Island of Legends

Alex and Samheed looked at each other as they both realized what the thunderous noise was.

“Waterfall!” they yelled together.

Alex turned to face the ship full of scared faces. “Everybody tie down and hang on,” he urged. “Major bumpy ride ahead!”

Finally Simber caught up to the ship. He swooped in at top speed, with the whale not far behind. “Tie down a rrrope and thrrrow me the otherrr end!” he shouted. “One to Spike, too!”

Carina and Sky sprang into action.

Florence, who needed to remain planted on the deck or risk capsizing the ship, called out, “Give me the ropes when you’ve got them!”

Carina and Sky scrambled to untangle ropes and toss them to Florence.

Florence wound the first one around a tether on the deck, tying it tight. “Here, Kitty,” she said, tossing it high. Simber swooped in and caught it with his teeth. Florence tied down the second rope, located Spike in the water, and tossed that one to her. Spike grabbed on.

Alex ran to Sean’s side and began strapping him to his chair, and his chair to the ship. “Sorry, buddy. I’ve got to do this,” he said. “I figure you can’t swim real well right now.”

Sean nodded. “Yeah. I wish I could do something.”

“Don’t be stupid.” Alex gave him a wry smile and punched him in the shoulder. “Just hold on.”

Alex watched as Simber’s and Spike’s ropes began to pull taut. “Hang on, everybody!” he shouted. The ship jerked and shuddered, but it soon recovered and barely slowed at all as it continued speeding toward the precipice.

Alex looked up at Simber, desperate. “We’re not stopping,” he said. “What do we do? Squirrelicorns, assist!”

Rufus and the other five ’corns flew to take hold of the ropes and tried with all their might to pull the ship in the other direction.

Simber’s face showed little expression, but his eyes were worried. Gripping the rope in his mouth, he strained and pulled, unable to speak as he tried to turn and fly in the opposite direction. The ship only dragged him backward through the air like a kite.

In the water, Spike held on with her razor-sharp teeth, but it made no difference. She was being dragged through the water as if she weighed as much as Kitten. They were doomed.

“Everyone—abandon the goods and tie yourselves to the ship!” Alex yelled. “Stay abovedecks!” His worst nightmare was to have someone get trapped belowdecks with water pouring in. At least out here, Simber and the squirrelicorns could rescue them. Down there . . . Alex shuddered. He whipped his head around as the ship began to tremble. The thunderous pounding felt like the mad rush of his beating heart in his ears. Through the mist he could barely make out the edge of the sea a hundred feet in front of them.

He had to say something to his people, but his magely words caught in his throat. They were going over the edge of something, and no one knew how far they’d fall. The ship full of people, the statues and creatures all battening down and taking cover, Simber and Spike hanging on without a hope of saving the ship—Alex had never had so much time to face the possibility of death before.

But he couldn’t die. Not now. Not ever! Finally, he found his voice. “Pull!” he screamed to Simber and Spike. “Hang on!” he screamed at everyone else. All his words were lost in the thunder.

“Alex!” Simber shouted, the rope loose in his teeth as he flew closer to the boy, a question in his eyes.

Alex knew what Simber wanted him to do. As the point of the ship’s bow neared the edge of the world, Alex stared Simber down. “No,” he said, hoping the cat could read his lips. “I stay with the ship.”

“Then so do I.”

Alex brought his hand to his chest and held the cat’s gaze as Simber slowed and let the rope grow taut once more, pulling with all his might, his efforts fruitless, but not giving up. Alex sought Sky, and found her at the top of the sails, just where he knew she’d be. Her mother and Crow clung to the ropes beside her.

For the briefest of moments their eyes met, and her look tore Alex’s heart in half. And then, as the bow crossed over the edge and the ship neared the tipping point, something bright and fiery flew toward Alex, stopped in front of his face, and exploded into a picture of a spider painted on a stone.

It didn’t register.

And then it did. It was a seek spell from Claire. Artimé was in trouble.

“Siiimber!” Alex cried, his voice lost in the thunder.

The ship tilted sharply. Alex’s eyes met Simber’s. And they all went sailing over the edge.

The Edge of the World

They plunged toward the thunder and into the mist, falling at a dizzying speed, dragging Simber and Spike and the squirrelicorns with them. Sheets of water slapped the Artiméans, batting them about and knocking them off their feet as they clung to or hung from the ship. “Hold on!” Alex shouted, but his mouth filled with seawater, which choked off the words.

The ship shook and bounced as it fell, pummeled by rapids. Florence’s body slammed against the stern, squashing Ms. Octavia and pinning Fox. Sky, Crow, and their mother swung wildly from the sails, trying desperately to grab on to the mast with their feet. Lani, Henry, and Carina hung on to Sean’s chair for dear life. Ahab clung to the ship’s wheel, while Alex and Samheed remained secured to the bow, certain to be the first to hit whatever was at the bottom of the drop.

Second after agonizing second passed as they dropped, their stomachs in their throats. Alex felt faint and sick. He couldn’t see anything, couldn’t do anything to help anyone except ride out the journey and hope to live through it, though the chances of that seemed tinier the longer they fell.