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

I let the spell fade back under my skin and downed a mana potion from my pack. With my shaking limbs calmed, I turned in and got some sleep.

In the morning, we packed up camp after a light breakfast and set out at a steady pace to try and make up for lost time. The bandits rode in front, and the five of us brought up the rear on Evelyn’s orders as we approached the Silvanus Darkwoods.

They came upon us quickly, and tall, wide trees rose up in an ocean as we approached.

Gil whistled appreciatively. “Damn, never been this close before, but those are some big-ass trees.”

Makenna snorted, and the others burst into laughter.

“You’re not wrong. For a place named Slaughter Woods, it’s really rather quaint, isn’t it?” Evelyn asked to herself.

Cassimere and a few of his men circled around and went to speak to Evelyn as we reached the edge of the woods.

“What do you want us to do?” he asked, his speech faltering as he kept casting glances over his shoulder at the tree line.

“Send a few men in, see what happens,” she replied instantly.

He sighed, looked over at his men, and shouted. “Ricky, Jones, go check it out!”

Two burley men with tanned skin and unwashed hair shouted in response but broke from the main group and edged their horses closer. As they reached the edge of the trees, they stopped turned back around and just glared hatred at Cassimere before heading into the woods and out of sight.

Nothing happened for a long moment, and everyone held their breath, just waiting for something to happen.

An ear-splitting shriek pierced the air, followed immediately by another one. And then there was silence once again.

“Well,” Gil said, turning around to stare at us. “At least we know we’re in the right place.”

Chapter 14 - The Widow

When the two bandits never came back out from the forest, it was clear we would have to go in next. I volunteered, because with the children, I had the best chance of getting through without harm. The others, Gil especially, were vehemently against the idea.

“It doesn’t make sense for us all to go in when that risks everyone,” I said, raising my voice.

“What also doesn’t make sense is letting you and the kids run off by yourself and you winding up dead. Duran would kill me if I let anything happen to you. Not going to happen, missy.”

I wanted to argue more, but when Makenna and even Adam rallied against me, I knew I was fighting a losing battle.

“All right, fine. You win.”

“If you’re all done arguing, we’re going in,” Evelyn called from the center of the bandits.

With nothing else to do, we headed in.

The four of us brought our horses towards Evelyn so we’d all be together. I didn’t like the idea of us being separated when something inevitably went wrong.

We pushed into the forest, and I was surprised. For a place that was touted as evil, with a nickname like Slaughter Woods, it was actually remarkably lovely. The trees were tall and luscious. Dense foliage and thick, winding branches gave the appearance of a web crisscrossing multiple trees in a random, yet beautiful pattern.

The forest was beautiful, yet still, as if nature had sensed a predator and hidden itself away. There were no birds chirping or animals scurrying. It was a quiet place, and that set my teeth on edge.

I didn’t like the quiet. It meant something was wrong, and I quickly told the others what I was feeling.

“Well, why don’t you use your magic and see what’s up with the place?” Adam suggested, leaning toward me to whisper.

“Whispering is pointless, Adam. The Arachne have nearly as good hearing as I do, and I’m sure they’re already well aware of us.”

He replied, but I didn’t hear what he said. I was busy concentrating on my flow of magic, letting it pour from me as I scanned the surroundings. I quickly took hold of the nearby insects and found exactly what our problem was.

I broke out of the spell and raised my hands sharply. “Everyone stop!” I hissed, waving at them frantically to quit moving.

Makenna and the others listened instantly, stopping their horses in seconds, but a number of the bandits either didn’t hear me or didn’t care enough to stop. They continued to ride forward across the pristine jungle floor, unaware of what loomed just overhead.

As they crossed some imaginary line, death descended from the treetops.

Dozens of Arachne warriors dropped right onto the foolish bandits, slaughtering them with practiced ease. Most of the bandits died in seconds, torn to pieces right in front of us. A few escaped the initial massacre and ran for their lives, screaming at the top of their lungs. They didn’t get very far.

The Arachne hadn’t changed much in a thousand years. They still looked the same as I remembered. Each of the warriors were lean and agile. Rippling muscles and no hint of fat on their frames. Each one was tan, though the shades varied, and they all wore fibrous clothing, woven from nature. It clung to their skin as if part of their bodies as they stared us down with calm dispassion.

Their faces were the most striking part of them. Long, angular, and regal features that only accented their eyes. They pierced through us, small and slanted as every color of the rainbow stared back at us.

One of them, a tall, broad-shouldered male with red and yellow spotted eyes, spoke in a harsh voice. “Get the stragglers,” he commanded in Rachnaran.

He bore a rough, puckered scar on his shoulder in the shape of a triangular hourglass. It denoted him as the commander of the Widow’s guard. Which made him the best fighter of the Arachne.