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

nothing more than a quick peck, but her warm lips lingered on mine for just a second. “Still, thank you.”

Her lips were soft, and like a jolt of electricity and a sleeping draught rolled into one. “Yeah, anything for you.” Why did I just say that? And why do I really want her to kiss me again?

Eris looked up at me. “Anything?”

“I don’t like the look in your eye. What do you want?”

“Nothing much, well, nothing much to you, but it would mean a lot to me—” she started to ramble.

“Look, just tell me what it is, and if it’s within reason, I’ll agree,” I said.

“Well, I know you’re not happy with being my master, and I’m not happy with it either, I mean, you’re not going to take advantage of me, but I still don’t like it—”

“Which is why I’m going to find a way to break the curse on you and free us both from this.”

Eris smiled. “That's what I expected you to say, but it’s an impossibility. As far as I’m aware, nothing can dispel the curse…except maybe one of the divine, but I’m not sure.”

“And asking anything of the gods is a terrible idea,” I replied.

“I agree. The Morrigan would be the god to ask, but she won't help. My goddess enjoys the chaos of mortals.”

“So that leaves us screwed.”

Eris eyed me, shifting on her hands, the heat from her body soaking into my bare chest. “Not exactly. There is one way, not a cure for the curse, and it wouldn’t get rid of the master-servant bond, but it would lessen it.”

Still dancing around the topic, I don’t like this. Where is she going? I motioned for her to continue, waiting to hear her plan.

“Well…we could…bond together.”

“Bond?”

“It’s what entomancers call our pairings. We bind ourselves together through magic.”

“Are you asking me to marry you?”

Eris cocked her head, this time at an angle no human head could manage. “I don’t know what that means.”

“It’s when two humans who love each other, vow to spend the rest of their lives together.”

Her eyes glinted even in the darkness. “That's more or less what bonding is, though my people rarely did it for love. So, yes. I guess I am asking you to marry me.”

I shook my head. No, I can’t. I couldn’t then, and I can’t now. Even if it would help her, I couldn’t agree to her request. Anything else, and I’d have been okay with, but not that.

I’d be a poor partner. I can’t protect anyone. Not Micah or Sophia; they deserved better, and so does Eris.

“No, I can’t. I’m sorry,” I said, or well, it’s what I attempted to say. What actually came out of my mouth was. “Yes, if that's what you want.”

What the hell? What just happened? Another headache pulsed in my head, bringing a wave of nausea over me. My stomach was in knots, and my mouth tasted metallic, like copper. What’s going on with me?

Those weren’t my words. Something had twisted them. My first thought was to blame Eris, but one look assured me that it wasn’t her. She was very conflicted, her eyes held happiness that I’d said yes, but I don’t think she was happy about being bonded. I tried to take back my words, but I couldn’t.

“Is that not what you wanted to hear?” I asked, instead.

“Yes, and no. This would help the both of us, I think, but I’ve seemed to fall into the same pit as the rest of my race. Bonding myself away for power, rather than love. I’m no different.”

I sat up, pushing my back to the headboard. The wood was cool and soothing after being so close to Eris. I wasn’t happy being forced to bond with her, but the more I tried to fight, the worse my headache became.

Something or someone was forcing me down this path. Pushing me into a role and making it clear that pain waited for me if I kept refusing.

I want to fight, to rail and scream with all my might, but what good would it do? And at the end of it, I don’t think I have a choice here. The thought turned my stomach, but looking at her…Maybe I don’t mind so much? If it's her?

“Well, if it helps you, then what does it matter?”

She smiled sadly. “You’re right, but still…I thought I’d be different.”

“So how does this work? Is there a ceremony or what?”

Eris nodded. “Well, typically, there is. It usually needs to be held by the monarch of the Hive, but that’s me, so I think it can work.”

“Then, let’s get started.”

Her hands pushed on my chest as she sat up. I brought my legs in to allow her room to sit. Eris sat on her knees and seemed lost in thought, humming to herself. I waited patiently for her to sort through her thoughts.

She sat still for a few minutes, eyes closed until she finished. Eris rolled her shoulders and neck side to side and back and forth.

“Where’d you go?” I asked.

“Sorry, I was sorting through the Hive Mind. Trying to recall the ceremony for bonding.”

“Hive Mind?”

“It's hard to explain, as I doubt you have a frame of reference for it. It's like an archive of sorts, filled with memories, spells, and history, all scattered around and in complete chaos. It takes time to navigate, and I barely have the strength to manage it.”

“Did you find what you needed?”

“I did, and it was buried deep, as if it didn’t want to be found. But I know what I have to do.”

“What do you need from me?”

“Your blood.”

“Come again?”

I backed away without thinking about it, while Eris just giggled.

“It's not as bad as it seems.” She held