place.
She heard Henry call out, and turned to see him being menaced by three of the shark men. The creatures had backed him into a corner, and were too close for him to use his rifle. Indeed, as Sarah fought her way toward him, one of the beasts snatched the weapon from the teen’s hands and flung it over the side. The shark-man lowered its head, coming in for the kill. In his panic, Henry yanked the hatchet free from his belt loop and swung wildly. The blade sank into the closest shark’s nose. Roaring, the monster flailed backward onto the deck, taking Henry’s weapon—which was still lodged in its snout—with it.
Screaming, Sarah and Caterina both charged toward the group. The sharks turned, and Caterina pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. She slid to a halt, inches from Henry’s attackers, her eyes wide with fear.
“Oh, sh—”
One of the shark men ripped the shotgun from her hands. The other opened its jaws and attacked, engulfing her head and body in its mouth, biting down right above her breasts. Despite the stuffing in her ears, Sarah still heard the sounds its teeth made as they snapped shut, slicing through flesh and crushing bone. Its eyes rolled up in its head with frenzied, savage delight as it shook her still-kicking form.
Shrieking, Sarah shoved the spear into its right eye. Both Caterina and her killer fell to the deck. The other monster bared its teeth at Sarah, but seconds later, a metal spear sprouted from its chest. Glancing around in confusion, Sarah spotted Gail reloading her spear gun. The creature toppled over the side as the ship rolled again. Meanwhile, Henry managed to retrieve his hatchet.
“How did you kill it like that?” Sarah asked.
Henry wiped the hatchet blade on his raincoat. “I fought one when Moxey and me left the silo. If you hit them on the nose, it really hurts them. I reckon doing so with a hatchet was more than it could stand.”
Despite her fear, Sarah grinned. “Good to know.”
The battle continued. Sarah, Henry, and Gail ended up back to back as the various deep sea denizens tried to encircle them. Novak continued sniping them from above, but the ship was rocking so severely now that many of his shots went astray. Mylon continued fighting, picking off the creatures as they clambered over the railing. When he ran out of ammunition, he fumbled with the weapon, his fingers slick with rainwater and blood.
“We should do something for him,” Gail yelled, nodding at the injured man.
“There’s nothing we can do right now,” Sarah shouted. “Keep fighting. We’ve got to buy Simon enough time.”
More through desperation and scared savagery than skill, they managed to overcome their attackers. Soon, they outnumbered the creatures left onboard.
“Now,” Sarah ordered, “before reinforcements arrive—”
She paused, distracted. A few hundred yards beyond the ship’s bow, the sea began to churn. A bright, dazzling light appeared beneath the surface. Slowly, a whirlpool began to form.
“What’s that?” Henry asked.
At first, Sarah thought he was referring to the whirlpool, but then she realized he and Gail were staring aft. She turned, looking in the direction Henry was pointing. There, far off on the murky horizon, a shadow loomed, so large in size that its shape was difficult to comprehend. But Sarah recognized it. She knew it all too well. The bulbous head like a misshapen hot air balloon. The hulking, rubbery body. The impossibly long arms, tipped with claw-like hands big enough to tear down whole buildings. And most of all, the tentacles—both the ones dangling from its face and the slimmer, longer ones erupting from the water like a horde of snakes.
Sarah began to weep.
“What the hell is that?” Henry asked again.
Novak and Mylon started shooting as a second wave of creatures tried to board the vessel.
“That,” Sarah cried, “is Leviathan…”
CHAPTER 88
Leviathan trudged toward them. Sarah could only imagine the skyscraper-sized legs plodding along beneath the surface. Each step sent huge waves surging outward from the beast. The thing shook its massive, misshapen head, flapping its tentacles, and its roar echoed across the ocean, drowning out all other sound.
The group paused, stunned, as each step brought the monstrosity closer. Sarah trembled with dread, tears streaming down her already wet cheeks as memories of her encounter with Leviathan in Baltimore overwhelmed her. At her side, both Henry and Gail gaped, staring in disbelief as Leviathan raged.
Leviathan’s roar faded, and Mylon cried out in anguish. Sarah turned to see him clutching his wound with one hand and trying to steady his rifle with the other, as two more starfish men slipped over the side onto the deck. Before they could reach him, Novak shot them both from his perch. Sarah watched as Novak patted his pockets. Then, he gestured at her, shouting something. The wind snatched his words away.
“What?” Sarah shouted.
“I’m out of ammo!”
Ahead of the rocking ship, the whirlpool grew larger, spinning faster as the light in its center continued to expand. Sarah couldn’t be sure, because the rain obscured her vision, but for a moment, she thought she saw blue sky and clouds in the center of the light.
That can’t be right, she thought.
It is, Simon’s voice said inside her head. But I need another moment to stabilize the doorway.
Startled, she glanced at Gail and Henry to see if they’d heard the telepathic message as well, but if so, neither of them gave any indication. Instead, they’d turned back to the battle. Above them, Novak was clambering down to the deck.
The song of the sirens began anew, as the feminine forms surfaced once more. The pain on Mylon’s face disappeared as the song grew louder. He lay the gun on the deck beside him and struggled to rise, leaving a bloody smear on the bulkhead behind him.
“His ears aren’t stuffed,” Sarah hollered at Henry. “Stop him!”
Henry, Gail, and Sarah battled their way toward the injured man. Sarah was dimly aware of Novak doing the same behind them. Leviathan roared again, and the ship lurched sharply, sending both the crew and their attackers careening. Mylon clutched the railing, steadying himself, and peered out over the side. His expression was peaceful.
“Mylon,” Gail yelled. “Don’t listen to them!”
“So beautiful.” Smiling, he climbed over the rail. “They say they can stop the pain. All I have to do is go to them.”
A starfish creature squealed as Henry buried his hatchet in its chest. Sarah leaped over the thrashing creature and slid across the wet deck, trying to reach Mylon before he leaped, but she was too late. Still smiling, the wounded man let go of the rail and plummeted into the ocean. When Sarah reached the railing and peered over the side, she saw the mermaids swarming over him, biting his throat and wrists and feasting on his blood. Mylon squirmed as if in ecstasy. A wave crashed over them all, and when it receded, both Mylon and the mermaids were gone.
You can’t help him, Sarah. Focus.
“Simon…” Sarah paused, and then thought it instead.
If you were telepathic, Sarah thought, then why didn’t you use it before?
Because when you first found me, I was too injured and weak. More importantly, when I do so, it can potentially attract the attention of other entities, such as Shtar. I’m only doing it now because I have no choice— and because in a few moments, it won’t matter.
Novak reached Gail and Henry. The three turned to Sarah. Novak made a sweeping motion with his hand. Sarah glanced around the vessel and realized that all of the creatures were dead.
“I think,” he panted, “we won.”
Sarah shook her head. “We’re going need more than guns and broom handles to deal with Leviathan.”
Novak opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, something small and silver jumped from the water and
