Hive Knight: A Dark Fantasy LitRPG (Trinity of the Hive Book 1) by Grayson Sinclair (black authors fiction txt) 📕

away, staying a respectful distance apart, still on all fours, looking at me strangely. “You seem wary of me, why?”

“You just said my fucking name!”

“Of course,” she said.

“How did you know it?”

She was tired of maintaining her distance as she crawled towards me. Refusing to answer my question, which sent me into panic mode. I tried to back away on pure instinct, but I was pinned by the chest, and she covered the short distance in a second.

She was close again. Too close.

“You told me...or rather, your soul did.”

What now? It was such a ridiculous statement that it took me out of the situation. I forgot to be cautious of this girl; she’d certainly grabbed my attention. What the hell does that even mean?

“Would you care to explain that last part?”

She knelt between my legs, sitting back to rest on her heels. Still closer than I liked, but her hands folded around her slight chest.

She’d sensed my frantic emotional state and was attempting to appear as non-threatening as possible. Her calmness was contagious, and it helped to ease some of my abject panic, but the question still hung in the air. Once I’d calmed myself to her satisfaction, she spoke.

“I’m sorry, that was probably a bad way to put that. You humans hold such high value on that word, but what I meant was I simply got a glimpse at you when you first touched my prison; your memories, your actions, the things that make you who you are. They’re what form your soul.”

“Yeah, that's not creepy in the slightest,” I said and couldn’t keep the bitterness from my voice “And what did my soul tell you?”

Nothing good, I expect. I’ve done too many horrible things to be good anymore. I’m nothing but the last gasping breath of a dead man.

I was dead; my mind just hadn’t caught up yet.

Her features softened, holding sorrow and pity for my sake. Here was someone who’d spent centuries locked away, and she was concerned for me. I wasn’t worth her compassion.

Even still, she smiled at me, and it was a kind smile. Placing a hand on my own, she gave mine a quick squeeze. It didn’t jolt me this time, but it was still so warm. “I saw your pain. The guilt and anguish that tears at you every single day. It was just a glimpse, but I saw many of the awful things you’ve done, and the good.”

“There's nothing good about me,” I spat. “Not anymore.”

She held my hand tighter, and the heat radiating from it grew even hotter, taking away the chill of the cold stone underneath me. “I don’t think that’s true, not really. Your cruelty is logical in a way. Past the brutality is a kind man who cares deeply for his friends. Everything you do is for them.”

“You’re wrong,” I snapped.

“I’m not, and I think deep down, you know that.”

A part of me was furious. Furious at her for seeing my innermost being. The monster I’d become. Though another part of me was elated at her words. Whether I wanted her to see my true self or not, she had. Seen my soul laid bare…and she’s not running away.

The girl lowered her eyes from me and blushed. “It’s the reason why I’ve chosen you to be my master.”

Wait, run that by me again. “I’m sorry, would you mind repeating that?”

She frowned, and it was kind of adorable, almost like pouting. “I’d rather not. You heard what I said, and it's embarrassing enough already.”

I shook my head, standing up, using the chest behind me as a chair. The wood creaked as my weight settled. “I’m nobody’s master. Not going to happen.”

Her frown deepened, turning to a scowl. “Believe me, I’m not thrilled about the thought of selling myself into slavery either, but I don’t have a choice.”

Hell, no! I’m no slaver. Not going to happen! Unlike the Alliance, I’d never held with the practice. Even though it was the single most profitable business on the Isle of Nexus, I never took part. Humans were illegal to enslave, but the other races, the elves, and dwarves, along with the rabbitmen and wolfmen, were fair game in the eyes of the Merchants Guild.

And the Alliance wonders why tensions between the kingdoms are so high.

“I’m not going to be your master, so forget it,” I said and stood up from the chest.

I walked past the girl, who kept her gaze at my back as I went over to the vault door, taking the key out of my pocket in the process. I turned back to her.

“Look, I don’t know anything about you, but you’ve obviously lived a rough life. If you want, you can stay here. We have more than enough room. Or, if you want to leave, I’ll give you whatever you need, and you can go and find your people, wherever they might be.”

I placed the key in the lock and twisted. She stood up from the floor to look at me with steel in her gaze. “That’s kind of you to offer, but irrelevant. If you don’t accept the pact, then I will die.”

My hand froze halfway from pulling out the key. “Godsdamn it,” I muttered. Of course, it wasn’t going to be that simple. She’s probably lying, anyway.

I took the key out, leaving the door unlocked and sighed. Damn it. “All right, I’ll bite. Why will you die if I don’t accept?”

Her face darkened, holding such conflicting emotions. Rage, sadness, and misery all ran through her eyes, while venom dripped from every word. “I wasn’t sealed away for nearly a millennium for my own benefit. I was cursed. Sentenced to the void by black magic, but that wasn’t a good enough punishment, it seems, as I’m also bound to whoever I choose to