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

Before I got out of the room, I turned back and wished her a good night.

“Night,” she said and shut the door.

Back in my room, the oil in the lantern had nearly burned out, so I doused it, refilled it, and lit it again. Before I went to bed, I washed my face and brushed my teeth, barely managing to stumble out of my shirt before I crashed onto the bed and passed out.

It seemed I was going to continue to be denied a decent night’s sleep as I was awoken by intense heat. It was sweltering in the room, and I was sweating bullets. The light from the lantern was out, but it was out of my reach, forcing me to get up and light it. I went to throw the comforter off me, but it was at the edge of the bed. Why is it so hot?

I found my answer when I moved to sit up. Scorching arms were wrapped around my neck. I tilted my head to find Eris asleep next to me, nearly nuzzling into my throat. Her hair fell across her face and smelled faintly of peppermint and lavender. She’d also discarded her ragged clothes in favor of a cream-colored cotton shirt. It fell past her hips, which was good, as she wasn’t wearing pants.

The hell is she in here for? I sat up as gingerly as I could, just managing to pry her loose. She sighed and hugged my pillow close to her as she tossed in her sleep. It was too hot in the room even though the window was open, the wind whistling softly outside. I got out of bed and poured a glass of whiskey, walking out to the balcony. The sun had yet to rise, and the moon hung fat in the sky.

I opened my interface to glance at the time. Just past four in the morning. I took a sip of my drink and stared at the moon. What a day, I thought and wished my neat whiskey was on the rocks.

Tomorrow is going to be just as long, though. I still had so much to do when the sun rose. The guild needed to know what my would-be assassin had told me, and we had to discuss a plan. Someone is after us, and we need to understand why.

A quick trip to the Compass Kingdom should give us all the information we need. With how expansive our network of informants is, one of them should know something. Evelyn and Wilson paid them well enough. Might have to rely on Evelyn this time. I doubt Wilson has forgiven me quite yet.

I was interrupted from my thoughts by a swish of cloth. Turning, I found Eris behind me, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She looked at me with one eye closed and the other half open. I took another sip while she roused herself enough to speak, though it came out thick and heavy with sleep.

“Morning,” she said.

I grunted back a non-reply. Finishing my drink in one large gulp and savoring the fire that drenched my throat, I went back and poured another glass before returning to the balcony. “Mind telling me what you’re doing in my room?”

She mumbled something, but it was drowned out by the wind. “What was that?” I asked.

“Um,” she said and fumbled with her hands, picking at her nails. “I…didn’t want to be alone. The room was far too empty and dark, even with the oil lamp. It reminded me of being back in the void.”

Oh. I didn’t think about that. I wouldn’t want to be alone in her shoes either.

“All right, that's fine, I guess. You can stay here tonight.”

“Thank you.” Eris smiled and walked back inside. When I didn’t follow her immediately, she poked her head out to stare at me.

“All right, all right. I’m coming,” I grumbled and downed my nearly full drink, heading inside out of the wind.

She’d already crawled into bed. I placed my glass back next to the decanter and settled on the bed, laying on my side, facing the wall. Eris scooted close to me, her body heat seeping into my back. I hope I get used to the heat, or I’m going to be miserable.

Eris placed a hand on my arm and curled up on the pillow next to me. I wasn’t entirely comfortable with how close she was, but it wasn’t worth mentioning.

I tried to fall back asleep, but I was all too aware of how close she was to me. It’d been years since I’d slept in the same bed with a woman. The occasional drunken one-night stand with Evelyn didn’t count. She never lingered, always going back to her own room when we finished.

Eris was…different.

I shifted, rolling onto my back, careful not to brush against her. I mean, she's beautiful, but that's beside the point. She’s essentially a slave, and that isn’t okay. However, she seemed fine with invading my personal space, because as soon as I turned over, she came even closer, propping her head onto my chest. Her cheek burning against my heart. I shut my eyes and willed myself asleep to no avail. I groaned softly and stared at the top of the bed.

“Can’t sleep?”

Eris was awake, staring at me. Her compounded eyes reflecting my face a hundred times. “Just a bit.”

She crawled toward me, draping half of her body over me and laying her chin on her hands. “Because of me?”

“Sorry, I’m not used to sleeping with someone else in bed with me.”

“It’s a new experience for me as well, but after so many years alone, it's wonderful. Thank you for suffering for my sake.”

I cracked a smile. “I wouldn't call it suffering exactly.”

She leaned up and kissed me,