34. Luke

THIRTY-FOUR

Luke

T he tsunami roared like a thousand elephants on a stampede toward devastation.

The worst monster Brinecrest would ever face.

Why did you do that?

I… Ember… I was going to put the sea back. But Ember… She used what she had, she played her cards and…

You made the wave.

You lost control.

The blame stopped at my feet. I unleashed this, dooming my friends and the residents of this town to death. So many lives would be lost because evil monsters like me did these things to innocent people.

And languished in self-pity.

I called the water, searching for the brakes. But it wouldn’t be tamed now. Too late. The damage was done.

It hit the peninsula first, swallowing my lighthouse, crashing and thrashing, boom after boom exploding in the air as my home collapsed into the waves.

“No!” I flew after it, begging it to stop, using everything I had to turn it around.

Gunfire, followed by a net coming at me. I went to dodge, but it hit, snapping closed around me. I bellowed some curses, struggling to break the flexible metal floating in the air.

Clearly a gas mask human move.

But Seth appeared, riding Billy’s back. Luna joined them, standing on a floating disk of red motes.

“What the…what the hell?”

The enchanter threw a red charm. It exploded into a red cloud, finding its way into my lungs.

Fatigue slithered into my system. My senses switched off, the rest of me following quickly.

“Sleep now, Luke,” Seth said as Billy flew him closer. “We’ll talk later.”

I blacked out.