Island of Shipwrecks (28 page)

E
veryone but Alex crowded at the starboard railing, anxious to catch a glimpse of the next island. As with most of the islands in the chain, they knew nothing at all about this one as they approached for the first time, and the conversation turned animated.

“I wonder what grave danger awaits us there,” Lani said in her storytelling voice. “Strange thorn-necked undergrounders?”

Sky and Copper grinned.

“A reverse aquarium, perhaps?” Lani went on. “Or a tall, bronze, handsome stranger?” Lani swung her head dramatically and made googly eyes at Florence, who groaned and
put her hands over her face to hide her embarrassment.

“Or,” Lani continued with a bit of sarcasm, “everyone's personal favorite, a never-ending-hurricane island?”

“Hey,” Henry objected. “I liked that one. I had a special bonding time.”

Fox and Kitten made faces at each other. They both hated the hurricane island and were anxious to get home to the lounge band once more.

“What do you think this island has in store for us?” Lani asked Alex, nudging him from his reverie with her foot. “Come on—come look.”

Alex let Lani pull him to his feet and he joined the others. “I think we're due for a fun island, aren't we?”

“Yes,” Lani said. “I know—a carnival island.”

“What's a carnival?” asked Henry.

“It's a place with fun rides and cotton candy,” Lani said wisely, for she'd read it in a book.

“Candy made of
cotton
? That's like eating your shirt. Disgusting!” said Crow, and the others agreed.

“Yeah,” Lani admitted. “I didn't get what was so great about that either. Apparently cotton tastes sweet, though.”

“Huh,” Samheed said. He slipped his arm over Lani's shoulders and pecked her on the cheek. “Just like you.”

“Gross,” muttered Henry.

Fox nibbled at the tail of Henry's shirt and made a face. “Maybe it's an island covered with rabbits,” he suggested, and he wanted it so much that he almost believed it could be true.

“Mewmewmew,” Kitten said.

“No, not mice,” Fox replied. “That one on the hurricane island was enough.”

Simber sighed and shook his head.

Fox looked up with caution and smiled meekly at the giant cat. Simber glared back at him. Fox tiptoed to the other side of the ship, with Kitten scampering behind.

“I would wish it to be an island of art supplies,” Ms. Octavia said. “I miss my classroom. Especially my paints. I haven't done a painting in so long, I've nearly forgotten how.”

“You'll never forget,” Florence said. “But it'll be good for all of us to get back to normal.” Several of the others nodded.

“I miss painting too,” Alex chimed in. He was feeling melancholy from the news about Quill's wall coming down, and he was feeling weird about Aaron. The talk of Ms. Octavia's
classroom made him long for home. He stood off to one side of the group, leaned forward to rest his elbows on the railing, and stared out over the water.

“It's probably boring and deserted,” Samheed said.

“I kind of wish for that,” Alex admitted. He stood up straight and took a deep breath, trying to chase away his glum mood. “And besides, it doesn't matter. We're not stopping there.”

The announcement was met with a few halfhearted expressions of disappointment.

“We need to get home as quickly as possible,” Alex said, deciding it right then and there. “Artimé needs us. I don't know what Aaron's up to, but if the Quillitary is helping tear down the wall, it sounds like he's got them on his side, which seems suspicious to me. He's never had their support—in fact, they're probably the ones who threw him out of university because he messed up their plans.”

“With a little help from me,” Samheed added.

“Yes, you made it happen back then, didn't you?” Alex said with a grin.

Samheed shrugged, but he couldn't brush off the smile. After being so closely associated with the evil Will Blair, he'd
had to prove his innocence, and he'd certainly done it.

“Anyway,” Alex said, glancing at the sixth island, which grew larger as the conversation continued, “our island hopping needs to end for now. We're heading home at top speed, and we're not stopping for anything.”

» » « «

Later, as the low-hanging sun turned orange off the bow and everyone had scattered, Sky joined Alex at the railing.

“It's smart to go home,” Sky said. “We all need it, and Artimé needs us.”

Alex nodded.

The sixth island loomed as large as life now. It was one of the bigger islands in the chain, from what Alex could see, and it was very green and lush. He leaned over the railing and pointed to the mountainous end of it, which was quite a bit higher than the other side. A huge waterfall gushed from the top of it and slipped down the side, disappearing behind the trees.

“Look how beautiful it is,” Alex murmured. He glanced at Sky, whose face lit up at the discovery.

“Stunning,” she agreed. “Maybe we can visit another time?”

“Yeah.” Despite the island's beauty, Alex couldn't tear his eyes away from Sky. Her face was so expressive, and he loved how she delighted in simple, beautiful things. She had such a wonderful appreciation for them, just like the Unwanteds did after having lived in the colorless world of Quill.

He blurted out, “Do you think your experiences in Warbler turned you into this amazing human being, or were you just born this way?”

Sky's lips parted in surprise. She caught his gaze and held it and didn't answer his question. Instead she sighed and smiled. “At last.”

Alex tilted his head. “At last what?”

“At last, the real Alex has returned,” she said. She tapped a finger to her lips and grinned, adding, “You know, you can be very attractive when you let yourself be vulnerable.”

Alex had trouble comprehending her words. He could only stare at her finger on her lips, and wish his lips were there in its place. “The real Alex?” he managed to say.

Sky nodded. She dropped her arm to the railing, letting it rest millimeters from his, but held his gaze. “The guy from the roof,” she said.

Alex lowered his eyes. “Oh, him. That Alex was a mess,” he said. He wasn't proud of that Alex. That Alex had so many shortcomings, so many breakdowns.

“That Alex was the one I—” She stopped.

Alex's stomach lurched. He lifted his gaze. “You what?” he whispered. He drew an inch closer to her, and she to him. Was she really about to say what he thought she was going to say? It made his heart tremble.

“The one I . . . ,” she said again, and swallowed hard.

Just then a shout rang out.

Alex and Sky bolted apart.

“What?” screeched Alex. “What's wrong?”

Samheed and Lani came thundering across the deck, leaping over Florence's leg, and pointing to the island. “Look!” Samheed shouted. “Look at the shore!”

Alex and Sky spun around and searched the area where Samheed was pointing.

“I don't see . . . ,” Alex began, and then he sucked in a breath.

Spelled out in white bones on the brown sandy shore of the island was a single, enormous word. “HELP!”

B
ones!” gasped Sky. “That's crazy!”

“Do you see anyone on the shore?” Lani asked. She, Samheed, Alex, and Sky craned their necks toward the sixth island, searching all around the word “HELP” for signs of life. Nothing moved.

“I don't,” Alex said. “Simber, do you?”

“No, not frrrom herrre.”

Alex tapped the railing nervously as he considered his options. “We can't stop here. We can't,” he said, as if he were trying to convince himself. “We have to put our own people first.”

“Of course we do,” Lani said, “but what if someone's in trouble?”

“What if our own people are in trouble?” Alex said, frowning.

Lani shot him a look.

Alex sighed. “Right. Okay, Sim, let's take a quick ride over the island. See if you can detect any life. I mean, that help sign could be years old. The person who wrote it could be dead by now. Or rescued,” he added.

Simber dipped a wing. Alex climbed on and slid to Simber's back, and they were off.

“It'll be dark soon,” Alex said, glancing at the half circle of orange that remained in the western sky. “I won't be able to see for much longer.”

“Don't worrry, I can see,” Simber said. They flew over the waves and above the shore, Simber weaving across the area nearest the bone message. The island below was thick with trees and bushes. Sections were covered with beautiful flowers. A river flowed from the waterfall on the mountainous side, leading into the thick center of the island.

Alex peered around Simber's wing, but in the waning light,
he could only see occasional movement of leafy branches, probably from the wind.

Simber crinkled his nose. “I don't see anyone, but therrre's definitely life down therrre. Severrral species, I think. It's harrrd to tell. But therrre's not a strrrong human scent.” Simber glanced back at Alex. “Do you want me to coverrr the otherrr half of the island too?”

Alex glanced back at the ship, which now glowed warmly, lit by magical torches that someone had fashioned. “Nah,” he said. “If someone made the help sign, you'd think they'd stay near it. If you don't see anyone, let's head back.”

Simber soared over the sign once more. As they began turning back toward the ship, they heard an earsplitting roar. Out of the corner of his eye, Alex saw something move near the waterfall. He turned to see a huge, silver creature leap from a ledge on the mountainside and disappear into the overgrowth.

“What was that?” Simber growled. Whatever it was, it moved swiftly across the ground, leaving a battered trail of broken foliage in its wake.

Alex leaned forward to watch it as Simber circled back and followed the action from a safe height. A moment later a wild
pig shot out from the bushes onto the beach, running at top speed. The silver creature exploded from the brush, chasing after it. It lunged for the pig and tackled it, and with a roar and a squeal, the two went rolling across the sand.

“Holy gorillas!” Alex's heartbeat thrummed in his eardrums. He gripped Simber tightly around the neck and pressed his cheek against the cool stone. “I think that's what that thing is called, anyway,” he said quietly. “But it's eight feet tall at least. And check out those teeth.” Two saber-shaped fangs no less than six inches long curved downward from the gorilla's mouth.

The gorilla grabbed the squealing pig and got to his feet. The pig looked tiny in his hands. The beast roared again, gleaming fangs dripping with saliva, and brought the squealing pig toward its mouth.

Alex cringed and looked away just in time. The pig went silent.

When Alex dared look again, the gorilla was loping back through the overgrowth toward the mountain.

“Wow,” Alex breathed. “That was intense.”

Simber nodded. “Quite. I have a feeling that whoeverrr made that help sign—”

“Has long ago been eaten,” Alex said. There was no doubt. No one could survive with a beast like that around.

Simber turned toward the water. “Maybe this is one island we can safely avoid in the futurrre.”

“Definitely,” Alex said.

As darkness fell, they flew back to the ship.

When they arrived, the Artiméans had gathered and were waiting for details.

“We heard a roar,” Samheed said. “What happened? What did you see?”

Alex slid off Simber's wing and landed on the deck. “Oh, just a lush forest, sparkling waterfall, rugged mountain . . . and an eight-foot-tall saber-toothed mountain gorilla that hunted down a pig and killed it in about four seconds,” he reported.

Lani grabbed his arm. “Are you serious?”