Valdier:
The Hive
Carmen released Creon’s hand when they entered the mammoth cavern. Her heart pounded with fear and desperation as she surveyed the deserted interior. The soft golden light did not immediately reveal her daughter.
“Phoenix! Phoenix, sweetheart, where are you?” Carmen called.
“Phoenix!” Creon shouted from behind her.
Their voices echoed throughout the cavern. Harvey bounded forward along a wide path through the rocks. Carmen hurriedly followed the symbiot.
“Carmen,” Zoran called to her.
She ignored him, breaking into a run. “Phoenix, where are you?” she urgently yelled again.
She rounded an enormous boulder and stumbled to a stop. In front of her, a wide river of gold flowed through the center of the cavern. She observed the river’s flow, following it to the far end
