Page 80 of Outcast Fae
“Sea serpent,” Vaughn said, his voice laced with dread. He whirled towards Meadow Song and Silver Bear. “You’ve hit a new low!”
The pair stood up and walked over to where we were standing at the edge of the platform. They watched as casual observers.
“It’s nothing they can’t handle,” Meadow Song said. “See.”
Turning back, I saw Gina at the side of the boat, her hands extended. She must’ve been conjuring magic because the sea serpent lurched back, shaking its head as if injured. It disappeared under the surface, leaving only a frothing foam in its wake.
My relief was short-lived, however.
“It’s headed toward the other boat,” Vaughn said, white-knuckling the railing.
The dark shadow slithered under the water toward the other boat with our friends none the wiser. They seemed to have spotted the buoy and were paddling toward it like mad with no idea a monster was streaking towards them.
“Look out!” I shouted, but it was no use. They were too far out to hear me.
The sea serpent sprang out of the water right in front of their canoe. It spread its jaws in an amazing display of giant teeth before plunging down. It smashed into the nearby water, causing it to toss and spin. Daniella, Elon, and Sinasre hung on for dear life as water sloshed over the sides.
When the boat righted itself, they were still inside, terrified and wet, but alive. Though their vessel was sitting much lower in the water.
“It’s starting to fill up. It’s going to sink,” Vaughn said. He shot a glance at me. “Tally, they’ll be in the water with that thing.”
I knew in an instant what I needed to do. Climbing up on the railing, I spread my wings and jumped.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
I soared over the beach,my eyes scanning the surf, my heart pounding. I worried if I could carry even one of my friends to safety, let alone three. Maybe at my top strength, I could get them to shore, but the days had been taxing, and my wings were not in their best shape.
Still, I couldn’t sit in my high tower and watch them get eaten by a sea serpent. Maybe I could distract the beast long enough for them to swim to shore. That would have to be enough.
The salty air sprayed my face as I flew over the water’s surface. I needed to be careful to keep my wings dry or I wouldn’t be a help to anyone. I rose twelve feet above the waves. Still, the wind was brutal, blowing against me and hindering my progress. It had me practically stopped, and if I quit with my wings I’d be hurled back to the beach. Could I even get to them in time?
“Tally!” Vaughn’s voice called over the noise of wind and surf.
I was so focused on my flight I almost didn’t hear Vaughn until he’d nearly caught up with me.
He was behind me, paddling like mad in the one remaining canoe. His massive arms made quick work of the distance, slicing the paddles through the water with incredible ease. My heart soared at the sight of him.
He was here. We could do this together. As he neared, the wind eased and I was able to make some progress.
A shriek sounded from the direction of my friends’ boat. I looked up in time to spot the sea serpent as it raised its head and darted forward, fangs bared. Sinasre, on the far end of the canoe, swung an oar, attempting to fend off the creature while Daniella and Elon crouched in the back of the sinking vessel.
Feine, Elon, fight!But he was a coward and would always be one, allowing others to take the fall for him.
The monster caught Sinasre’s paddle in its massive jaws, and the oar shattered into a million splinters. The beast swung its head to the right and smashed into Sinasre like a wrecking ball, sending him into the water with a splash.
“No!” I pushed my wings harder. I had to get there. Now.
In moments, I flew up on the scene. The serpent had submerged again, and Sinasre clung to the precariously-low boat. Daniella was frantically scooping water out in her cupped hands, but it was futile. A few more minutes and they’d be sunk.
“Hold on!” I shouted. “Vaughn is coming.”
A splashing sound drew my attention in time to see the serpent rising out of the water again.
It was even more horrible up close. The long narrow snout led to two large yellow eyes and a set of giant, ridge-like spikes that stuck out from the back of the beast’s head like a crown of thorns. The spikes were formidable, but the teeth were worse, at least forty curved fangs meant for ripping and tearing, all longer than my forearm. I could smell its breath, a combination of murky water and rotten meat foul enough to make my stomach lurch.
The head alone was ten feet tall and the body that lurked below the surface had to be the length of three faerie ships laid end to end. It had no claws or hands, and for that I was thankful, but it was a short-lived feeling as the beast spotted me and darted its head forward, intending to rip me from the air.
I dodged just in time, feeling theswooshas the awful head sailed past and splashed into the water.
