Malevolent (The Puzzle Box Series Book 1) by K.M. Carroll Read Free Book Online

finished the honeycomb and licked honey off my spoon. It was sticky and wholesome and a little grainy, where it had turned to sugar. Glorious warmth filled my stomach.
    Mom retrieved my medication from the fridge, and I gulped the pills with milk. Then I went upstairs to bed, because the meds usually made me sleepy.
    Not tonight. I detoured to the computer and spent three hours scoring head shots with Tiffany in an online shooter. Other players texted me swears and death threats. It was wonderful.
    "You seem different tonight," Tiffany messaged me. "Look at that score!"
    "I feel better," I wrote back. "I had honey for dinner."
    She replied, "LOL sugar."
    When I finally went to bed, I slept deep and hard. When I woke at dim, foggy sunrise, it took a while to pry my eyes open. But when I finally crawled out from under the blankets, my strength had returned. I had the energy to take a shower and even put on makeup. My stomach growled--food sounded good again! I was well!
    What in the world had been in that honey?
    When Mom asked what I wanted for breakfast, I opened the fridge and began pulling out omelet ingredients.
    She watched me with her mouth open.
    "Seriously Mom, I think I'm well. I'm starving, and I haven't been hungry in ages." I broke three eggs into a measuring cup and threw in some frozen hash browns and mushrooms.
    Mom watched me warily. "You may not be able to keep it down."
    "Oh, it'll stay down." I beat the potatoes, mushrooms and eggs together into a runny mess, then poured it into a skillet and turned on the burner.
    Ten minutes later I wolfed down my omelet, and it was the best thing I'd tasted in months, aside from the honey. Now I wished I'd saved some for toast, because toast with butter and honey is one of the finest things in life. So were those eggs--fluffy, savory, and perfect with a spoonful of salsa.
    I had to ask Malachi about his awesome honey. He took special care of his bees, but would that make honey of such superior quality? I mean, I was well . I'd been sick for ages,and the medication had done next to nothing. How could a tiny amount of honey affect me like this?
    "Can I have that honey jar?" I asked as I loaded my dishes into the dishwasher. "I want to return it."
    Mom's face crinkled in worry. "Your father told you to stay away from that Malachi character."
    "I'm just returning a jar, Mom. And I want to ask him what's in that honey. Maybe I can get more."
    Mom's face softened. This was the first time I'd improved, after all. "All right. Take your cellphone. If anything happens..."
    "I'll be fine, Mom. If it makes you feel any better ..." I whipped out my knife and flipped open the gleaming blade in one smooth motion. "It's not a stake, but I don't think vampires would want to be stuck with this, either."
    Mom eyed the knife and sighed. "All right. Just be careful."
    Outdoors it was warm and moist, and the almond blossoms filled the air with scent. They weren't even fully budded out yet. I felt so good, I decided to walk to the bee station. I used to run all over the farm when I was well, and almond trees are fun to climb.
    I let Suki out of the yard and stuffed her leash in my coat pocket. She ran into the orchard ahead of me, barking and sniffing the tree trunks. Then she ran back, grinning, with white petals stuck in her black coat. I scratched her ears and thumped her sides. She jumped around me for sheer joy, as if she sensed how much better I felt. I growled at her and got her riled up, then laughed as she sprinted in circles around me with her tongue out.
    I'd forgotten what it was like to live.
    The bee station was deserted, and a lot of the other hives had been moved deeper into the orchard, but the air was full of bees. I walked by Mal's collection of hives. "Hello, queens! It's just me, Libby. Thank you for your honey. It's made me well."
    Their drone changed pitch, almost like they answered me. It sounded ... musical. Maybe Mal wasn't as nuts as I thought, talking to the bees like