Kaelen and the vampire—whose name was Caelus—moved through the tunnel, their footsteps silent on the stone. The screeches behind them had faded, but the air was still thick with tension. The queen was coming. It was only a matter of time.

They reached a junction where the tunnel split into two paths. One led upward, toward the surface. The other led deeper into the darkness—toward the queen’s chamber.

Caelus stopped. His red eyes scanned both passages.

"This is where we part," he said. "The surface is that way. You can still make it."

Kaelen stared at the upward tunnel. Freedom, fresh air and certain survival.

Then he looked back at Caelus.

"If we allow the queen to remain alive, she will only reproduce," Kaelen said, his voice low. "Even more advanced species. They’ll eventually venture out of this cave. Cause chaos. Kill hundreds, maybe thousands."

Caelus was silent for a moment. His red eyes narrowed.

"You’re right," he said quietly. "I had considered that but I planned to return her with reinforcement. But there might not be time."

Kaelen’s jaw tightened. "So we kill her. Together."

Caelus didn’t respond immediately. He stood there, hands in his pockets, his pale face unreadable.

Kaelen’s scales bristled. "Why are you hesitating? With your power—blood manipulation, neck snapping from across a room, you could end her."

Caelus shook his head slowly. "It’s not that simple."

"Why not?"

"Because the queen absorbs the qualities of every creature she lays eggs in." Caelus’s voice was flat. "Every elf. Every dwarf. Every reptile. Every vampire. Their strengths. Their resistances. Their magic."

Kaelen’s blood ran cold.

"She has elven traits. Dwarven durability. Reptilian regeneration." Caelus paused. "And now... she has vampire traits. From me."

Kaelen stared at him. "She laid an egg in you?"

"I allowed it. To get inside the nest." Caelus’s jaw tightened. "But I underestimated her. She didn’t just take my blood. She took my abilities. Not all of them. But enough."

Kaelen’s mind raced. "That’s how she produces eggs that are compatible with any host. The eggs have to be compatible, otherwise the host will reject them. Since she’s been taking hosts of all kinds—"

"She’s built a library of traits," Caelus finished. "Every capture makes her stronger."

Kaelen realized then that this queen was stronger than anything they had faced. Stronger than the rumors suggested. Stronger than the guild had anticipated.

But that was even more reason to take her down.

"Together," Kaelen said, "the two of us stand a chance."

Caelus studied him. "You’re willing to risk your life for this? For something you barely survived the first time?"

"I’m willing to risk my life so my guild doesn’t have to face this thing later." Kaelen’s yellow eyes held steady. "So the little meat and his crew don’t get eaten in their sleep. So Helga doesn’t have to avenge me."

Caelus was quiet for a long moment.

Then he nodded.

"Then listen carefully," Caelus said. "I need you to be a decoy."

Kaelen’s scales prickled. "A decoy?"

"I’ll be honest with you." Caelus’s red eyes were serious. "The chances of you dying are quite high. The queen is faster than she looks. Stronger than she looks. And she’s angry. You’ll be drawing her attention while I position myself for a killing blow."

Kaelen didn’t hesitate.

"I’ll do it."

Caelus raised an eyebrow. "Just like that? No questions? No demands?"

"I don’t care about the odds." Kaelen cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders. "I believe in my strength. Always have. Always will."

Caelus stared at him for a moment. Then his lips curved into something resembling respect.

"I was wrong. You aren’t foolish, you are brave,"

Kaelen grunted. "I will take the compliment, pale skin."

"Pale skin?"

But Kalaen didn’t answer him as he had no idea who he was or what guild he belonged to. They turned and walked toward the queen’s chamber, side by side.

The darkness swallowed them.

-

Jason ran and ran with the vampires trailing behind him.

His lungs burned. His legs screamed. The cocoon was gone—Mae had it—but his body was still heavy, still weak, still human. The poison from the earlier attack had faded, but his stamina was limited. More limited than he wanted to admit.

He rounded a corner, then another, then another.

His vision blurred.

His foot caught on a loose stone.

He crashed to the ground, skidding across the stone floor, his palms scraping raw. He lay there for a moment, chest heaving, gasping for air.

The vampires caught up to him.

The two sisters stood over him, their pale faces tilted, their red eyes curious. They weren’t even breathing hard.

"Why did you stop?" one of them asked.

Jason wheezed. "Because... I’m... dying..."

"You’re not dying."

"Feels like... dying..."

The sister exchanged glances. The taller one—Jason mentally named her Left—crossed her arms. The shorter one—Right—crouched down to look at his face.

"Abberations..." Right muttered. "So fragile."

"I’m not... an abberation..." Jason gasped. "I’m... a comedian..."

"What’s a comedian?"

"Someone who... makes bad decisions... for a living..."

Left snorted. It was the first sound she had made that wasn’t completely cold.

Right stood up and offered him a hand. Jason stared at it for a moment, then took it. She pulled him to his feet with surprising strength.

"You need to keep moving," Right said.

"I need to... not die..."

"Same thing."

Jason leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath. His chest was on fire. His legs were shaking. He had never been an athlete. Never been a runner. In his past life, the most exercise he got was walking to the fridge.

But before he could protest further, one of the sisters’ eyes shone.

Bright red. Glowing. Like embers catching fire.

Left—the taller one—had gone still. Her crimson gaze was fixed on the tunnel ahead, but she wasn’t looking at the walls or the floor. She was seeing through them. Past them.

"I see something," Left said, her voice low.

Jason straightened. "What?"

"A spider. Large. Moving fast." Her glowing eyes narrowed. "Rolling. Not crawling. Rolling."

"Rolling?" Right asked. "Spiders don’t roll."

"This one does."

Jason’s blood ran cold. He thought of the creature that had spoken to him—the three-eyed spider with the intelligent gaze. The one that had followed them. The one that wasn’t the queen.

But this sounded different, more aggressive.

It showed it had evolved or rather, mutated since the last time it was active.

Left’s eyes dimmed. She turned to her sister.

"It’s heading toward the nest. I’m sure that is where our brother is."

Right’s jaw tightened. "Then we go. Now."

They moved.

Jason barely had time to register what was happening before the sisters disappeared down the tunnel, their pale forms blurring with speed. Their footsteps faded into the darkness.

And Jason was alone.

He pushed off the wall and ran after them, his legs were screaming at him to stop.

"Wait!" he shouted. "WAIT UP!"

His voice echoed off the stone. No response.

He ran faster.

"I’m supposed to be the one leading!" he screamed. "This is my rescue mission! MY RESCUE