Page 13 of The Hive

“No! Please! It’s nothing like that.” I couldn’t help but snicker. “And don’t you dare tell Valyx about his nickname either. He already hates me enough.”

“Your wish is my command,” he said in an overly solemn way, seeming to gently mock me. “He doesn’t hate you, though. He is a little rough around the edges, but give him a chance. Lex and Valyx are as close to me as brothers, and my most loyal friends.”

Before I could ask more about that, the shadow in question stalked out of the bathing room, dressed to perfection and running a towel through his dark, rumpled hair. It was time to face the day.

Chapter Twelve

Saphyra

After my morning routine and breakfast in the mess hall, Grey met us outside my first period class, his black lab coat setting off his somber gray eyes. I nibbled on my lower lip, the anxiety getting the better of me. I couldn’t handle any more bad news.

“Saphyra, 6612, 5376, good morning. Due to the prolonged delay of your emergence, I arranged for an examination today. You’ve been excused from your first few classes.” His tone was formal and cold, and I tried not to take it personally. In a corridor crowded with students, I understood. We were being watched not only by the residents, but by the cameras in the halls.

Without waiting for a reply, he led the way through a maze of passageways toward the medical cluster, Shadow and Ghost following at my heels. This was one of my least favorite places, and Grey knew that. I assumed he had his reasons—at least I hoped he did—and that this wasn’t an actual examination.

The walk was silent. I didn’t expect an explanation in such a public place, but the lack of small talk made me uneasy. Had something happened? Had we been found out? If Grey had been caught, surely he wouldn’t be guiding us through the central medical reception area and into an examination room.

When the door sealed behind us, Grey relaxed. “The video feed in this cell is on a loop. Anyone checking will see an empty room. As usual, we don’t have a lot of time, but no one should come looking for us for a while.” He raked his fingers through his hair before continuing, “I found the location of your commander. He’s in drone cluster three,” he said to the drones before leveling his gray eyes on me.

I shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny. “I guess that’s good news, right? Why do you look so serious?”

“Unfortunately, there’s no simple route to the drone clusters through the academy halls. However, I have an idea. There is a way to get there undetected, but it won’t be easy, and you’ll have to go alone, Saphyra.”

I had a sinking feeling in my gut, but I nodded for him to continue.

“The air ducts. They’re small, too small for anyone other than an omega like yourself. They aren’t monitored because no one can fit through them, except you. There is a route to drone cluster three from here, but you will have to disable a number of airlocks to get there. You can access the ventilation system through a maintenance hatch, then crawl the rest of the way.”

Shadow growled. “Absolutely not. It’s too dangerous. And what would we gain by sending her there now? We still have no plan to get him out. You said it yourself, the ducts are too small.”

“We don’t know what cell he is in, just the cluster. Look.” Grey indicated a monitor displaying some sort of map, and we all crowded around it.

The honeycomb structure of the Hive was laid out before us. Ventilation ducts followed the hallways that ran between the chambers, and airlocks separated different sections that had their own air scrubbers. There was a clear path from the medical cluster to the drone cells traversing multiple bulkheads, but no particular cell was specified as the destination. Stars, I was going to get lost and starve to death in a tiny metal death tube.

“He could be in any one of these twelve units. The knowledge of his specific location could make or break whatever plan we decide on. Don’t you agree?” Grey asked the group. I could see the irritation of being questioned flash through his eyes. “I understand your concern for Saphyra, but I assure you the risk is minimal.”

Shadow glanced at Ghost. Their long friendship must have afforded them the ability to read one another well, because they turned back to Grey and nodded in unison.

Chapter Thirteen

Saphyra

As soon as I entered the ducts, a strong current of air whipped against my skin, sending my golden hair flying around my face. I pushed it back in annoyance and tied it with a band. My elbow banged against the top of the tube as I wrestled with it. The impact sent a bang reverberating through the vent, and I winced at the sound. I was going to have to be a lot more careful.

Crawling on my hands and knees, I cautiously made my way forward. All the scrubbers, fans, and filters were tucked into recessed spaces between the hexagonal cells, leaving my path clear. Each airlock was labeled with a plate for the maintenance staff, and it helped with navigation. It was a tight squeeze as I shimmied through the tubes, but there was more room than I’d expected. It was less terrifying than I thought it would be, but it wasn’t exactly comfortable.

The tiny penlight Grey gave me flashed off the dull metal of a closed airlock in front of me. I gripped the lever and tugged at the release. It didn’t budge. If they were all like this, I wasn’t going to make it very far. I might not make it any further at all.

Grumbling about stupid giant alphas and their stupid strong muscles, I grabbed it with both hands and threw my small weight against the resistance. The handle shuddered and reluctantly gave way, finally clicking downward into the open position. With a sucking noise, the airlock slid apart and warm, sultry air hit me in the face. It smelled sweet in a faintly unpleasant way and the scrubbers whirred, working overtime to filter the pheromone-thick air.

Even if the plaque above the door hadn’t labeled this the Brood Chamber, I would have been able to tell by the smell. My nose crinkled with displeasure. The scrubbers couldn’t eradicate the scent of so many mature omegas housed in one place, even with a dedicated ventilation system. Curiosity prodded me to investigate the omegas’ lavish accommodations, but I was already pressed for time. The overwhelming smell wasn’t doing my sour mood any favors either. Nope, I was resolved. There would be no detours, not even to appease the curiosity of where I might have ended up, or may still.

I shuffled through the hatch, and it groaned shut behind me. Almost there. Only a few more airlocks and a little further to go. The drone cells were arranged in groups around the perimeter of the brood chamber clusters for ease of access. I just had to get to the correct section and then check each cell. Easy.

I knew what Lex looked like based on the description Ghost and Shadow had given me, but it seemed to me that most alphas were the same: tall, muscular, and arrogant. Thank the Stars his uniform would have his designation on it, D-4569. I just hoped I could read it through the grating of the vent.

Airlocks branched out on either side of the tubes I diligently scooted through. The portals I passed through opened more easily than the first, and I started to relax. But then the heavy beating of my heart returned when I finally arrived at drone cluster three. My anxiety shimmered and roiled under my skin as I read the label on the tag. A trickle of cold sweat slithered between my shoulder blades, but I gave myself a shake. You can do this. No one can see you up here. Just pop in, look through the vent, and get out. They won’t even know you were there.

I tugged on the handle, hoping it might be stuck and give me an excuse to back out, but it opened easily. No scents assailed my nose, just recycled air as I approached a T-junction. The cells were arranged around the perimeter of a wide, circular hallway.

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