24. Calvin

CALVIN

W hen morning comes, I scrub the crust from my eyes and let out a long yawn. Normally when I wake up, something hurts. My back, my neck, my hip. Sitting at a desk all day really hasn't done any favors for my body. But instead of the expected achiness, I feel… good? Relaxed. Our night of love making should have left me sore. After all, we did some stuff I never thought I'd get around to doing for as long as I lived.

Polina is already awake and sitting on the top of one of the flower petals, staring out toward the horizon. I sit up and frown. Something is wrong.

"Po?" I murmur. "What is it, Sunshine?"

"They never came," she says, her voice hollow and distant. "They never came back."

My chest tightens. I knew this would probably be the case. That the worst would happen. My mother and brother say my eternal pessimism is one of my shittier traits, but I like to think I have realistic expectations. We witnessed the yellowjackets swarming the hive yesterday. We knew what the outcome would probably be. If any of the knights are still alive—at least, the ones who weren't a part of the coup—then they're probably in hiding right now. Or captured. Or worse.

"I really thought they would come," she says again. She sounds like she's on the verge of tears, so I quickly get to my feet and head over to her. But I can't balance on the flower petals like she can; I can't climb up to get her. A feeling of helplessness hits me, and my heart sinks into my stomach. How can I comfort her when she's literally out of reach?

"Where should we head to now?" I ask. "Maybe the Pine Crest Hive?"

Po lets out a long, dejected sigh. "Yes. I suppose that will be our next course of action. But Evie is dead, and the Pine Crest Hive will be looking for blood. It might be dangerous for me to go there right now."

My throat tightens. "They would harm you? But you and Evie were friends."

She looks down at me, and her antennae droop. "Yes. That is the way of things, I'm afraid. A hive without a queen will be in turmoil for several weeks until they find or create a replacement."

I shake my head as my hands ball into fists. "Then we're not going there."

"But Calvin?—"

When I look up at her, I notice her eyes are red-rimmed and sore from crying. "Can you come down here, please? So I can hug you, at the very least?"

She looks over her shoulder, down at me, but she doesn't move from her spot. This isn't good. I can tell she's spiraling. And who could blame her? Given the circumstances, I think she's handling things surprisingly well. But we can't stay here. We can't just … do nothing. If only we could get back to my apartment somehow and find my Shrinkatron so I could turn myself back to normal. Then I could forcibly evict the yellowjackets, Aunt Elza, and Florian.

"Po?" I call up to her again. She doesn't answer, simply staring straight ahead. "We need to get back to my apartment. Can you carry us over there? Are your wings okay?"

Polina shifts around and arches an eyebrow. "Your apartment?" She blinks. "Oh! Your Shrinkimabob!"

I grin up at her, and don't bother correcting her. "Exactly. We find that, and I can fix everything."

She smiles at me, but it doesn't reach her eyes.

"What is it? What's wrong?" I ask.

There's that sad smile again. The one that she puts on whenever there's a load on her mind but she won't share it. If only I could carry her burdens for her. "But how are we going to go about finding it? My scouts said they couldn't find it."

I shrug. "Yeah, and your hive also just overthrew you. I don't think they're all that reliable at the moment."

"You're suggesting that my scouts lied?" she asks.

I've heard stories, fables mostly, about the fae. How they can't lie. But those can't be real, can they? I've never read about bee fae ever existing, yet here they are. In the flesh.

"I am, yes," I say. "If they can lie, that is." I pause. "Can … they?"

Polina lets out a half-snort, half-giggle that sends my pulse racing. She truly is a little ray of sunshine, even when things look bleak. Probably why I care about her so much. Because she balances me out. Mr. Gloomy, my mom used to call me. I'd come home from school in tears most days of the week because I'd been bullied for my high test scores or glasses or pocket protector. But even during an aggressive takeover, it's hard to despair when I'm in Polina's orbit.

"Yes, we can lie. It happens all the time, in fact. I'm not so na?ve to believe that my subjects have never lied to my face," she says bitterly. "I just didn't think they'd be so brazen as to lie about the Caretaker's only means of returning home, is all. That would be a new low."

She unfurls her wings and flutters down from her perch to land beside me, then offers me one of her hands. I place my hand in hers, and she pulls me tight against her chest.

"I think it's as good an idea as any, Cal. Let's try it. And then let's squash those yellowjacket invaders like the bugs they are."

The flight back to Sugardove City feels longer than our escape for some reason. Perhaps it's because we're going against the wind this time instead of with it, or maybe because Polina doesn't seem to be in any hurry. Not that I blame her. When the enormous golden signage for the Fletcher & Sons financial firm pops into view, my heart leaps into my throat. We're almost there.

I point to it, and Polina grits her teeth as she pushes against another torrent of wind.

"Are you okay?" I shout to her. I'm worried that once we do get back to my apartment, she'll be too exhausted for whatever may come next. She already looks strained enough as it is.

She glances down at me and nods. "I'm fine," she yells back. "Just focused!"

Polina swoops us down, careening past a few sparrows out for a late morning flight. Luckily, they don't see us. Or if they do, they don't care. I've had enough of birds to last a lifetime, thanks to that horrible chicken from yesterday. The rooftop of my apartment comes into view, and Polina takes us down on the other side, far away from the hive itself. Smart. There's no telling what we might be flying into.

She sets me down on the ledge before dusting herself off and closing her wings tightly against her back. "Well, we're here," she says through ragged breaths. "Now what? We look for your Shrinky-thingy?"

"Shrinkatron," I remind her, and she grins at me. "But yeah. That's the plan, I think? I left it right over by the hive."

"And now it's not there," she says, and plants all four hands on her ample hips.

I stumble forward a couple of steps, at a loss. What do we do now? It must've been moved inside. Or stolen. Shit, if it was stolen, there's really no way of knowing where it could be now. It's gone. Polina watches me with a frown as I begin to spiral into despair. She reaches for me, but then the door to the stairwell swings open and?—

"Kyle!" I scream, making Polina jump several feet back, buzzing loudly in irritation.

Kyle walks out onto the rooftop, clutching a lighter and a pack of his usual cigarettes. His mop of blond hair falls in his eyes, and there are gasoline stains all over his ripped jeans.

"Kyle, over here!" I yell, waving my arms frantically.

"Do you know that human?" Polina asks, her antennae flicking back and forth. Her mandibles click curiously as she steps toward the ledge and hops off of it to glide with the wind. "I can get his attention for you. Hold on."

Polina soars through the air, her iridescent wings glittering in the sunlight. My breath catches in my throat as I marvel at her splendor. My Sunshine. She's so beautiful, and I can't believe a woman like her likes me. Actually likes me for me, and not because I just … happened to be available…

I clear my throat and push that thought aside. Polina would probably reprimand me if she knew what I was thinking right now. That I'm filled with so much self-doubt that I don't believe myself worthy of her attention.

Kyle strolls over to the ledge beside the bee hive, pops his cigarette into his mouth, and lights it.

I drag my palm down my face, taking care not to mess up my glasses. Okay, so, normally I'd be pretty pissed he's smoking so close to the hive … but it's currently full of bloodthirsty traitors, so he can have at it right now. Polina drifts to and fro in front of Kyle, doing what can only be described as a sky dance. But Kyle merely puffs away at his cigarette and ignores her.

Until she gets too close to his ear, and he yanks back to swat at her.

My heart drops into my stomach as his hand connects with my girlfriend and knocks her aside.

No .

"Polina!" I scream, and start to climb down the ledge. But it's too far of a drop, and when I look down to get my footing, I slip and?—

I'm falling. Again. Only this time, there's no one there to catch me. I'm completely on my own.

No, no, no. This can't be how it all ends. We've come so far. So, so far. A scream bubbles up in my throat, but it dies on my lips as the concrete rises to meet me. But just as I think I'm about to be a stain on the floor, someone—or something—grabs me. The ground, which was so close only seconds ago, is now getting smaller and smaller.

"Oh, thank you, thank you—" I start to say. But when I look up to see who my savior is, I let out a scream.

A pair of black eyes look down at me. A sneer forms on the yellowjacket's face as it carries me straight for the hive, past Kyle. Polina watches from the top of the ledge in horror as I'm hauled off by the enemy.

"Put me down!" I demand. "Put me down, or else!"

The yellowjacket lets out a dark chuckle as its razor-sharp mandibles click together. "I will put you down once we reach the hive … Caretaker." He says my title like a wicked oath. "That is what they call you in the colony, is it not? Majordomo Elza will be so pleased to see you again, I'm sure."

Bile rises up my throat as the yellowjacket slices through the air and takes me back to the hive, the very last place I want to be.

Oh, God.