“Hurricane?” Oliver mused as Shinji and the others joined them at the railing. He sounded far calmer than Shinji thought he should. Especially when talking about hurricanes in the middle of the ocean.

  Mano grunted. “No, not a hurricane,” he muttered. “But a nasty storm nonetheless. Like I said, this area is notorious for bad weather. Most ships avoid sailing through it.” He stuck a hand into his pocket, probably to grab some lucky item, and shook his head. “Unfortunately, our coordinates are smack in the center of the storm. So, we’re going to be sailing right into the teeth.”

  The storm loomed closer. More flashes of lightning lit up the sky, and thunder boomed. Spatters of rain hit Shinji’s face, and he could see huge curtains of water creeping toward them, looking almost solid as they swept forward. The waves got bigger, huge swells lifting the ship several feet before dropping it down again, making Shinji feel like he was on a roller coaster.

  “All right, this is getting dangerous,” Oliver said. He and Mano, Shinji noticed, were having far less trouble keeping their balance on a pitching boat, being so used to the ocean. Surprisingly, Phoebe was also keeping her feet. “You kids get below deck now,” the ex-pirate ordered. “Maybe tie yourselves to something solid. The last thing we need is someone going overboard. I do not want to go diving into this ocean after you.”

  Shinji looked up at the storm, and his skin prickled. It was the same as the one in his dreams; the same roiling clouds and flickering blue lightning. He felt that if he kept staring at it, the clouds would part and he would see a huge boar with electric-blue eyes peering down at him from the sky.

  “I want to stay,” Shinji protested. If the Storm Boar did make an appearance, he wanted to see it. If only to prove to himself that he wasn’t going crazy.

  But Oliver shook his head. “Not negotiable, kid. It’s getting too rough up here and besides”—he nodded to Roux—“I think he needs to get to the med bay before he pukes all over the deck. Ask Dr. Malcom for something to help with seasickness. At the very least, she can get him a bucket. Go on,” he urged as Shinji still hesitated. “I’ll call you again when it’s safe.”

  Reluctantly, Shinji turned to go belowdecks but stopped, chills running up his spine. Something was watching them. He could suddenly feel a presence, huge and powerful, peering at them through the storm. He felt invisible eyes lock on to him.

  And then something strange happened.

  The ocean suddenly…calmed. The deck below them stopped pitching, the winds ceased, and the rain that had been starting to patter against his skin disappeared. Overhead, the sun vanished as black clouds crept across the sky, and the air turned very dark. Around the ship, Shinji could see huge waves rising and falling, sending up sprays of foam as they crashed against one another. He could hear the wind howl, saw the rain swirling through the air…but it never touched the ship. They seemed to be in their own private tunnel of calm, a bubble that the storm and wind and raging sea couldn’t get through.

  “What…is this?” Mano growled. He was furiously rubbing a penny between a thumb and forefinger, as if he wanted to press it into copper particles. “This isn’t natural. What is happening?”

  “I don’t know,” Oliver said, gazing over the water. “But hang on to your beards because it’s about to get weirder. Look.”

  Shinji peered past the railing over the ocean and felt a chill go through his stomach.

  A curtain of mist hung before them, blocking out the sight of the sky, the ocean, everything. It hung there, thick and opaque, shielding whatever lay within. The storm raged around it, wind and rain tearing ragged curtains away from the rest of the wall, but the fogbank didn’t move.

  “This is impossible,” Mano said slowly. “You can’t have fog in a storm like this; the wind gusts would blow it away. What is going on?”

  The Storm Boar, Shinji thought. It’s calming the wind, letting us through.

  He did not voice these thoughts out loud. The adults would immediately jump all over him. Phoebe, especially, would want to know everything about the Storm Boar, and he didn’t know much about it, himself. Only that he had been having strange dreams about a boar in the sky, calling to him. Oliver might be angry that he was hiding things. Come to think of it, Lucy might be mad at him, too. It was easier not to say anything yet.

  Besides, this was his problem and his quest. The Storm Boar was calling him.

  “Certainly, something unnatural is at work here,” Phoebe said, and she was the only one of them who did not sound wary or confused, but excited. “I would even go so far to say that not only is this unnatural, it has magic written all over it!”

  “Magic,” Oliver repeated. He glanced at Shinji and raised an eyebrow, making Shinji’s stomach clench. “These days, magic is typically the realm of our resident guardian.”

  “Oh no, this isn’t coming from Shinji,” Phoebe said immediately, making him slump in relief. “It’s far too powerful for anything Shinji has been capable of. My guess would be this is coming from the island or something on the island. We must be very close.”

  “You think the island is through that?” Lucy wondered. The wall of mist loomed, towering above them. Shinji watched a tendril of fog curl around the railing like a ghostly tentacle and shivered.

  “I think we’re about to find out,” Oliver said. “Everyone, brace yourselves.”

  They sailed into the curtain of mist, and the fog closed around them, muffling the sounds of the storm. The rain stopped, the thunder and lightning fading away. It was almost eerily silent now; the only noises were the soft sloshing of waves against the hull, and the thump of Shinji’s heart in his ears.

  “Oh yes, this is definitely unnatural,” Phoebe commented, sounding ecstatic. Her voice echoed loudly in the eerie stillness, making Oliver wince. “Very spooky. Do you think anything lives out here? Sirens, perhaps? Or mermaids?”

  “Let’s hope not,” Oliver muttered. “Shinji, Roux…” He turned to the pair of them. “What do we do if we hear any strange singing?”

  “Um.” Shinji glanced at Roux, who shrugged. “Stick my fingers in my ears and go, ‘La-la-la-la-la’?” he guessed.

  “Close enough.”

  The ship broke through the curtain of fog, and suddenly the sunlight blazed down on them. Shinji winced, shielding his eyes as he peered over the water. Behind them, he could see the ring of clouds stretching out to either side. He could even see flickers of lightning from the storm that raged on the outer edges. But directly overhead, the sky was clear. Gulls wheeled through the air, calling to one another in the shadow of an enormous volcano. A volcano in the center of a verdant island.

  “Uh…that is not supposed to be there,” said Mano, scratching his head. “There are no volcanoes recorded in this part of the ocean.”

  “And yet,” stated Oliver with a small, wondrous smile. The huge black mountain rose from a thick canopy of trees that covered the whole island, the tangle making it impossible to see what lay farther in. “Looks like we found our Island That Isn’t There.”

  It’s the same island. The island Shinji had seen in his dreams. His pulse pounded in excitement. There was no doubt in his mind now. Somewhere on the island, the Storm Boar was waiting for him.

  Shinji glanced at his two friends. Lucy met his gaze and smiled, Tinker peering down at him from her shoulder. Roux seemed at a loss for words; the sickly-green tinge on his skin had faded, and he was staring at the volcano with wide eyes.

  “You think that volcano is still active?” he wondered out loud.

  “Probably not,” Lucy answered. Tinker scurried to her other shoulder, whiskers twitching as he gazed up at the volcano, as well. “I would guess that it’s dormant. But even if it’s not, what are the chances that it’ll erupt while we’re on the island? That sort of thing only happens in movies.”

  “Right.” Shinji winced. “And Coatls only exist in movies, too.”

  “Oh my goodness, I’m excited!” Phoebe nearly squeaked. “A lost island that no one has set foot on in who knows how long. What do you think we’ll find?”

  Oliver stepped forward, gazing across the water. He was grinning now, Shinji saw, his whole face lit with an eager smile, as if he couldn’t wait to start exploring. “Well, we’re going to find out, aren’t we? Mano, how close can you get us?”

  The big man nodded and turned back to the wheel. “I’ll see if I can find a good place to weigh anchor.”

  Sailing around the island, they found a small cove with shimmering turquoise waters and a pristine sandy beach stretching up into the rain forest. Gazing out at the calm water surrounding the island, Oliver shook his head.

  “Man, we got lucky. Look how shallow it is here. This whole island is surrounded by reefs.” He blew out a breath in amazement. “We might’ve found the one place where the ship could pass through without scraping the rocks.”

  Was it luck? Shinji wondered. Or was it the Storm Boar guiding them, leading them through the mist, through the reefs and the shoals, to this hidden cove? What would they find on the island? The remnants of an unknown civilization, maybe the Natia people themselves? Or an angry Storm Boar wanting to drive them out of its territory? But that didn’t make sense—the Storm Boar wanted Shinji to find the island. It needed him to do something.

  “Dr. Grant is getting a team ready to disembark,” Mano said, joining them at the railing. “She’s bringing a group of scientists and researchers along, in case we find anything belonging to the Natia. This could very well be the island the Natia people originated from, and they don’t want to take any chances. They’re planning to set up a base camp once we reach a suitable location. Depending on what they find, we might be here a few days.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Oliver said. “I have no problems staying on a beautiful tropical island with my own private beach. If only we could somehow find a swim-up bar.”

  Once they were in the cove, Mano anchored the Seas the Day while they were still in deeper water, announcing they would all have to take a Zodiac up to the beach. The Zodiacs, a pair of motorized, inflatable rafts, were both fast and light, and had room for everyone going to the island. Shinji, Lucy, and Roux piled into one raft with Oliver, Mano, and Phoebe, while Dr. Grant and a group of six scientists took the other.

  “Here we go,” Phoebe called as the motors roared to life. She had her red umbrella once more, Shinji saw, and for this trip, it might actually be useful. “Last one to the island is a nuckelavee!”

  Shinji had no idea what that was, but he wasn’t going to ask.

  The wind whipped at Shinji’s hair as the Zodiac flew across the water, barely seeming to touch the surface as it zipped along. Below them, the ocean was so clear he could see colorful schools of fish swirling about, and the Zodiac’s own shadow gliding over the seafloor. Across from him, both Lucy and Roux were grinning, their hair and clothes flying about as the raft zoomed toward the island.

  The island where the Storm Boar waited.

  Shinji’s heart continued to pound as the Zodiac reached the edge of the beach. As Mano and Oliver dragged the raft out of the water, Shinji gazed past the sand, staring at the thick tangle of trees and vegetation that crowded the edge of the beach. He could suddenly feel the island watching them.

  There was a tickle in the back of his mind, the faintest hint of warning, and Shinji caught his breath. The Coatl. What was it trying to tell him? Did it want him to find the Storm Boar, or was it trying to warn him of danger?

  Something brushed his arm, making him flinch and spin around. “Okay, someone’s jumpy,” Roux said, smirking as he and Lucy joined him, Lucy with her “emergency bag”

  over her shoulder. “Did you think I was a land octopus or something?”

  “You’re sneaky, you’re always grabbing things, and you can get into places you’re not supposed to be,” Shinji returned. “Sounds pretty spot-on.”

  Roux shrugged. “I’ve been called worse.”

  Lucy gazed at Shinji in concern. So did Tinker, peering down from the top of her bag. “You okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah,” Shinji muttered. Guilt gnawed at him. If there was something dangerous in their midst, he really should be warning his friends, at least. He glanced quickly at the adults and lowered his voice. “I think there could be something on the island,” he said, making Lucy’s brows arch. “I feel like it’s watching us. That it knows we’re here.”

  “What is it?” asked Lucy.

  “Maybe it’s a volcano god, and it’s angry that we’re trespassing,” Roux said before Shinji could answer, using a spooky tone and making no attempt to speak quietly. “And maybe the only way to appease it is to throw someone into the volcano.”

  “Hey, now, none of that,” Oliver said, stepping in. “There will be no volcanic sacrifices on this trip. Priya would absolutely kill me. Besides, don’t forget why we’re here—to find signs of a lost people.”

  “Of course we won’t be making any sacrifices,” Phoebe said, appearing beside him. “But a mysterious hidden island

  with a lost culture and a volcano?” Shielding her eyes, she peered up at the ominous black mountain looming above the canopy. “It just begs for a volcano deity of some kind.”

  “Volcano deities tend to be very hotheaded,” Oliver told her. “And easily offended. I would like to avoid having to flee the island as it’s erupting with molten-hot lava.”

  Mano joined them at the edge of the beach, followed closely by Dr. Grant. “The team is ready,” Dr. Grant announced, gazing at Mano and Oliver. Behind her, a group of six scientists and researchers approached carrying rucksacks and backpacks, but also hard black cases filled with scientific equipment. At least, that’s what Shinji thought they held. “We’ll follow you, until we find a good spot to set up camp.”

  “All right,” Mano grunted. “Let’s get this expedition started. Hopefully without running into any ghosts, curses, or angry island gods.” He rapped his knuckles on a nearby palm, then shoved the hilt of a large machete at Oliver. “Let’s go. Ocean, you’re with me.”

  “Oh great.” Oliver sighed, hefting the knife in his hand. “Hacking through a mosquito-infested rain forest. My favorite thing.”

  For several minutes, they pressed into the rain forest, pausing as the two men up front sliced away tangles of vines and branches to clear a trail. After a few minutes of hacking away at knots of vegetation, Oliver suddenly paused and

  straightened. “Hold on,” he said, his voice slightly breathless, “there’s a path here. Not a game trail, an actual path.”

  “A path?” Mano repeated behind him. “Are you sure?”

  “Well, I’m pretty certain animals don’t stack up rocks to make a wall, or build tiny bridges over streams. So…yeah, pretty sure.”

  “The Natia,” Phoebe whispered. “We’re close.”

  Lucy gazed nervously at the surrounding rain forest. “You don’t think they’re still here, do you?” she asked.

  Mano frowned. “If they are, they’ve avoided notice for hundreds of years,” he said. “It’s difficult to believe no one has discovered this place, but if there are supernatural forces at work, maybe the Natia people are being protected by magic.” He knocked a rhythm on the trunk of the nearest tree. “They might not even know about the outside world. If they are here…”

  “Let’s hope they’re friendly,” Shinji said.

  “And that they don’t mind us hacking through their forest,” Roux added. “If spears start flying, I’m outta here.”

  They ventured farther into the rain forest, following the path as it twisted and snaked through the undergrowth. It was eerily silent. Unlike the jungles of Mexico, where Shinji had found the Coatl, there were no monkeys howling in the trees, no distant cries of birds or other animals, no creatures slithering or scuttling through the brush. Everything was very green and lush, with occasional splashes of color from

  flowers growing along the path. He did spot a few flashes of movement as small birds darted through the branches of the trees, but the island had the air of having been undisturbed since the beginning of time.

  Even Phoebe seemed affected by the stillness. “This place is very peaceful,” she whispered, stepping lightly along the path. “Very quiet. But not a tense quiet. You know, when you say, ‘It’s quiet…too quiet.’ Not that kind of quiet.” She paused a moment. “Quiet is a funny word, by the way. If you say it enough times, it stops sounding real. Quiet. Quiet.”

  “Quiet,” Oliver said.

  “There, you see? It stops sounding like a real word.”

  “No.” The ex-pirate stopped and glared back at her. “I mean be quiet. There’s something up ahead.”

  Everyone fell silent, and Mano turned, signaling Dr. Grant and her team to stop. They did, though Dr. Grant gave the captain a puzzled look as he stepped back to meet her.

  “Ocean has found something,” Mano said. “Wait here; we’ll check it out.”

  Cautiously, Shinji and the others crept forward, peering through the vines and undergrowth, until they came to the edge of a clearing. At the front, Oliver suddenly put out an arm, stopping them from going any farther. Beyond the trees, Shinji could see the thatched, domed roofs of several huts scattered around the sandy soil.

  Lucy gasped. “A village,” she whispered. “There are people here.”

  “The lost culture,” Phoebe breathed. “We found it!” She let out a squeal of excitement that startled everyone, and bounced in place. “Oh, do you know how exciting this is? The Natia civilization! A hidden people, living on this island for who knows how long. What a discovery! We should go back and let everyone know—”

  “Hold on,” Mano cautioned. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I think we should check this place out, make sure it’s safe, before we turn a bunch of scientists loose on it. We don’t know if the Natia are still living here.”

  Oliver scanned the scattering of houses with narrowed eyes. “Looks pretty abandoned to me,” he said. “Still, everyone be careful. If there are people here, they might not take kindly to strangers tramping across their island.”