“Vesper,” I tell her
“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Vesper. You will address me by Svetlana, or any of my monikers will do. I very much enjoy Slicer of Heads.”
“You must respect your familiar to earn loyalty,” Cipher says. “The higher the loyalty, the stronger your bond. Disrespect her, and she will cause you nothing but trouble.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, Svetlana, Slicer of Heads,” I reply.
“Of course, it is,” she harrumphs. “I am magnificent.” She looks at Locke. “You? Not so much.”
Locke scowls and grumbles something under his breath that sounds like, “Fucking bugs.”
“What was that?” Svetlana asks sweetly, but her razor arms raise high in preparation. As if she’s ready to attack at a moment’s notice.
“Nothing,” Locke says. “I was just saying how beautiful you are.”
Svetlana settles down, her body dancing from side to side for a moment before she rests. “You can stay,” she declares after a moment, “but only if you continue to compliment me, Bone Breaker. Consider it payment for keeping your head.”
I can’t help it. The laugh tumbles out of me, and once it starts, it won’t stop.
“What?” Svetlana asks. “What is so funny?”
Of course my familiar would be an angry, arrogant bug. Only I could have that sort of luck. Dox would have laughed and told me I got what I deserve if she were here. She would also love Svetlana.
“Nothing,” I say, rolling my shoulders. I tuck my arm against my body to protect the wound. It’s bleeding through the makeshift bandage already. I’ll need to address it soon. I hadn’t realized where the material had come from before. Locke hasn’t picked up any cotton fabric. He barely picks up anything at all. I only realize where it came from when he moves and I see his midriff. He’s torn a strip off the bottom of my shirt to wrap my arm. “I’m just so happy to have you here, Svetlana.”
The praying mantis sniffs. “Of course you are,” she says. “I’m a delight.”
The Leafcutter Queen claps her hands together, drawing our attention back to her. “Get out,” she orders primely. That’s it. That’s all we get.
We’d defeated her without having to fight this entire anthill and I’m not going to question her benevolence now. I bow my head to her quickly and grab Locke with my good arm before dragging him out of the throne room.
The sound of another male ant’s genitalia exploding fills the room behind us as we escape. Svetlana cheers on my shoulder.
“Fuck yeah!” she shouts. “Now rip his head off!”
CHAPTER25
VESPER
There’s a safehouse inside the Leafcutter anthill. It’s underground, much like the one in the Secret Abyss, but this one is completely different. Where it had been an AppleFrog’s in the Secret Abyss, here, it’s a strange mushroom looking structure nestled inside the dirt tunnel system. We stare at the entrance as worker ants come up and stack more pieces of mushroom against the outside of it, making it larger with every piece.
“Um . . .” I say, staring at the very unorthodox building. “Are we sure this is it?”
“That’s what the map says,” Locke replies. “We’re right on top of it.”
Svetlana shifts on my shoulder. “It smells.”
Once she brings attention to it, I realize thereisa smell to this place. It’s earthy and moist, thickly fragrant enough that it makes my nose twitch with irritation.
“We just need to rest,” I say. “We haven’t slept well in a few days.”
“We need real food,” Locke points out. “We haven’t eaten in . . . I don’t actually know how many days it’s been. Nothing other than that fish that was starting to turn.”
“Four days, six hours, twenty-five minutes, and thirteen seconds,” Cipher supplies helpfully. “Since your last full meal.”
“Brilliant,” Svetlana says. “A few more days and you will starve to death.”
Locke shoots her a look that she ignores. “Are we going inside?” he asks me.
