pointed northwest. "’Bout five days ride is the South Kingdom. A brutish place, but home to the largest salt mine on Nexus."

"Why does that matter?"

"Well, the mine is important for a number of reasons. There are a few other salt mines dotted around, but nothing compared to the size of this one." Gil stretched his arms out for emphasis. "I'm talking hundreds upon hundreds of feet deep, with miners working around the clock to haul as much as they can. It's undeniably a profitable business, and it’s made King Sykes one of the most influential of the five kings.” He gestured to the land around us, a little sadness in his eyes. "But that profit comes at a cost. The salt mined over the decades bled into the ground, into the water, and pretty much everywhere else. Turned the land sour."

Makenna sighed in agreement with Gil. "Welcome to the Salted Mire. Nothing but salt-soaked marshlands for a hundred miles."

I sniffed at the air. It was slight, but hints of salt lingered in the air.

Gil laughed bitterly when I pointed it out. "Get used to it. It only gets worse the further we go."

I frowned at his back. The smell doesn't bother me now, but if it gets more intense, I may have to cover my nose. Salt wasn't my favorite; it burned my nose in high doses, and I hoped it would at least be bearable for me. We lapsed into silence once more, though I didn't mind. It let me enjoy the greenery while I still had the chance. I daydreamed as we rode.

My thoughts briefly thought of home, but mostly I thought of Sam. I couldn’t banish the worry in my chest, so I wished it would leave me be. It did nothing but ache.

With my heart so low, I tried to focus on other things, but the long stretches of silence