Hive Queen

by Sinclair, Grayson

  She wasn’t who I’d made her out to be in my head, and I couldn’t even fall back on the fact that she was a shifter anymore. Not when I knew why she’d made the deal.

  “Just don’t forget why we’re here. This isn’t a date.”

  “I’m well aware, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy ourselves at least a little, right?”

  “Guess not.” I shrugged.

  “Good,” she said, pulling me along with a smile. “Then let’s get going!”

  The path up to the Iron Cathedral was sequestered away from the main road that led to the shopping and residential districts. We went through a gate that opened to a singular path that led to the cathedral. It was a bit of a hike as we climbed about a thousand steps, but at the top stood the Iron Cathedral.

  It was the single most elegantly designed building I’d ever seen; it put both mine and Magnus’s castles to shame in the quality of the stonework and design. Pristine white stone rose to two towering spires on either side of the basilica. Heavy buttresses ran from the spires to the main body of the church like fingers of a god digging into the stone blocks. High above us, stained glass sparkled from the radiant light of the mana crystal. Emerald green motes of light danced across the façade.

  “It’s breathtaking,” Raven said.

  I could only nod. “Without a doubt, it’s a gorgeous place, disconnected from mortality. Almost a shame what we have to do.”

  She placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently. “I agree, but neither of us have a choice here.”

  “We always have a choice.”

  With those words, we stopped staring at the beauty of the architecture and went inside. The door was comprised of solid stone only a hair’s shade off color from the rest of the stone. Nearly a hundred polished emeralds were embedded around the door. It opened at our approach and our footsteps on the stone lip of the frame echoed for a second before our feet hit the plush carpeted green rug that ran the length of the entryway.

  Ribbed vaulting ran the entirety of the hall’s ceiling until it widened at the center of the cathedral. Where Lachrymal’s Heart resided.

  Even from the entrance, the lingering foreboding that slithered over my shoulders was amplified by the mere presence of the Heart. Its insidious whispering and high-pitched tone were barely audible from where we stood, but they were still present, sending shivers up my spine.

  “Gods, what’s that feeling? I don’t like it,” Raven said, crossing her arms and rubbing them.

  “That’s what divinity feels like. Just ignore it for now. The more you think about it, the worse it gets.”

  “Why?”

  “We’re in the presence of something not meant for mortals, and especially not meant for human mortals. The dwarves have an innate tolerance; we’re not so lucky,” I said, lowering my voice.

  We weren’t alone here. There were several priests tending the church and the parishioners, and that wasn’t counting Lachrymal’s Chosen.

  The stoic-faced guards were all clad in shadowsteel armor with a single large emerald in the center of their chests, right over their hearts. Each carried their own preference of weapons, swords, axe, and even a few maces. Each would be a master of their weapon, having fought for dozens of years, maybe even a full century before they were allowed the honor of serving Lachrymal.

  I started walking through the nave that led to the Vault of Tears, the resting place of Lachrymal’s Heart. Raven stopped glancing around and caught up to me a few steps later.

  “I don’t like this place. We shouldn’t be here,” she said, her hand going to mine for comfort.

  I gave her fingers a squeeze. “You’re right, but we have to. I told you, don’t think about it too much. You’re letting it get to you.”

  She jerked head, breathing in and out deeply, but her heartbeat pressed through her fingertips and beat fast against my own rising drum. Take your own advice—get out of your head about this.

  “As thanks.”

  Before I could ask the Aspect what it meant, a chill seeped from my heart to my head. it wasn’t like before when it took control of my body, but it was a soft breeze that settled my turbulent emotions and brought rationality to my thoughts.

  My heart settled, and I wasn’t concerned by the tonal screeching that had been steadily rising as we got closer to the vault. The cold, logical side of the Aspect bled through my mind, and I picked up the pace, nearly dragging Raven along behind me.

  Though we had to stop as we reached the vault. The door was similar to the entrance of the cathedral, but the emeralds formed a teardrop in the center. Flanked on either side of the door were two of Lachrymal’s Chosen. Standing at four foot nothing, they still radiated the calm grace of a lifetime warrior.

  Their eyes flicked over us mechanically. They filed us both in either threat or non-threat category, and I knew exactly what category I was shuffled to: the same one I’d put them in.

  But the Iron Cathedral was a public place, even for humans, and they couldn’t outright deny us entrance, but the one on the right shot me a warning look that said in no uncertain terms that they would be more than happy to bring heavy violence upon my person if I stepped out of line.

  With a nod and a swift chant in Script, the door thudded and slid below the floor to reveal the Vault of Tears.

  As we stepped from the plush carpet and back onto stone, the thuds of our boots resounded through the mostly empty chamber and melded with the subtle whine that permeated the room. White stone faded to gray as the slabs led to the center of the room, where the object of our heist lay situated on top of a small, rocky obelisk that rose from the earth itself to cradle the gemstone at the zenith.

  Lachrymal’s Heart was huge for a gem. It was roughly circular, shaped like an egg about the size of my head and weighed at least twenty-five pounds. It was smooth around the center with precise lines cut along the edge which refracted light in the geometric patterns as we approached.

  Raven tugged on my hand which stopped me in place. I turned back, confused. “What?”

  “I don’t want to be here, it hurts.”

  I realized then that I hadn’t heard the insidious infrasound that the gem emitted since the Aspect had lent me its chill. Raven didn’t have such luxury and was feeling the full impact of the oppressive weight of the Weeping God.

  I pulled her close and held her hand tighter. “Feel that. Just focus on the tactile feeling of my hand and tune out everything else.”

  She nodded, unsteady and wound her fingers through mine before gripping my hand with both of hers. I let her have the hand while I focused on my surroundings, to do what we’d come here for.

  The room was large, full of mostly unused space, especially around the obelisk itself. A couple dozen pews were arranged around the room in a circle for when church was in service, but beside that, the ground floor was mostly barren.

  Getting in from the ground floor wouldn’t be an option. There was too much open space and nowhere to hide or run to if I fucked up. Above was my best bet.

  The ceiling was high overhead, at least twenty feet, which would hurt like hell if I fell, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it. Arched support beams just below the ceiling stretched across the entirety of the room. A few more jutted out and crisscrossed here and there but were for decoration rather than holding the weight of the building.

  All right, that’ll be their downfall. It’ll be cramped, but like I assumed, those beams are going to be my best bet.

  The stone beams were high enough and the light low enough that unless anyone looked directly at us, we could potentially hide for a while and scout out the area. There were also a few stained-glass windows that were close enough to the beams that I could leap and grab onto.

  Cut through the glass and jump to one of the beams. It’ll be a broken leg if I miss, but at that point I’m pretty much dead anyway. All right, we’ll scout more when we come back, but there aren’t any guards in the vault itself. So I’ve got my entra
nce—that’s what we came here for.

  Mika’s team will have info on who comes and goes and at what hours to give us our window. Let’s get out of here.

  I let go of Raven’s hand and approached the obelisk before sinking to my knee and bowing my head. Let the guards at the door see I’m just a worshipper of Lachrymal and get them off my case.

  I rose and the two of us left. Raven practically clung to me as we left the vault but regained some of her composure the further we got from the heart. When we exited the cathedral, she let go of me and stood on her own.

  “Thanks,” she muttered, her cheeks red.

  “Yeah, don’t get used to it, though.”

  “What, the kind and endearing side of you? Being a decent person for more than a few minutes at a time? How awful would that be?”

  She started snickering to herself, letting her blushed cheeks fade away as we meandered down the path back to Hightown.

  “I can be kind for more than a few minutes,” I protested.

  “Just not to me?” Raven asked, tilting her head toward me.

  “I don’t like you that much,” I said, teasing her with a smile.

  She laughed, picking up her pace as she stepped over a loose rock and nearly lost her balance. Her legs wobbled a bit, but she recovered and turned around while walking backwards down the steps, a devious smile lifting on her lips. “You say you don’t like me now, but that wasn’t the case last night.”

  “The hell are you talking about?”

  “You move in your sleep. You held me against your chest for most of the night. Guess you unconsciously wanted to be closer to me,” she said, her voice dripping saccharine.

  “Bullshit!” I shouted, my face growing hot.

  She just kept up her smile and turned back around as we reached the last step. “Guess you’ll never know.”

  I sighed as a dull pain radiated from behind my eyes and my mouth went dry. Her flippant attitude irked me to no end, but I didn’t think she was the kind of person to outright lie.

  “I could make you tell me, you know.”

  “How’s that? By force? You gonna take your knife to my skin to spill my blood and secrets?” she asked, her voice lifting ever so subtly.

  Her tone was light, but there was a dark undertone to it when she spoke. I ignored the tone and focused on the question as we passed out of the gate and back onto the main street of Hightown. I was quiet for a few seconds as we passed a crowd of wealthy dwarven nobles on a shopping spree. The dwarven butler was breaking his back to carry about a hundred pounds of parcels behind the group.

  When they were well out of earshot and the street was mostly clear again, I spoke. “Through our bond, I could order you to tell the truth.”

  Raven paused as her teasing eyes dropped. Didn’t think of that did you? She shook her head slightly and smiled again, drawing closer to me. “There’s no need for that, master. I’m yours to do with as you please.”

  “Watch the m-word!”

  Raven chuckled, her crimson eyes sparking a fire as she covered her mouth to keep from laughing. “Then don’t threaten me with commands unless you actually intend to follow through with them.”

  I snorted. We both knew I wouldn’t ever make good on my threat. “Fair point.”

  By the time we reached the Low Road, I was dying for an ale, and I still had to plot the heist before we went later that night.

  It was far too early for the bar to be open, but Orryn told us we had access anytime. I unfurled one of the earth scrolls he’d given us, and with a flash of sandy brown light, the Script circle flared to life and disintegrated in my palms as it activated, and my slight mana bar took a hit.

  The door opened as if on hydraulics and slid seamlessly into the wall, and we walked in. The bar was desolate. The stone tables were clean, and the chairs were empty. No one there.

  Tel wasn’t behind the bar, and she couldn’t stop me from slinking behind it and grabbing two bottles of beer.

  Raven sat down at a table in the center of the room. I handed her one of the bottles and pulled out the chair opposite her. I popped the top and drained half of it before leaning back with a satisfied sigh.

  “All right,” I said, pulling out our bag of supplies for the heist. “There’s a map of the cathedral in the bag. Let’s compare it to what we just witnessed.”

  “If we had a map the whole time, why did we need to go and see the place for ourselves?”

  I opened the bag and pulled out the thick, rolled canvas. With a flick of my wrist, it unfurled, and I used our beer bottles to weigh down the sides.

  “Never rely on what someone or something says. Always verify for yourself. This map could be outdated, and if we based everything solely on what we thought we knew, we’d be screwed when we got there and found things different. It’s the same principle I’m taking with the plan. There’s no sense concocting a complex plan, because it will all go to shit the moment a complication arises.”

  Raven stood and bent over the table looked the blueprints over. It was simple, drawn by hand, but by an expert’s hand, and it matched what I remembered from the Iron Cathedral to a T.

  “It looks the same to me,” she said, tracing her finger along the rough fabric as she stared at the entrance until she got to the Vault of Tears. “And why do you think there’s going to be a complication?”

  “Because Magnus has already sent men after the Heart before, professional thieves that were probably incredibly skilled in their fields. They all failed, which tells me there is something none of them considered—the same thing I’m not considering—that got them killed.”

  “Any idea what it could be?”

  “Could be any number of things, but I’m betting a trap, something the thieves couldn’t see, and they tripped it on accident.”

  She nodded, sitting back down. “Makes sense, but what do we do about it?”

  “Nothing we can do but have each other’s backs. A lot is riding on this. Can I trust you?”

  “With your life.”

  “That’s exactly what I’m doing. You’ve got skill, and you’ve maintained your composure well so far, but when our backs are to the wall and all hope is lost, I need to know you’re in my corner.”

  She nodded, holding my gaze as she dipped her head. “I am yours.”

  An uncomfortable weight settled in my chest but faded as she broke eye contact and started pulling out the items in the bag and cataloging them once more.

  “There isn’t anything we need that we don’t already have,” she said, as the table filled with our gear. “I’m assuming we’re going in from above?”

  “Of course. It offers the best avenue for infiltration.”

  “So we have the gear, the map, and a semblance of a plan. What are we waiting for?”

  “The others. We need to go over the plan with them. I don’t know about the others, but I’ve trusted Mika with my life before. I know I can count on him.”

  Raven rubbed at her chin, huffing as she leaned her elbows on the table. “Well, he needs to hurry the hell up.”

  “Antsy?”

  “A little. I don’t like sitting still. My bones start to ache if I don’t move around every now and again.”

  Footsteps sound on the stone outside, and I turned in my chair as Orryn walked through the door, followed by Tel.

  “Ah, good you’re here already,” he said, tersely.

  “Good to see you again, Duran,” Tel said, smiling as her wings appeared in a shimmer of rainbow light and she flew over the bar top. “And I see you’ve helped yourself to some of my stock, have you?”

  “I’ll pay for it,” I replied taking a swig and trying not to laugh.

  She shrugged, a short laugh building in her throat before she looked at Orryn and clammed up. “I’ll be in the other room if you need me.”

  Mika and the hired muscle swept in behind Orryn, geared up with hungry glints in their eyes.

  As soon as everyone settled around the table, I looked a
t each one in turn and smiled.

  “All right, let’s go over the plan.”

  Chapter 16 - Old Gods, New Monsters

  Eris

  As the thud of Misumena’s many limbs drew closer, I snapped out of the slithering dread that had sunk into my skin and nocked an arrow as fast as I could. I loosed it as Misumena reared her translucent head back and opened her chelicerae to reveal menacingly long fangs.

  My aim was true, and the arrow slid into her open mouth, and a thick spurt of pale blue blood squirted out and dripped down. Misumena screeched in pain, a grotesque whine that split the air like a whistle.

  The shriek, however, was enough to break Gil, Makenna, and Adam out of their spell. They’d been standing still, staring at the gigantic spider approaching without even touching their weapons. Evelyn had drawn hers but was looking at me for directions. This is new territory for me! I don’t know what to do!

  Even in a world filled with monsters, I guess even the humans chosen by the gods to come here could be baffled by something.

  “We need to spread out, grouping up will only make us easier to catch!” I shouted, backing away from Misumena as she shook in pain before closing her mouth tight. A faint snap resounded, and when she bared her fangs once more, the shaft of my chitin arrow had been split in two.

  I couldn’t just fire at will; my chitin wasn’t endless, and every arrow I fired weakened my defense. The arena was large, but Misumena took up nearly a third of the space by herself, and had good reach with her legs. We had to spilt up, but we would need to work together to survive.

  “Evelyn, what do we do?”

  “That’s what I’m trying to figure out!” she shouted back as she nimbly ran forward towards the spider. Misumena had her eyes on Gil, who lumbered sideways and drew his massive black battleaxe, keeping just out of range of Misumena’s claws.

  She scuttled suddenly towards Gil, flashing out with her front limb. Her jagged pale claws deflected off the head of Gil’s axe just as he brought it up. The impact pushed him back, leaving two lines in the dirt, but Gil remained standing.