Chapter Twenty: Hailley. Better Safe Than Sari

Here is Chapter Twenty of Evils: The Other Four.

Better Safe Than Sari
Somehow, after the Aghasura was gone, the storm actually intensified.

From the waters in the drops, a girl came forth. She had shoulder-length blonde hair, eyes the color of a river, and was wearing jean Capris and a pink T-shirt.

"New Level heroes," the girl said. "Sabina Hartlen of Xochiquetzal, and Hailley Woode of Chicomecoatl. It's nice to meet you. My name is Melanie Blue."

"Melanie!" Jun exclaimed, remembering the girl that Rain had talked about.

"Ahhh... and Jocelyn Rain, Natalie's mother," Melanie continued. "And... four worthless people."

"Worthless?" Jag said. "I am a liver of the god Ganesha!"

Melanie waved her hand. "Powerful, for a Hindu, but still just a Hindu. My master can destroy the mightiest, the Nordics and the Aztecs, single-handedly. Oh... wait... less than single-handedly."

She snapped her fingers to create a bolt of magic lightning, like the kind Layla used, to send Sabina and I away.

"Where are we?" Sabina asked.

"An island in the Norwegian Sea," Melanie said. "According to the prophecy, my master can only be defeated if all eight New Level heroes are together. The trolls work for us. We had them abduct kappas to send to Khaos, which will increase our army's strength and rid the world of the Other Four."

"What'll happen to the kappas?" I demanded.

"They'll die," Melanie said like she couldn't care either way. "Their deaths will be all it takes to destroy the gods once and for all."

I looked behind her, where the waters of the sea splashed onto the shore, forming... rainbows. I had a plan.

I balled up my fists and threw the only thing I had with me (besides my staff) - the drachma that Jocelyn Rain had given me. Melanie effortlessly dodged it, and the drachma landed into the Bifrost beforer vanishing. "All that for your master?" I demanded. "And you're not even  SORRY  that you're going to kill every single kappa  AT THE RENGO KUNI IN CALIFORNIA!? "

"No. Should I be?"

I pushed her aside and reached into the Iris message that I'd formed. I grabbed Taylor, Gary, and Kyūri from the other side.

"What?" Melanie said when she saw what I was doing. "How is this possible? Iris messages are supposed to require a spoken name and address."

"Sorry, at the Rengo Kuni in California," I repeated. "The Iris message went straight to our friend Sari, who was with Gary and Taylor."

Melanie realized she was outnumbered and vanished after a parting remark. "Good luck with the trolls, New Level heroes."