I brushed his hair back the way Mom always did with us. “I know you are. I am too. But I need you to be brave for me right now, can you do that?”
He gave me the barest half nod. “I’ll try.”
“Good. Now when I give you the signal, I’m going to jump out and lead the ghoul away from here, and when I do, I want you to run as fast as you can. Go straight ahead. In about two miles, there’s a camp. Hide somewhere close and wait until sunrise.”
“Don’t leave me!” Micah sobbed.
“No choice, bud, I’m bleeding. It’s already got my scent, so I can’t get away,” I hugged him tight, one last time. “All right, get ready.”
I released him and crept around the car. The ghoul was closer now, maybe fifteen feet away. If I time this wrong, I’m dead. A few shards of taillight littered the ground beside me, and I snatched them up, ignoring the pain as they sliced into my skin, and tossed them in front of me. They scattered in the air, turning the moonlight into a bloody kaleidoscope and pinged off a row of cars in front of me.
The ghoul turned its head at the sound, and I took off at a dead sprint hollering at the top of my lungs, waiting for it to chase me. I made it to the other side of the road before I realized the ghoul wasn’t coming after me.
I stopped and turned back to see it in the same position, not moving a muscle. It’s neon blue eyes glowed bright as it stared at me, opening its mouth wide. Thousands upon thousands of sliver needles formed a grim smile, and I realized I’d been played.
Two more ghouls dropped down from one of the buildings nearby. Right next to Micah. He hadn’t moved from the car, and they were right on top of him.
“Micah, run!” I yelled and ran as fast as I could, trying to reach him before they did.
I didn’t make it.
One of them lunged at Micah as he ran. He threw himself to the side, almost dodging it…almost.
The ghoul wrapped its teeth around his arm, taking it clean off in one bite. Blood fountained from his stump, but his eyes glazed, he was in shock, I could tell he didn’t even feel it. He fell to his knees and looked straight at me.
“Sammy—”
The other ghouls swarmed him.
The last sight of my brother was him staring at me with tears in his eyes. Waiting for me to save him.
Micah died, waiting for me to save him.
I didn’t remember the next few minutes. My mind refused to process anything. When I came back to myself, I ran—ran as fast as I could, away from my dead family—trying to outrun my failures. I ran until I couldn’t anymore.
My body wouldn’t respond to me, and I crashed to the asphalt, lying amid the dead and ruined city, waiting for it to be my turn.
How I didn’t die right there is a mystery. I lay in that street for hours, as night waned and the sun rose over the burned-out skyscrapers. When the sun reached the road, I knew it was safe for me to move, but I couldn’t. I lay there as the sun continued to bake overhead, burning what exposed skin I had. I let it, and I welcomed the pain, the burning concrete, and my bone-dry lips and mouth.
If the ghouls wouldn’t take my life, then the beating sun would. I stayed there, waiting for my life to end so that I could be with my family.
Fate had other plans, as I eventually heard footsteps approaching me. I ignored them, hoping they would leave me to my end. They didn’t and crept closer and closer. Eventually, they stood over me, shielding me from the sun for the first time in hours.
“Another poor soul. Decent pair of shoes, though. Strip him, and let’s move on. We’re burning daylight.”
I was roughly turned over, and the harsh light of the sun blinded me, forcing me to cover my eyes.
“By the abandoned god. He’s alive. Quick, get him some water,” someone said.
Another set of rapidly approaching feet. A canteen of water was brought to my lips, and soothing water dripped, which I drank greedily.
“Easy there, don’t drink too much too fast.”
I opened my eyes to stare at an unfamiliar face. It was a girl with a kind smile who grinned even wider when I opened my eyes. “Heya there, I’m Sophia. Nice to meet you!”
She was the first person who showed kindness to me, and that kindness never wavered. She was too kind for that broken world, and she was too kind for this world as well. And I let her die.
I didn’t want to think about that anymore, didn’t want to remember them. It only brought pain. Eris didn’t mean to throw open that door, but she had, and it was always hard to close it again.
Whiskey. I need whiskey. I didn’t even bother with the tumbler this time, preferring to drink straight from the decanter. Several large gulps of the amber liquor brought me back to myself, and I slammed the glass on the nightstand much harder than I meant.
I turned my back to Eris while I got my emotions under control. I didn’t want her to see my tears or hear me sob, so I wept in silence for my long-dead family.
She was supportive. She knew I was crying, but she didn’t pry, just wrapped her hands around my waist and placed her cheek on my back and let me.
Her presence helped tremendously and let me get my feelings in order much faster than usual. I wiped away my tears with the back of my hand. “Thank you,” I said, my voice hoarse and rough.
“Of course. I’m sorry for bringing it up. I should’ve known better.”
“It’s fine,” I said, brushing off her concern. I don’t want to think about them anymore. I need a distraction. Any distraction. “The first part of bonding was drinking my blood, what’s next?”
“The opposite, actually. As I have tasted of you, you must now taste of me.”
What? Do I have to drink her blood? She stepped off the bed and came round to face me, pushing in between my legs. “I have to drink your blood?” I asked.
She nodded. “You have to taste me.”
Taste her? An odd way to phrase that…but it doesn’t specifically say I have to drink her blood, just to taste her. Would saliva count? “I’m not comfortable drinking your blood, would your spit count as me tasting you?” I asked.
“Hmm. It’s always been sharing blood, so I don’t know if it will work. I’m not opposed to sharing blood with you. I trust you, but your saliva is different than mine, it would be excruciating if you bit me, so I’m open to suggestions.”
“Right, no magic spit to heal bite wounds for us humans.”
Even though it was my idea, I still didn’t like it, and my stomach tied itself into knots. It beats ripping a chunk of flesh from her, but gods, I don’t really want to do this. But it was only a half-truth, part of me was excited about the prospect, like a need that demanded to be filled. I leaned down, our faces mere inches from each other, and Eris grinned as I approached. “Oh, so that’s your plan.”
“Sorry, if this makes you uncomfor—”
Before I could finish, she kissed me. Eris wrapped her hand around the base of my neck, pulling me into her. Parting her lips slightly as she pressed them against mine, she ran her tongue across my mouth, searching for an opening. I obliged, letting her in for her tongue to dance with mine.
Her breath was hot and sweet. It drew me in like a moth to the flame, and I couldn’t pull away. I didn’t want to.
Eris pressed even harder with her mouth and body, bringing herself fully into my embrace. I placed my hands under her thighs and lifted her to me, she drew her legs around my waist and supported herself with her hands around my neck.
We fell back against the bed but did not break our kiss. She ran her fingers through my hair, dislodging my hairband when she dug into my locks. The tips of her fingers burned like candles on my scalp, but it was a good pain. It brought me closer to her.
A new heat blossomed in my chest, slow at first but it grew as we kissed. It became as hot as a raging inferno before settling comfortably. When the heat faded away, I knew that we’d bonded. I knew it in the far reaches of my mind and the depths of my soul. We belonged to one another now.
Both master and slave at the same time.
We had completed the bonding, yet we did not break away from each other. She must have felt the same thing as I, but she kept kissing me, continuously running her tongue through my mouth.
I'm enjoying it, but we should stop. Easier said, as I kept getting drawn back to her mouth and its sweetness.
With great force of will, I managed to pry myself loose. She tried to keep going, brushing her lips across mine once more, but I pulled back, panting and trying to catch my breath. Eris nuzzled my forehead with hers, breathing just a heavily as I was. Her eyes were filled with lust, clearly asking why I’d stopped.
“By the void, that was amazing,” she breathed.
“I agree, but that got heated way too fast.”
She ran her hand over my cheek and through my hair. “Is that a bad thing?”
Is it? Yes. No…I don’t know. “This is all just happening so fast. Give me a minute,” I said and moved to stand up.
Eris climbed off me, rolling over on the bed to lay on the mass of pillows piled in disorganized chaos, propping herself up with a smile and a nod. The stone floor was cold as I climbed down, but I barely felt it, flushed with the heat of her embrace.
I padded over to the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind me. Steam rose in currents from the bath, but I ignored it for a second and went to brush my teeth and comb my hair back. The familiarity of the routine helped calm me and gave me something to focus on while I sorted out my thoughts.
I feel strange, but good. The heat had faded from my chest, leaving only the shard of ice still burrowed into my heart. It pulsed even now, bringing a chill into my bones. I thought about heading back into the bedroom, but I wasn’t ready to face her yet. I stripped and lowered myself into the bath. Odd, it’s gotten even colder, the fire stone can’t have degraded that fast. Need to talk to Adam in the morning.
I waded over the stone shelving and kept busying myself with getting clean, even taking the time to wash my hair. As I rinsed the suds out, I realized what I was doing. I wanted to be clean before I saw Eris again.
Maybe I do know how I feel about her? We just met, but I’ve never met anyone like her before. Yes, I was attracted to her, but that wasn’t enough to justify the lengths I’d gone to for her. Here I am, essentially married to her. Something I swore I’d never do, especially after Sophia. So what's going on with me? What force pushed me down this path?
It wasn’t Eris herself—that much I was certain—but no other answers presented themselves to me, and at this point, I was stalling. I was as clean as I’d ever be, so with some trepidation, I climbed out of the bath, snagging a towel by the door and tying it around my waist before exiting.
Eris was lounging in the same spot as when I’d left her. She tilted her head when she heard the door open, her ears twitched slightly and she smiled. “You smell nice, like cherries and sweet cream.”
“You can thank Yumiko for that. She enjoys making soaps and the like.”
I opened the top drawer of my wardrobe and picked out a pair of black cotton pants and a royal blue tunic with a deep v collar, not my usual taste, but it was a gift from Gil, and it’d do for sleepwear. I was conscious of her eyes on me as I changed but tried my best to ignore them. My hair was still wet and dripped water down my neck, so I dried it roughly before crawling into bed.
Almost immediately, Eris shifted, coming over to rest beside me, linking her arm through mine and cuddling into me. “Not that I mind, but you seem too comfortable around me, given that we just met.”
She chuckled softly in my ear. “I guess it must seem that way to you, but I’ve seen your soul, remember? I know exactly what kind of man you are. Your soul can’t lie or deceive, and I’ve tasted of your life, seen for myself the lengths you are willing to go to for those you love. And you keep proving yourself to me, you haven’t taken advantage of me, even when I’ve given you ample opportunity. You’ve impressed me.”
I turned away from her. “I’m just me…and who I am isn’t good.”
Eris crawled over me and took my chin in her hands, forcing me to look at her. “You are, my bonded. Your memories didn't tell me the reason why you tear yourself asunder, but you’re in pain, such tremendous pain. You don't have to be anymore; we are one now. Let me shoulder some of your burdens,” she said and leaned down to kiss me with abandon.
As if she could erase my despair with her lips alone. They burned me, but not near enough to burn away the past. The fires of hell wouldn’t be enough.
Her kiss was enough to bring me out of myself, and I returned it for a time, but soon enough, we broke apart, both acknowledging the closure of the kiss.
She sighed with contentment and laid on my chest. Maybe I could get used to this. I’ve been so cut off from everyone that I’ve forgotten how nice this feels. I traced my fingers through her hair and over her ears. They were softer than I imagined, and Eris quivered under my touch. Sensitive, huh?
I put a little more pressure on them and massaged a little harder. She squirmed and let out a squeak, which made me want to laugh, but she didn’t stop me. The more I kept it up, the more she shuddered, clutching at the hem of her tunic.
Her breathing deepened, and she moaned. It slipped from her lips, and she looked up at me with a flushed face and desire in her eyes. Uh-oh, not what I meant to happen. I’d been having fun and didn’t realize the effect it was having on her. I stopped touching her and withdrew my hand quickly.
Eris leaned back, propping her arms behind her to support her weight, still straddling me. When she shifted, her tunic bunched around her hips, giving me a brief glimpse and making it painfully apparent she wasn’t wearing underwear.
I looked away, but she’d caught my gaze, and my burning face betrayed me. She grinned at me, a devious little smirk that set her eyes smoldering. “See something you like?”
“Not on purpose.”
Eris raised her shirt even more, pushing up past her stomach, just under her breasts. The porcelain skin of her abdomen seemed smooth and soft, but there were hints of primal muscle as she shifted. And I knew something more than muscle lurked underneath.
She watched my eyes as I forced myself not to stare and grinned wide. “You can look, I don’t mind.”
“I’m good for now, thanks.”
She chuckled and lowered her shirt back down, covering herself once more. “Humans are such strange creatures. You get flustered over the most mundane of things.”
“I don’t think casual disrobing is that mundane.”
“To you maybe, but not for entomancers. Since we can share so much more of ourselves than just our bodies, physical intimacy is commonplace for my kind,” she said, crawling up to me and kissed my cheek, her lips like tiny flames on my skin. “Besides, you are my bonded. We belong to each other, bound together for now until eternity.”
Eris looked at me with want in her eyes, her hands slipping under my shirt to caress my chest. Her fingers burned, but it was pleasant. She took one of my hands and placed it on her waist. Her skin was as soft as it looked, but pressing in, more unusual material resided just beneath.
Without thinking, I traversed across her waist and stomach, marveling at the softness of her skin and the hardness as I pressed deeper. She tensed each time I touched her, growing more and more heated. Eris moaned and dug her fingertips into my chest, the pain bringing me back into the moment.
She pushed her hips deep into my groin, feeling my burgeoning hardness and grinning down at me. In a flash, Eris removed her shirt; It fell off the bed, and Eris stood nude before my eyes.
Her skin was perfect—not a single scar, or hair for that matter. Barring the hair on her head and her eyebrows and eyelashes, she was completely hairless.
Her breasts drew my gaze. They were small, yet firm and perky, her light brown nipples were fully erect as she watched me. “Do you like them?” she asked. For the first time, there was uncertainty in her voice. “I know they’re small an—”
“They’re perfect,” I assured her.
Her face lit up. She smiled her thanks and took one of my hands to cup her breast. Heat radiated from her as her flesh yielded under my fingers, bringing the beat of her heart into my palm. I was tempted by her beauty and lustful eyes, but I stopped myself and pulled away.
“Not tonight,” I said with a shake of my head.
“Why not? Isn’t it normal for humans to mate after they bond?”
“Normal, yes. Though this is anything but, and I’m not comfortable sleeping with someone I’ve just met.”
Eris sighed with disappointment but nodded and slid off me to rest beside me. “Maybe that’s best. For entomancers sharing blood, is much more personal than mere sex, but that’s not true for humans. I understand your hesitation, but it’ll happen eventually, so I can be patient.”
I chuckled. “You seem certain of that.”
“You are my bonded. We are drawn to one another, until eternity, and even though you did it to help me, I don’t want this to be solely for the sake of convenience. I want...” she said but trailed off.
“Want what?”
She shook her head, coming to lay her head on my chest. “Doesn’t matter, it’s not important.”
Eris quieted after that, and I settled down to get some rest. I slept for what felt like seconds before I awoke again.
What was that?
Something had awoken me and set my skin on pins and needles. I scanned the room for intruders, but there was no one in the room besides Eris and myself. Turning to check on her, I found her awake and staring at me.
Eris opened her mouth to speak, but the voice that rose from her lips wasn’t the voice of Eris. It was lifeless and robotic as if something were speaking through her.
“Human. Durandahl. You who have cast aside your identity, I name you once more. Sampson Acre.”
My blood froze in my veins, and my head ached as if it were about to burst. I went to speak, but my voice caught, and I choked. “H-how do you know that name? Who are you?”
“I am the beginning and the end. The serpent which devours itself.”
“I don’t know what that means!”
Hive Knight: A Dark Fantasy LitRPG (Trinity of the Hive Book 1) Page 16