Master of the Phantom Isle Read online

  The hands belonged to a shirtless redhead with freckly shoulders and a white coral necklace who looked like he should have a surfboard stashed nearby. Vanessa had already come through, and she greeted Kendra with a grin.

  “This is Grady,” Vanessa said.

  The young man gave Kendra a smile and shook her hand with both of his. “Welcome to Crescent Lagoon,” he said. Then he turned and started hoisting Knox from the canoe.

  “It’s a paradise,” Kendra said, her eyes sweeping the turquoise lagoon and the distant waves breaking against the reef.

  “Don’t let the beauty fool you,” Vanessa said.

  “Is that the moai?” Knox asked, pointing.

  Kendra turned to face the looming statue, a long, grim face of stone with a jutting brow, the head larger than the rest of the body. She had an eerie feeling that it was aware of her. From base to top it had to be almost three times her height.

  “He’s the last one awake on the island,” Grady said. “This lagoon is safe thanks to him.”

  “Just the lagoon?” Kendra asked.

  “Out to the reef,” Grady said. “Beyond that, you’re on your own. Same if you head up the beach and around the point in either direction. Or if you trek inland more than a few hundred yards.”

  Grady hauled Tess out of the canoe, holding her in the air with one hand, muscles clenching in his shoulder until he set her down on the sand. She spun around, eyes wide.

  “Why didn’t I bring my swimsuit?” she cried.

  “You need to be careful swimming here,” Vanessa warned.

  “She would be fine with me watching,” Grady said. “I’ve spent a lot of time in these waters.” He reached into the canoe and helped Tanu out. “I caught a big one.”

  “Thanks,” Tanu said. “I’ve always wanted to visit this sanctuary.”

  “Welcome,” Grady said. He crouched and pulled out Newel. “A satyr?”

  “This is nice,” Newel said. “Like a resort on television. Do you have any lounge chairs?”

  “We could probably find some,” Grady said, giving Doren a hand out.

  “Now we’re talking,” Doren said. “Where can I get a piña colada?”

  “How many more satyrs are coming?” Grady asked.

  “Just us,” Newel said.

  “Let me guess,” Doren said. “Satyrs are not endemic to these islands.”

  “Correct,” Grady said.

  “We promise not to take over,” Newel said.

  “We’ll leave plenty of space for the native species,” Doren said.

  “Especially if you keep us fed,” Newel added.

  Grady pulled Warren from the canoe.

  “I’m the caboose,” Warren said.

  “I wish Marat was coming,” Knox said. “Couldn’t hurt to have at least one dragon on our side.”

  “He felt like he needed to watch over Wyrmroost,” Kendra said. “It’s been his home for centuries. He feels allegiance to the protected territories that sided with us. I’m glad he’ll be there to help them against the dragons.”

  “The borders of the territories are still strong,” Tanu said.

  “Yes, but now they’re surrounded and unconnected,” Kendra said. “They need a strong ally who can bridge the gaps between them.”

  Warren grabbed one end of the painted canoe, and Grady lifted the other. They started trudging inland over the sand.

  “You’re going to love the tree house,” Vanessa said to Kendra.

  “Tree house?” Tess asked.

  “Look,” Vanessa said, pointing ahead.

  As Kendra focused behind the moai, amid the treetops, she saw structures cunningly crafted to blend with the leaves and branches. She noted platforms with railings, some with roofs, and walkways between them, with rope ladders connecting different levels.

  “It’s big,” Knox said. “And hidden.”

  “You have no idea,” Grady said. “We call it the Monkey Maze. The tree house goes on and on. And there are no dead ends. Everything loops. If you think you reached a dead end, you’re missing something.”

  “Wouldn’t the structure get messed up as the trees grow?” Knox asked.

  “That’s why we work with hamadryads,” Grady said. “Especially Azalea, the mistress of this grove. Over the years, the Monkey Maze has adapted to the shifting environment, endlessly refined by the menehune and hamadryads.”

  “Menehune?” Kendra asked.

  “Hairy little dwarfs,” Tanu said. “Surprisingly strong. Sort of the island version of brownies. They specialize in building.”

  “I want to go up there so badly,” Tess said.

  The closer they got to the trees, the more platforms Kendra could discern. Several appeared to be isolated, unconnected to the others, but Kendra suspected there must be a way to reach them, based on what Grady had explained.

  Under the trees, droplets from the recent rainfall continued to percolate downward. Thanks to the warm air, Kendra found the cool drippings more refreshing than bothersome. She appreciated the lush green smell beneath the leaf shade. Having never been to a real jungle before, she found the smooth, wide trunks and fancifully sprawling limbs captivating, along with the dangling vines and intricate ferns. A glossy yellow frog with wavy black markings sprang from a tree trunk into a bush.

  “Here we are,” Grady said, pointing out a platform on the ground with a waist-high pole at each corner. Taut ropes connected the tops of the poles around the perimeter of the platform, apparently for safety, and other ropes stretched up into the leafy heights from each corner pole and from the center of the floor. Green, leaflike patterns disguised the ropes, and the wood of the platform matched the surrounding tree trunks. “How about one adult and the three kids?”

  “Come on,” Vanessa said, stepping over one of the guard ropes. Kendra ducked onto the platform. Knox placed a hand on a pole and, kicking his legs out sideways, jumped the rope.

  “Is it like an elevator?” Tess asked as she ducked the rope like Kendra.

  “A primitive elevator,” Grady said. “You’ll feel more secure if you hold the central line.”

  They all placed a hand on the rope rising from the center. Then Tess added her second hand. Kendra considered adding her free hand, but Vanessa’s casual stance convinced her to refrain.

  “Now think of your favorite treat,” Grady said.

  “Hot fudge ice cream cake,” Tess said.

  Grady pulled a lever, and the platform started rising. After the initial lurch, Kendra was relieved to find the ascent smooth and steady. Soon the ground was only partially visible as limbs and leaves crowded them. As they got higher, Kendra noticed a rope moving through a series of pulleys off to one side, along with a metal counterweight that fell as they climbed. Kendra tried not to picture ropes snapping, and she squeezed the central line a little tighter.

  After decelerating, the simple elevator jerked to a stop, level with a much larger platform shaded by a thatched roof and enclosed by a chest-high guardrail. A bright yellow and blue parrot roosted on a perch, and Kendra noticed two large hammocks among the wicker furnishings. Four walkways branched out from the platform, two of them sturdy, with wooden guardrails, the others flimsier and held together by ropes.

  Once they stepped off the elevator, it started back down. Knox stood by the edge, watching its descent.

  “I get how a counterweight could make it rise,” Knox said. “But how is it going back down?”

  “By releasing the counterweight?” Kendra guessed.

  “Then they would need another counterweight to raise the next load,” Knox said.

  “Maybe they have one,” Kendra said. “Or a bunch.”

  “Where is everyone?” Tess asked. “I see lots of tree houses but no people.”

  Kendra looked around. At least ten other major platforms were in vi
ew, some higher than theirs, some lower, but she saw no other inhabitants.

  “It’s mostly deserted,” Vanessa said. “After the pearl was stolen, those living in Spring Fort, the Scarlet Tower, and the Monkey Maze fled to the villages.”

  “There are villages?” Knox asked.

  “Ten,” Vanessa said. “Though smaller, they operate like the protected territories at Wyrmroost.”

  “Hard to believe anything bad could happen here,” Kendra said. “It feels like paradise.”

  “When the sanctuary fell, the dragons could have torched these tree houses,” Vanessa said. “They seemed more interested in assembling. Many had been confined to separate islands. I think they wanted to size each other up and plot together. The majority gathered to Wanai, the northernmost isle.”

  The elevator reached the top again, carrying Newel and Doren. Both of the satyrs looked a bit pale and uncertain.

  “Are you all right?” Kendra asked.

  “We do our best work down on the ground,” Newel said, stepping off the elevator and moving toward the center of the platform, near the tree trunk.

  “I’ve never minded a climb,” Doren said, a step behind Newel. “But living like a bird in a lofty nest seems a bit unnatural.”

  “Heights get to me, too,” Kendra said.

  Tess flopped into a hammock and giggled as it rocked. Kendra wanted to try the other one, but Knox beat her to it, so she wandered over to the parrot. She was tempted to pet its bright feathers, but the hooked beak looked thick and strong.

  The elevator returned one last time bearing Warren and Tanu. Not long after they appeared, Grady vaulted the railing onto the tree-house floor.

  “How did you get up?” Knox asked.

  “I have ways,” Grady said. “The caretaker is eager to meet you.”

  Knox and Tess slid out of the hammocks, and the group followed Grady along walkways from one platform to another. He mostly used stable, level walkways, but one long rope bridge swayed and bounced beneath their feet enough that the satyrs wore grimaces the entire way.

  At last they reached a conspicuously large tree with stairs winding up and around the mighty trunk. Kendra and the others spiraled higher until they came through a large hatch in a floor and entered the only completely enclosed platform Kendra had seen. Larger than most of the other living spaces, this one had shuttered windows, wooden furniture, and five lanterns.

  A detailed map hung on one wall, almost from the floor to the ceiling, depicting a curved chain of islands. In front of the map stood a Polynesian woman of medium height, her back to them, dressed in a simple floral wrap that showed off her toned shoulders and calves. She turned and smiled as they entered, the striking ferocity in her eyes lending an aggressive edge to her beautiful face, a ring of woven leaves surrounding her head.

  “Welcome to Crescent Lagoon,” she said, the words clearly enunciated in a way that made her English sound particularly well-learned. “I am Savani. This is the hallowed island of Timbuli. Ordinarily I would have greeted you on Kusaka in the Spring Fort.” She looked directly at Kendra. “You must be the former caretaker of Wyrmroost.”

  “Yes,” Kendra said. “The sanctuary has fallen.”

  Savani gave a small bow. “This sanctuary had fallen until Warren and Vanessa awakened Taki, the moai who watches over our Monkey Maze and the Crescent Lagoon. As long as one moai remains active, the outer boundary of the sanctuary remains engaged. While Taki endures, no dragons can enter or exit our sanctuary.”

  “That should keep Celebrant away for now,” Kendra said.

  “You worry about the Dragon King,” Savani said.

  “He is waging a war,” Kendra said. “I know he wants to destroy me. Right now my priority is finding my brother and helping your sanctuary survive.”

  “Warren used a baseball card to appease the moai,” Knox interjected.

  “So I understand,” Savani replied. “The offering was consumed within hours, but it bought me time to prepare an offering of my own.”

  “What did you give?” Kendra asked.

  “The tablets containing the history of my people,” Savani said.

  “You lost your history?” Kendra asked.

  “The tablets have been copied many times,” Savani said. “Our history is not gone. But the original tablets were my most precious possession. My people entrusted the sacred records to my care.”

  “Who are your people?” Tess asked.

  “The firewalkers,” Savani said. “We appease Baga Loa, the great volcano of these islands. She is hidden by the clouds today. Perhaps she will emerge later. My people have served her for generations, helping anticipate and moderate her eruptions. Though the tablets represent our past, it was not worth clinging to them if doing so jeopardized our future.”

  “Will the tablets satisfy the moai for long?” Kendra asked.

  “I can read the moai to a degree,” Savani said. “Taki will be content with my offering for at least another couple of weeks. The moai were never meant to be kept awake by individual offerings. That aspect is for emergencies. The only way to truly reclaim this sanctuary will be to find the Sunset Pearl and appease all of the moai.”

  “Have you any idea where to find the pearl?” Tanu asked.

  “Our best efforts have yielded no leads,” Savani said. “I lost many of my most trusted companions when the sanctuary fell. Some perished in the chaos when the boundaries disappeared. Others have vanished since then while hunting the pearl. I hold out hope that some of my friends may have taken refuge in the villages or found other secure hiding places.”

  “We’ve tried to help in the pearl hunt,” Warren said. “So far we keep coming up empty.”

  “Are there fairies on the islands?” Kendra asked.

  “You can find a fairy shrine right here on Timbuli,” Savani said. “Many exotic varieties of sprites and fairies thrive in the tropics.”

  “Fairies listen to me,” Kendra said. “I could have them help in the search.”

  “I see that you are fairykind,” Savani said.

  “How?” Kendra asked.

  “Surely you have met others with eyes to recognize your splendor,” Savani said. “You shine so brightly. You carry more magical energy than any mortal I have met.”

  Kendra knew that Bracken talked about her that way. “It sometimes surprises me to hear that. I can’t see it.”

  “You are unique,” Savani said. “Your aid is most appreciated. The shrine and Pixie Falls are reliable places to find fairies on this island. The fairies have not approached any of the fairy feeders near the Monkey Maze since the sanctuary fell.”

  “Isn’t it dangerous to go beyond the area protected by the moai?” Knox asked. “Can’t a dragon attack us?”

  “Within the sanctuary, dragons are now free to roam everywhere except the little region Taki protects,” Savani said. “The triclops drove the dragons from this island and killed at least five of them. Now the triclops is the menace.”

  “Was the triclops freed when the boundaries came down?” Kendra asked.

  “Indirectly,” Savani said. “Mombatu the triclops was the designated Dragon Slayer of Crescent Lagoon. He had been in hibernation for so long that many of us questioned whether he still lived. But once the dragons ran wild, Mombatu returned.”

  “Doesn’t he protect you?” Kendra asked.

  “He would attack a dragon before he would attack us,” Savani said. “But Mombatu is savage, and a danger to anyone who comes near him, including me. Legend tells that the original caretaker of Crescent Lagoon could calm Mombatu with a flute, but the method has been lost.”

  “Newel and Doren play the flute,” Knox said.

  “Don’t mind the boy,” Newel said.

  “His brain has gone soft with all the danger,” Doren maintained.

  “But I heard you talkin
g about—” Knox complained.

  “Satyrs speak nonsense at all hours of the day,” Newel interrupted smoothly.

  “Our boasts should seldom be taken seriously,” Doren said.

  “Calming Mombatu requires a magical flute,” Savani said.

  “That makes our rudimentary piping skills even less relevant,” Newel said.

  “We’ll try to stop interrupting the conversation,” Doren said, giving Knox a glare.

  “You satyrs are a welcome novelty on our island,” Savani said. “Tanu’s reputation precedes him. And who is the young man?”

  “I’m Knox, and this is my sister, Tess. We just barely learned about magical stuff.”

  “Welcome,” Savani said. “Any other visitors I should know about?”

  “Just me,” Calvin said from Kendra’s pocket. “Calvin the nipsie.”

  “A miniature surprise,” Savani said. “May the island treat you kindly.”

  “We understand a sacred pool was corrupted,” Kendra said. “Warren mentioned that Ronodin is a suspect.”

  “It appears to be his handiwork,” Savani said. “A menehune spotted him in the area shortly after the pool was spoiled.”

  “My brother was abducted by enemies of Dragonwatch,” Kendra said. “We know the Sphinx was involved, and Ronodin has worked with him in the past. Also, Ronodin was at Wyrmroost near the time my brother vanished. My brother had just lost his memories when he was taken. We want to find Ronodin to see what he knows.”

  “Few are more slippery than Ronodin,” Savani said. “We still don’t know why the pool was corrupted. Hako the hunter plans to visit the site this afternoon to see what he can learn.”

  “Who remains of your staff?” Tanu asked.

  “You met Grady, and I just mentioned Hako, our gamekeeper,” Savani said. “Uma is frail and in a wheelchair, but she might interest you, potion master.”