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

I brought my fist up and tried to punch the thing’s face, but when I struck, my hand sank in like I was wading through ooze. I eventually pushed through to something very spongy at the center of the shade’s head, but my punch didn't do anything besides make it angry.

It warbled a screech and swung at my head. I was to slow to block, and it landed hard against my temple, sending me to my knees.

My hands sunk into the muck as I steadied myself and Gil shouted painfully loud to my ringing ears.

"We have to help her!"

I risked a glance, and both Gil and Makenna had defeated their adversaries. I was the only one still fighting. Gil had his axe and was tense, panicked as if he were about to charge in.

"Leave her be, blacksmith. I want to see what the little queen is made of," Evelyn said.

Gil grumbled and lowered his weapon.

A tear ripped into my heart when Gil stepped back, leaving me to fight alone. I didn’t like it, but I understood. I'm the weak one here; I'm holding everyone back just by being in their presence. I need to defend myself, and I can’t rely on everyone else for the rest of my life.

I attacked the shade recklessly, knowing I was safe from harm while I had my armor up, but I was running out of time. Something solid was in its head, so that's what I aimed for. I tackled the shade to the ground. It was much lighter than I expected, and I hit it with all of my strength.

I took my hands and willed the chitin to form claws. It shifted at my command, but that one change dropped me to less than ten percent of my remaining mana. I reached my clawed hands into its head and dug into the soft substance at the center.

The shade bucked and recoiled in agony as I did, releasing such a terrible scream that I thought my head was about to split in two. I bit down, gritting my teeth, and dug in deeper. I used the pain and my anger at my own helplessness to fuel my strength. I gripped the center in both hands and pulled it apart as quickly as I could.

It came with minimal resistance, tearing in half under my fingers, and I ripped until it was broken. As I pulled it free of the mass of shadows, the shade stopped screaming. It stopped doing anything and dissolved into nothingness, leaving only a squishy, pale yellow ball of sponge in my hands.

I dropped it as a rush of adrenaline surged through my bones, invigorating me and bringing a warm strength to my aching limbs.

“Hey, I leveled up.”

Chapter 7 - Complications

Sampson

It’d been most of a year since I'd last been to Aldrust, and even in the span of a year, things could’ve changed drastically. Because the kingdom itself resided far below ground, along with the constant mining going on, the layout changed every so often to reduce the risk of cave-ins and rockfalls. I can't rely on my previous knowledge of the layout, so we're going in blind. I had a few friends living in the dwarven kingdom, and the thought of what we were planning left a sour taste in my mouth.

I was about to waltz in and steal their most prized possession, and I was starting with absolutely zero workable intelligence.

My first thought was to call up Wilson or Evelyn; they'd be much better suited to planning a heist than I ever could, but my contacts in my interface were grayed out. I couldn't send or receive any messages. When I asked Magnus about it, he made a corny joke.

"My castle is in a dead zone, no cell service," he chortled.

“Funny,” I said and turned back to the map.

The trip to Aldrust would take a little under four days by horse. I wanted just to teleport, but since I had to bring the shifter with me, I couldn't do that, and Magnus flat out denied me when I asked to go alone.

"Why? I can do this alone, and I don't need her help."

Raven tensed at my words, lowering her gaze as she turned away from us. I didn’t care that I’d hurt her feelings—I didn't want a tag-along on this job.

Magnus shook his head. "I disagree. Raven will prove herself a valuable tool for you."

"She's only going to slow me down. I can teleport and be there in Aldrust in under an hour. By horse, it will take at least three days."

Magnus held his hand and stared me down, not willing to even entertain the idea. "She's going with you. If for nothing else than to help ensure a smooth delivery."

Ah. It clicked why he wanted her along. She's there to watch me just as much as she’s watching my back. Magnus doesn't trust that I won't abscond with Lachrymal’s Heart if I do manage to pull the job off.

I wasn’t getting my way in this, and I relented. There was too much at stake for me to just back out, no matter how distasteful I found the prospect of working with a shapeshifter.

“Fine. You win.”

Magnus acknowledged his victory with a subtle nod of his head and the beginnings of a smile. “Your contact in Aldrust will have a better idea of what awaits you when you get there, but feel free to take anything you might need from my armory.”

That was very generous of him, but outfitting me was only common sense. Lachrymal’s Heart was easily more valuable than any one item here, and since I sorely lacked in equipment, I happily took him up on his offer, though I had