The group reached the far edge of the bamboo forest and now only had a short stretch of jungle before the beach. Once again the growl interrupted the silence. The powerful bass sent tremors through their chests. Finally, the group stepped out onto the sand. As soon as Kilani, who took up the rear of the group, stepped out of the jungle, James turned and began moving down the beach toward the boat.
When it struck him, James didn’t see it coming. A black shape lunged out of the jungle hitting him in the side. The force of the impact sent both him and his attacker hurtling through the air and into the water. The light orbs immediately fell dark. The weight of the creature was stunning. James felt as if a giant rock had dropped on top of him. Both he and the creature flailed in the water. The long claws released from his chest and back as they both submerged. James pushed for the surface, for air. Although he felt his head break the water and air rush into his lungs, the same blackness that had encircled him when the monster brought him under the water remained. He was disoriented. Not sure which way was land and which way would take him further out to sea.
He heard two things as the water drained from his ears: the screams of his group coming from behind him and the sound of the creature breaking the surface of the water. This sound was much closer. James lifted a hand above the surface of the water.
“ Tertiri ze Manukto vinka.” Light orbs rose into the air from his palm. He immediately saw the midnight black skin of his attacker as it swam toward him. Its eyes glowed red from the reflecting light.
The head of the creature looked very much like a big cat from his world. Rather than fur, the skin appeared to be almost rubber. James knew he had seconds before the creature was on him. “ Inarjavai,” James said.
His shield went up just before the creature’s giant paw took a swipe at him. James quickly began to swim toward the shore.
The creature pursued. As soon as he reached a depth that allowed him to walk he cast another incantation. The water parted between him and the shore, allowing him to run at full speed. The parted water immediately crashed together behind him, preventing the creature from keeping pace.
The moment he made landfall, his crew was at his side. “Stay back,” he said.
The creature cautiously made its way onto the beach not taking its eyes off the group. It bellowed, revealing thousands of needle-like teeth inside its terrible maw. James turned his palms downward, saying an incantation as he did. A line of sand rose from the beach in a wall just in front of the creature. It jumped back but was met by another wall of sand behind it. It jumped upward in an attempt to come over the barrier and again was rejected by what was now a cage. The sand rippled as the grains danced along the barriers but held strong when the creature attacked. It let out a terrible roar as it fought to get out.
“Let’s go! We don’t have much time,” James said.
The group moved quickly down the beach. All but James gave the encaged creature a wide berth as they passed. James stopped in front of the cage and said “ Apoteket.” It immediately stopped fighting and sat on its haunches like an obedient dog.
As they continued toward the boat, the clouds covering the moon blew clear, again revealing the blood-red color. Both Roger and Luno let out gasps at the sight of it. Now much higher in the sky, the moon cast shadows from its intensity. They rowed back to the Queen Mary in silence. Luno must have more than his fair share of questions, James thought.
Luno sat silently staring at James, who rowed. Once they reached the Queen Mary and all were safely aboard, William broke the silence. “A bleeding disaster, no?”
“I think not,” Luno replied. “Think of all we have learned. I am curious as to your story, James and Kilani, and how you’ve come to your newfound abilities,” Luno said, his eyes boring into James.
James retold the story of how they ended up in the cave. When he reached the part about the stone tower, Kilani, whose mind had been elsewhere, paid close attention.
“As soon as I touched it, it was as if it woke a dormant part of my brain. I don’t know how, but I know this place. I know the language,” James said.
“Anythin‘ ’bout a way home?” Roger asked.
“No. Nothing.” James replied.
“What else?” Luno asked.
“There was a warning. It spoke of the islands in the South Cove.”
Luno had a curious look on his face as he thought that through. “Anything else?” he asked.
“More than I can recount in one sitting. Mostly about the animals and plants of the island,” James said.
“South Cove,” Luno repeated, standing and walking to the crate that held his maps. He removed one scroll and unrolled it on the deck among the feet of the group.
“Prey Island, just off the southern cape. The Resting Man to the east of that and… the black castle. It is now clear that one of these places is the key to our escape.”
“We should head there immediately,” said James.
“Immediately?” Roger said, incredulous. “Have ya not listened to yerself?”
“The Never serves its own needs. It wants to keep us here forever. It has no interest in keeping us alive or safe. If we are ever to get off this bloody rock we must go there,” said James.
“I agree, we should depart immediately,” Kilani said.
Luno looked at the pair in disbelief. More often than not, others had to convince him to listen to reason, and he’d never known James to make rash decisions. Kilani was guided by a different force entirely, and Luno knew what was on her mind as she spoke her agreement.
“And what of the third widow and the Severed Heart? asked Luno. “Have you learned anything of either?”
James considered the question for a moment yet did not show his frustration. He wanted nothing more than to make for the southern islands, for the black castle.
“The Severed Heart holds many useful plants. One of which may be used for transporting.”
“Do you know which plant?” Kilani asked with sudden interest.
“Aye.”
“James,” interrupted Luno, “what about travel through South Cove?”
“What’s it matter? Ain’t no other way of gettin‘ ’ere ’cept by boat,” said William.
“Not yet,” Kilani replied.
“You tink of transporting?” William asked. “Eff ve find ze plant, no?”
“What of the first law?” Roger asked.
“The first law of magic states that one can only transport to a place they themselves have physically been before. Many have tried to break this law. Most end up going nowhere.
Some disappeared never to return,” Luno reminded the group. “We’re arguing over the semantics of a thing we shouldn’t even be considering until we have the means to achieve it,” said Luno.
“If we had the plant it would be one thing. It could take weeks or months or years even to find a single plant on an island the size of the Severed Heart. It will take us less than a full day to sail to South Cove,” said James, his hand in his satchel once again, fingers caressing the key.
“We cannot afford to make rash decisions. We were given a warning, we should heed it,” said Luno.
“Luno may be right,” Kilani replied, avoiding eye contact with James.
And on the conversation went until just before the sun began to rise. They had decided two things. First, they would travel to the Severed Heart, where they would spend no more than one week searching for the plant. If, at the end of one week, they could not find this plant, they would sail around the western side of the main island and to the Resting Man to the east of South Cove.
Despite his reservations about visiting any of the satellites on the southern side of the island, Luno had decided to go along with the agreement because it gave everyone time to reflect upon the rationality of James’s interpretation of what he was told. He’d hoped James would reconsider once he’d had a few days to think it over.