Island of Dragons (Unwanteds #7)(80)

Spike spent her time along the shore as close in as she could get without beaching herself. She scanned the sea for eels, then she circled in and out among the twenty-four ships, keeping close watch and even speaking with Ol’ Tater for a moment in whatever language he spoke.

And then on the Island of Legends, in one grand, furry migration, hundreds of dropbears descended from the trees. Like a small sea of gray paint, they poured out of the wooded area of Karkinos, across the beach, down the claw reefs, and onto the shore of Artimé. They surged around the fighters and spread out to the trees, scores of them climbing up each tree and spreading to the ends of the sagging branches, waiting for just the right moment to do what they did best.

Slowly but surely over the course of the day, the pirate and Warbleran ranks thinned until their numbers were merely two to one against Artimé. And at one particular moment when the enemy was concentrated on the lawn under overhanging branches, the dropbears went to work. Without a sound, they dropped from the trees onto the pirates, covering them in layers upon layers of gray fur. The pirates screamed and slid to the ground in shock. Some tried to fight them off, but no manner of flailing or clawing could get the pirates free from the dropbears.

Talon noticed the act, and though he was tempted to tell the dropbears to go ahead and eat the pirates, he refrained for the sake of a safe land to return home to. “Good work, dropbears!” he called out. “Keep them covered.”

Now Artimé was closing in, and for the first time the sides were almost equal. But the people of Artimé had been fighting an uphill battle since dawn. They were tired. Most hadn’t had breakfast, much less lunch—Alex’s breakfast was still on the floor in the mansion where Lani had dropped it after being attacked by the birds. He was sorely aware of his own hunger and weakness, and couldn’t imagine how the young children were holding up, stuck inside the rock’s mouth. With the hibagon’s great stink keeping the pirates away from it, Alex knew he had to get them out of there and back to the mansion so Crow could get them some food and water. When Alex had a moment of reprieve, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and pulled Kitten from his pocket.

Kitten stretched and yawned, having slept through most of the war. “Mewmewmew,” she said sweetly.

“Hi, Kitten,” said Alex, crouching behind a tree for safety. “I need you to do a very important thing for me. Can you go over to that giant rock right there, sneak between the cracks into his mouth, and get Crow to understand that it’s time to take the Warbler kids back to the mansion? I’ll get some others, and we’ll run with them to make sure they’re safe.”

“Mewmewmew,” said Kitten. She hopped off Alex’s hand and landed in the dirt, then scampered around the giant feet of the fighters, dodging and twisting to avoid getting stepped on.

Alex stood up, peered around the tree, and pulled out some more components that he’d gotten from Henry. He eyed his next opponent, choosing only ones in the path the children would need to take to the mansion. Many of them had had their shields knocked away by Talon, so Alex’s chances of successful throws were high. He took aim and waited for his moment to strike.

“Behind you, Al!” Samheed shouted.

Alex whirled around a second too late as a sword lashed into his side. He stumbled and cried out while Samheed rushed to his aid and took the pirate down. Samheed’s shirt was covered in blood.

“You okay?” Samheed huffed, going over to Alex.

Alex steadied himself on one knee. “I think so,” he said, gripping his sword like a cane and leaning on it. The ground swirled before his eyes, and he tried to breathe through it and focus. “Crow . . . ,” he said, breathing shallowly between phrases, “is coming . . . out of the rock . . . with the children . . . and taking them . . . to the mansion.” He dropped the sword and put one hand on the ground, checking the wound in his side with the other. It came away wet with blood. Was this how it would end? “Aaron,” he whispered.

“I’ll help you cover the children,” said Samheed, taking a moment to rest. “Are you sure you’re okay?” He waved Lani and Sean over.

Alex closed his eyes, feeling nauseous.

Samheed frowned. “You’d better go inside with the children, Alex. Have Henry patch you up and get yourself something to eat and drink.”

Alex nodded, pressing hard on his wound to stop the bleeding. He rallied, then told Lani and Sean to go to the cave’s mouth to help the children out and lead them to the mansion.

Moments later the rock’s mouth slowly opened. Crow peered out, looked around, and then jumped to the ground. He turned around and reached inside the rock’s mouth, pulling children out and handing them to Sean and Lani, who began running with them toward the mansion, the rest of the children following. Samheed stood halfway between, holding off the attackers. Crow pulled Thisbe and Fifer out last and hitched their legs around his waist while Kitten ran down the rock’s side to the ground and led the three around the fighting. Samheed had his hands full when another group of pirates rushed toward them.

“Keep going!” shouted Sean to the children. “Straight to the lounge!” He and Lani stopped to help fight off the attackers. The Warbler children ran for the mansion. Crow lagged behind with Thisbe and Fifer, trying to go as fast as he could, but he was weak with hunger like everyone else.

“Here comes Crow,” Samheed shouted over his shoulder to Alex, who was still on his knees trying to get his breath back. “Do you need help walking?”