"Neil is one of the hive medics. Self-taught, of course," Christoph explained as he escorted me to the west dorm, a backpack now slung over his shoulder.

"He's not licensed to practice medicine?"

Christoph turned around to smirk at me. "That would require a college education, and a college education requires a birth certificate, among other things."

"Can't he just get false records?"

"Yes, but not without risks. Cecile is committed to maintaining the hive's secrecy and integrity, so she hands them out sparingly. To quote her, 'demons take their risks on the battlefield'."

Christoph didn't seem eager to elaborate on the subject, and we arrived at the west dorm before the silence grew too long. As soon as we entered, he and I were ambushed by Stella and her sparring partner.

"Hey, Christoph. Are you going to introduce us to your new pet?" Stella said through a nasty sneer.

Pet?

"This is Reese. Willem's granddaughter," Christoph offered. "Reese, this is Stella and Mia."

"Hi." I kept my greeting short. No sense wasting my breath on bitches.

"If you plan to stay here, Reese, just remember your place is beneath us," Stella said as she pointed at the ground. "And if you forget your place, Mia and I will have no problem reminding you."

"Put away your claws, Stella," Christoph said. "Reese is only here temporarily."

He tugged on my sleeve, and I followed him past several more unwelcome stares until we entered a hallway lit by a single lantern. So far, pond scum was winning out. Hopefully, Cecile would have me starting on her artifact finding tour right away. We passed a never-ending row of arched doorways leading into small rooms. None of them had doors, but a few were fitted with privacy curtains.

"Where does this tunnel lead? I assume these are dorm rooms," I said.

"Yes. I'm taking us away from the action. To the end of the hall. I thought you'd appreciate the privacy." Christoph probably meant to reassure me, but I would have preferred a room closer to the exit.

Not surprisingly, the room in question had very little in the way of furniture, only a pair of cots and a metal stand to hang clothing on. Demons didn't seem to require much, and it reminded me of Heath. He insisted he slept better on his futon rather than my pillow-top mattress. I pushed away thoughts of the amazing sex we had on that futon as I sat on one of the cots. Christoph did the same across from me. He looked exhausted, but I knew he wouldn't be letting me out of his sight, so sleep was off the table.

"So, Christoph. Tell me about your goals and aspirations. Besides taking risks on the battlefield, what do you enjoy?"

As if waking from a stupor, Christoph cocked his head as he looked at me. Despite the serious lack of light, I read the fatigue perfectly. "I enjoy fighting. It's what I'm trained for. We all are."

"Even Neil? You said he's a medic. He must see a lot of battle wounds."

"Fighting is critical to our survival, Reese."

"Is that how demons define their lives? Survival?"

"Yes."

"Oh. So, how many demons hold down jobs outside the hive? Heath always worked."

"Some do work. Under the radar."

"Manhattan is pretty expensive. How do you afford it?"

"The hive has resources."

Christoph's wall slowly went up, which probably had something to do with the walls having ears. He dug into his backpack and pulled out clothes, tossing them to me. A black collared shirt and a pair of khaki cargo pants. As soon as I tugged on the waistband and met with resistance, I knew the pants were not fitting over my ass.

"I borrowed these from Cara," he said. "I thought you'd want something clean to wear after we shower."

"Wait. Did you say Cara?"

"Yes."

"I met Cara. Actually, she tried to kidnap me in Albany."

"I know."

"Did you tell her you were borrowing clothes for me?"

"No. I'll deal with the fallout later." He said this as he slung his backpack over his shoulder and stood. "C'mon. I'll take you to the shower."

I followed Christoph away from the room, only this time I couldn't hear the whispers behind my back. In fact, I couldn't hear anything. The hive had gone quiet, like a mass hive evacuation had occurred. Christoph seemed happy about this as we continued down the never-ending hallway.

Everything about the hive had a survival feel to it; the roughly hewn walls, the lack of decor, the modest furnishings, and just enough light to keep skulls intact when passing. Of course, the queen's chamber seemed a bit more accommodating, but a far cry from the way the gollums lived.

I heard the sound of running water as we approached the opposite end of the hall. Not so much the spray of a showerhead, more like the gush of a waterfall, and the tunnel suddenly opened up into a gaping hole. Christoph shot his arm out to stop me before I tumbled down a wicked flight of stairs. Unlike the wooden steps of my apartment building, these stairs were made of steel, and they zig-zagged into a large chasm containing stalactites and stalagmites. I didn't have to gawk long before Christoph cracked a smile.

"Welcome to the west dorm shower," he said. "Watch that first step. It's a killer."

My brain hadn't finished processing, so Christoph kindly let me stare without interruption. The shower, as he so blandly put it, was actually an aquifer, with multiple waterfalls cascading in a steady stream over rocky ledges, splashing against a smooth platform of stone.

"It's an aquifer," I said, stating the obvious.

"There's another on the north side of the hive that's used by the privs and the queen. They supply all our fresh water. It's the reason Cecile chose this location. We can undress here and go on down." He pointed to a row of hooks holding a collection of towels. "Just pick a towel and hang your clothes on the hook. There's soap at the base of the stairs."

"Um... We're going to shower together?"

"We both need a shower. Why wouldn't we do it together?"

I had to ponder his comment for a minute. A couple weeks ago, I wouldn't have thought twice about getting into the shower with a guy I barely knew. In fact, I did get into the shower with a guy I barely knew. His name was Shane, and we engaged in various sex acts that I enjoyed immensely. But, now... with Vincent being my boyfriend. Or maybe he wasn't. Damn, I missed him.

"Because I'm not used to getting naked with... I'm not really comfortable with..." I stuttered.

"C'mon, Reese. Heath and I attended battle training together. We talked."

Ugh.

"Can't a girl choose to shower without an audience? You said it yourself. You don't want things to be weird between us."

"I also need to keep you safe, which means shadowing you while you're in the hive."

I glanced past his shoulder at the tunnel behind him. "We didn't pass a single soul on our way here, and the girls who want to gouge my eyes out are gone."

"Those girls could do more damage than that. They could take you down in a second without proper battle training." Christoph crossed his arms, waiting for me to deny it.

"I managed to survive Heath for eight months. I've got some fighting skills."

He snorted. "You still don't get it, do you? Heath was no threat to you. He was in love with you."

Ouch.

"Christoph, please. I would just feel better if we didn't see each other naked."

It took him a moment, but Christoph appeared to make a decision. "Wait here." He turned and sprinted back through the tunnel, disappearing into the darkness. A minute later, he returned. "Okay. It looks like everybody has left for battle training. I'll be in our room at the other end of the hall. You don't have to make a single turn."

"I can find my way to our room, Christoph. Thank you for this. I promise to make it quick so you don't give yourself an ulcer."

He pursed his lips, which I took as his disgruntled version of a resigned smile, then I waited until his shadow faded before I undressed. Grabbing a towel from the rack, I made the steep descent into the chasm. The moisture enveloped me as soon as I started down the staircase, and when I reached the bottom, the water from the ceiling pelted my head like raindrops. It felt amazing, and I ducked under the stairwell to grab a bar of soap, anxious to have this one-of-a-kind experience before the troops returned.

I tried to keep my shower short. I really did, but who wouldn't want to stand under the pure waters of an aquifer and forget their troubles? Sure, the water was cold, but after a few minutes, my skin went numb. It reminded me of the time Sylvie and I lost power in our apartment and were forced to endure a cold shower in the dead of winter.

It wasn't until I heard voices that I realized my eyes were closed and I had zoned out. Under the turbulent waters of the aquifer, I didn't notice the naked demons until they were stepping off the stairwell. I recognized Dale and Bo, but not their buddy, and all three looked like they'd hit the jackpot. Christoph would definitely count this as a situation he'd like to avoid.

"Well, well. If it isn't our resident hybrid," Dale said through an extremely pleased smirk.

"Those are real," Bo said as he nudged Dale in the arm.

Dale smacked Bo in the back of the head. "Of course, they're real. Biggest I've ever seen on a gollum."

"Must be from her polluted genes. But hey, I'm not complaining."

"Shut up, Bo. Let me handle this." Dale came to stand in front of me, pressing both hands against the rock behind my head and essentially trapping me between them. "You've got everyone's pheromones going nuts, sweet thing. Where's your bodyguard? Don't tell me he abandoned his post to let you fend for yourself."

"I asked for some privacy, which you three are currently invading." I tried to act confident, but my voice made me sound whiny as I assessed my chances for survival against these three behemoths. I hated feeling like the one who always needed saving. Battle training or no, I could take care of myself.

"You're a fine-looking female," Dale said as he fondled my wet hair. "I see why Heath kept you to himself."

I smacked Dale's hand and quickly ducked under his arm. "Leave me alone, perv. Can't you tell when a girl's not interested?"

The other two busted out laughing, and Bo spoke between gasps. "Did you hear that, Dale? You're a perv."

Dale ignored him and continued pursuing me, grabbing my waist and smashing our naked bodies together. "I think you need to be kissed by a perv, then."

Oh, snap.

So, this was his game. The kiss of submission, a handy weapon in every demon's arsenal. Well, I was prepared to play. I glared at him through the dim light of the cavern, giving him a dose of my lethal gaze.

"And what do you hope to accomplish with that? Don't you think your friends will mock you for making it with a hybrid? Did you bring an extra-strength condom with you?"

He responded to my insult with a wide smile, making sure I noticed the fangs he had sprouted. "You've got a smart mouth on you. Let's see what else you can do with it."

With his erection waving dangerously close to my sex, Dale claimed my mouth. I didn't know exactly how to use the demon gifts my grandfather gave me, but I had learned enough to make a decent stab at it. I accepted his probing tongue and pretended to become seduced by him as I pictured him on his knees, surrendering to me. Then, when I felt the buzz of his influence on my brain, I imagined his face between my legs, tonguing me desperately, not getting enough, pleading for more.

Dale moaned as he held me in lip lockdown. I couldn't tell if it was me or him putting the lewd thoughts into my head, and I worked hard not to succumb to the siren call as I threaded my fingers between his knuckles and twisted his hand backwards. Dale pulled away and lowered in front of me, grimacing as he grabbed his engorged groin.

"Reese!"

The shout had not come from Dale, but from Christoph as he sprinted down the steps three at a time. He came to a sliding stop, and the look on his face was worth all the honeybuns in the hive. There Dale sat, kneeling at my feet, one hand trapped between my fingers and the other gripping his dick.

"What the hell is going on here?" Christoph growled.

"Dale and I were having a discussion about hybrids and how they had smart mouths," I said.

A snort erupted from Bo, but he quickly slapped his hand over his mouth when Christoph glared at him. "Get the fuck out of here. And take Dale with you."

Bo and his silent cohort grabbed Dale by the arm and hauled him up, and Dale staggered to his feet, still clutching his penis. Christoph waited until the jerks had left the shower, then he turned his serious stare on me.

"Who taught you how to use the kiss of submission?"

"Nobody taught me, but it's been used on me enough times that I decided to wing it." I offered him a smirk. "Like you said, I could be taken down in a second without battle training."

Christoph rolled his eyes dramatically, although he appeared properly impressed when those dark orbs pinned me again. "Maybe you should add that to your arsenal. I'm starting to think your seduction skills are as powerful as a right hook."