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

I was so hopelessly inferior that it wasn't even fair. Evelyn batted my weak attacks aside with ease, not even trying to hide how easy it was for her. "Watch your feet," she said and rapped my shins hard with her sword. I faltered under the pain and stopped for just a second, and Evelyn snapped a kick that sent me sprawling to the wet ground, her sword at my throat.

"Dead," she repeated.

Angry and humiliated, I grabbed a handful of mud in my hands when I stood and tossed it at her when I struck with my weapon. Evelyn grinned and sidestepped both the mud and my attack, whacking my back with her sword.

"Improvisation and underhanded tricks—you're learning. Never be afraid to use whatever options are available to you. Honor means nothing if you get yourself killed," she said, settling back into her fight stance. "Again."

I attacked her, trying to get past her, but no matter what I tried, her sword blocked mine effortlessly. "Don't attack my weapon, attack me. The weapon is just an extension of myself. You're leading with your body. Lead with your weapon, and don't flail. Keep yourself behind your blade and keep your strikes precise."

The two of us went at it for what felt like hours, even when Gil finished preparing dinner and the others tore into fresh venison, Evelyn and I kept up our sparring until I physically couldn't hold my training sword any longer. I fell mid-swing and lay gasping on the ground, aching like my entire body was pulling apart.

Evelyn took mercy on me and called an end to our training. I managed to half-walk, half-drag myself by the fire and let the pouring sweat dry in the heat. I was gross, and so bone-tired that even eating had lost its appeal. I took two bites before exhaustion set in, and I shuffled off to bed. The spiderlings joined me, but I was asleep before they could even cuddle next to me.

Chapter 10 - The Golden-Eyed Twins

If I thought I was sore last night, it was nothing compared to the full body ache that throbbed with every slight movement. My entire body was like a walking bruise, and it made the thought of even more long hours in the saddle so unbearable that I wanted to immediately crawl back into my bedroll and sleep for a week. Can’t do that, though, even if its appealing. The others are probably waiting on me.

I woke up the children, and we left the tent. Gil stirred a pot over the campfire, while Evelyn and Adam were up and working through a set of exercises. Makenna intermittently napped while leaning against Gil, who looked up when he heard the flap of the tent.

“Morning, you three. Hungry?”

I tried to say yes, but it came out so thick with sleep that even I couldn’t register what I’d said.

Gill just laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes. Come over here and get a bowl. Stew should just be about done.”

“Thank you, Gil,” I said, trying to be grateful, but I was tired of stew, and Gil heard it in my voice.

“Don’t worry, we should hit the town today and stock up on more supplies,” he said before leaning down and kissing Makenna on the head. “Time to get up, Kenna.”

She groaned and shoved him in playful anger. “I’m not used to this crap. Fourteen or more hours a day on the road is for the birds.”

Her words stung a bit, but I knew that wasn’t her intentions. It was because of me that they all had to take the long road, but Makenna would have been mortified if she knew her words had hurt me. So I quickly shook them off and went to sit by the pair.

Evelyn and Adam finished up their training and snagged two bowls of stew before coming to sit by us. Evelyn looked me over and smirked. “How is the little queen feeling this morning?”

“Like I almost wish I was back in the void, so I wouldn’t have to feel my body.”

Makenna perked up at that. “What was it like?” she asked before blushing scarlet. “Sorry, that was probably incredibly rude.”

I smiled at her. “Not at all,” I replied, but I paused, trying to work up the courage to speak.

The void was called such for a reason, and I doubted I would ever truly stop feeling its effects. Even now weeks later, it clung to me. Wouldn’t fully let go.

I tried to keep my smile, but it fell as soon as I spoke. “The void is nothing. And inside it, I was nothing. I couldn’t feel my body, couldn’t feel anything, and sometimes, for years at a time, I couldn’t even think.”

Everyone was staring at me now, food left forgotten in the cast iron pot, boiling over. I wanted to let the story die, as already my mind kept going back there and the ever-familiar weightlessness tingled across my arms once again. I shook my head and rubbed away the goosebumps. As much as I wanted to forget, I couldn’t. I needed to get it out and off my chest.

“Centuries passed in what felt like the blink of an eye, but every time someone picked up my prison, I was forced back into the light. Because of the curse placed on me, I had to choose the person who would free me, but that person would also become my master, and I, a slave.

“I was able to get a glimpse at the souls of anyone who picked up my crystal. But it seemed only the worst sorts ever picked me up. People with the blackest souls, who would have used me in the worst ways and brought nothing but pain to my life. Seven men and women. Seven black hearts until the eighth.”

“Duran, right?” Gil asked.