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

My right foot hit the side of the lip just fine, but I misjudged the left, and it glanced off the edge and sailed down to open air.

“Shit!” I cursed as my weight shifted and I found myself falling.

I scrambled, flailing to find any purchase I could as my body tempted gravity. My hands grabbed hold of one of the tiles in desperation, and I stopped falling, but my body was halfway on the roof and halfway off. I was supporting myself on one foot as I gripped the stone tile.

And I thought this was going to be boring. I lifted up as gently as I could, but as I put most of my weight into my arms, the stone cracked and broke off.

I hung onto the broken half, still attached to the building despite the sharp edges slicing into my fingertips. The cracked part of the tile tumbled off my arm and into open air right down towards the rock below me.

If it hit the ground, that would be it for us. The crack would be loud enough to alert anyone inside, and our job would be over before it even began. I had one chance, and as the chunk of thick tile fell by me.

I kicked with all of my might.

My foot connected with the slate. The vibrations shook though my bones, and I accidentally bit my tongue. But I sent the tile flying dozens of feet away from the cathedral. It landed far enough away that only the hushed echo of the stone shattering reached my ears, and I sighed in relief.

“Are you okay?” Raven asked in a hushed tone.

“Peachy-fucking-keen.”

“Then stop hanging off the building like an asshole already.”

I hastily climbed back up and slid over to make room for Raven. She slid down on her back, and as soon as her feet touched the lip, I thrust my arm out to stop her from going over the edge.

“Holy crow! Maybe your method was better, though I’m not complaining.”

“Why?”

“Look where your hand is.”

My hand was holding quite firmly to Raven’s right breast. It was a complete accident, and I pulled away quickly, not thinking about how incredibly soft it was or how it filled up my hand far more than Eris’s petite chest.

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

Raven smiled at me. The light from the dim mana crystal shimmered off her midnight hair as it fluttered in the stiff breeze. I ignored how radiant she looked and focused on getting into the cathedral.

I couldn’t think about her words at that moment, not when I was about to infiltrate and attempt to steal Lachrymal’s Heart. Don’t think about how pretty she is or the fact that we actually get along really well. This is really not the time.

I was really tired of having only two inches separating me from death. “Get your head in the game.”

“It is in the game,” she replied. “I think you’re the one who’s flustered.”

I didn’t have a retort; she was right. I shook my head and focused on the job. Anything less, and we would die.

We lapsed into silence and skirted the edge of the cathedral until we came to the stained-glass windows that looked down into the Vault of Tears.

The ledge widened to allow for room to change any chipped or cracked panels in the stained glass. I paused and pulled out both my burglar’s kit and wraithsight potion. There wasn’t enough room for both of us on the windowsill, so Raven still had to cling to the side like a frightened animal while I unrolled the kit and drank the potion.

Wraithsight went down sweet. Caramel, honey, and vanilla formed the base with the bitter aftertaste of gin. My sight slowly dimmed, darkness creeping in from the edges, but an ethereal green leapt from the shadows as the potion took hold. Figures in the main room of the cathedral stood out from the backdrop.

Six guards in the next room, two right by the door. If we make any noise, they’re liable to come running. I focused on the window, and nothing stood out to my enchanted sight. No enchanted traps—or physical ones, for that matter. All right. I’ve got five minutes. I want to make sure we’re in safely before it runs out.

I selected a blade specifically designed to cut glass from the oilskin tool roll and began the painstaking task of removing each pane of glass from the grooved lead pattern with the knife to make a hole wide enough for us to climb through. Once the glass was out of the way and safely stored in my inventory, I began knocking the cames out by wrapping a cloth around the lead and breaking it apart.

It took over two minutes to do, but we had our way in.

I slipped in while Raven perched on the sill waiting for me to move. I had no room to maneuver. If I stepped an inch forward, I’d hit open air. My target was the beam directly to my right. It jutted out seven feet away and just over my head. If I miss, it’s game over. Well…let’s roll the dice. I crouched and jumped.

For a second, I hung over open air. Twenty feet below me lay my death if I crashed to one of the pews, but I’d timed it right, and I hit the stone beam.

My fingers gripped the coarse stone, and I hung there by just my fingertips. Once the jarring stop settled, I pulled myself up and over the edge. My feet found holds, and I was about to haul myself onto the beam when a soft prickle ran over my left hand.

I leaned up, and with wraithsight active, the six magic traps were visible to my heightened eyes. My hand was mere centimeters from touching one and spelling our doom.