Ignis pinches Warren’s arm before releasing it. Warren yelps but says nothing. He stares at Maxen, chewing his lip.
“What do you want me to do?” he asks, hating how small his voice is. Maxen gestures to the insects.
“They’re not behaving as they should,” Maxen says. Warren’s cheeks flush with angry heat.
“They need more space,” he says. “They’re hungry and cold. It’s too early. How’d you get the buff-tail to nest here anyway?”
Maxen’s eyes widen. “The what?”
Typical, Warren thinks. He doesn’t know what they’re called. He wants to control them, but he’s not got the faintest interest in understanding them. These insects don’t stand a chance. Scowling, he points towards the domed structure where he knows a bumblebee queen broods her first clutch of daughters.
“The big, fluffy bee that
