Island of Legends (The Unwanteds) (30 page)

“The crab,” Florence said, remembering. “I suppose a crab so large must need a lot to eat.”

“The squid helps.”

“Does the squid have a name?”

“I would imagine so, but I don’t know what it is.”

“Why would he help the crab at all? Two large carnivores seem like they’d be unlikely allies.”

“Yes,” Talon agreed, “but the island offers vegetation that
grows over the side, attracting fish. The crab’s claws offer protection from the eel. The crab allows the squid to stay protected if the squid brings it food. As long as the crab survives, the squid survives.”

“Unless the squid moves too far away from the crab’s claws and gets captured.”

“A mistake he’s not likely to make again, after what he’s been through.”

Florence drew her knees up and clasped her arms around them. “And what about Issie? You said she’s been searching for her foal for seven hundred years.”

“At least,” said Talon. “That’s about when she arrived here. She might have been searching before.”

“Where did she come from?”

“We don’t know. Our communication is limited. She says she’s from another world. Perhaps she means another island. Could she be from yours? She came during a storm.”

“I—I don’t think so. We are all very young compared to you and Issie and Karkinos.”

Talon gazed out over the water. His face was troubled. “Sometimes I think Karkinos was here before the sea.”

His simple, profound words made Florence feel things she’d never felt before. She didn’t notice his troubled look. “And you?” she asked. “Have you always been here?”

“As long as I can remember. One day I woke up here, saved by the crab as you were, though being alone and without a ship, I imagine my circumstances were a bit more dire.” He ducked his head. “Not to minimize your near-tragic stumble, of course.”

Florence laughed. “If that was the worst I’d been through, I’d have no stories to tell.”

“Even if you made them up, I’d listen to all your stories until there were no more, and then demand you begin again.”

“I— Oh my.” Florence shifted in the sand, her mind grasping for something, anything, to say. She blurted out, “How long have you been here?”

He flashed a teasing smile but grew serious once more. “I don’t know. Thousands of years.”

Florence could hardly imagine it. “Thousands,” she repeated.

Talon nodded. “It’s nice to have visitors.”

Florence looked at him. He caught her gaze and held it.

“Do you get many visitors?” she asked finally.

“Only a handful in recent years.” His gaze drifted to Pirate Island, a mere dot on the horizon. “Pirates came a few times. They stole some of our plants and trees during the night and escaped.” He scratched his chin. “If only they had asked, we would have given them whatever they wanted. We have more than we need. There was no reason for their stealth. But because of their actions, we’ll never trust them.” He looked at the pirate ship. “I feared you were from there when I first saw your ship.”

“This ship wrecked on our island some years ago with two dying pirates aboard,” Florence said. “Our leader restored it and made it sound again.”

“Alex?”

“No, the one before him.” She grew thoughtful. “Do you suppose we’ve stolen the ship from the pirates if we’ve made no attempt to give it back?”

Talon thought about it for a while. “Sounds rather to me that your ship was trying to escape them. My verdict is that you’ve done the ship a good deed.”

“I’d like to think so,” Florence said. She couldn’t imagine
what shape the ship would be in if it had stayed docked at Pirate Island when the volcano sank. “The pirates—they steal people too, and keep them as slaves. That’s why we had to pay them a visit. And now they’re stealing your sea creatures.”

“So it seems, and I know not why. From what you’ve recounted, it appears the eel is under their command.” He shook his head. “I don’t understand their motivations.”

“I don’t either.” She thought about Quill and Warbler. “I don’t understand many things about the evil people in our world.”

“I can tell you’ve seen more of them than I have, Florence. I hope you believe me—you have nothing to fear here.”

Florence dropped her gaze. “It’s a relief to know it. And you have nothing to fear from us . . . unless your sinister dropbears make a false move.” She smiled and looked out over the sea to the east, toward home, feeling strangely melancholy. “We’ll need to go back soon. We won’t trouble you for long.”

Talon was silent for a long time. And then he sighed and said in a soft voice, “Never have I desired trouble more.”

H
e’s so hot!” Lani whispered. “Seriously—I almost burned my arm when I bumped into him. I thought Florence was hot after a day in the sun, but Talon, being metallic, is even hotter. I bet he sizzles when he goes in the water.” Lani, Samheed, Alex, and Sky sat around a campfire while Talon served them dinner.

“I can fry an egg on my biceps,” Talon agreed. “Would anyone like an egg? I can ask Vido if his hen friends have any.” Then he shook his head in disgust. “Chickens,” he said. “Foul creatures. I don’t understand them at all.”

Sky and Lani erupted into laughter. “No, thank you. We’re so full already. Everything was delicious!”

“And speaking of Vido,” Samheed asked, “what is up with that golden rooster guy? Does he ever come down from that tree?”

“No, he never does,” said Lhasa, a mischievous smile on her face. She float-walked over to the fire and sat just above the ground nearby. Florence, Simber, and Bock, the golden-horned deer, gathered as well. “Vido doesn’t leave his post. He’s waiting for the gods and spirits to return.” Lhasa waggled her furry head. “I keep telling him we are here already, right, Talon?” She tittered in laughter.

Talon, who had finished serving his guests, sat down across the fire from Florence and smiled at her. “Yes. In the meantime, he has plenty of advice, whether you desire it or not.”

Alex spoke. “He told me that when I look in the mirror, a stranger looks back.” He scratched his head. “I’m afraid to ask what that means.”

Sky sat up. “He told me a girl with eyes of fire has a heart of ice.” She gave Alex a long look. “So don’t mess with me.”

He grinned uneasily.

Talon watched all this with a smile on his face. “I wouldn’t worry about anything Vido says.”

“He
opined
that a beast without furrr has narrry an hourrr to live,” Simber drawled. “I told him that a birrrd without featherrrs has about ten seconds.” He licked his paw and began working a claw with his teeth. “That shut him up.”

The snow lion laughed. “He’s harmless. Very spiritual and superstitious.”

“I don’t blame him forrr finding the tallest trrree to sit in, though. I almost had a few drrropbearrrs for lunch.”

Florence grinned. “What happened? What do they look like?”

“They’re not tiny,” Samheed said with a wry grin. “About the size of a really fat baby. They look soft and cuddly. Gray and white and furry with long arms, cute round ears, and black button noses. They sit in the trees eating leaves and being all cute—cute enough that you think, ‘Hey, I should get one of these down for the girl I like, and maybe she’ll forget we’re fighting.’ ” He glanced at Lani, who started laughing. “But I do not recommend that.”

Florence’s eyes widened. “What happened?”

“As soon as he started climbing the tree,” Alex said, “about a hundred of these things started dropping out of nowhere onto our heads. They grabbed our hair like reins and rode on our backs like knapsacks. They clung to our arms and legs until we were completely covered with them.”

“And then there were the fangs,” Lani said, still laughing. “If we tried to get the dropbears off, they opened their mouths and showed us their giant fangs, and then they started growling and hissing! It was so weird to see these cuddly-looking creatures turn into your worst nightmare.” She wiped her eyes and sighed. “But you were right, Talon. They didn’t hurt us. After a while they got bored and climbed the trees again.”

“Where did they come from?” Florence asked.

“They were here when I got here,” Talon said. “None of us understands their language, but they seem to understand me, at least a little. In the early years, when it was just Vido and me, they would attack and try to bite me, but it didn’t hurt and eventually they stopped. I think it has something to do with the metal,” he said, rapping on his chest. “It’s a bit hard on the teeth. They are tame now and stick to eating plants. Too afraid to try to take a bite of anything that moves.”

Alex was fascinated. After a moment, he looked at Lhasa. “When did you arrive?”

“I was born here,” the snow lion said. “My father was kidnapped by sailors, and my mother drowned chasing after them.” She didn’t seem bothered by this. “Talon was too heavy for the sailors to carry, so they tied him down. The dropbears bit through Talon’s ropes and set him free, and Talon found me and took care of me.”

“How is it that you seem to float just above the ground?” Ms. Octavia asked from the shadows. She didn’t like to sit too near a fire because it dried out her skin.

The snow lion laughed merrily. “I should ask the same of you.”

“Oh, me—it’s just an optical illusion,” Ms. Octavia said. “I sort of roll along on several tentacles, but each only touches the ground for a short time, so it looks like I’m floating.”

“I have always been this way.” Lhasa lounged to one side dramatically. “Talon says it is because I am a queen, but Vido thinks it is because my mother’s spirit is inside me, lifting me up.” Her laughter filled the air again.

“And who do you believe?” Ms. Octavia asked.

“Both, of course.” She got to her four paws and shook a tiny bit of sand out of her fur. “One day I shall get revenge on those sailors.” She smiled the sweetest, most unassuming smile imaginable and, seeing all eyes on her, pranced to the edge of the island. “I shall thunder around the world! Skate across the sea! Find those evil sailors and bring my father home with me!” She teetered at the edge of the island, then flounced over the water and hovered there, too, not even getting the least bit wet in the process. “Ha! Tricked you.” She grinned and shook her head from side to side, her fur flying joyously.

“Wow!” Lani said. “You can float above the water, too? Ms. Octavia can’t do that.” She looked at Ms. Octavia. “Wait. You can’t, can you?”

Ms. Octavia tapped her lips. “I might be able to think of a way to do it with magic,” she said. “But no . . . if I walk off the edge, I’ll fall in the water.”

Samheed, who couldn’t take his eyes off the snow lion, felt like applauding. He ran over to the edge. “You were born to act on the stage, Lhasa,” he said, with the deepest admiration in his voice.

“The stage, the stage,” Lhasa sang. She pranced over the water. “What is the sta—”

But she didn’t have time finish her question, because the giant eel burst from the water, curled around her belly, and pulled her under.

W
hat? Stop!” Talon’s wings unfurled, and he flew like the wind to the water, his hands gripping his head in shock and disbelief. “Where is she?”

Samheed, who had come to his senses, turned back to the group and shouted, “It’s the eel! Get back!” He ran to help Henry and Copper move away from the edge.

Florence and Simber thundered over. Sean and Carina kicked off their shoes and dove into the water. Alex whipped off his robe, throwing it at Lani. “Stay here!” he yelled. “Move everybody to the center of the island!”

The crab’s reefy claws began clicking out in the darkness.

“Get back, Alex!” Simber roared.

But Alex didn’t listen. He grabbed a blinding highlighter and dove in after Sean and Carina into the cool, silent darkness of the sea. Above him, Florence plunged her face into the water, and next to her, Talon did as well, both of them straining to see.

The eel wasn’t far off. Alex did a double take—the eel seemed much bigger than it had been before, nearly twice the size. Was it even the same one? If so, it must have been eating a ton to have grown so large. It swam lazily just below the crab’s reach, with Lhasa dangling like a rag doll inside the curl of its tail. There wasn’t much time before she’d be dead, Alex knew. He began firing spells, knowing they probably wouldn’t work but not having many other alternatives. Sean and Carina tried the same, but soon all three of them gave up. Their only hope was to get Lhasa to the surface, and there was no spell for that.