“Say what?” Kate blurted, flying up to me. “Sammy, you can’t be the queen. You don’t even have bee DNA in you.”
Obviously, I didn’t tell you everything in my letters, my mind muttered.
I was too stunned to respond to Kate’s question. I could only echo her sentiments in my head. What in the world, Sammy? You better explain how I’m the queen right now! Or I’m going to tell everyone that… you are… um…
This ought to be rich.
Oh, shut up! How can you drop a bomb like that on me! Why not Jaxon, huh? He’s perfect! That had been the plan with Kate, right? Why’d you change it?
Jaxon had no idea about the thoughts raging inside me when he crossed his chest with one arm and bowed his head toward me.
“I understand the feelings I’ve had to protect you now, My Queen. I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. You have my word.”
I wanted to tell Jaxon to stop acting as if I were some kind of royalty. Instead, I gaped at my own arm reaching out to touch the side of his face.
“Good, because I need you to help me rescue your brothers. Those Defenders are your family, Jaxon.” My voice sounded foreign to my own ears. “You’ll find your purpose together.”
Jaxon’s black bug eyes narrowed. “I will do whatever it takes to rescue them, but I will not let anything happen to you, either.”
My mouth fell open, shocked over the strange turn of events, confused over what or who I even was. My stomach was spinning, my face felt hot, and my fingertips were like ice.
Blake shook his head with a look of disbelief. “Glad to see we are finally fighting on the same team, Jaxon.” To Kate, his expression darkened. “I don’t understand all that’s happening right now, but once we stop the genocide, you and…” His eyes flicked toward me. “Well, you better explain to Sam and me what the blue blazes is going on.”
“I think Sam knows more than me at this point,” Kate said sharply. It was clear by the way she stressed my name that she didn’t think I was even around anymore.
To me, Kate leaned closer. “Sammy, I thought the plan was for Jaxon to lead the Defenders out of here. Take them somewhere safe until we can convince Tonbo not to kill them. Why are you the queen?”
Yeah, Sammy, why are we the queen, huh? You owe me that much too! I demanded. I had no idea what to say to Kate, who was waiting for an answer. I wanted to shout, Stop calling me Sammy!
But instead, I said, “Kate, calm down. It was the only way Tonbo won’t hunt down Jaxon and the Defenders. You think Tonbo will stop just because one Defender is in charge of all of them? Tonbo doesn’t see them as human anymore at all. He won’t stop hunting until they are all dead, just like he did before. But maybe if I can show him I can control them, maybe he will show mercy.”
For as much I was dying to have Sammy’s side of everything out in the open, her taking over, saying what she wanted to say, was straight creepy. I felt a total loss of self. One glance at Blake showed me how far gone I really was. He was searching my eyes, pain etched across his forehead in worried lines.
I reached out to him, wanting to comfort him, to let him know he hadn’t lost me, but instead, my words rang out. “Look, I’m done explaining things. We have to act now.”
-------------------
I’d thought the container would be more like the Knightley’s barn, large enough to house a few toys, maybe even an RV, but the long, rectangular building looked more like an abandoned plant or warehouse. With no windows, a flat roof, and an enormous sliding door in the front, I could only wonder what in the world Tonbo built it for in the first place. I didn’t like that it reminded me of a containment facility, where one might house dangerous chemicals or drums filled with radioactive waste.
It was as if he built this for the just-in-case scenario. I shook my head as Sammy purred into my thoughts. You aren’t that far off. What did you think Tonbo did with the really naughty dragons, huh?
I shuddered at both Sammy’s sentiment and the scene before us. We’d switched to camo the moment all talking had ceased. At least, all the outward talking. Sammy had insisted on conversing with me the short distance down to the south tip of the island. Once we caught sight of the container, she’d finally shut up.
I knew now what she wanted me to do.
The army was here. We’d taken far too long getting here. Too much time talking. Half of the lumbering, still-hypnotized group was already filing into the white building. Kory and Kalepe were nowhere to be seen, and neither was Mack.
Thinking of my friend deep inside that horrible, windowless building, I panicked. We’ve got to get him out of there before it’s too late!
Don’t worry. Tonbo won’t kill Mack, Sammy thought back, but I detected the tiniest bit of worry laced through her words. There’s no time to waste. Time to go.
I didn’t need to be told twice. This was it. Jaxon was at my side, the heat from his enormous frame radiating out to me. As I glanced over, I detected his silhouette’s outline. I knew he was facing me.
“Jaxon,” I said in a low voice, “We’ve got to get in there and find Kory and Kalepe. Up till now, the Defenders have treated Kory as their queen because he created them. But he doesn’t have the right pheromones, so sometimes their loyalty has swapped to Kalepe because he’s more like them. We need to get Kory out of the way, and Kalepe on our side. He can help sway the rest of them faster to follow me.”
Blake was directly behind me, listening, but he wasn’t touching me. Every time I spoke, it only seemed to solidify for us both that Sammy was running the show right now.
He sucked in air at my instructions. “You can’t go inside. What if Tonbo seals the doors before you get back out? Can’t you just call to the Defenders from out here?”
I turned around, facing him. His warm, amber scent made my heart ache with a sad longing. I touched his face, my fingers cupping his cheek. He leaned into them, his hands wrapping around mine, clutching as if he were afraid I’d let go. I wanted to promise him everything would be fine, that Sammy knew what she was doing, but I couldn’t shake the feeling I was somehow saying goodbye to him.
My hand withdrew too quickly, and I felt him stiffen in surprise. “Blake. I need you to stop Tonbo from gassing us. Do whatever it takes. I can hold my breath for a very long time… and so can the rest of the Defenders, but if we are sealed into that building, at some point, we are going to need to breathe.”
Blake shifted back. Even without seeing him, I could feel the tension rolling over him.
I berated Sammy. Stop it! Just let me be myself with Blake! He’s hurting!
Sammy shouted right back at me. There will be time for that later! I need you to stay focused. Honestly, you’re a mess of hormones right now!
The power struggle between us was pushed to the side because Kate was grabbing my arm, gasping. “Look! They’re all almost inside!”
She was right. There weren’t as many Defenders left anymore.
There were no more arguments. We took off, holding on to one another’s hands once more, trying to block out the Irukas’ song. It had faded since they remained at the shoreline, singing up the beach, guiding the Defenders to their own death sentence. Even still, the pull to do what they asked in their lyrical tones was hard to ignore.
Yes… let’s go inside. We’ll find peace in there…
Really? Sammy snapped at me.
I shook my head, trying to clear the haze I was in. Feeling Kate’s hand pull away from me, I thought with smug satisfaction, At least I’m not the only one. I gave her a yank back and we continued on, me holding both Blake and Kate’s hands. Sadly, this time, he didn’t stroke my skin.
When we got up to the container’s opening, Blake leaned in toward me and whispered, “I’m not giving up on you, Sam. I love you.” He pressed his lips against my forehead, and then he was gone before I even had time to respond.
I felt his absence, the loss of his strength next to me. I wanted to fly after him, tell him how desperately I loved him too. How my life was empty without him, but it was too late. He was gone, and even with Kate and Jaxon flanking my sides, I’d never felt more alone. Sammy knew what to do, not me. I was scared. Terrified. The Defenders should want to protect me, not kill me, but what about the bugs who hadn’t gotten the latest injections? Where were they? Had they succumbed to the Irukas singing? Were they inside too?
I bit my lip, my resolve slipping. Then I felt it. A warmness settling around my chest, stilling my breathing, focusing my vision.
Sam. Don’t be afraid. We’ve got this.
I squared my shoulders, Sammy’s strength filling me with new courage, and I dove inside the white building, Jaxon and Kate following after me.