18. Calvin

CALVIN

T he roar of yellowjackets buzzing throughout the colony is deafening. They're still here, and still sound as hostile as ever. With Polina in my arms, I race through the gilded hallways streaked with blood, with Ser Beatrix at our front and Sylvie at our back, defending us. When a yellowjacket steps into our path as we reach the end of a hallway, Ser Beatrix cuts them down in a matter of seconds with such practiced precision that it's alarming. My eyes widen as the yellowjacket's body is sliced in two and falls to the ground. We waste no time, and I step over it.

Polina looks down at the yellowjacket's face. Its opaque eyes stare up at the ceiling while its mouth is contorted in pain. They look so … so human, save for the mandibles under their chin and the antennae on their heads. But they're larger, so much larger than the honeybees, and this one is stacked with a density of muscle I didn't know was physically possible. Not normal insects, then. Other fae.

"Come on," Ser Beatrix whispers harshly. "The secret doorway to the roof is just through here."

Sylvie brings up the rear, and her normally jovial face is now uncharacteristically stoic, her lips pressed into a tight line as she pushes past us. "It hasn't seen much use in the past few decades," she explains. "But in times of emergency, it's how the queen can get to safety without being seen."

My throat bobs as I clutch Polina against my chest. I look down at her, and her lips twist up into a soft smile. Putting on a brave face, no doubt, because she's trembling in my arms.

"It will be fine," she says. Is she telling me, or trying to convince herself? I hug her again and nod. "Once we get to the roof, we will make our escape to the poppy fields and wait for … wait for the danger to pass, and your signal. You will come for us, yes?"

Ser Beatrix looks over her shoulder at us, and she nods curtly. "Yes. Wait for us, and we will retrieve you when it's safe."

I arch an eyebrow as we race through the twisting, turning hallway decked in hexagonal honeycombs. So many hexagons. I'll be glad to be out of the hive so I can see the sky again, because all this geometry has been making my head spin.

Will the danger pass? Not likely, with an attack of this size. Ser Beatrix and Sylvie seem to be the only guards who weren't included, and I'm not sure why. My heart pounds as we reach the end of another hallway. The buzzing of nearby yellowjackets makes my pulse rail against my eardrums, threatening to make me panic. They're coming, they're coming, and I can't defend Polina. I'm next to useless…

"Caretaker." Ser Beatrix's voice cuts through my panic like a knife. "This way." The captain of the guard knocks on a plain part of the wall three times. A partition slides opens to a stairwell just beyond the door. "Through here. Hurry."

Sylvie's brows slam together, and she rushes forward, her stinger blade at the ready. "They're coming," she yells. "Hurry, Caretaker! Now!"

I don't think as I rush forward and place Polina down so she can get herself through first. We ascend the stairwell as Ser Beatrix closes the doorway again, leaving us in near total darkness. Polina gasps as we're suddenly unable to see.

"Shh, sweetheart. We need to be quiet," I gently remind her. We ascend each step one by one, taking care not to trip. Ser Beatrix cries out from the other side of the wall as the sounds of fighting begin. Polina lets out another whimper, and I nudge her forward. "It'll be okay. We just need to focus for now and trust Ser Beatrix and Sylvie."

When we finally reach the top of the stairwell, there's another door, but this time, it has a latch to pull. Polina steps to the side, and I give the cord a hard yank. The door gives way to bright sunlight that nearly blinds me, and Polina lets out a sharp hiss. She tries to go out first, but I put my arm out, stopping her, and shake my head.

"Let me, Sunshine. Just in case," I murmur.

She nods, and I stick my head out the doorway like a gopher and look around. The rooftop of the hive is covered in white flowers and cobblestone pathways. And above, the noon-day sun beams down on us.

"Coast is clear," I say. Polina pops up beside me, then pulls herself up and out of the emergency stairwell. "Now what? Where are we supposed to go? We're still in the hive."

Polina rises to her feet and, with some effort, unfurls her wings. I shield my eyes as the sunlight catches on her wings, which turn into brilliant sun catchers reflecting a dizzying array of rainbow light in every direction. Squinting, I drop my hand to the side to take in the full brilliance of her wings, and my mouth falls open.

"Wow…" I murmur. "So beautiful."

I could stand here and stare at her for hours, just admiring her beauty. Unfortunately, we don't have hours. We may not have minutes, or even seconds.

Polina's smile is tight when she turns to me and extends her hand. "Come, Cal. I will take us to safety, but we must be quick about it."