Risen (Haunted Series Book 22)

felt her near, but I assumed she was on the boat, and it had moved just beyond my reach… But it has returned, possibly looking for you…”  The demon angled his head upwards and smiled.  “Yes, I now can feel the boat she was on, and now another smaller craft has crossed the reef.  There is a woman on the smaller boat, but she’s not the same.  She’s…”  Anders turned quickly and walked a few paces and stopped.  He turned back.  “I’ve got things to do.  I’m feeling generous.  Take your men and get off this island.  Swim if you have to.  I’ll give you an hour before I send Lamia after you.”
Whit motioned for the others.  “Men, take a quick sweep.  See if any live humans are being kept anywhere.  Meet me back here.  We’re getting out of here, but we’re going to do some damage first.”
~
The captain slowed his cruising speed. The depth finder indicated he didn’t have much room.  The reef was higher on the east side of the cove.  He would have to turn around soon and head back.  All eyes were trained on the beach.  Each person with either a set of powerful binoculars or monoculars moved along the exposed coastline, each person noting anything out of the ordinary.
“On the center beach, forty feet from the rock edge,” Ted called out.  “I have a depression.  It looks like someone was digging a hole, and it was hastily covered up.”
“You’re saying it’s not natural?  Not something caused by a whirlwind?” the captain questioned.
“If there was a whirlwind, you would see other swirl patterns in the sand.”
“I’ve got something in the water,” the first mate called out.
The captain slowed the engines and made a loop back to where the first mate spotted something that stood out against the sand and crystal water of the cove, a black boat engine.
“Radio the Ross Bell that we have found wreckage, and it appears that someone made landfall.”
“Do you want us to retrieve the engine?” the first mate asked.
“No time.  We’ve done as we’ve been requested.  Time to pick up our landing party and get wide of this storm or find a good place to shelter from it.”
Ted and Burt hung on as the yacht made a tight circle and headed back to where it was deep enough to cross the reef.
Bob moved to intercept the yacht before it hit open water.  The waves on the other side of the reef had picked up, and he doubted that he would make enough headway in the surf to catch the cutter that was heading away from the island to outrun the approaching storm.
The crew of the Azure spotted their Zodiac and slowed in order to bring the boat and its passengers and crewman onboard.
Mia welcomed the hand up from her husband.  “I’m so happy to see you.”
Murph moved out of her, irritated that he had to experience a little of Mia’s physical reaction to Ted.
Ted held Mia tightly.  He felt her stiffen.  “What’s wrong?”
“The demon is pushing hard against my defenses.  I can’t imagine how she put up with it for so long.  I’m struggling here.”
Ted knew she was talking about Sabine.  Mia was very careful not to say her name as she herself was masquerading as the sensitive.
“It’s asking me, ‘How can you?’ over and over again.  How can I what?  What is it - no he, it’s a male.  What’s he asking me?” Mia asked, holding her head.
“Assassin, have you come to kill me?” the voice penetrated her defense.
“I came to rescue my friends,” she answered aloud.  “Leave us be, and I’ll leave you be.”
Ted looked at Mia.  Gone were her moss-green eyes.  Instead, a clouded gray film covered her irises.  “Come on, baby, snap out of it,” Ted said.
“Lamia comes to kill you,” the demon announced.
“Something’s coming.  We need to leave here!” Mia shouted, breaking the spell.  She pushed away from Ted, pulled off her boot covers, and dug her feet into the deck as the first wave reversed out of the shallows and hit the yacht hard.
The Azure was pushed over on its port side, one of the engines whining as it spun in the open air.  The Zodiac was pulled off the boat.  The yacht righted itself, and the captain maneuvered it quickly towards the reef.  The engines fought hard as the returning water pulled the yacht towards the sandbar.
“It’s like a reverse tide,” Ted murmured, not confident of his nautical terms.
“Look!” Burt shouted from the top deck.  “Something large and dark is moving from the interior of the island.”
The others watched as the trees were pushed down and to the side as a creature moved to the water’s edge.  It moved like a spider, using its tentacles, instead of legs, to pull the large bloated body.
“What the hell is that?” the first mate asked.  “Is that a kraken?”
Mia emptied her pack, storing as much as she could in her clothing before she activated her armor and started running, releasing her wings, and swooping off the embattled boat towards the creature.
Ted didn’t have time to argue with her.
Murphy did have time to join her.
Mia left them to attack the creature in order to give the boat more time to escape.
Mia flew upwards, drawing her sword and dagger before turning around and letting gravity take her like an arrow to the beast.
She aimed for Lamia’s eye and pierced it with her sword.  Her momentum took her body inside the monster, pinning her wings down at her legs.  Mia twisted, letting the armor on her wings carve her enough space to maneuver.
Ted watched as the creature’s tentacles probed its own battered eye looking for Mia.  It screamed in pain until it had located the irritant.
Mia covered herself with her wings