The smell hit me first thing as I dropped into the tunnel. The acrid tang of sour rags, but the scent only lingered a few seconds then got carried off by a fresh supply of oxygen. I felt it move through the passageway somewhere over my head, even after the hive entrance had been sealed by two muscle-bound guys, introduced as Dale and Bo.

Dale insisted on helping me down, copping a feel of my breast then apologizing, all while his friend stifled a laugh. I refrained from decking the guy, since I was on his turf, but my intent must have shown because Christoph got us marching on our way without small talk. Of course, we were walking into a dark, underground maze, so not really an improvement.

Josh usurped the lead and Christoph took up a position behind me, while Dale and Bo hung back a few yards, but I still heard them whispering to each other. Something about my tits.

"Do you ever get lost in here?" I asked, directing my question at either Josh or Christoph. I figured only Christoph would answer, but they both said 'No' simultaneously.

"That's good to know. How many live in the hive?"

"Over four hundred," Christoph said. "But, only one quarter are in residence at once. Most of us live in the cities."

"Dude. It's battle training, remember?" Josh said. "The hive is busier than usual."

"Right, and Austin set up a new obstacle course. It sounds mega harsh."

Oh, lucky me.

The boys went on with their banter about scaling ropes over deadly stalagmites, while I tried not to feel grumpy, but I was tired and hungry, and I couldn't see worth a damn. The only time I got a view of Josh's head happened when we passed a tunnel offshoot where light spilled into our path. Dale and Bo disappeared down one, and their voices rose when they thought they were out of earshot. It sounded like one of them wanted to give me a good fucking. Not very promising.

"How long has this hive been here?" I asked, before depression set in.

"Cecile arrived with the first settlers and began work on the hive while Providence was being built. I don't know the exact date it was finished."

"Wait. Did you say Cecile arrived with the English settlers? That would have been the mid sixteen hundreds."

"Yep." Christoph chuckled, probably in response to the skepticism in my voice. "Demons don't live as long as their queens do, in case you're wondering. The queens have supernatural help."

"Well, that explains everything."

"The hive is also lit by eternal flames," he added. "You'll see more of the lanterns as we get further in."

"So, the lantern doesn't have to be refueled or the wick relit, ever?"

"Hardly ever."

"That sounds like an ever-burning lamp. The scholar Callimachus built a lamp that could hold a flame for a year without intervention. I did a research paper on him."

"Well, these last a lot longer than a year," Christoph said.

We stopped at a three-way intersection where a glass lantern hung from the ceiling, holding the infamous eternal flame. The light shone a little too bright, and I squinted to look at my companions.

"I'll tell Cecile we've got the... We've got Reese," Josh said, glancing sidelong at me.

"Okay. I'll get Reese situated in the west dorm and meet you there. And make sure you tell Cecile there were no gollums in pursuit when we entered the hive." Christoph's furtive glance in my direction looked apologetic, but it vanished quickly.

"Fine. I'll see you in ten."

"If we're not there, wait for us," Christoph called after him. "I'm taking Reese by the kitchen to get her something to eat."

Josh shrugged. "Good luck with that. You know how strict they are with rations."

"I'm not going to let her starve."

Josh had nothing to add, and Christoph gestured for me to follow him in the opposite direction. He looked annoyed, striding through the tunnel faster than before and forcing me to keep up. Was he angry with himself for being nice to me? Would Josh spread rumors that Christoph was a pansy for catering to the enemy? Were they planning to let me starve?

Gradually, the passages became more crowded, which added to my discomfort level. My bionic hearing picked up every comment and wisecrack, usually about my smell. Christoph finally stopped in front of a doorway and tugged me inside, away from foot traffic. Within seconds, we were overwhelmed by the scent of baked goods.

"What's going on in here?" I asked. "The smell reminds me of a bakery I used to visit in Baltimore."

"Honeybuns. It's a staple food of demons."

Honeybuns?

My mind stumbled and fell over a memory. The first time I visited that bakery in Baltimore with Heath. The honeybuns were his favorite.

"This is the kitchen," Christoph said. "It's probably going to be awkward. Just stick to the pleasantries, if you can. I know how you like to speak your mind." A wry smile quirked his lips, and I had to refrain from speaking my mind as he ushered me into the room.

The kitchen felt tall and spacious, with plenty of lighting emanating from lanterns around the perimeter. A pair of rectangular counters stood side by side, with brick ovens and washing stations built into the walls. I counted three bodies, all of them female, and I heard Christoph mumble 'Oh, hell' when a young blonde saw us and started walking over.

The first thing I noticed about her, besides her firm biceps, had to be the rose-colored glasses she wore. I'd seen a similar pair worn by a female demon I met at a Halloween party. The memory was not a fond one.

"Hey, Christoph," the girl called out.

"Hi, Rach," Christoph said as he and Rach bumped elbows. "This is Reese."

Rach wrinkled her nose at me. "The hybrid? Color me impressed. So, Reese. You can call me Rachel. I'm only Rach if you've seen me naked." She flashed Christoph a wicked grin, which prompted an eyebrow lift from him. "Your reputation precedes you, Reese," Rachel went on. "You're the one responsible for all the deaths recently. First Manny, then Kelly, then Heath. Don't expect a parade."

"I didn't kill any of them," I argued.

Christoph shot me a warning glance, but it came too late. Rachel's talons were out.

"Don't even fucking deny it," she said, crossing her arms and taking a threatening step toward me. "If it weren't for you and your high-and-mighty warrior clan, our comrades would still be alive."

"We just came to get food, not to argue over past bullshit." Christoph intervened, gesturing to a tray of honeybuns still steaming from the oven.

"Hah! I hope you aren't planning to feed it to the hybrid," Rachel screeched. "You know the rules about rations."

"It's for me. I'll probably be with Cecile for the next hour. I won't have a chance to eat with the others."

Pursing her lips, Rachel gave him the stink eye through her shades before relenting. "Go ahead, but I expect compensation for my kindness. Maybe later in the priv dorm."

"Thanks, Rach." Christoph snagged a honeybun from the tray and swiftly hauled me out of the room. Once we were heading away from the kitchen, he handed me the decadent prize. "You have about three minutes to eat this."

"Then you'll be hungry. I don't want to eat what's meant for you." As I said this, I held the honeybun under my nose and saliva pooled on my tongue.

"Eat it, Reese. I don't know when Cecile will be ready to see you. If it's soon, you may not get another chance before the hive's next meal is served."

I followed his advice and dug in. Damn, it was tasty, and dare I say, better than the bakery in Baltimore. "So, what happens in the priv dorm?" I asked as I chewed.

"A lot of things. It's the living quarters of the privileged. Direct descendants of the queen."

"Okay, so what happens there?"

"The usual. We sleep, work-out, catch up with each other."

"And..."

I couldn't help smirking when Christoph turned around. We both knew what I was driving at.

"And there's usually demons getting busy, but that's not just in the priv dorm. It happens in the other dorms too. Demons fuck a lot, and we don't care where we do it."

"Oh." I was a little sorry I pushed for an answer. My smugness tended to get me into hot water more often than not.

Christoph and I followed the labyrinth for another three minutes until I heard shouting spill out of an open doorway. Based on the animated shadows reflecting off the walls, I immediately assumed the worst. A fight.

We rounded the corner into a large, well lit room currently filled with bodies. All the furnishings had been pushed against the walls, and everyone stood around a pair of brawling females. Christoph tugged me out of the way, and we stood at the entrance to watch.

The girls were built like tanks, and neither appeared winded or bloody despite the fists flying. The crowd cheered them on, shouting encouragement as well as insults, and Christoph leaned closer to fill me in.

"We're not supposed to fight outside the sparring ring, but most of the hive patrol turn a blind eye. They figure the more practice we get, the better chance we have to win our next battle."

"Hive patrol? Is that like a demon cop?"

"You could say that. Speaking of which..." Christoph nudged me further away from the door to make room for a guy with a severe buzz cut. He walked up to the circle of bodies and stood on the periphery with his arms crossed over his protruding chest and a concentrated scowl on his face.

Buzz watched the fight for a good thirty seconds before his presence was acknowledged by a few antagonizers, who stepped away to allow him passage. Gradually, voices lowered and bodies dispersed until the two brawling females broke apart and came to stand in front of Buzz, clasping their hands obediently behind their backs.

"I thought you two got this out of your system yesterday," Buzz said. "I don't appreciate it when my warnings go unheeded."

"Stella challenged me." One of the demons spoke to the ground. "You said we should never let a challenge go unanswered."

"Yes, I did, but that doesn't mean you have to act the moment the challenge is issued. There are many ways to fight a battle. You both need to spend more time practicing restraint. Three hours in the mental combat room before the sun sets."

"Three hours!" The demon named Stella lifted her chest to shout her argument. "That's totally bogus. You know I have kitchen duty this week."

Buzz's face hardened as he took a step closer to the girl until they were standing head to chin. I couldn't help being impressed when she made no move to retreat. "You should have thought of that before you made your challenge. Poor judgment will not excuse you this time, Stella. Your warnings are beginning to stack up. That reflects poorly on your superiors."

"You mean, my parents? I'm sorry I'm such a disappointment, Dad." Stella turned on her heels and stomped across the room, disappearing down a hallway.

Buzz excused demon brawler number two with a wave, and the few bodies left in the room started dragging furniture back into place. Buzz noticed Christoph and me standing against the wall, and I watched his cop radar go off as he eyeballed me.

"Christoph. I haven't seen you in many sunsets," Buzz said as he strode over.

"I've been on assignment for the past couple of weeks."

"That's what I hear. And your mission was successful, I take it?" Buzz looked directly at me when he made his inquiry, and Christoph turned to join him.

Geez.

"Yes. This is Reese. Reese, this is Austin. He's a member of the hive patrol."

"Nice to meet you, Austin."

"You were brought here against your will, am I right?" Austin asked, drill sergeant style.

"I don't want to be here, if that's what you mean, but I came willingly to save my family the hassle of replacing another broken window. It seems demons don't like to use the front door when they kidnap people."

A snigger came from a group of guys standing nearby, and I recognized one of them as the snatcher who busted my parent's window. Austin noticed our exchange, and he shook his head disapprovingly at the juvenile delinquents.

"That is not acceptable hive behavior," Austin said. "And if you point out the guilty parties, I will see they receive a fitting punishment."

The group scattered as soon as Austin switched his attention to the guilty parties, but I didn't want to add to my list of enemies by pointing fingers the minute I arrived. Josh appeared before the situation became more awkward, and when he saw Austin talking to us, he filled his lungs with air and walked over like a boy scout accepting his first patch.

"I just came from the queen's chamber," Josh announced. "She and Hadria are awake and eager to meet Reese." He said all this without lowering his chest, and I had to stifle my own snigger.

"I'll let you boys take care of business, then," Austin said, staring down his thick nose at Christoph and Josh. "If you need me, I'll be in the sparing ring after I finish my rounds. I suggest you don't take your eyes off your friend here. We don't want her getting lost and wandering into the wrong tunnel."

He lifted his gaze slightly to give me a final assessment before retreating through the door. In that short time, I did my best to see through Austin's law enforcement demeanor, but I didn't get enough to make an educated call. If I wanted to survive my time in the tunnels, I needed to find out which demons were allies and who thought I was pond scum. So far, my friends appeared to be limited to one, and while those numbers weren't good, I still counted myself lucky.