Spurn (5 page)

The weather was
balmy, the sunshine not hot, but everything still felt warm. As we finally burst free of the trees, we could hear shouts ahead of us. We’d ended up at the easternmost point of the land. At first all I could see were endless oceans, where the water looked calm, blues and greens intermingling across the vast expanses.

More shouts drew my
attention and I saw a group of men standing waist-deep in the shallows. All around them were ominous trails of what looked suspiciously like blood.

“What
’s out there? What are they fighting?” Lucy asked as she stood next to Talina, both of them scanning the scene.

My eyes
widened as I caught sight of Brace and Lucas. They were further out than everyone else, towering head and shoulders above them. Suddenly, from the darker depths of the water, just beyond the blood, rose ... well, a freaking monster.

“Uh, Talina. What the crap is that?” I gulped
.

I
n sync, the three of us took a step back.

“
I don’t know. I have never seen anything like that in the waters before. It is almost like our water-dragons but ... it has been changed.” She brought up both hands to grasp at her face.

The creature had many limbs, like an octopus
, but it was scaly with a mix of colors: dark stormy grays and dirty greens. Its head was massive, with a long snout and rows of sharp and lethal-looking teeth. It was twelve feet tall, and at least that in width. Snaking out one of its limbs, we simultaneously gasped as it wrapped the length around Lucas, its movement so quick there wasn’t time for Lucas to react. As it lifted him into the air, I took off toward them.

Must have taken a crazy pill today.

“Why do you always have trouble remembering to run away from the monsters?” Lucy cursed as she grabbed at me and missed.

I
sloshed through until I was thigh-deep in the water, surrounded by four-hair-colored Spurns. In front of me I could see Ladre and Brace working together to free Lucas.

Ladre
gripped his trident and dived down to stab at the creature. Its green goopy blood sprayed around, adding another layer to the film of muck surrounding us.

Brace
shot off small energy balls. The moment he released one, he already had another gathered in his hands. In a perfectly co-ordinated move, Ladre stabbed in deep and Brace shot an energy ball from his left hand straight at the beast. With a strangled roar, the creature flinched and the tentacle that had been holding Lucas retracted. He dropped with a splash into the deeper water.

“Get him out now
,” Ladre ordered over his shoulder.

Three blue
s disappeared from sight – diving below the surface. They made no ripples as they traversed through the waters. I was amazed and slightly jealous.

The beast turned its attention to Brace.
From all sides the tentacles moved forward to surround him.

S
omething inside me snapped.

Panic and anger flooded my system, and sudden
ly I felt it. My energy pulsed at me, responding to my emotion. I shoved my way past those blocking my path. I’d had no Walker fight training – there hadn’t been time before we left – so I did the only thing I knew – drew from the endless pit that existed inside me.

I
was only a few feet from Brace. With his giant height, the water was waist-deep, though for me it sat just below my shoulder. My energy hummed – comforting and familiar – and a warmth spread through me, I wondered what looked like right then. Dirty, tired, in the same stink-ass clothes for a week – all of that paled as the energy flowed through me.

“She’s magnificent
... glows ... the marks are glowing.” A Spurn close to me spoke out loud. Other words surrounded me, but I barely registered them.

As if he sensed my presence
, Brace swung around with fires of hell burning in his narrowed eyes.

“Pretty sure I told you to stay on the beach,
Abigail.”

I
was always Abigail when he was really pissed off.

H
e was just snaking out an arm to grab at me when he had to dive under the water to avoid an attack. Two tree-like limbs thrashed about, attempting to encase him from either side, while a large spike stabbed out from the center of the creature.

To my left I noticed the Spurns gliding past with Lucas in tow.
Out of the corner of my eye, I registered that they had dragged him up onto the beach, where Lucy immediately jumped on top of him to stop him returning to the ocean.

Figuring he was okay, I turned back to the creature.

The energy I’d gathered was starting to ache. It wanted to be free; I could feel it pushing against my restraints. But I needed the perfect moment, and I couldn’t really step any closer because the ocean floor dropped away dramatically.

A shadow in the water startled me as
Brace emerged, streaming water from him. Luckily, I’d already dived away, so when his long arms swiped through the free air, he just missed me. He intended to drag me to shore, and I needed to use this energy first.

My dive
took me into the salty depths, but luckily I found my footing again and rose spluttering from the water. Two feet from me, Brace groaned as he ran his hands through the dark wet strands of his hair. I noted the frustration on his face, but before I could say anything Lucy shouted from the beach.

I spun around.

Samuel
and Lucas were holding her back as she tried to get into the water. Her eyes were frantic. It took me a moment to decipher her words over the noise.

“
Abby, turn around! That thing is heading straight for you.”

T
oo slow, I swung my head in time to see the large slimy green limb as it smashed into my side. Its power was incredible. The force knocked out my breath and a few ribs, I think. I was flung far out into deeper water, managing to keep my energy ball from dispersing as I sank, breathlessly, into the depths. My two swimming lessons on First World had given me enough skills to scissor-kick my legs, slowing my descent but not reversing it.

The water looked
depthless; I could see the darkness beneath me, where the weak light of the sun did not reach. It was eerie in the quiet expanse as I continued to fight the current.

Then
strong arms encased me. I struggled before noticing the emerald hair that surrounded me. Looking to my left, I saw it was Raror.

As soon I stopped
fighting he dragged me toward the surface, minute trails of bubbles dispersing from the tiny slits down his neck. The water surrounding us grew steadily lighter until finally I was free.

I gasped in a couple of
breaths, my aching lungs thanking me with puffs of relief.

Raror
’s freezing cold hands released me before grabbing my right leg and dragging me through the water. When I looked around, I could see why.

W
e were in the shadow of the creature.

Brace was close
beside us and he had hold of one of the tentacles, while he hacked at it with a medium-sized knife. With a roar of pain, the creature snagged him with one of its many limbs, lifting him into the air above its core.

Raror
powered us through the water like a mini-speed boat. I needed to help Brace before I was too far away. Ignoring the stabbing pain from my ribs, I reformed my heavy sphere of glowing energy.

I pictured it as a large torpedo.

I waited a moment
... and another... just for that perfect opportunity.

The creature
reared its head, and I was staring into a huge expanded jaw that had opened to devour Brace. Its eyes flashed with at least twelve large dark globes. I knew this was my best chance; the creature had allowed a moment when its core was unshielded and vulnerable. Closing my own eyes and drawing on my control, I set the energy free, depleting myself as much as possible.

A hoarse scream left my mouth at the burn of release.

“Red, what’s happening over there?” Brace bellowed from his position above the creature.

Despite the fact he was about to become monster food, he seemed to be more interested in what was going on with me.
At this point I could barely keep my head up. As water splashed in my face, it took every effort not to fall forward and drown. A large burst of light forced my eyes closed. I didn’t even move to see if I had missed or hit my target.

I was semi-conscious enough to feel the rough sand as I was dragged
from the water.

“What happened
out there, Raror? What’s wrong with Abby?” Talina’s cool hands, though warmer than her brother’s, help to position me on the beach.

“
So I’m guessing you’re going to be a little low on energy for a while again, Abbs,” Lucy said as she moved to cradle my head on her lap.

I could
sense her worry as she stroked my hair, which felt like it weighed a thousand tons. My lashes flickered, but my lids wouldn’t obey my command to open.

“Urghhh.” I managed a slight moan.

A shadow fell over me. The weak light behind my eyelids disappeared.

“Did he make it back to shore?”

The voice sounded like Lucas’. But it was hard to tell since it was minus his usual flirty arrogance. Maybe getting attacked by a huge sea-monster had given his over-confidence a much needed deflating. He had to be asking about Brace, and just hearing his worry gave me a shot of panic and adrenalin. I had no problem forcing my eyes open then.

“Brace?” I
said out loud, not caring what Lucas might think.

From my current position I could
only see Lucy. She wasn’t even looking at me, but was staring over her shoulder toward the water. I began to struggle, like a turtle that was on its back and couldn’t get the right way up again. Another shadow fell across my face.

“Sorry, Red, you
’re going to have to find another way to get rid of me.” The sound of his beautiful accent sent a wave of relief through me.

He moved
around me to stand with a leg on either side of my hips. It was hard to tell against the sun-glare behind him, but I was pretty sure he was scowling.

Big surprise.

Able to finally move my head, I drank in the sight before me. In that moment I was consumed by a single thought, one I’d never tell him: Brace was the closest thing to perfection I’d ever seen. Soaking wet, his dark hair slicked back off the perfect planes of his face, black fitted shirt plastered to muscles. Muscles which I guessed were honed from hard work, not enhancing drugs. He was like a god rising from the sea. I forced my right arm to move, lifting my hand to check if I’d started to drool. It was hard to tell with the sea water still dripping from me.

“So, I
’m pretty sure that someone has a little problem with obeying a direct command.” Brace’s eyes flashed; they almost looked black.

I narrowed my
own eyes.

Oh, no
, the hell he didn’t. Direct command?

Someone
was about to learn I wasn’t one of his soldiers.

Without thought
, my leg flew through the air in an attempt to crack Brace right in his jewels. But as usual the smug ass anticipated my move and now had a hold of my calf muscle, keeping my leg suspended in the air. Luckily he didn’t lift it too high. I was pretty sure my ribs would pop right out of my chest if they received more abuse.

“
You’re going to have to move quicker than that, Abigail.” His eyes promised me to-be-determined punishment.

Bring it on
.

My entire body tightened at the thought
of our battle.

I couldn’t help the images that flooded my mind. I might have only had one kiss in my life, but my imagination needed no help.

Brace
let me go before bending from his lofty heights to haul me over his shoulder. I groaned as my ribs protested. But I was surprised that they didn’t feel quite as bruised as before.

“Thanks for
the assistance out there, Red. But it would save my nerves and sanity if you could stop risking yourself. I had it under control.” He patted me lightly on the butt.

I kicked out at him again.

Groaning
, he wrapped an arm around me, limiting my movements.

I twisted
until my face was close to his. “Why do you care, Brace? What have you dreamed about us? And why did you kiss me?”

The questions spilled from me. They’
d been burning a hole in my mind for days.

He looked sideways at me
. “Because you are mine.” The statement was short and it just about stopped my heart.

I shook my head, dispelling some of the water in my heavy hair. Had I heard that correctly?
I twisted around, attempting to see more of his expression.