Okino lay in the arms of the three bubbly-sweet beegirls for what felt like days. He lay back in easy bliss, stupid, lazy, and content.

It wasn’t like other forms of control he’d heard about, those stories of men seduced by fey and demons becoming steadily ruined for the mortal world. He didn’t seem to get dumber, or weaker, the longer he lay in their arms. His resistance just oozed farther and farther away from him, because it all just felt so good, why would he ever want to fight?

Slow. Sticky. Gooey. Sweet. Lost in the arms of buxom Meli, teasing Cerana, bubbly Pona. Everything was so easy like this, suckling at Meli’s breast, thrusting between Pona’s soft thighs, accepting every one of Cerana’s wonderful sugary kisses.

It felt right. Simple. All he had to do was lie down and accept endless sticky indulgence. All he had to do was just let them take care of his every little need.

He was… stuck.

Time had become so slow and syrupy for him, he only registered a door opening, only noticed darkness creeping into the enclosure, when the three beegirls suddenly went still and turned to face a new arrival.

Okino couldn’t see who they were looking at. Someone from outside, that was all. He foggily remembered a pretty face, a sly smirk, a hand shoving him in here. Ytheri. The sorceress. Was she back for him? Was she here to tease him for what a good, sweet boy he was being for the beegirls who took care of him now?

He smiled dreamily and bucked, eliciting a soft sigh from Pona as she lapped lazily at his throbbing, drooling, honey-dripping cock. But her reaction seemed slow. Distracted.

And then he heard another voice. One with a very familiar vapid rising inflection.

“Awww. Am I, like… interrupting something~?”

And then he heard Meli’s voice, and she sounded strange. Nervous, almost, as she pulled him in closer. “Um, you’re not supposed… how’d you get in here?”

A brief silence. Okino couldn’t see through the cleavage he’d been shoved facefirst into, but he could hear and feel the other beegirls shifting positions, closing ranks.

“This is soooo cute,” the new voice cooed. “So this is, like, your little clubhouse? A little play-pretend hive?”

“Get out,” he heard Cerana snap. “When Ytheri catches you…”

“Aw.” A giggle. “But she’s not gonna catch me, is she, babes~?”

The beegirls’ wings had started to hum as they rose up into the air, Meli releasing him from her grasp. He lay there on the grass for a moment, then slowly rolled over to see what was going on.

A tall, gorgeous honey-blonde fey—Minixi, the Thriae who’d been captured along with him—strutted confidently into the chamber, smirking at the three nervous-looking beegirls. She was dressed in a lacy black nightgown.

“‘Cuz, like, you would never give me away,” Minixi purred in that cutesy singsong voice that always made Okino melt inside, a fingertip tugging at her neckline, “wouuuuld you, cuties~?”

The trio didn’t answer. They just stared at Minixi, appearing to hesitate.

Minixi licked her lips.

And her own wings started to buzz.

The hum of the trios’ little wings was nothing compared to the mind-melting drone that streamed from the Thriae. The buzz of her wings filled Okino’s world almost instantly. He saw Meli’s flight struggle. He saw Pona’s feet fall back to the ground.

And he felt his own mind start to drip and ooze.

Okino eyelids dropped. He sank into the familiar hum. He knew what it meant. He knew what he was to Minixi.

“I—” Meli’s voice suddenly sounded so unsure, so weak. “Nn—no—”

“Thaaat’s it,” he heard Minixi sing. “Down, down, down. You too, cutie~”

He heard Meli let out a moan as she hit the ground.

“Nngh—I won’t—” The buzzing of the beegirls’ weaker wings was falling away, but Cerana alone seemed to still be airborne.

“Hahaha~! Of course you will, loser.”

“No, I—buh—but—”

“Buh-buh-buh-buh~?” Minixi’s mocking cadence made Okino instinctively buck. “Down, bitch.”

A third impact against the soft earth. Minixi squealed with laughter. “Oh my gosh, so easy! I forgot how instinctive it is for you little sluts.”

Okino heard mewls of pleasure start to rise from the three beegirls as Minixi approached. He heard wet sounds, whimpers, whines. He heard the beegirls submitting to their better.

“Now, be good for me and edge each other’s stupid brains out, okay, sweeties?” Minixi cooed.

“Y—”

“A-aah—”

“Yes, Mistress!”

* * *

Minixi led him out by the hand a few minutes later, smiling like the catgirl who’d caught the siren. She didn’t bother to close the door behind her. Okino only half-registered this.

Okino felt… strange. As the hum of Minixi’s wings had fallen away, as he’d gulped down the last of the sweet honey the beegirls had given him, his mind felt almost… clearer than it ought to.

It didn’t make sense. He’d spent hours—days, maybe—in the arms of sultry, hypnotic fey. Now he’d been captured by the Thriae who’d already so thoroughly broken him. He knew he ought to be more dumb and lust-drugged than ever before.

And yet the sweetness that lingered on his tongue wasn’t the overwhelming poisonous sweetness of the meadbrewers. It tasted somehow… wholesome. Refreshing.

But he instinctively knew this was something he didn’t want Minixi to know, so he kept his voice weak and dreamy as he mumbled, “I, um… th-thought Thriae were the honeybeegirls.”

Minixi giggled. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, and his heart fluttered despite himself at the condescending babying tone she took in her reply. “No, silly. Thriae aren’t any kind of beegirl.”

She stopped at a particular doorway, released Okino’s hand, and popped inside. He dimly registered it was the arachne’s enclosure as he watched Minixi grab onto a strand of webbing and start buzzing her wings.

He watched the pretty arachne—who’d been so coquettish and smug towards him earlier—collapse in a twitching, squealing mess, trembling as the web vibrated against her with that hypnotic hum.

Minixi picked her way past the fey and opened the arachne’s closet. Gossamer finery of all hues and forms lay within. Her finger went to pouty golden lips in consideration, and then she picked out one article: a pretty yellow jacket.

She slung it on as she exited, increasing her total clothing count to two, and flashed him a smirk. “But, like… let’s just say you won’t see a lot of honeybeegirl hives near where we set up shop. Not for long, anyways.”

“O-Oh.”

One of Minixi’s hands was still visibly sticky with beegirl honey. She lewdly sucked each finger clean in turn, moaning softly, lashes fluttering.

Her hand crept to the back of his head. Her smile turned wicked as she pulled him into a deep kiss.

Okino moaned as her tongue thrust inside him. Her sweetness was there, but so was the sweetness of the beegirls—not wholesome and refreshing now, but headier, corrupted, almost. Whimpers and whines spilled from his lips as he pulled away, and he found himself clinging desperately despite himself. She pulled him back with a loud, wet smack.

Her golden eyes sparkled with glee. “But let’s just say we keep them close~”

* * *

For the first time since Trys had met her, Mew was completely silent as they hurried from the mirror chamber and made their way up the stairs. Trys could tell that the Hive was abuzz. She could feel it humming in the walls. The intruders had been discovered. Dead gods knew if any of Trys’s comrades were still standing with clear eyes.

But Trys was still here. So was Mew.

Mew’s silence didn’t last long. “Do you think the plan can still work?” she asked. “I mean, without… you know.”

Trys grimaced. She didn’t make eye contact.

* * *

“Obviously, officially, Okino will be heading the mission.” Rhoelt raised an eyebrow up at Trys. “Are you certain you won’t have a seat?”

“I would rather stand, Captain,” Trys said, managing a polite smile. She towered over them in Rhoelt’s cramped little office. She didn’t like getting comfortable in places like this.

“Understood.” Rhoelt nodded. They glanced down at their file. “As I said, officially Okino will be heading the mission. He is loyal and intelligent, in a mulish sort of way, and his confidence will make him an irresistible target to the Thriae, offering the rest of you some cover as long as his willpower holds. They will be drawn to the leader. I am trusting you to take over if and when he fails to do what must be done.”

Trys had some opinions about her fellow knight’s willpower, considering how she’d seen him act towards Yathi. But she kept those feelings to herself. “Why me, Captain?”

“He requested you, and I trust your instincts.” Rhoelt arched their eyebrows. “I know you know better than any of my knights how dangerous the Thriae can be. Isn’t that right?”

Trys hesitated, then nodded.

Rhoelt stood and started pacing around the room. “Our war against the Thriae has turned into one of attrition. We can’t win, and every battle leaves our knights weaker. Closer to you, if we’re lucky. We lose more resolve with every engagement. Our employers are… incurious people, and they are fast losing patience. When they lose patience, they look for quick solutions.”

“Captain?”

They turned to her, eyes narrowed. “I have already heard suggestions that we launch a full-frontal assault.”

Trys didn’t give any reaction. It wasn’t a surprise to her, but that didn’t make it any less horrifying to hear.

“It is a puzzle, isn’t it?” Rhoelt gave a dry kind of cough that might have been a laugh. “A tangled knot indeed. Not one mortal hands can undo.”

Trys nodded minutely.

Rhoelt turned back to her. “But we have more than mortal hands involved. And Okino’s… suspect selections have given me an idea.”

* * *

Hestia smirked down at him, eyes gleaming with wicked adoration. The shortstack Thriae deliberately ground her ass into his lap. “What’s wrong, cutie?” she teased, tickling under his chin. “Don’t you just love attention from your little wifey? Don’t you totally wanna, like, breed me stupid?”

Brist moaned and bucked into his hand. “I—nngh—”

“Shhh.” Mommy smiled down at him beatifically, stroking his hair as he suckled obediently at one massive breast, sweet, creamy honey pouring right down his throat. “Be a good little kitten for Mommy, now. That’s it. Just suckle all those thinkies away, baby~”

“O-Oh…”

“That’s right~”

Siproites blinked innocently at him as she briefly pulled away from the deep kiss she was giving her lover. “Don’t you wanna join us?” she asked, batting her eyelashes, thrusting her chest out slightly in that tight black corset. Her lover clung to her, kissing her neck to draw out more lovely moans. The third splayed her fishnet stocking clad legs out to hook around the pair, clutching them close.

Brist whimpered. “I—I—”

“Keep looking, dumdum.” The honey slime girl giggled close to his ear, and he mewled and bucked into his hand, between her legs. “It’s gonna feel so gooood when you pump-pump-pump-spurt into me and fill my keyhole aaaall up and we get this silly door nice and opened~”

“I-I can’t—” he whined. He felt himself briefly pulled back to reality. He stared in rapt need at the beautiful slime girl bouncing and jiggling and squishing against him, enveloping him, milking his big, throbbing, leaking cock.

Her form glowed with heat.

Evadne laughed down at him as he floundered in the honey waves. Her curves jiggled within the scanty two-piece bathing suit as she bounced from heel to toe, twirling her ribbon pole with mischief in her eyes. She leaned down, smirking, and used it to give him a gentle push, forcing him back down beneath the surface. “Get a nice, big dose, big boy,” she cooed. “Your lifeguard knows best~”

“Mmf—!”

Brist was losing. Losing the battle. Losing himself. He just wanted to pump, to buck, to cum and give in. He drooled as he watched Siproites kiss her lovers, plump lips smacking, tongues slipping inside. He whimpered as he tasted Mommy’s honey on his tongue, felt her hand pushing him deeper into her tits.

“All boys wanna do is lose, lose, lose,” the slime girl cooed in his ear. “Let girls win like you always do. They’ll know what to do with you~”

Her hips rose and fell, guiding his hand to pump up and down. Bounce, bounce. Up and down. Up and down.

“I… please…”

“You’re sooo stupid!” She giggled. “Begging a honey door for mercy. Letting a silly little trap take over like this.” She gyrated her hips, forcing a moan from him. “At this rate, like, they’re gonna hear your cuuute little moans and whines even if you don’t cum~!”

“Bu—buh—but I—”

“But you will cum.”

“N-Nno—”

The slime girl pulsed with heat. “And just imagine what they’ll do to you when they find you on the other side of me~”

The harlot smiled down at him, eyes shining with mindless lust. He didn’t even know her name. Didn’t even know if she had one. Her sweet breeding musk was all around, drugging, intoxicating as she pinned him to the floor and grinded against him with her curvy ass, panting, moaning… she licked her lips… he bucked—he throbbed—he was close—

—close—

The other side of me.

Brist’s breath caught.

Wait.

The slime girl… she wasn’t guarding the door.

She was the door.

Pure instinct took over as he lunged out, placed both hands on the door, and activated his magic.

The door—crafted of solid honey-amber, pure crystal—glowed with a faint golden light.

The slime girl’s eyes widened. She trembled, lips parting, trying to speak—

And he kissed her. Desperately, senselessly, needing to shut her up as she squealed and came. The visions vanished. Her body went limp. She clutched him weakly, shaking, trembling, thrashing, melting as the orgasm swept through her.

Relief swept through Brist. He’d stopped her. Just in time. Just before—

The honey door-girl twitched, and moaned, and her tongue slid into Brist’s mouth, and Brist’s cock throbbed.

Her pussy gave one last pulse.

And Brist came.

Defeat and despair were immediately smothered beneath a pillow as gooey, sticky bliss swam through him. Brist moaned, mewled, fell to his knees, and clutched at the slime girl, kissing her desperately, letting her tongue slide in deeper, deeper, as her hips rose and fell, bounced, pulsed, expertly milking out every last drop.

“G-Gooood,” he heard her moan. “O-Oh—s-some wizard, l-losing to—to a stupid little s-slime traaap—”

His cock throbbed in humiliation, and he moaned his agreement, bucked, kissed, and sank into her heat.

And fell straight through the suddenly open doorway to land on his hands and knees, cock still dribbling, still drooling.

The slime girl was gone. The door was gone.

And seven beautiful Thriae, every one a blonde bombshell with a flawless figure and glowing golden eyes, surrounded by adoring enslaved mead sprite pets, were staring at him with equally startled expressions.

But then delighted smirks started to spread across their pretty faces.

And a predatory hum filled the air as their eyes glimmered with promise.

He whimpered.

His cock twitched.

* * *

“Brist, the crystal mage, is Okino’s least questionable choice. Present company excluded, of course.”

“Of course.”

“His own ego and inexperience will make him a similarly tempting target.” Rhoelt furrowed their brow. “A very bad combination for handling fey. But he is one of the best crystal mages in our employ, and likely one of the best at improvised magic. Thriae hives’ construction is uniquely vulnerable to his craft. You will need him to help you navigate the hive when you arrive.”

“Captain, should we not bring more than one? Just…” Trys grimaced. “Just in case, I mean.”

Rhoelt was silent for a moment. “No.”

“But—”

“If one is not enough, two won’t be, either. And we would rather not sacrifice two pieces when one would do.” They shot her a glance. “Wouldn’t we?”

* * *

Ia waited until Yathi was done tormenting Kentri, trying and failing not to rub her thighs together at the sight. Fuck, Yathi was… really hot when she took control. It made Ia want to take it from her. Or help Mistress Elly take it from her.

When Kentri seemed subdued, and Yathi at last seemed satisfied, Ia reached forward to take Yathi by the now-sticky hand. “Hey, Yathi,” she whispered. “Can I, uh, talk to you?”

“Hm?” Yathi had that predatory gleam in her eye when she turned to Ia, and Ia briefly felt a panicky kind of flutter inside of her. The gleam faded. Yathi blinked. “Oh. Sure. Of course.”

She turned to Kentri, edging desperately on the floor, and grinned. “Don’t you dare cum, slut. Mistress will be back.”

“Y-Yes, Mistress,” the Thriae whimpered.

Ia led Yathi out of one kissing booth and into the other, careful to scan the hall and listen outside the curtain before moving from area to area. Bad idea to get ambushed now.

Once they were in the clear, Ia turned to Yathi. “So… that went pretty well, huh?”

“Mm. Yeah.” Yathi smiled dreamily, a flush entering her cheeks. “She’s… fuck, she’s just broken. Imagine what she’d do if I actually kissed her.”

“Yeah.” Ia smiled, feeling her own cheeks heating up. “So, uh, we’re gonna have her lead us to the Queen, right?”

“Right.” Yathi nodded automatically. “Right. Yes. Lead us to the Queen.” She brought up one of her honey-sticky fingers and idly suckled on the tip. Ia felt her knees grow weak. Fuck, Yathi’s lips were so plump and pouty… “She’ll do it for us.”

“Right.” Ia giggled nervously. “For you, definitely.”

She was trying to play it cool. It was no use. She could sense a change in the air between them. She’d been in control up til now, flustering and bullying Yathi into submission. All of a sudden, Yathi seemed more… confident. More aware of what she could do to people when she was this hot.

And as badly as Ia wanted to break her down for Mistress Elly, she suddenly wasn’t sure if she could.

She wasn’t sure what she’d do if Yathi told her to beg for a kiss.

“Right,” she repeated, hoping Yathi couldn’t sense the weakness building in her, “so, like, what’s our plan when we get to the Queen?”

Yathi’s finger popped out of her lips with a slick pop. Ia imagined those lips against hers, those lips latched onto a nipple… “We cut her down,” she said simply. “Just like Okino said.”

“And then?”

“And then we’ll leave. Which…” Yathi winced. “... yeah, is not gonna be easy. But we got in okay. I get the sense this hive isn’t exactly well-organized. With the Queen dead, it’ll get even worse. And you’re immune to control.”

Ia nodded, smiling slightly. Magical control, anyways. Or most forms of it. “Right. So, um, what about the others?”

“We save them.” Yathi shrugged. “Somehow. I dunno. One step at a time.”

“Wow.” Ia snorted. “Think you can write down that plan for me? Just so I don’t forget any of those complicated steps.”

Yathi blinked.

Ia sensed she’d made a terrible mistake.

Yathi tilted her head to the side, then took a step closer.

Ia’s heart began to pound. She tried not to squirm. Yathi even smelled good, especially with the honey on her fingertips. That scent came closer as the scout slowly reached up…

… and cupped Ia’s cheek.

Ia stopped breathing.

“Do you have a better idea?” she whispered.

Ia’s brain short-circuited a bit. Her lips moved, but no sounds came out that even vaguely resembled words.

Yathi’s eyes gleamed. Fear blossomed in Ia’s chest as she saw that predatory glint returning to those dark, spellbinding eyes.

“Because you’re always so full of quips and taunts, Ia,” Yathi murmured, rising up to her tiptoes to bring her fulsome lips level with Ia’s. “You’re such a fucking tease.”

“I—I—”

“But what happens, I wonder…” Yathi brought up a finger—the one she’d just sucked clean of honey—and brushed Ia’s lips. “When someone teases you back?”

Ia needed to fight back. She needed to—to pin Yathi to a wall. But her body suddenly felt limp and weak. And her lips suddenly felt so… sensitive. She felt transported back to the forest, right back to being Mistress Elly’s little teasetoy, tickled and teased and tortured with the most delicate touches possible, just like Yathi’s fingertip was torturing her now. She stared down at Yathi, lips trembling, and felt more than ever like prey.

Yathi smirked. Her fingertip started to slide in, and unthinking, Ia’s lips parted to accept it…

A muffled squeal from Kentri sounded down the corridor. It seemed to snap some kind of trance. Yathi blinked, then pulled back. For a moment, even she seemed to look startled at what she’d done. What she’d been about to do.

Then she rolled her eyes and grabbed Ia by the shirt collar, bodily dragging Ia out of the kissing booth. Ia stumbled along unthinkingly, still trying to process what had just happened. What had almost just happened.

Ia watched as Yathi pulled Kentri’s hand away. She watched Kentri whimper at the loss of stimulation, or maybe just at Yathi touching her, and a part of her ached with envy.

Ia had never felt this way about anyone before. Sure, Yathi was… unspeakably hot. Unbreathably hot. But Ia had usually been able to just enjoy it and lust after her from a distance.

Ever since Elly, things had felt different. She knew she was still immune to mind control. Alchemy sprites like her were immune to mead, immune to magic in their heads. But Mistress Elly had… awoken something. Shown her something about herself.

She licked her lips, tasting Yathi’s honey on her tongue.

It felt almost like… she wanted to be mind controlled.

And there was something off about Yathi.

“So, slut,” Yathi purred, caressing Kentri’s cheek, “Are you going to be good for me? Are you going to take us to Her?”

Kentri stared up at Yathi. Hearts of broken, adoring longing danced in her eyes.

“Yes, Mistress,” she whimpered.

Yathi smirked. “Good.”

“But…”

Yathi paused. She glanced back at Ia, raising an eyebrow, then looked back down at her slave. “But?”

“But…” Kentri took in a deep, shuddering breath, and started licking her own fingers clean. “If I’m going to get you past Her defenses, Mistress… you’ll have to look the part.”

“The part?”

Ia already knew what she was going to say. Her breath caught in her throat.

Kentri’s eyes gleamed with lust and surrender. “You’ll need to look like you’re broken already. You’ll n-need to look… like mead sprites~”