The Queen's wound burned brighter, spilling heat into the clearing. Her wings fanned the glow into waves that rolled over the army. Scarabs hissed as the fire scorched their shells, their drums cracking under the heat. Centipedes writhed, their coils blistering where they touched the ground. Glowbeetles crashed from the sky in smoldering trails, their light dimming before it hit the soil.
Buzz staggered forward anyway, every step burning, every breath scraping his lungs. His shell split further with each movement, but Zza's silk bound him in place. She moved beside him, threads snapping as fast as she spun them, her face pale but determined.
"Keep your head up," she said, her voice low, as if speaking louder would make her break. "Don't let her see you bow."
Buzz gave her a jagged grin through blood. "I'd rather crawl into her face than bow."
She almost laughed, almost cried, and pulled him forward with another thread.
