Five to Love Him (Phoenix Immortal: Hive #1)

41. HIVE

forty-one

W hen we’d been young, we’d been very sheltered. Hivelings, much like the thumblings from the fairy tale, are always born small, and our human mother was protective. She would count the ten small fingers and ten small toes on each of us while our father-hive stood by and cradled us, their eyes filled with love for our mother.

We’d never realized that we could be considered different. Yes, our mother was a singular, our father-hive had told us this, but at the time, it meant no more to us than that her hair was black as ours.

When we grew older and more adventurous, our parents taught us, and they helped us learn how to appear like a singular among singulars. We’d learned it late, we knew, and we were curious, venturing from our childhood home and into the world at an earlier age than most other hives might.

In the room with the two beds and the locked door, we’d spent much time thinking about how our recklessness had been the reason we were there, how we had failed to listen to our parents’ teachings.

“Humans and many other singulars aren’t like we are. They are one and very alone, and when darkness touches them, they don’t have the strength of a hive to shake it off, to keep kindness in their hearts,” our father-hive had said.

They were prone to exaggeration and followed what might be described as an alternative lifestyle, homesteading near the polar circle with our mother, but they’d had a point.

When humans went dark, they went really dark. A hive would never understand because cruelty wasn’t in our nature like it was in theirs.

“Hive!”

Leo’s voice.

The hive dropped their black coffee, and we saw the cup splinter and stain the kitchen floor brown.

“We called Conrad. They said they didn’t find him. They said he wasn’t there,” the hive said.

“No,” we said with the one at the door.

“Didn’t think I’d get this lucky. Come on, boy, be good now, don’t make me hurt you.”

He pulled a taser from his pocket. If he’d known us better, had understood us just a little, he would have threatened Leo and the other hive, but he didn’t—couldn’t—think that far.

He reached for us—we flinched, the thought of his hand touching us repulsive. In the kitchen, we grabbed Leo with one, slung him over our shoulder, and dashed out the back door, following with another.

The hive dashed about, one kneeling by our side, checking us over while we still dry heaved.

“Always drama with you, but I’m going to cure you of that once we get home,” the human said. “There’s going to be no more of this nonsense.”

He lunged forward, and we let him taser us, hoping it would stall him. The hive tossed himself a duffel bag.

“Follow us through the back door,” we said, still shaking on the floor while our stomach revolted.

“We aren’t a hunter ourself, but we have seen the skill it takes,” they told us on a whisper. “We once helped the Black Shuck bring down a witch, so why would that human scare us?”

We heard the zipper of the duffel bag.

“I’m going to give it to you good when we get home, boy. You’ll regret that little stunt you pulled, that’s for damn sure. Gonna chain you up.”

Despite the electricity surging through us we didn’t pass out.

“Hive! What the hell!” Leo was looking at us as we ran, him over our shoulder, following with one to ensure his escape if necessary.

“We’re taking you to the underground,” we said, never stopping. All we had to do was get on the subway and from there to the school, and he’d be safe.

Back in the kitchen, with the one who wasn’t retching, the one who hadn’t been tasered, we turned to meet the human and stop him before he could even realize that we had fled and wonder why.

We saw the hive, two on the right side of the kitchen entrance, two on the left, using the walls as cover. Each one closest to the entryway held a syringe.

“Mr. Conrad and the others are on the way, but right now, it’s just us here. You may be small, but you are strong,” the hive told the one who was still retching, pale yellow bile puddling on the kitchen tiles.

There were many things we felt, but strong wasn’t one of them.

“Hive, fucking stop!” Leo yelled.

We slowed. We let him down. What were we even doing, dragging him from his home and using our strength that was so much greater than his own against him?

We were shaking with the charge of the taser going into us with one, and with the other, we met that human’s eyes as he approached the kitchen.

“You’ve come for us,” we said with the one standing, the first thing we could think of.

The human leered. He stopped. The one that had been tasered was a twitching, uncoordinated mess, but with more willpower than strength, we managed to clutch the human around the middle.

He turned his head.

“Do it now,” we said from the mouth that still had the taste of bile, that remembered, as phantom pain, so many other vile things that had been forced into it.

The hive didn’t waste a second. The two with the syringes leaped forward and pushed the needles into either side of the human’s neck, then pushed down the plungers.

“What the—”

He stumbled, not passing out immediately, but during his surprised and uncoordinated movements, the other hive caught the wrist of the hand that clutched the taser. They held on tight, their face hard.

“We wonder if we’ll have to clean up what’s going to be left of you,” they said to the human with a voice as emotionless as a cleaver in a downward arc.

The hive circled the human with his four, though when he got close to where we shook with the shock of the taser, they pulled us to our feet.

“Hive, let me help!” Leo was grabbing us by the lapel of our shirt. It was day outside, but to us, he looked brighter than ever.

“We—they—it’s okay, Leo. But it might still be dangerous, so—”

We attempted to put a hand on his arm, but he wouldn’t have that.

“Let me fucking help! I am your fucking glowworm mate, and I’ll protect you!”

Before we could think of what to say—and what words were there?—two cars raced past us, heading toward Leo’s house. They were going well over the speed limit, and we pulled Leo further away from the curb, just in case.

“Is that—that was Farrow! Come on, both of you, let’s help you. Help yourself—fucking hell, just let’s go!”

Leo took the hand of the two with him, and then he ran.