Island of Shipwrecks

by Lisa McMann

  Florence, who had been aligning her gaze with the looming land whenever lighting lit the sky, spoke up. “Guide us in over there, Ahab. To the north side, see? When we get close enough for me to touch the sea floor, I’ll step out and try to guide the ship around the rocks from below.”

  The captain mumbled something unintelligible as thunder exploded and the crew came to life, tying down their personal goods. The sea grew rough. Rain pelted down at a furious pace. The wind whipped about, and lightning played out more and more frequently.

  At the next earsplitting crash of thunder, the Artiméans needed no instructions—they sprang into action. Samheed, Lani, and Octavia headed belowdecks to keep an eye on the leak. Sky, Copper, Crow, and the others secured the ship. Henry came up the stairs to the main deck to see if Alex needed him. The storm grew, and the wind began to sing around Alex’s ears.

  “Stand by, will you?” Alex shouted to Henry, grateful for the extra set of eyes. “Look at the land when it’s lit up—we’re moving awfully fast. We’re heading straight toward it!”

  Henry squinted and shielded his eyes from the rain. “The storm is centered right on top of the island; did you notice that?”

  “Yeah,” Alex said, “and it isn’t moving. But we definitely are—right toward the rocks.” He looked at Florence as the rain poured down, sounding like a thousand drumbeats on the deck. She leaned over the side, making the boat shift with her weight and almost throwing Alex off balance.

  “Florence!” he called. In a flash of lightning, Alex could tell the warrior was talking with Spike. He motioned to Henry to follow him, and the two maneuvered their way on the tilting vessel over to Florence. Waves roiling in all directions, seemingly undecided on their path, slapped at the ship, splashed up, and soaked them.

  “We’re being pulled toward the island!” Florence shouted when the boys drew near. “Spike is having trouble hanging on to us!”

  “I thought we were moving way too fast,” Alex muttered. “Why isn’t Captain Ahab doing anything?”

  “I don’t think he realizes it. He’s not well, Alex.” She gave him a serious look. “I think you need to take over the ship’s wheel.”

  Alex looked at Florence in alarm. “Me? I don’t know how to steer this thing!”

  Florence pointed at the island in the flickering light. “We’re turning, see? Watch the island. We’re moving in a circle around it, picking up speed.” She looked at Alex. “Take over. I’ll coach you. I’d do it myself if I could reach the wheel, but I need to get centered on the deck for everyone’s safety, especially now that the waves are swelling.” She shifted carefully back to center, trying to counterbalance her weight against the rocking ship.

  Alex nodded—there was no one else who could take Ahab’s place, so it was up to him. If only Simber were here! he thought. Simber would have seen this coming before it was too late. “Henry,” he said abruptly, turning to the boy, “I need you to distract Captain Ahab and coax him away from the wheel. I don’t know how happy he’ll be to leave his post right now.”

  “I can do it,” Henry said.

  They braced themselves against the wind, and as the ship rocked, they lurched along with it until they reached the captain. Henry distracted the statue, suggesting to him that the whale he sought might be on the other side of the ship.

  When they’d moved away, Alex grabbed hold of the wheel and peered into the storm. Florence called out instructions and Alex did his best to follow them and try to turn the ship away from the island, but at every lightning flash he saw they were growing closer and closer. Soon their wide circling of the island became a tighter spiraling motion around it, as if they were caught in the water of a draining bathtub. “No! Stop!” he shouted. Then, “Hang on!” His words were all but snatched up by the wind.

  Alex tugged and pulled at the wheel, fighting the impossible current and wind, until his whole body ached. His muscles began shaking, and he knew he couldn’t get the ship to turn away. “It’s no use!” he shouted. “We’re caught in this storm and it’s not letting go!”

  The ship rocked and the sea churned. Even in the confusion, Alex heard the glass-patched hole explode. The shouts of Samheed, Lani, and Ms. Octavia assured him they were still alive, but they would have trouble aiming a new glass spell accurately with all the rocking.

  Spike jumped nearby, trying to fight the current by traveling through air rather than water.

  “Spike!” Alex called, struck by an idea. “Can you use part of your body to plug the hole in the ship?”

  “I will try, the Alex.” Immediately the whale dove down and disappeared. Alex listened, and soon he heard faint cheers from below. Spike had saved them once more. Alex just hoped he wasn’t putting the whale’s life in danger by trapping her in a runaway vessel. He focused on the island, looming very close now. Alex could see the rocky coast, and he didn’t know what to do.

  “We’re going to crash!” he shouted. “If we don’t slow down, we’ll have to abandon ship!”

  Word spread quickly from statue to creature to human, and before Alex knew it, Sky had arrived at his side, soaking-wet hair stuck to her face and shoulders. She was furious. “My mother can’t swim!” she shouted. “She can’t abandon ship—what are you thinking? We have to do something else!”

  Alex gave her a frantic look. He whipped his head around, looking for any possible solution to this latest problem, and his eyes landed on Florence, who was a rock in stressful times. “Get your mother,” Alex said to Sky in a voice more assured and calm than he felt. “Bring her up here.”

  She hesitated, skeptical.

  “I mean it. We don’t have much time.”

  Sky turned and made her way below.

  “Florence?” Alex called.

  “Yes, Alex,” she replied, not taking her eyes off the looming rocks.

  “I need the squirrelicorns to deliver Copper safely to the island. They can take up to two others who want to go by air—Ahab, probably, and someone else. Can you prep them? Sky’s coming up with her mother now.”

  “Of course,” Florence said. “I think Lani or Samheed should go too, or someone with magical ability, in case there are unfriendly islanders to greet us.”

  “Yikes. I didn’t even think of that.”

  “That’s why you have me,” she replied with an uneasy grin. Florence called the six squirrelicorns to attention and gave them their instructions. Within moments they were carrying Copper, Lani, and Captain Ahab—despite his protests—through the storm and out of sight in the dark torrent. With the hole plugged by Spike, the rest of the Artiméans trickled upstairs, some carrying supplies, prepared to jump.

  The wind and current forced the swirling ship uncomfortably close to a bevy of rocks near the island’s shore. Alex, grasping the railing for balance, pointed a blinding highlighter toward land, but it was useless—the rain was too heavy in his eyes, and he couldn’t see much beyond the rocks. He looked at Florence and she nodded. It was time.

  “Everybody, listen up!” he shouted. All of the Artiméans gathered together on the top deck, hanging on to the nets and railings as rain and wind stung their skin. “We can’t wait for the squirrelicorns to come back—we’re going to wreck. We’ve tried to control the ship but we can’t. Without Simber here, there’s nothing more we can do. So I’m ordering you to jump now, and swim for the rocks. Okay? Don’t try to make it all the way to shore. The squirrelicorns will come out for you. Pair up and keep track of each other!”

  The ship lurched and Alex lost his balance. He caught himself as lightning lit up the rocky scene, just yards away. “Go now!” he cried. “We’re going to hit! Watch out for the rocks!”

  Without a moment’s hesitation, Ms. Octavia wrapped her tentacles around Henry’s and Crow’s wrists. The three climbed to the top of the railing, and at the octogator’s signal, jumped into the water. Samheed grabbed Kitten and shoved her into his pocket. He helped Fox to the ledge, then held his hand out to Sky. She glanced at Alex. Samheed di
d too.

  “You okay?” Samheed asked.

  Alex nodded. “Go. Hurry!”

  Sky pressed her lips together. She took Samheed’s hand, and they jumped.

  “Now you, Florence.”

  Florence gathered as many supplies as she could hold. “Climb on my back,” she said.

  “I’m fine. I’ll jump after you.”

  “Simber will break me in two if I don’t take you. You know that. Besides, if I step over the side, you’ll go flying when I let go of the ship.”

  Alex hesitated. He couldn’t see how close they were to the danger, and there was no time to argue. “We don’t know how deep it is here, and you sink like a rock. I’m better off swimming on my own.”

  “Alex.” Florence would have none of it. “Grab on. If it’s not deep, I’ll get us both on land faster. And if it is deep and we keep sinking, let go of me.”

  Alex frowned and lurched toward the statue. “All right, fine. Let’s go.” He took one last look at the pirate-ship deck, thinking about all the conversations he’d had here, and wondering how in the world they were going to get home if this ship was destroyed or lost at sea. But he couldn’t tackle that problem right now. He let out a defeated breath, and as Florence bent down, he moved to grab on to her neck.

  Alex’s hands barely skimmed the warrior’s broad shoulders before his world turned upside down. With a deafening crash the ship struck the rocks, and with a thousand cracks it split asunder. Mage, statue, and hole-plugging whale went flying headlong through the stormy sky and dropped into the sea.

  Home Again

  After flying nonstop for days with Carina on his back and Sean in the makeshift hammock below, Simber glided over the lagoon and the jungle trees toward Artimé’s welcoming lawn. It was a sight for sore eyes indeed.

  The cheetah was relieved to see that his presence and strange cargo were recognized by Artiméans on the lawn, who had gathered, pointing, and now began to prepare a space for Simber to land. Simber lowered the hammock to the ground and then touched down over and around it, careful not to step on any part of Sean. He folded his wings for the first time in many days. Carina slid off. She stumbled and fell on the grass, her stiff muscles unable to support her properly at first.

  Mr. Appleblossom, Ms. Morning, and Gunnar Haluki came running to greet them.

  “Simber, what happened?” cried Claire, helping Carina to her feet. “Where is everyone else? Is Sean okay?”

  “Could you be verrry kind and untie the rrropes frrrom my legs?”

  “Of course!” Claire said. She and Mr. Appleblossom began working the knots to release Simber from the hammock ropes so that he could step aside and make room for Sean to be assessed. Others crowded around to help Carina and hear the news. Someone ran off to get Meghan.

  “Sean’s leg is brrroken and he’s in trrremendous pain. He needs medicine quickly. Carrrina is okay, I think, but she’s prrrobably exhausted frrrom rrriding on my back forrr a few days. Everrryone else on the ship is fine, but we had some trrrouble and the ship can’t move fast.”

  Once Simber was freed, he stepped aside to reveal Sean, his face ghastly gray and twisted in pain. “Hurrry! Take him inside,” Simber said, a bit louder than he’d intended. It had been a frustrating trip, longer than he’d hoped, and Sean had cried out many times.

  Meghan came running over as several Artiméans lifted Sean and carried him into the mansion.

  “What happened?” she exclaimed. She followed closely behind. Carina, who now stood on shaky legs, gave Simber a silent hug and a kiss on the neck, and slowly walked to the mansion as well.

  “Did you find Sky’s mother?” Ms. Morning asked Simber. “Tell us everything!”

  “Yes. We’ve got herrr.” The cat shook his head slightly, dazed. “A lot happened.”

  “I noticed you came home from the wrong way,” Mr. Appleblossom said, pointing to the east. “The opposite direction, if you will. I wonder what adventures you’ll reveal when we have time to listen to your tale.” Mr. Appleblossom winced a little at the imperfect rhyme, but left it hanging there all the same, as the moment was urgent.

  “Yes,” Simber said. He arched his back and took a few steps gingerly, testing the ground. “It’s quite a storrry.” Simber looked up, as if suddenly remembering something. “But firrrst, is everrrything herrre all rrright? We got yourrr seek spell, Clairrre.”

  “Oh,” Claire said, her voice troubled. She glanced toward the mansion, but Carina had disappeared inside. “I—well, I’m glad to know you got the seek spell. It’s—everything is fine. I mean, it’s not fine, but we’re not in danger.”

  Simber regarded her. “I’m sorrry it took so long forrr me to come,” he said quietly.

  “Don’t worry, Sim,” Ms. Morning said, resting a hand on the cheetah’s neck. “I would have sent more spells if it was really urgent. I just thought if you were nearby, well . . .” She tilted her head toward the mansion. “We need to talk to Carina. Right away.”

  Simber looked at Mr. Appleblossom and Gunnar Haluki. All wore solemn expressions. “Verrry well. Therrre’s not much she can do forrr Sean rrright now. Shall we find herrr?”

  Claire nodded swiftly, and the small group went into the mansion. In the hospital ward they found Meghan and Carina sitting next to Sean’s bed. Sean’s eyes were closed. He seemed to be resting comfortably now.

  “How is he?” asked Simber.

  “Handling the pain again, it seems,” Carina said, not looking up. “Thankfully. But he hasn’t woken up yet. He was lucky to have such a smooth ride thanks to you, Simber.” When Simber remained silent, she turned her gaze toward the group. Seeing their serious faces, she asked, “Is something wrong?”

  Ms. Morning pulled a chair next to Carina and sat in it.

  “What is it?” Carina asked, fear creeping into her face. “Is it little Seth? Is he all right? What’s going on?” She gripped Ms. Morning’s hand. “You have to tell me at once!”

  “Your son is fine,” Ms. Morning assured her. “He’s down for his nap now. He missed you, of course, but he is doing wonderfully well. He’s taken quite a liking to Siggy.”

  Mr. Appleblossom blushed. “The lad likes costume closet frippery,” he said. “He plays ‘ship,’ like Mum—quite the skipper, he.”

  Ms. Morning grinned. “Yes, Siggy built a replica of the pirate ship for Seth to sail in, and one of the boys made him a costume so he’d look like Captain Ahab. Such a special one, your Seth. He’d be considered quite the Unwanted in Quill.”

  Carina held a hand to her chest. “Oh, that’s wonderful. Yes, he’s showing great signs of creativity already.” She sighed in relief. “So what’s wrong, then?”

  Ms. Morning offered a grim smile. “I’m afraid it’s your mother, Carina.”

  Simber’s eyes narrowed.

  Carina’s did too. “What of her?” she asked, her voice turning cold.

  “I’m afraid she’s . . . gone.”

  “Gone?”

  “Dead.”

  Silence hung over the room. Sean stirred in his sleep.

  “Dead?” Carina asked finally.

  Ms. Morning nodded. “It happened here, you see. . . .” She struggled to find the right words.

  “What happened? What was she doing here?” Carina sat stiffly in her chair, her face wiped of emotion.

  “She came here to tell you—to deliver a message to you, that is, that she loves you. Apparently Aaron got tired of her and sent her to the Ancients Sector. She stopped here on her way, and . . .”

  Carina stared blankly. “Did you tell her I don’t care? Did you tell her I don’t need love from traitors, nor do I accept it?”

  Meghan interrupted. “She didn’t actually end up going to the Ancients Sector, though. That’s not how she died.” She put her hand on Carina’s shoulder. “She died saving the Warbler children.”

  “What?” Carina shook her head, trying to understand.

  “She came here to say good-bye, Carina,” Meghan said, “an
d to tell you she loves you and little Seth, and then practically out of nowhere, from the direction of the jungle, came a horrible creature. A panther. One of the jungle creatures that Mr. Today warned us about when we first came to Artimé. The evil thing came bounding toward the lawn and all the children, and then . . .” She stopped.

  “And then,” Haluki continued, “your mother saw the panther coming and she threw herself in front of it to stop it. She didn’t hesitate. She sacrificed her life for Artimé’s new children. She saved them.”

  Carina sat numb, unable to comprehend the words.

  Simber’s brow furrowed, but he remained silent for the moment.

  “I’m sorry,” Meghan said softly.

  Carina looked up. “What?”

  “I’m sorry. I mean, I wouldn’t know how it feels, but I’m guessing it must be hard to hear this.” Meghan pressed her lips together.

  Carina’s eyes flashed. Her head began to shake ever so slightly, and her breath escaped her nostrils in tiny bursts. “Well, I’m not sorry,” she said, perhaps louder than she intended. “I’m not sorry at all. She deserved to die after what she did.” Her face crumpled. “She’s a traitor!”

  She swallowed hard, shrugged Meghan’s hand roughly off her shoulder, and stood up, her chair making a painfully loud scrape on the floor as she shoved it back. Then she turned away from the others. Her hands trembled on the bedside railing.

  Haluki took a step toward her. “That’s just it, Carina. We’re no longer sure that she was a traitor, despite all the evidence.”

  Carina didn’t react.

  Ms. Morning and Haluki exchanged glances, while Simber looked on, skeptical.

  “She said she knew we wouldn’t believe her,” Ms. Morning continued, and her own voice cooled substantially now, for she was even more skeptical than Simber, “but said she was working for Artimé all along, even when she appeared most loyal to Aaron after Artimé disappeared. She said she had proof—that someone in Artimé could vouch for her—but she wouldn’t reveal the individual’s name.”