Hive Queen Sinclair, Grayson (best pdf ebook reader for android txt) 📖

I didn’t think they’d have trapped the beams, but it’s what I’d have done. I’m just lucky the vibrations from my jump didn’t set them off. I had to deal with them before I could climb up; there wasn’t any room where I could ascend that wouldn’t set off the traps.

“What are you doing? You need help?”

“Stay there!” I said, panic nearly causing me to shout. “The beam is trapped; likely all of the others are as well. Need to deal with them before I can climb up.”

Raven glanced around trying to see what I could and failed. She huffed and crouched down, her raven wings coming out to rest around her like a cloak. “I’ll catch you if you fall.”

“Be careful! The gusts from your wings could set off the traps, and from the Scriptwork, these are nasty little bastards. Paralysis fields. Petty black magic, but effective this high up.”

“Can you nullify them? Do you even have magic?”

I’ve got something better. I smiled to myself and activated Aura of the Antimage. The invisible bubble expanded in a flash, and as it touched the magical traps, they popped with a subtle hiss as the antimagic wave swept through the room.

I don’t think I got all the traps; the radius wasn’t enough to go through the entire room, but it was enough for us to reach Lachrymal’s Heart.

I swung up and onto the ledge and crawled forward to let Raven get on. She extended her wings and jumped, rising to smirk at me before lowering gently onto the beam.

“Do you want to do the heavy lifting?”

“You’re doing a fine job all on your own, darling.”

I tuned her out and focused on my prize. The Heart was in the center of the room, only a couple dozen feet in front and below me. I slid around the support beams and crept along the spider’s web of stone until we were right above it.

“We need to hurry. If the person who set those traps is awake, then they felt their mana return to them. I’d rather believe they’re awake and are on their way. So that speeds us up.”

Raven nodded. “What do you need from me?”

“Stay up here while I grab the Heart. I’ll need you to pull me back up when I have it.”

With a final glance around the room and beyond to get a read on the guards, wraithsight faded, and the darkened room lit up once more as my normal sight returned. A slight pressure settled in my head before fading away. Any more potions, and I’ll get sick. Won’t risk it unless I have no choice. I pulled out my burglar’s kit and about fifty feet of rope.

I measured the distance and cut the length I needed. Lying down on my stomach, I tied the rope around the beam and knotted it tight. I gave the rope a few tugs to test the weight, and then I added a loop for my foot to rest when I descended the rope.

When the preparations were complete, I tossed the rope over the edge and gripped it tight. My nerves stood on end.

“Ready?” Raven asked.

“As I’ll ever be,” I said and lowered down.

The coarse rope dug into my palms as soon as my weight pressed into it, but I grunted away the agitation and began my descent. Heights had never been an issue for me, but as I lowered down at the slate floor far below me, I could understand the fear that plagued people. I ignored the urge to close my eyes, fought down my nerves, and before I knew it, I was at the end of the rope and Lachrymal’s Heart was right in front of me.

It was even more beautiful up close and twice as terrifying as from afar.

As if knew my intentions, the insidious infrasound broke through whatever resistance the Aspect had given me. It increased in pitch until it vanished for a second. Pain vibrated through my brain, and warm blood poured from my ears, my eyes and nose. It began to descend, and it went after my own heart. Something tore inside me, and blood filled my lungs.

What the hell is happening?

The torment pulling apart my organs only continued, and my strength abandoned me. I was being torn apart from the inside, and I had to hurry, or I was going to die.

I reached out and put my hand on the Heart.

Something popped into existence in my interface as whatever force that was rupturing my body stalled for a time.

Do you wish to take Lachrymal’s Heart?

Yes/No

 

Yes!

 

Do you accept The Weeping God’s Curse?

Yes/No

 

What? A curse? Then it clicked. This is why the others failed. This is the surprise I wasn’t expecting. The prompt hung in the air in front of me, just waiting for my answer. I had no clue what it would do, but I knew it would only hurt me. But I had no choice, I had to accept it.

Yes.

 

Warning! Curse of The Weeping God Active.

-25 to all Main Stats for the duration of bearing Lachrymal’s Heart.

-50% Battle Fatigue

Acquired the Wrath of the Chosen: Lachrymal’s Chosen deal 100% damage to the bearer.

 

Well, shit. The emerald shank to the size of my palm and vanished into my inventory. As soon as it vanished, the infernal whispering disappeared, and the Weeping God’s Curse activated.

I tried to get ready for it, but I was woefully unprepared for the further drain on my stats. Weakened from the damage to my organs and the loss of my strength, the rope slipped from my fingers, and I fell.

The ground came for me faster than I could blink. I tilted when I fell off the rope and sideswiped the rising obelisk that formerly housed the pilfered gemstone