Page 61 of Kringle and the Kraken

“This is going a lot faster than I thought.” He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he drove.

“We picked up quite the crew. I bet Kori and his family will help too.”

“Let’s go to Mizu Mizu first then.”

“Sounds good to me.”

When Kris parked in front of the restaurant, Kori came out immediately, cornering us before we even got out of the truck. “I’ve heard what you’re doing. Why didn’t you call me? You know I would have helped.”

Kris nodded. “We know, and we’re counting on it.”

Mollified, Kori smiled. “Come inside for a second, then you can tell me what you want me to do.”

We followed him into the restaurant. His grandmother was waiting for us. They weren’t open for lunch yet, and in another rush of magic, Kori’s obaasan revealed her true kappa form. Unlike many sea monsters, kappas were small but more or less humanoid in shape. They had scaly green skin and webbed feet and hands and turtle-like shells on their backs that extended up to cover the tops of their heads. As soon as Kori’s obaasan revealed herself, the rest of his family did the same until we were standing in the midst of seven kappas.

Kris bowed as a sign of respect, and Kori’s obaasan returned to her human form, stepping forward to clutch Kris’s arm in a sign of mutual respect. He handed her a talisman, and she turned a beaming smile my way. “You have done very well, Levi.”

“Thank you, obaasan. I couldn’t have done it without your guidance.”

She gripped my arm tightly as the rest of her family resumed their human forms.

“So what do you need us to do?” Kori, his brother, Tai, and a few of their cousins that I’d only met in passing stepped forward.

“We need to get one of these to everyone in town. We’ve already hit the residential areas, but if you could help us with the businesses, that would be great.”

“Consider it done. Then you’ll come back here for lunch. On the house.” Tai’s tone brooked no argument, and Kori nodded.

I tried to protest, to tell them that wasn’t necessary, but they ignored me, following Kris out to the truck.

“They didn’t leave us much to do, but I told Kori we’d take the grocery store and community center.”

“Great.” We had less than half a box left, and I stuffed some of the small vials into my pockets as Kris and I headed off down the street.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” an angry voice hissed from behind us before we’d even made it halfway down the block.

Kris and I both spun around to find a pissed as hell Calder Delmar storming up the sidewalk toward us.

“Would it do us any good to run?” Kris asked under his breath.

“Nope.” I had been expecting this showdown at some point, and I knew Kris had said we’d handle the grocery store and community center because that also meant hitting city hall and Delmar’s house, but that didn’t mean I was looking forward to the inevitable scene.

Kris and I stood on the sidewalk waiting for Delmar to catch up.

“What the hell is this?” He held up one of the talismans. I knew we hadn’t given him one yet, and I wondered who he’d taken it from.

I crossed my arms over my chest and drew myself up to my full height. My tentacles twitched against my body, ready to wrap around Delmar and physically move him out of the way if necessary. “It’s a talisman. For protection. From the sea wraiths you refuse to acknowledge or do anything about.”

“He what?” Kori and his brother had joined us on the sidewalk, both looking at Delmar like he was something gross they’d stepped in. “You knew wraiths were attacking the town, but you didn’t do anything?”

“Well, I… That is to say…” Delmar started to stutter before he composed himself and narrowed his eyes. “You are creating fear where there shouldn’t be any. There are no wraiths in Lifeboat!” He shouted the last part.

Kris took a menacing step forward, and the mayor countered, retreating. “I disagree since one almost dragged me off the cliff out by my house last night.”

“Shit, Kris. Are you okay?” Tai asked, but Kris waved his question away.

“You don’t want to face facts, fine. But we”—Kris gestured at me and Kori and his brother—“aren’t going to let anyone else in this town get hurt.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Delmar spat. “You don’t know what you’re doing. You’re just a dumb human.”

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