Page 135 of The Sea Witch
“The key,” Alys called to Ben.
The glint of gold was everywhere, but a pointed item near the head of the table caught her eye.
“That’s it,” she cried.
The house shook again. More stone fell as the creature broke through the wall on the opposite side of the hall. Its scaled arm reached through the hole and its claws dug trenches in the floor as it struggled to reach them. Hot green breath gusted around the chamber.
The table lay between them and the beast. With one of its talons, the creature punctured a hole in the wooden surface and began to drag the table toward it.
Alys leapt aboard. She fell to one knee as the creature pulled the table toward its snapping beak, but with her experience on rocking ships she regained her balance and stood.
She dove for the key, and her fingers wrapped around the handle. The beast’s claws swiped just above her arm. She pulled back with the knife in her hand, and she rolled off the table to land on her side. Ben helped her to her feet. She tucked the carving knife into her belt.
“Run for the beach.” She kept her voice low so only he could hear.
At his nod, they sprinted out of the main chamber and into the corridor that led to the front door. The manor shook as the creature continued to tear at the walls.
The front door loomed ahead. As she and Ben sped toward it, Janssen blocked their way, along with a duo of guards.
“Damn it,” Alys groaned at the prospect of facing off against the majordomo and his ruffians.
“You and your filthy witch magic,” Janssen snarled, raising a cutlass. “Ruining my master’s home. We should never have let you cross his threshold.”
“There’s no knowing what the creature wants,” Ben answered as he and Alys both stood with their blades at the ready. “It could be your master, Janssen.”
“His family’s been here for generations, and they’ve never faced an attack from a monster. Not until tonight. Untilshecame here.” He glared at Alys as he advanced on her.
“You want filthy witch magic, Janssen?” Alys shot back. “Choke on it.”
She flung out her hand. A torrent of thick dark sludge sprayed as she conjured up the foul-scented muck that collected in bogs and ponds at the end of summer. She sent it spewing all over Janssen and his brutes.
The men fell back, clawing at themselves and retching. The smell nearly made Alys gag, too. Her eyes watered. Ben made an agonized sound.
As the men heaved, Ben shoved them out of their path. He and Alys leapt out the front door and hurried down the steps, darting into the forest.
Roaring sounded, far too close. Birds took flight as the trees suddenly splintered apart behind them. The monster had turned its attention away from the manor.
It chased them.
Alys and Ben sprinted through the woods. She chanced a glance behind her, to see the creature relentless in its pursuit,scuttling after them. Trees crashed and there was a terrible thundering of the beast’s beating wings. Yet the wings seemed incapable of giving the creature flight as it continued to scramble toward them in a serpentine motion.
They burst from the tree line to tumble out near the pier. The jolly boat was still tied up, and together, they ran full out for the vessel. The pier rattled beneath their boots.
“I’ll row,” Ben shouted as they reached the jolly boat.
They both leapt into the small vessel. He hacked at the rope with his cutlass. The creature emerged from the forest, its feet slamming down on trees and breaking them apart like they were slender reeds. The beast was fully visible now. It was the length of three horses, with a powerful body, a beak that could easily swallow an entire human, and a long tail topped with spikes.
Its eyes blazed with wrath. And it headed straight for them.
“Now, Ben,” she yelled.
With a snarl, he dropped his cutlass and grabbed the oars.
Summoning the swiftness of dolphins, she imbued the jolly boat with their speed.
The stars protect them if the beast could swim.
They shot away from the dock just as the creature reached the end of the pier. The beast snapped at them. It nipped the stern, rocking the boat.
