Page 58 of Kringle and the Kraken

Levi emerged from the water and roared.

Then he started moving toward the shore, his huge body getting closer and closer.

If I thought he was massive from far away, that was nothing to how huge he appeared as he got closer and closer to where I stood until I could tell his body was scraping the bottom of the ocean. Most of his body was out of the water now, his tentacles writhing and curling around his head. He was probably only the length of a football field away. Close enough that I’d bet if I went in just a little farther and he stretched a tentacle as far as he could that we could touch.

Which gave me another idea.

“Levi? Can you hear me?”

He opened his mouth and made a sound that reminded me of a creaking mast, then he tipped his head forward in what I was choosing to interpret as a nod.

“I have an idea. Instead of focusing your magic through all your tentacles, just pick one. I’m going to bring you a jar.”

This time I could tell the noise he made was less than pleased, but I knew in my gut this was going to work. It had to.

I ran back to the snow-covered beach and picked up one of the large jars then ran back out as far as I could without getting water over the edge of my waders. The water was icy, but I could handle it. If I got wet, though, it wouldn’t be good, and hypothermia wasn’t on my holiday bingo card.

Holding the jar up, I yelled to Levi. “Pick a tentacle and see if you can get the magic to travel into the jar.”

Levi, a giant-ass, powerful-as-hell kraken, rolled his glowing golden amber eyes.

“Don’t give me that. Just try.”

He let out a rumble that sent ripples out across the water. He closed his eyes and didn’t open them again until his core was glowing blue. Lifting a tentacle, he stretched it out as far as he could until the massive tip nudged the edge of the mason jar. For a second, I panicked. I’d clearly underestimated the girth of his tentacle in his full form. If magic started shooting out of it, it would be like trying to catch water from a firehose in a china teacup.

But we had to try.

I watched as the glowing blue traveled out from Levi’s core, slowly creeping down the tentacle.

“You’re doing it, baby! So close!”

Close was a relative term when his tentacles were almost as long as a football field, but the magic was more than halfway. My encouragement seemed to help as the magic got closer and closer to me.

Finally, after several long minutes, a ball of blue appeared at the end of Levi’s tentacle, and I got into position to catch it. It fell into the jar, and when I held it up to show Levi and to take a closer look, I realized what I thought was one ball was actually a bunch of tiny little orbs all glowing a brilliant turquoise.

“Yes!” I thrust the jar up into the air. “You did it!” I examined the jar closely. “Do you think this is enough?”

Levi shook his kraken head, the fins on either side waving.

“Okay, then what are you waiting for?” I held up the jar again.

He rolled his huge eyes again, and my heart flip-flopped. He was so goddamn adorable in all of his forms.

It took less time to move the magic down his tentacle again, and he kept going until we’d filled two jars. I could tell Levi was happy, but moving his magic like that had taken a lot of effort. His core was still glowing, and while I’d expected it to dim orfor it to be obvious Levi had siphoned out some of his magical essence, there was no discernible change.

After Levi determined that he thought we had enough, he swam back out to deeper water, then came back toward the shore in his half form until he climbed out of the surf on his human legs.

Immediately, I pulled one of the towels I’d been keeping warm under my coat out and wrapped it around his shoulders. Levi had assured me multiple times that he didn’t get cold, but I still couldn’t bear to see him standing naked on the icy beach.

Using the ends of the towel, I pulled him against me. “You are so fucking amazing, Levi Shoal. I’m so damn proud of you.”

The lighthouse’s beam swept over us, and I could just make out the flush of color on Levi’s cheeks. He smiled, but it faded quickly. “We aren’t done yet.” He knotted the towel around his waist, then picked up one of the still empty jars and took it to the water’s edge. He filled it with seawater, then letting his tentacles free to act as extra hands; he filled two more. He carried the jars of seawater, and the jars filled with his kraken magic wrapped carefully in his tentacles.

“Can you grab the last of the empty jars? We need to fill them with dirt from the town.”

I nodded and picked up the box that only had three jars left in it. “Does it matter where we get the dirt?”

“I don’t think so. My dad just said it needs to be from within the haven town’s border.”

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