The circular room is made of stone, and no wood panelling is in sight. A pink stomach quickly catches my attention. It's far bigger than either mine or Mum's, and it growls and rumbles loudly. How has no one noticed it yet? I glance around the room, but there is no sign of the Qetesh. I climb into the room and turn around.
Jane is wearing a dust-covered white and gold gown, her gable hood lying on the ground. Jane's eyes are closed, and her breathing laboured. A figure dressed in a red gown stands over Jane. Her shoulder-length brown hair is free from its hood and coif. A red stomach waits beside her. "Get away from the Queen!" I yell.
Mum turns around. Mummy enters the room, and the trap door bangs shut. "Smith!" The captain's voice floats up from somewhere below us. Jame opens her eyes and sees the stomach before her. She screams.
"Who did you anger this time?" Mum smirks as she covers Jane's mouth with her hand. "Jane? It's all right. It's just me."
Jane glares at her before her gaze settles on Mum's stomach.
"Ruby, back away from her," Mummy says, "you're scaring Jane."
Mum walks towards Mummy, her stomach following. "I missed you." Her brown eyes fill with tears. "I wish I never left."
Feet pound on the stairs, getting closer by the second. I look at Mum's bracelet. "Can you teleport us out?"
Mum nods but doesn't smile. "We need to save Jane first."
"Of course."
The trap door swings open. Mummy jumps into Mum's arms. I freeze as the captain steps into the room. "I should have realised you two were up here." His gaze falls on Mum. "I should have realised you were trying to steal the queen's prey!"
"What?" Mum asks. She looks between us before her gaze rests on Jane. "Jane Seymour is the rightful queen."
The captain draws his sword. "The crown belongs to Esther Drummond."
Is this what Esther has been doing? Has she tricked us all so she could marry King Henry? I turn to Jane. "When were you kidnapped?"
"After the wedding ceremony." Jane's voice is quiet.
I turn back to see the captain swinging his sword at Mum and Mummy. Mum jumps back and reaches for her bracelet. The captain grabs a dagger and throws it at me.
I wish I were a wolf so I could tear him apart.
A blue light fills my vision as my body changes. My arms grow bigger, and my hands turn into paws. A tail grows out of my backside as my ears move further up my head. My nose grows longer and turns into a snout. When the light fades, I turn my head to the sky and howl.
"Monster!" The captain screams. I scratch the floor, my claws sounding like nails on a chalkboard. I snarl at the man, and he disappears down the trapdoor. I run after him but loose my footing on the stairs. I howl as I tumble down the spiralling stairs. I bump into the captain, and we fall further down. I dig my claws into the wall as the captain keeps falling. He rounds the corner and disappears. I hear a crash as he hits the last step.
I am close to a doorway, so I carefully climb over to it and lower myself to the ground. I shut my eyes and imagine myself back in my humanoid form. When I finish transforming, I lean against the wall.
I have killed another person. My body count is at five.
"Emma?" Mum asks. I turn to find her hovering on the stairs. "Are you all right?"
Tears stream down my face, and my voice breaks as I speak. "He — I — Fifth."
Mum pulls me into a hug. "It wasn't your fault. You were protecting your mother. I know Sarah Jane is grateful." She lets me go. "Are you ready to see her?"
"How will I explain this to the king? Hell, how will I explain it to the guards?"
Mum grins. "He threatened Sarah Jane's life; you changed your form to protect her. That is the truth."
When Mum calms me down, she leads me to the tower room. "Sarah Jane is disabling the handcuffs, but Jane is weak. We must teleport out." I nod as we climb into the room, but I stop.
Esther Drummond is there.
She looks at Mum before her gaze settles on me. "And I was hoping you wouldn't look for her."
"I will always protect my friends." I walk towards Esther while ensuring I place myself between her and Jane.
"You cannot protect her now." Esther bares her teeth.
I bear mine. "Yes, I can. Or rather, Mum can."
Mum reaches into her pocket and pulls out Mr White. He looks exactly th same as he does in the future. Mum orders the meteorite hologram, and Esther starts screaming. Mum and I back away as Esther throws her arms towards her stomach. A blue light leaves Esther's hands and flows into her stomach. Esther's stomach grows until it almost touches the ceiling and growls. Jane screams.
The light leaves Esther's hands. The stomach groans and shrinks, emitting a blue light flowing towards Jane. Jane gasps as the light surrounds her head. She looks at us and beams. "You saved me. Thank you." She pulls the three of us into a hug.
"And we have a new prisoner to send to the..." Mum's voice trails off. We follow her gaze to see Esther and her stomach are no longer there. "Let's hope that'll be the last we'll hear from her."