Hive Queen by Sinclair, Grayson (positive books to read .txt) 📕

“What now?” I asked as Magnus stared at his prize.

“Now, we have one final order of business to handle,” he said, stowing the Heart away. “Your reward. I promised you one, and I always keep my promises. So whatever you want—if it’s within my power, I’ll grant it.”

I already knew what I wanted, knew it for a while. “I have two requests I would like to ask,” I said holding up two fingers. “One, I would like to be a part of this going forward. Whatever is going on is obviously big, and I want to help.”

“Done,” Magnus said with a half-smile. “I was going to offer you a pace within my organization regardless. You’ve proven yourself a worthy and capable lieutenant.

“In fact, I have a gift for you. I think you’ll like it.”

Magnus held up his hand and scrolled through his interface before he flicked his hand out to me. a notification appeared in front of me.

Ability Share: Will of the Immortal

Accept Y/N

Yes.

Damn, he can share abilities just like Evelyn. Will of the Immortal—it’s a much better version of Dance of the Immortal. It gives me twenty seconds of complete time stop, and I can manipulate the time and space around me. I think that means I can bring people into the time stop with me if I’m close enough.

“This is─”

“The highest tier of the Immortal ability. I’m sure you’ll find it useful.”

“I’ll say.”

I quickly replaced Dance of the Immortal with its superior counterpart.

Magnus smiled and inclined his head. “Now that concludes our first order of business, what is your second request?”

I glanced over at Raven, who kept her gaze firmly planted at her feet and refused to meet Magnus’s eyes. Ah, returned to your subservience again. I much prefer your true personality. Meek doesn’t suit you.

“Raven. I want her released from her contract.”

Magnus frowned slightly, leaning back in his chair as his eye flicked from me to Raven and back again. He drummed his fingers on his stygian armrest. “You’re asking a lot of me. I depend on Raven quite heavily…but I also asked much of you, and you delivered where many others have failed. You’ve proven yourself, and I do owe you. Very well. You shall have her contract. Is she going to remain bound to you?”

“That’s not my decision to make,” I replied.

Raven finally looked up from the ground and to me. She smiled. “I wish to remain his bonded.”

“Excellent. Well, there you go!” Magnus said, standing from his throne. “I say a celebration is in order.”

“That sounds lovely. I’m positively famished,” Aliria said. “What about you?” she asked Eris.

“I’m perfectly fine with whatever.”

“Darling, I’m going to take Eris and get her cleaned up and dressed properly. Why don’t you and Duran have a drink in the dining hall in the meantime?”

“That’s a lovely idea,” he said, holding out his hand.

His ivory cane appeared out of thin air above his hand and dropped into his palm. With a flick of his wrist, it twirled around, and he leaned on it as the base struck the ground. I stared slack-jawed at his casual display of power.

“You said you weren’t cheating.”

“I told you once before, Duran. Cheating the system is impossible, and it’s offensive to insinuate. Twist your thinking a bit. Perhaps the cane was always there, or would’ve been, given enough time,” he said with a cheeky grin.

Magnus rubbed the carving embossed on the ivory with his thumb, drawing my attention. The hand holding the hourglass. The hand that holds time in its palm. Realization hit me like a sucker punch as all the pieces lined up. I’m an idiot. It’s been in front of me this entire time.

“You’re a time mage!” I nearly shouted, stunned.

Magnus stopped walking and turned back to me with amusement plain on his face. He rubbed his blond beard and chuckled. “I basically had to tell you, so you get no points for cleverness this time, Duran. But yes. Though I prefer chronomancer.”

“How is that possible?” I asked.

He waved me to follow him as he left the throne room. “We have much to discuss about our future together, Duran. Let’s at least do it over a drink.”

I walked behind him as we headed to the dining hall. As we stepped inside, I found it had been changed a little.

Most of the long banquet tables had been removed for individual circular ones that littered the stone floor. Only one long table remained, and it was at the center of the room. Magnus’s personal team of chefs worked like devils to get the room set up for us as we sat down at the table.

A swish of cloth behind me caused me to turn. Jasmine was beside me, leaning over, too close to me. “Can I get you an ale, Duran?” she asked sweetly, her earlier frosty attitude gone.

“Uh, water. Please.”

“Of course.” Her hand brushed mine as she left, and she spared me one last look before exiting to the kitchen.

“You’re quite popular with the ladies, Duran,” Magnus said with a laugh.

“I don’t know why,” I replied shaking my head. “I’m crass, easy to anger, and hyper-violent. I’m the furthest thing from a catch.”

“You’re also honest, dependable, and not hideous. Plus, Jasmine is young. She’s spent her entire life here after her father was killed defending the castle. She doesn’t know what love is and is misconstruing her infatuation.”

I nodded. “Still, she’s a lovely girl, but I’ve already got more than I can handle at the moment.”

“Right. I was quite surprised you and Raven had gotten so close. Your first interactions were…hostile, to say the least.”

“You could say she grew on me,” I said, laughing as I ran my fingers