Page 20 of 3013: Hellion

“What?”

“Show me where the queen’s nest is in your mind.”

He wasn’t quite sure how to do that, but he tried his best to do as she’d asked. Luckily, Xian had played the alien insect game to the end and knew the exact location of the queen’s nest. The game had clues all over that would ultimately lead the players to a large hotel with a beautiful sky garden on the rooftop.

The alien insect queen was hidden in the greenhouse along with dozens of eggs. The game was supposed to end before those eggs hatched, but Xian couldn’t be sure what would happen now that the power surge on the island had altered the holos and fucked everything up. As he thought long and hard about that rooftop to send the image to Jaya, he grabbed hold of her arm to make sure she didn’t leave him behind.

A few seconds later, they were standing in the sky garden.

The rooftop was almost completely covered by a low maze of greenery that led to a large glass greenhouse at the far end.A pretty little fountain sat in the center of the maze, and there was an abundance of colorful flowers trailing out of tall, circular stone pots.

Overhead, the sky was clear of clouds, allowing the starlight to shine down on them. It had a beautiful, scenic atmosphere that hid the danger waiting within the glass greenhouse at the far end of the roof.

Xian was startled when Jaya completely opened her mind to him. She hadn’t argued or questioned him for wanting to go with her. She hadn’t even considered coddling him or leaving him behind. While some would call that a reckless decision, she trusted him and her own ability to keep them both safe. And in doing so, she was also using it as an opportunity to show him how her magic worked.

Her silver eyes glowed bright with approval.“Once we complete our bond, you will also have magic. The best way to learn how to use it is to observe me. Practical application is just as vital as theoretical understanding. There are holo people on all the floors within the hotel, and there are two real people in the lounge on the main level. I have cut off access to the roof so no one will be able to disturb us.”

As she approached the greenhouse, he was able to sense exactly what she was thinking and doing through their bond. She didn’t want to get too close, though she didn’t need to in order to accomplish what she came for.

Her magic was powerful.

There was no denying that.

But with that power came great responsibility. From the stories she’d told him, it was clear she could save an entire race of beings or annihilate them at will. With her magic, she could attack, protect, destroy, and create. She wanted to show him that while it seemed easy to use magic, the decision to use it might not always be as simple.

Jaya might seem wild and carefree, but she also had a deep sense of conviction. Her family and friends might not completely understand her innate sense of intuition, but she trusted herself. She trusted herself far more than he trusted himself or his own seeker abilities. That was why he had hidden himself for most of his life.

But that was about to change.

Now, he didn’t have to be alone anymore, and that was a gift beyond measure.

He watched as she swept a hand out and threw the double doors of the greenhouse wide open. Inside the dark interior were dozens of small dark eggs that were connected by an intricate web of vines. Light pulsed within the eggs, allowing them to see the movement of the creatures hidden within the shells.

The alien insect queen let out a hiss of outrage at being disturbed, but before she could unfurl herself to attack, Jaya sent a whirlwind of fire into the greenhouse, incinerating everything inside.

Xian blinked in surprise.

What she’d thrown at the zombies paled in comparison to the strength of this attack.

But she had a damn good reason for that.

The creatures inside the eggs were an unknown entity. Since they had not been programmed inside the game, there was a chance they weren’t bound to the same restrictions as the fully formed alien insects. That made the creatures inside the eggs infinitely more dangerous.

When it was done, the glass greenhouse sat completely empty.

In awe of her, Xian blew out the breath he’d been holding as he sat down on a stone bench. “People would hate playing the game with you.”

She turned toward him with a questioning glance. “Why is that?”

“You would make it too easy.”

“Games should be easy since real life is difficult enough to maneuver through. But that keeps things interesting,” she said as she sauntered toward him.

“I agree.”

When she was standing right in front of him, he gripped her hips and slowly pulled her closer.

“I have a feeling life with you will never be boring.”

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