Page 42 of The Tides of March

“Not so fast! Let’s see what happens!”

“Are you serious?” Tony couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “He’s going to—!” His jaw fell as Nox raised his other hand, aiming it at the kraken as lightning shot from his palm.

“That’s brilliant, my lad!” Merlin cheered and danced around him.

“Holy shit,” Tony whispered.

Bryn must have heard, he laughed and nodded. “He certainly is but he has his uses.”

“I think it’s working!” Arawn shouted as he pointed.

The kraken thrashed and roared as it was blasted, creating a plume of steam and smoke. “I hope so! I can’t hold this formuch longer,” Nox said, then slowly lowered his hands when the kraken sank beneath the waves.

Tony ran and caught Nox when he staggered back. “Are you okay?” he asked as Nox swayed, looking dazed.

“I’m fine. A little singed, is all,” he said and held up his hands. His palms were charred. “You should see the other guy,” he joked but there was a groan from Fletcher as he nodded at the water.

“I think we’re about to,” he warned before they heard a high-pitched scream and saw the kraken’s giant, ugly head breach the waves again.

“Son of a—!” Nox gave himself a shake and snarled as he stalked in its direction. “Let’s try this again,” he said loudly as his hand shot toward the sky again but Nox let out a startled yelp when a tentacle lashed around his calf and he was hauled into the air.

“No!” Tony ran after him but was knocked onto his ass by Bryn.

“Stay back,” he ordered and sprinted after Nox with Arawn at his side.

Tony didn’t recognize the twins as they raced into the water, both had grown much larger and were growling with feral fury. There was a loud shout as Bryn was thrown but Arawn dove onto one of the massive tentacles, biting down as he wrapped his arms and legs around it. The kraken let out a mighty screech as it attempted to shake Arawn off but he stubbornly hung on, tearing out chunks of blue flesh with his teeth.

“Do not let it take Nox!” Merlin cried as he ran to Bryn and helped him up. “You must stop it!” He pointed as the kraken retreated with Nox.

Bryn howled as he leaped over the waves and launched himself at the kraken, slamming into its side. He took Arawn’slead, hanging on as he gnashed at anything he could get his teeth into.

“Stop it!” Merlin demanded as the kraken caught Nox’s arm with another tentacle and pulled, stretching him. “Stop it now before it rips him apart!” the old man yelled.

“Put him down!” Everly tripped in his haste, tumbling onto the sand, but he popped right back up and dodged a tentacle before it could crush him. He raised his hands and hurled two flames at the kraken. One hit the beast’s face and Nox caught the other, hurling it at the kraken’s eye. There was a deafening roar as Nox was thrown at the shore, but the kraken recovered and turned its ire on Everly. It lumbered at him, its tentacles stretching across the sand, twisting and curling as they chased him. Everly was too small and light, hopping and weaving around them.

“I have to do something!” Tony searched around for anything that might help in the fight or for a way to distract the kraken. He dismissed the shotgun and the pieces of driftwood and rocks littering the shore, then considered the boats. There was no telling where the keys were and Tony didn’t know the first thing about how to operate a boat so that plan was immediately dismissed. “Come on! Think!” He clutched at his hair, willing his brain to work. “How do you kill a kraken?” he asked and gasped at the beast as he recalled the fall of Balor. “Its eye!”

Tony checked his pocket and he still had Ronan’s keys. “I’ll be right back. I have an idea!” he told Merlin, then took off for the lighthouse. It wasn’t an idea as much as a recurring vision but Tony finally understood as he climbed a dune, running for all he was worth as soon as he reached the grass. Once again, he had to put his entire weight into opening the door and Tony was shaking as he tiptoed around all the tools and trunks.

“Sorry to disturb you again…” he whispered loudly, searching the shadows and listening. “But we’re in serious trouble outthere.” The metal cabinet’s doors were open and a large, rusty whaling harpoon at the front caught Tony’s eye. It was just like the “spear” from his visions but he must have missed it when he was hunting with Everly earlier. He picked it up and Tony saw himself again, throwing it at the kraken. “Will this work?”

“Yes!”a voice called from the top of the ancient, winding staircase. “Come!”

“Okay,” Tony squeaked back.

He made his way around the obstacles, to the stairs, and cautiously climbed. “Hurry!” the voice ordered so Tony picked up his pace, his hands shaking around the rail and the harpoon. When Tony reached the top, the door to the observation deck was open but he didn’t see anyone when he peeked around it.

On the shore, Nox and Everly were lobbing fireballs at the kraken as Bryn and Arawn attacked its body and tentacles. But they were merely keeping it at bay. There was a pained bark as one of the twins was flung at the dunes and landed in a cloud of sand.

Tony pulled the flare gun from his waistband and aimed it at the beast. “Hey, you big, briny bitch! Come and get me!” he jeered as loud as he could and pulled the trigger. The flare dragged through the air, leaving a trail of orange sparks before hitting the kraken. It fizzled when it collided with the side of its head, but there was a shrill scream as the kraken turned and aimed its fury at the lighthouse. “That’s it! Over here!”

He waved wildly and jumped when the light was behind him, encouraging the monster to come ashore. It was working, to Tony’s chagrin, but he stood his ground and waited instead of fleeing back down the stairs.

“What are you doing?” Merlin shouted from below. He had scurried up the hill after Tony.

“Remember Lugh? Let’s see how much of an oracle I am.” he shouted down at Merlin and heard a delighted cackle. “Reallywish I hadn’t stunk at track and field,” he murmured to himself, holding the harpoon like a javelin. He’d been too scrawny and uncoordinated for team sports in high school. Tony had stuck through two seasons on the track team before accepting that swimming and chess was more his speed.

“It’s coming!” Merlin pointed as the kraken lurched toward the lighthouse.

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