Chapter Twenty: Skellie Island

"All of this was your stupid idea!" Hekin shouted. "Now, we're stuck here!"

"Go to hell!" Jopp spat. "At least we tried!"

I couldn't agree more with Jopp. We tried our best to navigate the ocean, but demonic creatures ruled the waters here. It cost us the girls, and their warm bosoms were very much missed by all of us. I had noticed Jopp's lingering stares at Mil, as if she was the only perfect creature to walk the earth. That made me wonder if anyone would ever look at me like that. Besides Chichi. She needs to learn about boundaries.

Rif gazed at the fiery bow in his tiny hands and sighed. He must miss Mil so much. He arched an eyebrow and slapped Hekin and Jopp's faces. He furrowed his brows and ignored their deadly scowls.

I had to admit, the kid had guts. I puffed my chest as I thought I could slap demons, too.

"You lookin' to die, Riffy!" Jopp growled.

"What was that for?!" Hekin added.

Rif put a finger to his lips. He pointed at a shiny glimmer above the canopy of the island.

Without the flying girls, we would have to trek through the thick forest.

Jopp pushed the foliage aside with his nature affinity, but he didn't let it last for very long. Branches slapped Hekin in the face, with me, Rif, and Golir right behind him.

"What the hell?!" Hekin blasted.

Rif and I pushed him forward. Hekin growled as he wildly swung his arms and burned a path through the island.

Jopp stopped in his tracks and snarled. "Damn you, Hekin!"

"I don't want to hear it!" Hekin shot back and huffed. "Dumbass."

"Hedonist harper!"

"Insipid idiot!"

Rif whacked them with his bow until they ducked and kept moving. I silently laughed at this amazing display.

"Barbecue human is on the menu!" Jopp barked, shaking his fists. "Little aggravating knee-biter!"

Rif whacked the back of his knees, and Jopp almost crashed to the ground. Jopp lunged at him, but the fiery bow struck him between the eyes.

"Son of a harlot!" Jopp screamed as he held his head. "That really hurt!"

Hekin and I held our stomachs as we laughed.

"Aeklith, follow my lead!" Rif commanded.

Jopp's dark eyes glowed a haunting blue before he glared at Rif. "You're not going to live to see your thirteenth birthday!"

Rif rolled his eyes and strolled ahead of them. "Hekin, snuff them out," he ordered.

Hekin grinned. "Gladly." He drew a circle with his hands and held out his palm. With every finger he curled, there was an explosion. The farthest was first, and it ended with one close to the shiny glimmer we had seen.

A faint rumble became closer and louder with every second.

"What is that?" Jopp started, glancing at Hekin.

Rif focused on movement ahead and nocked his arrow.

"Damn kid thinks he knows everything," Jopp mumbled.

"Cast your barrier!" Hekin told him.

Jopp grunted as he did so. Demon shadows shrieked as they pounded against the spiritual barriers. "Now's a good time to show off!"

With their combined magic of fire and earth that swept through the surroundings like molten lava, the demon shadows disappeared. The magic left the area burned to the ground. Jopp grimaced at the destruction of nature. He hid his pain with a scowl.

Rif turned around, and a human figure appeared between us.

"How did he get in?" Jopp blurted.

The figure's golden eyes flashed with malice. Wisps of shadow covered his body until he revealed himself. Dark green hair spiked from his head, and sharp thorns the size of fingers covered his forearms.

Jopp glanced at him, and then at Rif, and then back to him. "Thorn, is that your kid?"

Did Jopp know this demon?

"You mean, you're with him?" Thorn asked, holding his breath.

"He kind of knows my name because of Alaris!" Jopp grumbled.

Thorn sighed with relief, and his gaze grew solemn. "Noforl wants them dead."

Jopp and Hekin hung their heads in shame.

"We lost the others in the ocean when our ship was attacked."

"They're not gone," Thorn whispered. "Not yet."

That was excellent news! All this time we had thought they were lost forever!

Rif and Golir's eyes grew wide in surprise. The beacon of hope lit up their faces. They hopped and pulled on Hekin and Jopp's arms.

"How can we find them?" Hekin queried in a low whisper.

Thorn pointed at the glimmer. "It will be dangerous."

"Help us!" I pleaded.

"I cannot," Thorn admitted as he trembled. "I am forbidden in Grace's presence."

"Who the hell is Grace?" Jopp queried.

A loud rumble seemed to answer.