Risen (Haunted Series Book 22)

to keep the tentacle from crushing her as she was pulled out of the eye socket and tossed far out into the sea.  She tumbled head over heels, too afraid of releasing the hold of the wings, lest they be torn from her as she hit the water. She plunged deep into the sea, continuing far below the rise and fall of the surface waves.  The weight of her armor pulled Mia down fast.  She opened her wings enough to retract them, using her arms to reverse her descent.  Soon, Mia was moving up towards the ever-darkening storm-clouded sky.
When she broke the surface, Mia concentrated on filling her air-starved lungs.  She moved around, treading water as she tried to get a fix on where she was.  She couldn’t see the Azure, but there was something large floating a few hundred yards from her.  If she could reach it, she could possibly climb aboard and get high enough to release her wings.
Ted lost sight of Mia.  He turned and watched as the beast floundered briefly before it started digging itself into the sand.  The island seemed to pitch inwards as if it were being broken in two.  The sand moved to the center, covering the creature as it dug itself deeper with the hundred-some arms at its disposal.
Captain Ballard fought the waves and steered the yacht towards the reef.  He would have to time the strange waves in order to not hang up the bottom of the boat on the exposed reef as the water pulled back to build the next wave.
Murphy, Kevin, and Fergus moved quickly, supporting the crew, holding them tight to the deck as the waves washed over them.
Daphne would later claim that she heard an Irishman whisper in her ear, “Hold tight, little lass, only Jesus can walk on the waters.”
Burt scanned the sky looking for Mia.  “Come on, be a duck, not a rock.”
Mia swam fast and hard towards what she thought was the Coast Guard cutter.  She willed all her energy into her arms and legs.  Unfortunately, the cutter was not anchored and was moving steadily away from her.  Mia was about ready to give up when she felt something lift her up from below.  Her hands connected with the shell before the sea turtle’s head popped up.
“K.  If I wasn’t touching you now, I’d swear I was hallucinating,” Mia said.  The realization hit her.  “You’re Guillaume’s turtle.  The energy from the magician attracted you to me.  He sent me with a life preserver I didn’t know I would need.”  The turtle floated and moved with the waves until Mia got her knees, then her feet, underneath her, lifting her high enough to release her wings.  She waited for the water to run off the oily feathers before she willed herself upward letting the wind get between her and her savior.  Once she regained flight, she soared upwards and turned around until she spotted the island.  She flew towards it, thanking the sea turtle with her mind for saving her.  There was no answer.  She didn’t expect one.
The captain abandoned his attempt at crossing the reef.  It was too dangerous with the waves this high.  His crew and passengers were tired, and their edges of sanity were fraying.  Never before had any of them imagined such a creature.  It seemed to come from the island itself.  And then there was the birdwoman.  Where did she come from?  This couldn’t be Sabine Norwood, could it?  He was torn between tossing the Callens off the boat or regaling them with laurel leaves.  He hadn’t seen them on deck once they lost the Zodiac.  He hoped that Bob and the Callens had sought the safety of the cabins below and not been swept overboard.
Ted refused to leave the deck.  He continued his vigil.  Burt encouraged him to come up to the top deck with a wave.  Ted climbed quickly up.
Burt smiled and pointed north.  “I see wings.”
Ted trained the monocular on the black bird and watched as it continued to come closer.  The wings were attached to something shiny.  “Come on, Mighty Mouse.  Come to Teddy Bear.”
“She’s got to be tired,” Burt said.  “Still she looks fierce.  Did you see how she flew into the eye of that thing?”
“I think the eye may have surprised her by being so viscous.  I betcha ten dollars she had no idea she was headed inside that thing,” Ted said.
“I’m not foolish enough to bet on Mia.  She’s so damn surprising.”
“And stupid,” Mason said, climbing up.  “She should have waited for Murphy.  Just imagine what that axe could do inside that monster.”
Ted’s grip tightened on the monocular.  That was the only tell that he was upset with Mason’s comment.
Burt growled, “At least she didn’t hide away in the hold.”
“Beg your pardon, but I was swept down the stairs.  Good thing too.  I’ve got an idea to run by you, Ted.”
“Go on.”
“I need you to see.”
“Describe your idea.”
Mason didn’t waste time arguing with the man.  He could tell that Ted wasn’t going to move until his wife’s feet were firmly planted on the deck.
“Patrick and I found the store of air tanks.  We’re thinking that maybe you could use them along with the explosives we brought.”
“You brought explosives on this boat?” Burt clarified.
“Just enough to open a stone wall or two… Okay, we brought enough C4 to blast our way into a mountain.  In retrospect, we wouldn’t have needed as much.”
“It’s a good thing the Feds didn’t find it when you were boarded,” Burt said.  “Gerald would have a hard time explaining that to whomever favored this craft to him.”
“There’s also some dandy metal poles.  I think they’re for a marquee.”
“So, you’re thinking the next time the beast appears, we can fire off some exploding spears…” Ted said.
“All I know is that