Page 51 of Make Me Bee-lieve

I let out a whimper of shock. Boiled … alive? The more I learn about bees, the less I want to be their Caretaker.

Ser Beatrix jerks her chin to one of the doors. “Come, I must get you outside before they turn their attentions to us.”

The yellowjacket swarm, however, doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to move again. Ser Beatrix yanks me along behind her, and I nearly trip over a dead body. She stops, scoops me up into her arms, and runs with me instead.

“Y-You didn’t have to do that! I could have made it!” I protest. Ser Beatrix makes a sharp left, then right, then left again, past the cells upon cells that make up the hallway walls. How any of the bees know where they are or where they’re going is still a complete mystery to me, because everything looks the same.

“No offense, Caretaker, but yes I did,” she says as we reach the end of the hallway. The double doors in front of us look familiar, at least. The entrance to the hive.

Ser Beatrix sets me down and rushes to the doors to smash into them with her shoulder. They fly open immediately, and the scent of wildflowers rushes forward with an intoxicating aroma. She doesn’t have to say anything. I make a beeline for the gardens and don’t stop running until I come to the gates.

Ser Beatrix follows behind and looks up to the sky. “I do not see my Sylvie anywhere,” she says. The worry in her voice is unmistakable.

“She must be flying around, still looking for Po—Her Highness,” I say.

We keep our eyes glued to the sky, waiting for any sign of Polina or Sylvie. But after several minutes of waiting, Ser Beatrix lets out a frustrated growl and beckons for me to follow her.

“Where are we going?” I ask. The bee captain turns around, snatches me by my waist, and kicks off into the air before I have a second to register what’s happening. My heart catches in my throat as my stomach threatens to bottom out. “W-Wait!”

The yellowjackets from earlier burst through the front entrance of the hive and begin swarming the courtyard where we were standing only seconds ago. I swallow hard as I watch them take over every inch of Polina’s hive.

“H-How did you?—”

Ser Beatrix squeezes me tighter as we zip through the air. Soon, we land on the concrete ledge of the rooftop. She sets me down behind one of the potted tomato plants, obscuring our hiding place from the rest of the world. “I felt their vibrations through the ground and could hear their conversation,” she says. “A useful skill to have … one that you do not possess, I suppose.”

I shake my head, then brush off my shirt and pants. “No. Definitely not. Um … now what?”

The door to the rooftop swings open, and Kyle steps out.

“Ah! Kyle!” I yell, and I’m so excited I nearly step over the ledge. Ser Beatrix yanks me back by my shirt collar before I have a chance to become pavement goo. My cheeks burn red. “Thanks. Was just excited. That’s my friend! Polina was with him before I got taken by the yellowjackets.”

Ser Beatrix’s eyes narrow as she stares at Kyle. “She’s with him now, look,” she says, and points to the teeny-tiny shape on his shoulders. Her eyesight is much better than mine, because I can barely make out Polina’s iridescent wings as they catch in the sunlight. Behind Kyle, a man in his late thirties steps out, lugging something clunky and metal in his arms.

Wait. That’s … that’s my Shrinkatron!

When Polina sees me, she flies straight for me. The tears in her eyes trail through the air in silvery arcs behind her as she reaches for me. I step forward, opening my arms wide for her. “Come here, Sunshine!” I yell. Polina slams into my body, sending us both toppling backward, then she lifts me into the air and embraces me with all four arms.

Polina nuzzles the crook in my neck, and I can feel the wetness of her tears against my skin. She’s so, so warm. Being held by her is like being hugged by a mug of tea after a long, hard day, and just as comforting.

“Hey there, honey,” I murmur in her ear. She buzzes with delight.

“Thank the sun you’re okay. I was so worried,” she murmurs back. “What happened in there?”

“Majordomo Elza’s been dispatched by some very pissed off yellowjackets,” I say. She pulls her face back and arches an eyebrow. “I … may have tricked them into thinking she was the bad guy.”

“She was the bad guy,” she says.

“Yes, but to them,” I clarify. “But I’m afraid Florian got away.”

Polina rolls her eyes. “I’m not exactly worried about him. I was concerned about you. Are you hurt?”

We hover in the air as she inspects my body to the best of her ability while holding me tightly against her. Once she’s satisfied that I’m not injured, she lowers us both to the ledge, next to Ser Beatrix. But the captain’s mouth is a tight line, and it’s clear she’s not as elated about the reunion as we are.

“Where is Sylvie…?” Beatrix asks. “Isn’t she with you?”

Polina frowns as she releases her grip from my body, letting me go. “No. Was she supposed to be? I haven’t seen her. I’ve been with Calvin’s human friends.”

Kyle approaches us, his hands in his pockets as he saunters up to the ledge. “Hey. Uh, we got your shrink-thing,” he says. “Just tell us how to power it on and we’ll get you back to normal size, I guess?”

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