its serpentine neck jutting up from the ice with another roar.
“What is it?” Enoch asked.
“I don’t bloody know,” Jeremy said. He held the sword down by his side so as not to alert the monster to their presence inside the hovel. “Sea serpent, I’d gather.”
Enoch helped himself to the can of stew, having some difficulty using the spoon.
“It’s hard to believe that there was a time when a creature like that would have been unheard of,” Jeremy said.
“I never knew such a time,” Enoch said, chewing noisily.
“Which is just my point,” Jeremy stated. “You’re only two months old, and a bloody sea serpent sighting is commonplace.”
Enoch scooped more stew from the can, dribbling some of it down the front of his tiny blue jacket before shoving the rest into his yawning mouth.
“I’ll try to fix that,” the boy said. “Once I’ve had the chance to—”
“To what?” Jeremy asked. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to fix—this.” Enoch waved the plastic spoon around. “I’m going to fix the world.”
“That’s what you keep telling me, but all we’re doing is running around from one place to the next, with no rhyme or reason.”
The toddler was frustrated. “You know how hard it is for me.”
“Yeah, I know.” Jeremy was tired of the whole thing. He returned to the stool and took the can from the child.
“My memory is incomplete,” Enoch said. “I know what I was, but not what I’m supposed to be now.”
Jeremy didn’t answer. He’d heard it all before.
“I’m hoping that it will eventually come to me,” Enoch explained. “I sense it out there . . . like a beacon trying to reach me. It’s what brought me here, and to your mother’s attention.”
Jeremy flinched at the memory of his mum. He couldn’t get the image of her dead body out of his mind.
“I’m here for a very special purpose, Jeremy,” the child said, his tiny voice cracking from the strain.
And then he was crying, tears streaming down his cold, chubby face, his cheeks turning an even brighter red.
Finishing the rest of the stew, Jeremy remembered his mother’s face as she died, her last word before her final breath:
Protect.
She wanted him to protect the little bugger, so here he was.
“Shush,” Jeremy said, setting the empty can and plastic spoon down on the floor. Enoch continued to wail, so worked up that calming him seemed impossible.
Jeremy sat next to him. Enoch tried to crawl away, but he was too overcome with emotion.
Jeremy could relate. He was frustrated too. He could only imagine what it was like for the toddler. Yes, Enoch spoke like an adult, but the truth was the little bugger was only eight weeks old. It was amazing that he was capable of holding it together as well as he did.
“C’mere,” Jeremy said, grabbing for the squirming Enoch. The child fought him, but Jeremy was larger, and quite a bit stronger. He pulled the fussy babe into his arms and hugged him close. “Calm down now,” he said, and started to rock.
Enoch continued to fight and screech.
“Wouldn’t want that sea serpent to hear you now, would you?” Jeremy asked. “I’d have to toss you to him to make my escape.”
“Damn . . . you . . . ,” the baby wailed, between gulps of air.
Jeremy squeezed the child tighter. “That’s it,” he said, his voice soft and calming. “Let it all out, and then we’ll be done.”
“Don’t . . . you . . . understand? I . . . have a job . . . to do . . .”
“I get it,” Jeremy said. “I really do.”
He knew that the child was here for a purpose, but it was nothing short of maddening, for Enoch as well as himself, notknowing exactly what that reason was. They simply had to keep fumbling along in the dark, until some light was shed on what Enoch’s mission might be.
An earsplitting roar rattled the window.
Bloody hell, if his bit of fun with the baby hadn’t come true.
“Wait here,” Jeremy said, prying
“What is it?” Enoch asked.
“I don’t bloody know,” Jeremy said. He held the sword down by his side so as not to alert the monster to their presence inside the hovel. “Sea serpent, I’d gather.”
Enoch helped himself to the can of stew, having some difficulty using the spoon.
“It’s hard to believe that there was a time when a creature like that would have been unheard of,” Jeremy said.
“I never knew such a time,” Enoch said, chewing noisily.
“Which is just my point,” Jeremy stated. “You’re only two months old, and a bloody sea serpent sighting is commonplace.”
Enoch scooped more stew from the can, dribbling some of it down the front of his tiny blue jacket before shoving the rest into his yawning mouth.
“I’ll try to fix that,” the boy said. “Once I’ve had the chance to—”
“To what?” Jeremy asked. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to fix—this.” Enoch waved the plastic spoon around. “I’m going to fix the world.”
“That’s what you keep telling me, but all we’re doing is running around from one place to the next, with no rhyme or reason.”
The toddler was frustrated. “You know how hard it is for me.”
“Yeah, I know.” Jeremy was tired of the whole thing. He returned to the stool and took the can from the child.
“My memory is incomplete,” Enoch said. “I know what I was, but not what I’m supposed to be now.”
Jeremy didn’t answer. He’d heard it all before.
“I’m hoping that it will eventually come to me,” Enoch explained. “I sense it out there . . . like a beacon trying to reach me. It’s what brought me here, and to your mother’s attention.”
Jeremy flinched at the memory of his mum. He couldn’t get the image of her dead body out of his mind.
“I’m here for a very special purpose, Jeremy,” the child said, his tiny voice cracking from the strain.
And then he was crying, tears streaming down his cold, chubby face, his cheeks turning an even brighter red.
Finishing the rest of the stew, Jeremy remembered his mother’s face as she died, her last word before her final breath:
Protect.
She wanted him to protect the little bugger, so here he was.
“Shush,” Jeremy said, setting the empty can and plastic spoon down on the floor. Enoch continued to wail, so worked up that calming him seemed impossible.
Jeremy sat next to him. Enoch tried to crawl away, but he was too overcome with emotion.
Jeremy could relate. He was frustrated too. He could only imagine what it was like for the toddler. Yes, Enoch spoke like an adult, but the truth was the little bugger was only eight weeks old. It was amazing that he was capable of holding it together as well as he did.
“C’mere,” Jeremy said, grabbing for the squirming Enoch. The child fought him, but Jeremy was larger, and quite a bit stronger. He pulled the fussy babe into his arms and hugged him close. “Calm down now,” he said, and started to rock.
Enoch continued to fight and screech.
“Wouldn’t want that sea serpent to hear you now, would you?” Jeremy asked. “I’d have to toss you to him to make my escape.”
“Damn . . . you . . . ,” the baby wailed, between gulps of air.
Jeremy squeezed the child tighter. “That’s it,” he said, his voice soft and calming. “Let it all out, and then we’ll be done.”
“Don’t . . . you . . . understand? I . . . have a job . . . to do . . .”
“I get it,” Jeremy said. “I really do.”
He knew that the child was here for a purpose, but it was nothing short of maddening, for Enoch as well as himself, notknowing exactly what that reason was. They simply had to keep fumbling along in the dark, until some light was shed on what Enoch’s mission might be.
An earsplitting roar rattled the window.
Bloody hell, if his bit of fun with the baby hadn’t come true.
“Wait here,” Jeremy said, prying
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