Daniela opens her mouth to protest. I catch her eye and subtly shake my head, shooting a look towards Nigel and Ran. She gets the message and stays quiet.
“Win or lose, tomorrow, your world will be a changed place. It’s going to need protectors. Eventually, you’ll need to step up.” John glances at Sam, who stands nearby and manages a smile. “For now, though, I think the future protectors need protecting. We all had charms burned into our ankles that would keep us safe, at least for a time. We can’t do that for you guys, but we can give you something else. . . .”
I’m not sure what John’s talking about until Regal, our hawk-shaped Chimæra, lands on Caleb’s shoulder. The boy jumps, settling down only when it’s clear the bird’s talons won’t pierce him. Regal spreads out his wings and ruffles Caleb’s hair.
Bandit, the raccoon, scratches at Nigel’s leg with his black paws until the Brit is forced to pick him up. Gamera, trundling across the grass in turtle form, ends up staring up at Ran. She bends down to run one finger over his scaly forehead, and, for the first time, I see her crack a smile.
“His name is Gamera,” Malcolm says to Ran. “I named him after a favorite old monster of mine.”
Ran stares blankly at Malcolm.
“He fought Godzilla,” he explains further.
At the very least she must understand “Godzilla,” because Ran rolls her eyes and goes back to stroking the turtle.
The golden retriever Chimæra, Biscuit, the one that Sarah was especially fond of, ambles over to Daniela, happily wagging her tail when Daniela starts to scratch behind her ears. I notice a flicker of something on John’s face; it’s hard to say exactly what in the near darkness, but he seems pleased.
And finally, with impossible agility for a feline of his girth, Stanley leaps into Sam’s arms. He laughs, and, at the sound, a tightness in my chest eases. I’d been so terrified that something horrible had befallen Sam at Patience Creek and that we were going to be apart when it happened—just like John and Sarah. Only now am I finally able to relax a bit.
“All right, Stanley, all right,” Sam says, holding the heavy, purring cat in his arms. “We can make it official.”
Nine scowls. “You need to rename that stupid cat.”
“These Chimærae will be your protectors until you’ve come to fully grasp your Legacies,” John continues, glancing at Bernie Kosar, who, in beagle-form, sits quietly at his feet. “And then they will be your most valuable allies. One day, hopefully, we’ll be able to help you more, train you like our Cêpans trained us. . . .”
Five, standing off to the side of everyone, chuckles darkly at that. Everyone looks in his direction, Marina’s glare particularly icy, and he edges farther away in response.
“But until that day . . . ,” John continues, and then trails off. He doesn’t know what to say. Or maybe he doesn’t think that day will ever come.
“Kick some ass and do Earth proud,” Nine finishes for him.
After that, Caleb, Nigel and Ran say their good-byes and join Lawson’s convoy. Daniela lingers a little longer. She gives me a big hug, then turns to John and Sam.
“You know, I’m definitely badass enough to help you guys out,” she says. She jerks her thumb over her shoulder at the other humans. “But someone needs to watch out for them.”
John nods, smiling tiredly. “Take care, Daniela.”
“Don’t die,” she responds, then joins the others.
Sam strokes Stanley’s head, an eyebrow raised at John. “I know you’re not expecting me to leave with them.”
“No,” John replies with a shake of his head. “You’re stuck with us.”
Malcolm crosses his arms, looking at Sam. “I’m coming as well. Your mom would kill me if I let you face the end of the world without some form of supervision.”
I slip my arm around Sam’s waist and rest my head on his shoulder. “Seriously,” I say, scolding him. “Call your mom.”
Agent Walker is the last one to join the convoy. She stands in front of our group awkwardly, looking from me to John to Nine. Finally, she sighs.
“I just want to say . . .” She hesitates. “I want to say thank-you. For giving me a chance to fix some of the damage I caused. For . . .” She shakes her head and waves her hands. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it,” Nine says.
“Take care of those kids, Walker,” John replies. “They need someone to watch out for them. Someone who doesn’t want to just use them for their powers. That could be you.”