Page 60 of The Hive Queen

“I’ll be out in a minute.” I stand and grab my suitcase from the floor and set it on my bed. “Let me just get my laundry started.”

A brush sounds against the door, light fingertips on wood. “Sounds good.”

I sense her lingering at the door and curse myself for hiding in my room.

When Pen walked into the bathroom earlier, all the aching loneliness of our separation came roaring back, and I hadn’t been able to stop myself from touching her. The fire inside her called to mine, two magnetic forces impossible to separate once they make contact.

The whole cabin could have burned around us, and I would have continued to embrace her as our world burned.

But Flint’s arrival smothered that all-consuming passion, replacing it with deep resentment, and I hate myself for it every bit as much as I’m coming to hate him.

Flint is my partner, my best friend, my companion through centuries of existence, but the sight of him with that fox by his side brings on a seething rage I find harder and harder to keep a rein on.

The boxes against the wall, filled with Darius’s possessions, beg for my attention, but I ignore them. Not today. And probably not any day soon.

Will I ever be ready to erase his existence from my life? Probably not.

I toss my dirty clothes into the empty laundry basket, then finally open the door, stepping out into the hall.

Smoke hazes the air, and the smell of burned carpet tickles my nose.

I toss my clothes into the wash, set it to start, then stand there for a few minutes listening to the rush of the tub filling with water. The mundane sound soothes my nerves, and I hold that feeling close as I turn to join Pen and Flint.

Their quiet voices come from our infrequently used dining area, and I skirt around the melted swath of carpet in the center of the hall as I walk toward them.

The fox trots past the hall, fluffy tail wagging, and my fists clench before I force my fingers to relax.

I can do this. These are the people I love, and anger won’t change what already happened.

Flint looks up as I join them and gives me a teasing smile, though it lacks his usual sparkle. “There you are. Pen and I were just discussing whether to replace the carpet or put down something more fire-resistant. Care to weigh in? On a scale of one to ten, how often is hall sex going to be a thing?”

I stroke a hand down Pen’s spine. “I’m not sure. What do you think?”

She rolls her head back, her golden eyes shimmering with inner flames. “In fairness to us, we started in the bathroom.”

“A far more appropriate place if you’re going to let loose.” Flint studies the ceiling. “Should we install sprinklers?”

“Ha ha. Very funny.” I eye the ancient books on the table. “What’s all this?”

“While you were off raiding tombs, we got a killer on our hands.” Flint flips open one of the books to a pre-marked page. “Behold, the Hive Queen.”

“Prettier than the danguri I just came from.” A sense of familiarity strikes as I stare down at the pincers that form the mouth of an otherwise beautiful—if inhuman—face. “Have we fought one of these before?”

The forced humor slips from Flint’s expression, and he searches my face before shaking his head. “No. This one predates us.”

“Huh.” I pull the book closer and flip back a page to read about this monster’s creation.

It doesn’t ring any bells, but... I turn back to the drawing of the face. Something about it rings a bell, but I can’t put my finger on it.

I squint back up at Flint. “You sure we’ve never fought one of these before?”

“Very sure.” He looks away from me and reaches for another book. “And, unfortunately for us, like many monsters dreamed up by humans, this one requires a special weapon to kill.”

“Of course, it does.” I turn and stride for the kitchen. This situation calls for coffee, and thankfully, it’s always in ready supply in this house. “Why can’t humans ever make things easy on themselves? You don’t see demons strutting around that require swords quenched in virgin blood to kill them.”

“And thank gods for that. Can you imagine needing a virgin every time we sent imps back to the demon plane?” Pen laughs, the throaty sound reminding me it’s been way too long since I last heard it.

“There are professional virgins for a reason.” Flint joins in on her laughter. “We’d just have to take a visit to the Bone Yard, and we’d be set.”

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