“How are you going to fight it?” Saina demanded.
“That’s the rub,” Mal explained. “The battle... there’s going to be a lot of collateral damage. It could level the resort. Or even the whole island.” He nodded at Bastian. “You’ve witnessed dragon battles. They banned them in Europe because of the damage they could cause. Now take that and amplify it by a creature ten times the size, with powers of water and wind and no care at all for bystanders. I cannot promise that anyone—or anything—on this island will be standing at the end of it.”
Graham froze. “You can’t do that.”
“Oh,” Lydia said with a sigh. “How terrible. The whole resort?”
“We could rebuild,” Travis suggested. “On another island if this one was too wrecked up.”
“The sale hasn’t been accepted yet,” Jenny said, eyeing Mal. “We’ve still got all that money we raised...”
“What about Scarlet?” Graham demanded.
“What about Scarlet?” Lydia asked. “She’s evacuating too, aren’t you, Scarlet? We’re all leaving.”
There was a moment of silence and everyone craned around to look at Scarlet where she was piling her tray full of glasses.
“I can’t leave the island,” Scarlet said with a wry little smile. “It’s impossible for me to evacuate with you. I’m—”
A sudden keen and the sound of slapping footsteps preceded Gizelle’s headlong race up the stairs and into the bar. She skidded to a barefooted stop at the edge of the tables. “Sweet One!” she said in alarm. “I can’t find Sweet One! We can’t leave without her! I won’t go!” She rubbed her head and moaned. “I can’t go. I haven’t gone. It’s my fault.”
Conall followed at a brisk pace. “The jet’s coming in an hour and we can’t find the kitten,” he explained patiently, trying to comfort her. “Has anyone seen her? Gizelle, why are your hands dirty, sweetheart?”
Scarlet offered, “Tyrant was sleeping on my bed earlier, perhaps she’s there?” She gave a curious expression of concentration which faded to confusion. “I... I can’t...” She lifted the tray of glassware and abruptly dropped it. Glasses and bottles shattered around her.
“Scarlet...” Mal surged to his feet in alarm. Several of the others stood as well and there was a murmur of surprise and speculation.
“It was... heavy,” she said in astonishment, staring down at the broken glass around her. “I can’t remember the last time something was heavy...”
Then she raised her eyes to Mal and he watched shock and fear fill her face and felt his heart stop in his chest. “Something is wrong,” she whispered. “Something is very, very wrong.”
She vanished.
Gizelle gave a shriek and everyone else gasped.
“Scarlet!” Mal roared. “Graham, what’s happened?”
Graham was already in motion. “Amber! Amber, I’m going to need your help! Now!”
Chaos ensued as he bolted for the tool shed behind the bar.
“What do you need Amber for?” Tony demanded protectively as Amber stood in confusion.
“What is going on?” “Where did she go?” “What is happening?” “Is it the monster?”
Gizelle sobbed, “It’s my fault, it’s all my fault,” and Conall tried to comfort her.
Mal blistered the air and ripped a portal through to Scarlet’s clearing without a second thought for protecting her secret.
A gasp went through the staff, but Mal didn’t wait to watch their reactions before he was bolting through the glimmering doorway.
Mal was no expert on trees, but
he could recognize a dying plant when he saw one.
Already, more than half of the flowers had fallen off, and the leaves were limp and curled, with alarming brown, burnt tips. The moss was carpeted in red petals.
Scarlet stood at the base of the tree, arms around the trunk. “No...” she moaned. “No...”