Island of Graves by Lisa McMann
They didn’t hesitate to take him up on the warning, though it was a tight fit.
Once Sky pulled the door closed, Alex lifted his hands in the air, still holding the book in case he needed it. He started chanting, “Water to clouds—no.” He stopped abruptly and muttered something under his breath, then crossed off the word “water” and replaced it with “rain.” “Disastrous,” he grumbled, shaking his head. “Come on, Stowe.” He paced up and down the aisle a few times, talking himself through the entire chant one last time.
When he felt like he was ready, he returned to his spot and concentrated hard on the weather that hung over the island. After several moments, he lifted his hands and started chanting again, softly, poetically, and with more confidence this time. “Rain to clouds,” he said, “and clouds to sky. Gray to blue, and yellow to shine.”
He paused, took a breath, and continued just as confidently as before. “Gale to breeze, and swirl to brush. Lightning fade, thunder hush. Calm the sea and dry the stone. And warm the air to feel . . . like home.” He’d added that last bit in hopes of giving the scientists pleasant temperatures as well.
It sounded right. It felt right. Encouraged, Alex repeated the entire chant two more times, neither his hands nor his voice wavering.
But when he uttered the last word, part of his confidence left with it. Alex closed his eyes and cringed. Maybe it would’ve been a good idea to practice parts of his totally new weather spell first before trying to tackle such a big job. Had he messed up? Again?
When the sound of rain slamming against the water stopped, Alex opened his eyes. Before him was a most incredible sight. The wind was dying down. The rain reversed direction and went up into the clouds. And when the clouds had reabsorbed the moisture, they began to disperse.
“Sky!” Alex called. “Come look!”
Sky burst out of the cabin, joined Alex, and watched as the lightning shot up and faded inside the dispersing clouds. The angry, choppy waves calmed to gentle swells. The loud thunder grew faint and disappeared, and the brilliant sun shone over the island.
Alex stood gripping the railing, waiting with dread for something to go horribly wrong like it usually did. He imagined all sorts of disastrous results now that he’d said the spell aloud. What if the sea was totally made of rain and he’d just commanded it to go into the clouds? Would it leave Alex and Sky plunging hundreds of feet to the sea floor to their deaths? Would it leave Spike and all the other sea creatures struggling to survive? He paled and sweat pricked the back of his neck. This was the moment when everything would fall apart.
But for once that didn’t happen. All of the elements of the hurricane had disappeared, just as Alex had wanted them to. Nothing more, nothing less. He couldn’t believe it.
His heart thudded in his chest. “Did I do it?” he whispered.
Sky watched the performance in awe. “I think you did it, Alex.” She watched for another minute, a smile slowly spreading across her face as the weather rapidly lost all signs of trouble. “Yes, you really did! It’s perfect! I bet you wish you could see their faces when they notice it,” she said.
Alex was having trouble believing it. He’d done it. First try! And all while having Sky present, and about as close as humanly possible for the past few days. He tore his eyes from the glorious scene and turned to her, thrilled beyond belief.
“I did it!” he shouted, throwing the book in the air. “And it’s all thanks to your cleverness!” As the book clattered to the deck, Alex slid his fingers into Sky’s hair and pressed his lips against hers.
She didn’t push him away. He felt electric! When Alex drew back, she laughed softly. “It probably helped that I’m not magical. I don’t know the rules.” She reached for his shirt and pulled him close for a second kiss. “And I’m really glad we’re taking care of this before Aaron gets here.”
“I agree,” he said. “I’d like to do more of it sometime if you don’t mind.”
“Okay. Me too,” Sky said simply. She lifted a finger in warning. “But only if you stop blaming our relationship for your mage problems.”
“I will. I promise,” Alex said, reluctantly breaking away. His eyes lingered on hers and his hand caressed her shoulder. “So . . . that thing you said about loving me like a sister . . . ?”
Sky narrowed her eyes, and her face grew warm. “If you ever bring that up again, we’re through. Not even joking a little bit.”
“Okay, okay,” Alex said, laughing. He moved to the boat controls. “On that note, let’s go see if we can locate my whiny little monster brother so he can make our lives miserable for the next few days.”
“Eh,” Sky said, “we can always leave him with the gorillas if he gets too unbearable.”
The Reunion
Now that the hurricane was gone, Alex commanded the boat to head toward the island. Of its own accord, it weaved toward the destination, avoiding the rocks and wrecks that were scattered about. The boat moved gracefully, and just as graceful was Spike, beside it.
“The tugging is gone, the Alex,” Spike reported. “The water is smooth and kind now.”
“Excellent news,” Alex said. “It’s so strange to see the island in this kind of weather. I’m going to bring us right up to the shore. Feel free to explore if you want, and if you see anything useful in the wrecks, pull it up for Ishibashi.”
“I will do that with pleasure,” Spike replied, “for I have been very curious about the wrecks and sad that I was unable to see them last time because of the storm.” Spike disappeared under the water, and Alex, Sky, and Charlie stood anxiously in the boat as they approached the island.
“Do you see anybody?” Alex asked Sky.
“No,” said Sky.
“You’d think they’d be out looking at the sunshine.”
“They might be,” Sky said. “Just not where we can see them yet.”
The weaving journey to shore took longer than anyone wanted it to, but at least they weren’t in danger of crashing into anything.
“The island is so much more beautiful when there’s no storm,” said Sky.
Alex nodded. The silence was strange.
A few moments later, when they were nearing the spot where Ishibashi’s ship had sunk, Charlie hopped on one foot and pointed. Three small, old men were emerging from behind a stand of rocks. They looked around and almost immediately spotted the white boat. But of course they didn’t recognize it.
Alex stood on the captain’s chair and began waving with all his might. “Hey! Hello! Ishibashi-san!”
The men came rushing to the edge of the beach, and when the boat couldn’t get any closer, Alex cast the anchor spell. Charlie opted to stay in the boat rather than chance getting wet—or overwhelmed from meeting new people. So Alex and Sky climbed over the railing, dropped into the water, and waded to shore.
“Alex-san, is it you?” cried Ishibashi. “You have brought your weather with you this time!” He laughed hysterically as he and the other two scientists danced around, hands pointing at the clear sky and not feeling any rain. They couldn’t wait to embrace their friends.
When the two teens reached the scientists, they greeted their old friends excitedly, everybody talking at once.
“What have you done with our hurricane?” Ishibashi asked. Tears were streaming down his face. “I have not seen the bright sun nor felt a gentle breeze like this in many, many years.”
“Do you want me to bring the hurricane back?” Alex teased.
“No! Please! But tell me you have done this, and that I am truly standing here and this is not a dream.”
“It’s true!” said Alex. “I have done this, Ishibashi-san, thanks to Mr. Today’s book and Sky’s creative thinking. She believed I could stop the hurricane even though there wasn’t a spell for it. So I created something new, and now you are really standing here in the sunshine.”
Ishibashi’s eyes shone. “Then you are a true mage, worthy of taking the place of Mr. Marcus Today. Indeed, you have done somethin
The words sank in, and Alex’s heart swelled as he fully realized the scope of what he’d done. It was true, then. Alex had accomplished something Mr. Today hadn’t been able to do. The scientists got the best gift imaginable, and no more ships would wreck here because of the hurricane. And it was all thanks to him and Sky, working as a team.
Sky squeezed Alex’s hand. “Good job,” she whispered.
“You too,” said Alex, squeezing back. Maybe the secret was to spend more time with Sky, not less. He went to Ishibashi and hugged him, and then he hugged Ito and Sato, who couldn’t stop chattering.
Ishibashi turned to embrace Sky as well. “Thank you for coming back,” he said to her. “I am not surprised to learn that you are partially responsible for the success of the magic. And now we have this great joy.” The old man lifted his face up to the sun, letting the warm rays soak into his skin. Tears continued rolling down his cheeks.
Sky took a step back and touched Alex’s sleeve, giving him a questioning look.
Alex, still high from Ishibashi’s praise, was jolted back to reality when he remembered why they’d come. He glanced at Sky. “Aaron’s not here,” Alex mouthed, surprised by how disappointed he felt. They both began looking around the island, but they didn’t see the former high priest anywhere.
Finally, in a quiet moment, Alex spoke. “Ishibashi, I—I was just wondering if . . .”
“Oh!” Ishibashi said. “Alex-san! I have nearly forgotten in the excitement of this moment. But I think you know already, or you would not have come back so soon. Your brother—”
“Yes?” Alex blurted out. “Is he here? We’ve been searching for him.”
Ishibashi smiled gently. “Yes, he is here.”
Alex looked around expectantly. “Is he coming out? Where is he?”
Ito spoke rapidly, and Ishibashi nodded. The eldest scientist left, heading to the shelter.
“What’s happening?” Alex asked.
“Aaron . . . is inside,” said Ishibashi. “He is . . . he is . . .”
“Is he all right?” demanded Alex. “Is he hurt?”
“In a way,” Ishibashi said carefully. “But not in the way you mean.”
“Then what?” asked Alex.
Ishibashi looked grim. “He suspected the sudden change in weather was caused by you,” he said. “And he did not want to come out. He is . . . afraid. Afraid to see you. Afraid you wish to harm him.”
Alex was silent, trying to contemplate the meaning of that. “He told you that? He said he was afraid of me? It sounds like a trick.”
Sky stepped in and put a hand on Ishibashi’s arm. “Will you take us to him?”
Ishibashi’s face became worried as Ito returned alone. He spoke to the two in his original tongue. The elder one frowned and shook his head.
Ishibashi turned back to Sky. “I will try,” he said.
Alex set his jaw. It was just like Aaron to be troublesome and ridiculous. “Ishibashi-san,” Alex said, “I have to talk to him right away. It’s very important.” He stepped around Ishibashi to go in search of his brother.
Sky grabbed Alex’s sleeve. “Maybe Aaron needs a few minutes,” she said. “We have that much time, at least. I’m sure this is a shock.”
“Yes, Alex-san,” Ishibashi said nervously. “Perhaps if I talk to him . . .” He seemed about to make another excuse when a voice interrupted the conversation from behind the scientists’ ship.
“It’s okay, Ishibashi-san. I’m here.” Aaron stepped into view. He walked toward the group, shoulders squared, a grim, determined look on his face. “Hello, Alex,” he said evenly. He looked at Sky. “Hello.”
Alex wasn’t sure what sort of greeting he’d expected—a fistfight or some yelling, sure. But a polite, simple greeting? “Hello,” he replied.
Sky looked from one brother to the other as they stood eye to eye. And then she turned to Ishibashi, Ito, and Sato. “Ishibashi-san,” she said, “how about you three show me your ship so that Alex and Aaron can talk privately. Or maybe I can see what’s new in the greenhouse . . . or something?” She smiled brightly and took a step toward the shelter, hoping the scientists would go along with her.
Once Ishibashi felt certain the two enemy brothers weren’t going to kill one another, he and the other men took the cue and invited Sky to have a look inside the shelter at the newly restored instruments. They left the twins standing on the shore, both of them wondering what the other was about to say.
The Talk
Aaron and Alex spoke almost at the same time.
“It’s quite shocking to see the sun so bright,” said Aaron, while Alex asked, “Were you badly hurt?”
They both laughed uncomfortably, and Aaron invited Alex to speak first.
Alex’s twin seemed like a different person to the mage. He wasn’t sure what to think, but he was quite suspicious of it. Aaron had never invited Alex to speak first on anything. That wasn’t his way at all. Had he lost his memory? But of course he couldn’t have, or he wouldn’t have remembered Alex.
Alex pointed to the scar between Aaron’s eyebrows. “Were you hurt quite badly?” he asked again.
“I suppose I was,” Aaron said. “I don’t remember the first few days, but Ishibashi told me they found me down there.” He pointed and began walking slowly toward the spot, with Alex alongside. “Ishibashi said I was in bad shape. I’ve got this scar too.” He lifted his mop of hair to show Alex the longer scar on his forehead.
Alex nodded. “I thought as much,” he mumbled.
Aaron seemed puzzled by the statement, but he continued, his voice taking on a bit of his old sharpness for the first time. “They thought I was you.”
“Oh, I see,” Alex sniped back at him. “So I suppose you faked being me as usual.”
Aaron dropped his gaze. “No, actually. I told them who I was. Right away.”
“Oh. Well, that’s a surprise.” Alex frowned. “You seem . . . better now. Physically, I mean,” he hastened to add. He hadn’t come to a conclusion on the rest of Aaron quite yet.
“I’m fine,” Aaron said. He was getting tired of talking about it.
“Good,” said Alex. “Because I—that is, we—will be taking you back with us. But don’t get your hopes up, because you’re not going to get to go back to the palace. But in exchange for us rescuing you, we need you to help us.”
Aaron stared at him. “I’m not going back,” he said. “I don’t want to be rescued. I’m staying here.”
Alex blinked. “What?”
Aaron looked at the blue skies overhead. “You’re going to make sure it rains sometimes, right? Because we’re going to need water for the plants, and to drink of course. And I actually like the rain. . . .” He trailed off. “I never knew I’d like rain so much.”
“Right,” Alex said. “Of course I’ll add some rain. But you don’t understand. We came here searching for you.”
Aaron looked at Alex. “You did?” He seemed genuinely surprised. “I thought you came to change the weather because Mr. Today intended to try again before he—” He cringed.
“How in the world would you know that?”
“Ishibashi told me.”
Alex sighed and pressed his fingers to his temples. This was not the way he’d envisioned this conversation. Not in the slightest. “Anyway,” he said impatiently, “you’re coming with us because we need your help overthrowing Gondoleery.”
Aaron’s eyes widened. “Did she take over the palace?”
“Yes, and now she’s killing everyone. She even sent our sisters to the Ancients Sector.”
“What?” Aaron stopped walking.
“They’re okay, though.” Alex wasn’t sure how much he was supposed to tell Aaron. “Somebody saved them.”
Aaron had forgotten about his sisters, but at the mention of them, he felt suddenly protective. “So they’re back with our parents?”
Alex stared. There w
“I’m not leaving the island with you,” Aaron warned.
Alex sighed. “We’ll discuss that later.”
» » « «
The twins joined Sky and the scientists in the gathering room. Aaron automatically went for the broom when they got inside, but realized nobody had tracked rain in, so he set it down.
Aaron and Sky took turns filling the others in on what had happened since they had seen them last. The deaths of Alex and Aaron’s parents seemed to hit Aaron harder than Alex had expected. And the former high priest seemed shocked by the severity of the battle with General Blair and the Quillitary, and the deaths of so many. Aaron, who had known Meghan all his life, appeared genuinely sorry to hear about her death, though he had once seemed so in favor of it. And everyone in the circle was shocked by the ruthless actions of Gondoleery, not to mention her magical powers, including the ice spell she’d cast over the island.
Sky focused on hitting Aaron where she thought it might hurt the most. “Gondoleery has taken away your incentive rations for everyone in Quill,” she said to him, “and she’s started killing Necessaries randomly in order to practice her magic, so the work in Quill isn’t getting done. The livestock isn’t being cared for, and the Favored Farm is going downhill fast.” She looked imploringly at him. “I know you don’t know me. And I don’t really know you at all, either. But I came here with Alex to get you because we think you are our only hope in stopping Gondoleery. Every single one of Alex’s advisors is counting on us to bring you back so we can rally the people of Quill and get them to help us fight her.” She laid her hand on Aaron’s forearm. “Will you come with us?”
Alex chimed in. “We’ll bring you back here when it’s over if that’s what you want.” He glanced at Ishibashi. “If that’s okay, I mean. It’s your island, and I wouldn’t . . . well. You know.”