Page 47 of Ravenous Prophecy

The Hive Father stumbled backward as a dozen growling cultists fell upon it. The ground trembled as it crashed against the floor, its carapace sounding like steel on cement. But even that couldn’t stand up to the combined fury of its usurped servants, their anger mounting into a berserk frenzy with each of Bradley’s orders.

Its carapace couldn’t stand up to the Hive-imbued strength of a dozen frenzied cultists as they forcibly pried away every piece of its armor, revealing soft, trembling white flesh. The cultists feasted. The Hive Father shrieked in pain as its children ripped it apart, limb from limb, only falling silent when enough of it had been devoured, when the thing that had once been JA Williams finally, truly died.

Bradley’s words trailed off, the harsh staccato of his commands only ending now that the Hive Father had met its own end. He swayed to his side, fought to stand upright again. When his eyes rolled into the back of his head, I thrust my arms out to catch him.

As Bradley fainted, so did every last cultist. I went to my knees, laying him gently across my lap. Within moments, the cultists lost their insectoid features, becoming human again. Most of them would survive. Whether theirhuman organs could survive several helpings of Hive Father flesh remained to be seen.

Metal clattered as Julian’s sword slipped from his hand, too tired to grip his beloved blade, much less fight. Brigette stared at the remains of the Hive Father in open horror. Every glance she snuck at Bradley’s sleeping face showed glimmers of awe, perhaps fear. Elaine gazed at her brother in quiet curiosity. All along, he’d been made to feel like the odd, non-magical member of his family, when in fact he’d had this strange link to the Hive. All along—was it more than just a field of study, an obsession?

I looked down at him, relieved at least to see that his features were more relaxed, his chest rising and falling under my hand with each labored breath. He needed to rest now. So maybe Bradley Brookswasa man who could wrest control of the Hive and their alien minds, an insect whisperer, his own special kind of monster.

At least he wasmymonster.

CHAPTER 18

BRADLEY

“You’re late,”I said, which maybe wasn’t the best way to greet my boyfriend, the man who had helped me save the world, the man who had stopped me from giving in to Hive powers that everyone, including the MEA, was very happy to sweep under the rug.

“Yeah, but I come bearing gifts.” Griffin grinned, holding up a large package that looked like a wrapped bottle of wine.

“Fabulous!” Elaine swept up behind me and grabbed the bottle from Griffin. “You do know how to make an entrance.”

Then my beloved sister had the gall to kiss Griffin on both cheeks, making her the first Brooks to kiss him since his return to the States from a trip to… Well, I hated to admit it, but I’d been so caught up in deciphering and analyzing all the tomes of material Williams had accrued on the Hive that I hadn’t been exactly listening when Griffin told me he had a job and he’d be back soon.

It had taken a full day before I even realized that “soon”meant he hadn’t popped out to the store but had left the entire country.

Elaine ambled back into her apartment unsteadily, only slightly wobbling on her high heels, shouting to Brigette and Julian that there was more alcohol. I took a step forward, pushing out my lower lip in a move that had successfully kept Elaine from many a speeding ticket.

“Awww. Did you miss me?” Griffin asked, grinning, but something in his expression said the question was more than a tease.

“Every day.” I flushed, feeling like the answer was too honest.

“That’s not true. Falcón told me you’ve barely left MEA headquarters since you started doing your work. Translating. All that smart stuff.” Griffin put both hands on my hips, and I lifted my arms to drape them over his shoulders.

“Only because I needed some distraction. My boyfriend disappeared forfive weeks.” I felt the skin at the corners of my eyes begin to crinkle and knew that the grin on my face was stupid with joy.

“Oh, is that how it is?” Griffin leaned forward, his breath warm on my lips. “Maybe I should have a word with this idiot who would let you go for so many weeks?”

“Yes. Tell him that he has no right to leave me unattended for so long.” I grinned, then pushed up, pressing our lips together.

He was warm against me, solid, the promise that no matter what had happened, no matter what was coming, he was mine.

“I’ll pass on the message,” Griffin said when we broke apart. “Now, we should go try that wine before they drinkall of it. I had to break into two ancient Italian monasteries to get my hands on it.”

I gaped at him. “Griffin Gallows. Tell me that you did not filch a bottle of…”

“Griffin! Your bottle of alcohol isglowing!” Elaine shouted.

“Brooks, the wrapping paper is a fully intact copy of Merlin’s treatise on interplanetary magic magnification. I know it’s been disproven, but I think it’s the original.” Brigette was trying to sound calm, but I could hear the excitement in her voice. “If you want a chance at it, you’d better get in here quick, before I take it back to the library.”

I gaped at Griffin. “That belongs in a museum!”

“Why do you think I brought it to you?” Griffin grinned, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me into the party. “You’re the smartest researcher I know. Handsomest, too.”

“Oh, as though that will make it all better!” I laughed but let him lead me inside, shutting the door behind us.