Watching all of the color drain from his body and his fight lessen in intensity, Coral knew she was watching him die. She pulled herself to her feet, doubling back over as soon as she stood. She placed her hands on her knees, her chest heaving, and her mind spinning. They were all going to die, and it was all her fault. She felt the hot tears hit her cheeks just as Redd let out a shout beside her.
“Release him!” Redd charged forward, her sword raised, battle ready.
“Freeze, sea scum!” Faye yelled from behind them. Instantly the crab’s scurrying to and fro stopped, as if she were frozen where she stood.
Coral and Redd looked at each other in astonishment, then back at Faye, who shrugged her shoulders. “Froze her.” She kept her wand pointed towards the sea witch crab, then added in a surprised tone, “It worked!”
They heard a loud crack and looked up to see Jake falling through the air. He landed with a loud thud at their feet.
Redd and Coral each took hold of one side of Jake, trying to slide him out of the clearing. Faye picked up his feet and the three of them slid him away from the sea witch crab.
“Ugh,” Jake mumbled as he rolled his head from side to side. “Coral?”
She dropped to her knees beside him as Redd and Faye turned to fight the approaching sea crab. “I’m here.” Her heart flooded with relief as she brushed his hair back fromhis eyes. His wound from the wolf fight was healing nicely, and she was happy to see he didn’t have any injuries from his capture. The color returned to his face as he pulled in deep breaths.
“Why do I have snow in my pants?” he asked grumpily.
“Sorry, we tried to carry you, but we had to drag you.”
He sat up, taking in the scene of Faye and Redd defending them from a giant crab.
“What is going on?”
“She kidnapped you, but we came to your rescue.” She smiled as a bolt of lightning shot down beside them, followed by Faye’s apologies. They heard Redd yell out a war cry and say something about cooking up crab legs for dinner.
“You’re like a pack of hyperactive kittens. Get back to the lodge and let me handle this,” he ordered as he struggled to his feet.
She helped him stand but then crossed her arms across her chest and gave him her best withering glare. “I am not going anywhere, Jake Hill. You can help if you want, but we’ve got this handled.”
Just then Faye yelled back to them, “A little help here!”
They turned to find Redd on Faye’s shoulders, swinging her sword wildly towards the angry sea witch crab.
Jake pulled Redd off of Faye. “I have a better idea.” He tugged Redd with him towards a nearby tree and gave her a boost.
Redd scaled the branches in record time, bringing herself eye level with the witch. “Get her to come closer!”
Coral and Faye started waving their hands, trying to get the witch to look towards them, then they ran in Redd and Jake’s direction.
The sea witch crab wobbled and scurried across the snow and ice. As she approached, Redd shimmied herself further down a branch.
“Careful!” Jake yelled, just as the branch cracked and Redd started dropping back towards the earth.
Coral shrieked in horror and threw herself into Jake as she covered her eyes, terrified to see her friend hit the ground. But when she didn’t hear anything, she took her hands from her eyes and glanced up. Redd was levitating in the air. Coral looked next to her and saw Faye with her wand aimed towards the sky. Her skin had taken on a glow, and it almost look like she had light shining out of her.
“You got me?” Redd asked as she looked back down at Faye.
Faye gave a slight nod through her concentration.
“How is she doing that?” Jake asked Coral, who shrugged in reply, too caught up in the display of magick to formulate an answer.
Seemingly satisfied with Faye’s answer, Redd leaned forward and hooked her sword under the necklace the sea witch crab still wore. She flicked her wrist, and the amulet crashed to the ground. Coral scrambled to get it before the witch brought down her snapping claws.
Jake positioned himself under Redd and held out his arms. “You can let her go now.”
Faye let out a sigh of relief and lowered her wand as Redd let out a squeal of joy over her quick descent and fell safely into Jake’s arms with a grin.
Coral tried to stomp on the amulet, but it wouldn’t break under her foot. She kicked it and let out a cry of frustration.
