Honeybee | Wanda Maximoff {AU}

Chapter Twelve: Huntii

Music is "Rainbow" by Kesha.

Picture is Claudia Doumit as Sarai.

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Bombus Huntii

Commonly referred to as the Hunt bumblebee or Hunt's bumblebee, Bombus Huntii is native to western North America, from as far east as Manitoba and Minnesota and as far south as the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. They live in a variety of places underground, depending on the terrain, and are very adept to changes in weather and surroundings. B. Huntii can even be found at the tops of volcanoes.

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Chapter Twelve: Huntii

When we get back to the dorm from my few hours at the hospital, Melizza finds me immediately. I can hear her buzzing from yards away. She flies straight for me as Wanda and I enter the room, walking hand-in-hand.

"Your Majesty!" she exclaims, stopping a few inches away from my face. "Are you okay, Your Majesty? I could not find you! You disappeared after the hives started going crazy. To where did you go?" She slows, turning slightly towards Wanda. "Uh oh. Can she see me?"

I smile widely at the little bee, replying, "No need, Melizza. This is Wanda, my roommate and friend. She helped me to the hospital after I fainted."

"And she can be trusted, Sarai?"

I nod. "More than anyone, but there's something you should know. Wanda, she's a witch, but a good one! So, you don't have to be afraid of her."

Melizza buzzes unhappily at the idea of Wanda being a witch, but Wanda smiles softly at the insect and holds out her hand. With her magic, she creates a scarlet flower and offers it to the little bee.

"You must be Melizza," she whispers with kindness. "Thank you for looking after Sarai. You must be very brave."

Melizza puffs out her chest, a hint of pride replacing the uncertainty. She settles down on the magic flower and breathes it in. "I like her," she eventually states. "She can stay."

Wanda turns to me. "Can you ask her if she would mind if I performed a small spell? It will allow me to hear her as you do."

"I don't mind," Melizza replies, still snug on the magic flower.

I turn to Wanda and sign, "She doesn't mind."

Wanda nods and kneels down beside her bed. She pulls a trunk from underneath, opens it, and starts shuffling through. I see multiple bags of spices, crystals, and candles. The trunk is covered in spells, sigils, and symbols. If I needed proof that Wanda was a witch--besides the magic she carried in her veins--this is it.

"What happened with the bees?" I ask Melizza telepathically. "It was quiet, and then the lecture hall exploded with bees. There must have been thousands."

Melizza flies from the magical flower, and it disappears after she leaves. "I do not know, Sarai. I was not there. I was in my hive. When I returned to the yard outside, I saw so many bees. Confused, they were confused and could not remember what had happened. They only remember hearing a cry for help from a Queen. They followed it, not realizing what they were doing."

I lower my gaze in guilt. "I must've called out for them without realizing it. I didn't even know I could do that."

"It was not your fault," Melizza insists. "You are a young Queen with no one to teach you. I did not expect your abilities to awaken so soon. Most Queens spend years without their abilities. I have been told this is what your grandest mother was like."