Page 18 of The Shadow Wand

Terror, like a hot iron, spears through Sparrow’s chest.

Kraken!

She lunges forward and pushes Effrey and the dragon down to the boat’s floor, then grasps desperate hold of the boat’s edging to keep them all from being cast overboard along with their supplies, the painfully cold waves sloshing over their bodies as the boat casts wildly about.

Another hard, punching tilt. Effrey shrieks as the boat almost upends, and Sparrow whips her head over her shoulder, fear slicing through her.

Drenching water clouds the image of the kraken’s gaping mouth as it opens before them, a nightmare cave of teeth large as swords, the beast like some unholy union between a giant squid, a snake, and a fanged spider. Fetid, briny breath blows a blast of chill air toward them as its head curves down, down, down. Taloned claws at the end of multiple tentacles latch on to the sides of their boat, crunching into the wood.

The kraken lets loose a multitone, ratcheting snarl that reverberates through Sparrow’s entire body.

She reaches below her sodden skirts with a shaking hand and pulls her knife in a useless attempt to protect them as she hugs Effrey tight and the child whimpers, clinging to her as the great kraken beast snarls and gurgles, jostling the boat with its barbed tentacles.

Tears sheen over Sparrow’s vision.

This is how it ends.

I’m sorry, Effrey. I’m so sorry.

The small dragon forces itself out of Effrey’s grip and scuttles toward the mammoth beast.

The kraken spots the dragon and rears back, its oily neck undulating, then striking forward only to come to a shuddering stop just before the small beast.

Sparrow freezes.

The dragon’s silvery form is silhouetted against one of the kraken’s enormous eyes as it stares the sea beast down and lets loose a torrent of tiny shrieks and hisses and clicks.

Effrey is sobbing hysterically, hiding his face in Sparrow’s chest as Sparrow peers into the huge, membranous kraken eye.

The kraken’s serpentine neck jerks back, as if with surprise.Then its head flows back down toward the dragon’s. Effrey whimpers as the enormous beast touches its head to the small dragon’s.

The boat bobs as waves slosh around them and Sparrow dazedly glances at the black talon closest to her, large as a mountain ram’s horn, its point impaling the wood.

They’re talking to each other, she realizes with amazement.

The monster’s talons click back in release, and the boat slams onto the waves with a sudden, bone-jarring force as the kraken rears back, blows out a brackish huff, and sinks down, disappearing below the water’s surface.

Lightning flashes and thunder sounds above as the rain pelts down.

Sparrow anxiously searches the waves for the kraken’s dark form as she shivers and clings to sopping-wet Effrey.

The kraken’s black, ridged island of a head reappears behind them, slowly this time, its giant eyes rising just above the waves as Sparrow’s whole body goes rigid with fright. She pulls Effrey back and readies her knife as the kraken’s tentacles flow back up to latch on to their boat.

And then they’re moving forward, fast and then faster toward the continent, the kraken almost completely submerged. The tip of the creature’s colossal black tail whips back and forth as their boat picks up speed.

It dawns on Sparrow in a dizzying rush.It’s pushing us.

“What’s happening?” Effrey implores, wide-eyed and shivering, hiccuping tears.

The small dragon shoots Sparrow a look of triumph from the boat’s stern, and Sparrow stares back at him, dumbstruck. She finds her voice just as a relief so immense it’s like vertigo washes over her. “The dragon. I think he talked to the kraken.” She lets out an incredulous breath. “He’s...he’s saving us.”

A peal of joyous laughter mixed with tears erupts from Effrey. “Itoldyou Raz’zor was good luck!”

Sparrow gives the beast a smile of overwhelming gratitude. “Thank you,” she says, impassioned. “Thank you, Raz’zor.”

The dragon dips his head and gives her a fierce, toothy grin, then scuttles back to Effrey, his slender, streamlined body glowing as if lit by internal fire. Raz’zor nestles against Effrey.

“He’s warm, Sparrow,” Effrey says with a bright grin, hugging the reptilian beast close.

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