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It takes a good few minutes to drag him from the car to the spot he chose. Once they reach the location, Nick drops onto his knees, unable to support himself any longer. Through the trees she can hear the screeches of the creatures moving towards them.
He hears them too, using the blood stained poker to shove himself to his feet again. Covered in blood and who knows what else, white eyes blazing, Nick is downright terrifying. This is a version of Santa she could never have imagined no matter how hard she tried.
‘Now what?’
His white eyes turn to her. ‘Now I need you. You know what I did in the house. With the decorations?’
‘Yeah.’
He wavers slightly, his legs clearly about to give under him, but he stays standing. ‘We need bigger. I need you to think bigger. This should be the peak of my power. Use it. Go nuts.’
‘Out here?’
He nods. ‘I need you to do this. I can’t do it without you. It needs to be now, Scarlett.’
She takes his outstretched hand and looks into his eyes. For a few seconds nothing happens, then one by one, the trees surrounding the water, brighten. She doesn't want to look away from him until she’s finished, but his white eyes are nearly painful.
Then he drops to his knees, his eyes fluttering closed. ‘Nick! Keep looking at me. Come on. Please.’
She kneels beside him and takes his hand in hers, holding his chin steady with her other hand. He opens his eyes again and she smiles at him, ignoring the sound of the approaching demons. ‘You’re doing great, Nick. Nearly there.’
‘Sorry I dragged... you into... this.’
‘This is the most fun I’ve ever had. Leaving the scary demons aside of course.’
He looks around the clearing, smiling sleepily. ‘Great work.’
‘Big enough? Do you think your friends will notice?’
His reply is cut off when he slumps to the ground, his body trembling like he’s having a fit before it stills.
‘Nick? Nick! Wake up. Please...’
But he doesn’t. She picks up the poker from beside him and faces the trees. Instead of darkness surrounding her, with Nick’s help, she’s covered every single tree with white lights, as far as she can see. The light is dazzling, easily visible for miles around. Unfortunately, it also helps to highlight the dark shapes moving closer to them. They’re not in any rush. Maybe they know something she doesn’t.
She looks down at Nick’s still body, but pushes those thoughts from her mind. He’s still breathing. As long as he’s breathing there’s still time. She hopes.
She grips the poker firmly in her hand as one of the horses moves out of the trees. She can do this. She’s never even squished a bug in her life, but she can totally take down an army of demon shape-shifters, single-handed. No problem.
Then she hears something that not only freaks her out, but the Púca standing in front of her too. It’s a horse, but the sound is straight out of hell. She turns towards it, not quite believing what she sees charging towards them through the trees. It’s a rider on a monstrous black horse. But the rider’s head is engulfed in flames.
More importantly, the demons seem to be terrified of him. Or it. Whatever. The rider thunders through the trees, sending the Púca scattering, screaming as their flesh ignites. To her left, one of the Púca races from the trees, turning to ice, as it’s hit from behind.
Another screams to her right, tearing around the clearing clutching it’s head, a black mist circling him.
Scarlett moves closer to Nick, guarding him against whatever the hell she’s in the middle of. She screams, as a large Púca horse drops behind her, unconscious. She ducks as an arrow whistles over her head, hitting a Púca creeping up from the other side.
She covers Nick with her body, shielding him as the world goes crazy around her. Focusing on his face, she blocks out the screams, and shouts, feeling each shallow breath he takes. He’s growing weaker, his skin greying in front of her eyes.
Then the world goes cold, a cool mist covering her body. Scarlett opens her eyes and barely believes what she sees. A solid wall of water separates Nick and herself from the fighting. She looks around, seeing the barrier surrounding them on all sides. Scarlett watches in horror as the barrier moves outward, capturing any Púca close enough, trapping them in the wall of water, drowning them.
She has no idea how long they are behind the wall of water. Beyond it, she can make out small details of the raging battle, but it’s difficult to tell what’s going on. Or who is winning.
‘We’re just chasing down any stragglers.’ She turns and gasps. Suspended in the water behind her, is who she can only assume is Cobh. Triton smiles at her as she stares at him. ‘It’s the tail right? You’re impressed.’
And she is. The black and silver tail must be at least ten foot in length, reaching from his waist and ending in an impressive silver fin. The gills to either side of his body pulse as he watches her. ‘How is he?’
‘I don’t know. Not good. He’s unconscious.’
