“What’s going on up there?” Vega asked in a loud voice. His face still looked white, though he wasn’t throwing up anymore, which Jackson was grateful for. The quarters were tight with six of them sharing the space.
“Black’s trying to get us to the archipelago to weather out the storm,” Jackson said. “She’s got one of her Djinn in the water as well — said this might be a Djinn Storm.”
Apparently Vega had heard more about Djinn Storms than Jackson. Somehow his face went even whiter, until it almost matched his fancy summer suit. “A Djinn Storm? Does she think we’ll be attacked?”
In answer, the wild cry of an unidentifiable Djinn shrieked in the gap between the thunder. Even Heath and Sloan couldn’t conceal the worried expressions on their faces.
“She said to put life jackets on,” Jackson said.
“Are you kidding me?” Fiona shouted.
“I’m sure it’s just a precaution,” Jackson said. He didn’t mention that the look on Black’s face hadn’t given any indication that was the case.
Holding his hands out to steady himself, Jackson made his way to the small cabinet where the life jackets were stowed. He passed out the flat yellow devices, making a mental note of the cord they had to pull to activate them. When everyone had them on, they settled down on the sectional and stared at one another without speaking. Whenever lightning illuminated the small port windows or the scream of a wild Djinn sounded above, Jackson couldn’t help but wonder if in the next moment, the ferry would go down.
A huge crash shook the deck above. Had they struck something? No, they would have felt it if they had. So had a wild Djinn boarded the ferry? What was going on?
“I’m going up to look,” Jackson said.
“Don’t be an idiot! Fiona said. “You’ll get killed up there.”
“She’s right,” Kay added.
“I’ll just make sure Black’s okay then come right back down,” Jackson said, standing up. “Last thing I want is for us to realize too late that our captain has been washed overboard.”
Everyone looked at one another. No one had even thought of that possibility.
“She’s a professional, Jackson,” Vega said. “She’ll be fine. It’s probably best that you stay put.”
“Probably,” Jackson said. “But professionals die all the time. Shouldn’t we at least make sure?”
Fiona rose. “Then I’m coming with you.”
Jackson gave a nod.
He started up the ladder, only to be thrown to the side as the ferry made a huge roll. For a brief instant, Jackson’s heart jumped into his mouth and he feared they were about to capsize. But the valiant little ferry righted itself, giving them time enough to make it onto the top deck.
Sheets of rain fell down so hard and thick Jackson could barely see the blue light emanating from Black’s nav charts just a few feet away. He clung to a rail and reached down to offer a hand to Fiona, but she ignored him and climbed out on her own. Together, they made their way hunched against the rain to the small control cabin, where Black continued to work the controls with surprising speed and coordination. It looked like their concerns were for naught, as she’d bungeed herself to a railing.
“What in the hell are you two doing up here?” she yelled upon seeing Jackson and Fiona. “Get below decks! Another good wave and you’ll get swept out into the ocean!”
Jackson blinked against the rain pouring down his face and tried to shield a hand from the wind long enough to catch his breath and speak. “We came to see if you needed any help!”
“If I need help drowning I’ll let you know!” Black shouted. She seemed ready to send them back below, when another monstrous wave struck at the same time as a powerful blast of wind. The combined forces of the two ripped the canopy from half of its aluminum posts and peeled it back into the air so that it acted like a huge sail.
Black swore. “That’ll flip us right over.” She looked back at the two of them, shook her head, and gave a frustrated grunt. “I can’t leave the controls — can you two see if you can remove the pins from the back poles on the canopy? We’ve got to cut it loose.”
Jackson nodded, trying to look more confident than he felt. Coming on deck seemed like a terrible decision all of a sudden. To make matters worse, neither he nor Fiona had any Water-Elemental Djinn to speak of. If they went overboard, the life jacket would be all that kept them from a cold, watery death.
“Stay low!” Black shouted. “When that canopy goes, it’ll take you with it or take your head off if you aren’t careful!”
Taking the lead, Jackson and Fiona braced themselves against the wind and the tumultuous rocking, both staggering toward the back canopy posts. Jackson held his hand up as a shield against the rain, which came down so hard it stung his skin like a hundred insect bites. Fiona had one hand on his back to steady herself and protect her head if the canopy decided to pull loose.
As they neared the back two posts of the canopy — the only two still attached to the ferry — Jackson dropped down on his knees. Overhead, the wind tore and yanked at the canvas and aluminum frame so that it flailed about like the thick limbs of a Bombawillow. Jackson had no doubt one swipe from a pole or cross beam, even though the metal wasn’t even as thick around as his wrist, would slice his head clean off.
He glanced back at Fiona, squinting against the water running into his eyes. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, another wave came over the deck and hit him right in the face. Jackson rolled backward from the force of the wave until his back and head struck one of the ferry benches. A white light flashed in his eyes and it took several seconds for him to refocus. He glanced over and saw Fiona clinging to a bench to his left.
“You get that one and I’ll get this one!” he shouted, pointing to the poles on the left and the right. A hole was drilled through each with a pin and a keeper that attached it to the ferry’s frame.
Fiona nodded and sank back down into a crawl. Jackson made his way to the nearest pole, slipping and sliding on hands and knees from the rocking and the continuous buffeting of the waves. When he made it to the base of his pole, he glanced over to see Fiona’s progress. He decided to wait for her to pull her pin first — he didn’t want the canopy to strike her if he went before she was ready.
Through the sideways rain, he saw Fiona yank her arm back and her edge of the canopy shot up in the air like a rocket. The entire structure whipped through the air, changing direction almost faster than Jackson’s eyes could track. Just as he pulled his own pin, the canopy shifted direction in the whirling wind and sent the entire structure down on top of him.
From beneath the canvas, Jackson heard Fiona shout. Desperate to untangle himself, he managed to force his legs underneath him and push up against the enveloping canopy, which felt like a leaden blanket from the rain and framework. Jackson fought to find an edge, but another gust of wind ripped the canvas to the side.
The force of the untied canvas whipped Jackson toward the edge of the ferry. He had just enough time to grab the rail with his free hand before he toppled over, slamming hard against the aluminum side. By some miracle, the canopy pulled free and blew away into the dark storm.
“Jackson!”
He looked up and saw Fiona leaning over the rail, stretching out her hand to reach his free one. Ignoring the agonizing burn in his arm and hand still clinging to the rail, Jackson swung his weight around in an effort to grab Fiona’s hand.
“Look out!”
Jackson barely had time to register Fiona’s warning. He twisted his head around to the open water just as an enormous wave struck the side of the ferry. The sheer force of the water wrenched Jackson’s grip loose and he smacked into the side of the ferry once before open water engulfed him. The last thing he saw was Fiona fighting furiously to swim toward him before another wave rose and crashed over them both.
Chapter Eighteen
The first thing Jackson noticed when he awoke was that his mouth was full of sand. Yelling, he rolled over and sp
at, brushing the grit away from his nose, eyes, and mouth. For the briefest instant, his mind tried to tell him he was on the ocean floor…until he opened his eyes.
The sky was dark and gray and a steady wind continued to blow. Jackson realized he was sprawled on a beach, although how he’d made it there, he had no idea. His next thought was of his Djinn. In a panic, he held up both hands and then sighed. Asena and Scrappy’s rings were still on his fingers, as was the spare he’d purchased and worn on a chain around his neck. Other than that, he had nothing but the sodden clothes he’d been wearing on the Ferry.
Jackson struggled to piece together what had happened. He recalled being pulled off the side of the ferry and falling into the water. He’d seen Fiona and —
Fiona!
Jackson glanced up and down the beach and saw nothing. Panic seized him and he jumped to his feet. The motion sent a surge of pain through his head and a wave of dizziness forced him to sit down hard. When the nausea and pain finally subsided, he tried to piece together what had happened since he’d been thrown overboard.
The life jacket was still inflated and secured around his torso — he guessed it had kept him afloat and the storm had driven him onto the beach of one of Lombardia’s islands. Jackson craned his head around, careful of the throbbing, to look at the terrain behind him. A wall of low cliffs about twice his height cropped up against the edge of the rust-colored sand. Above them, a heavy cloud of mist, the remnant of the storm, lay shrouded over a thick canopy of trees and bushes. Aside from the crash of the waves and the occasional gust of wind, nothing made a sound.
A thought struck Jackson and he held up his right wrist, shaking it until his holo-watch clicked out of sleep mode. The device was completely waterproof, so no damage had been done there, but the real question was whether or not he had any service. After a couple of attempts at simple voice calls and texts failed, however, he knew he was on his own.
Jackson flipped through the apps on the device until he reached the med-scan. Selecting the app, he sat as still as he could while the holo-watch measured his vitals. He’d made fun of his grandma for forcing him to download it in case of emergencies, but was grateful he had it on him now. When the scan was complete, it showed him in decent health — no concussion, fever, or anything else in the realm of detection. Jackson smiled wryly at its suggestion that he get some rest, food, and hydration to lower his stress levels.
“Thanks for the advice,” he muttered. “Instead of acting like Grandma Jane, why don’t you make yourself useful and actually send out a call for me?”
A strange, melodic call from the water’s edge sent a spike in Jackson’s heartbeat. Swiping the projection away, he whipped around and raised Scrappy’s ring, prepared to defend himself.
Several Djinn stood halfway submerged in the tide, watching him. Each was equine in shape and structure, but where their mane should have been was a flurry of seaweed-like hair. Their long, broad tails were made of scales and had powerful fins on the end, clearly for navigating through the water. Even in the dull flat light, their bodies shone in an array of blues and greens. At Jackson’s sudden movement, the herd startled, but made no move to run. It looked like he’d stumbled into a herd of a few different Djinn on the same evolutionary chain.
Still unsure if he was in danger of attack, Jackson slowly reached over and tapped the Djinncyclopedia function on his holo-watch, careful not to make any sudden movements, and aimed it at the largest.
Djinn: Aquestria
Element: Water
The aquatic horse Djinn. Aquestria, and their evolutions, are often called the Guardians of the Waters. They are a peaceful Djinn who enjoy oceans, lakes, and rivers. If an Aquestria finds someone in distress in their water, they will haul them to the nearest shore or safe location. Although easily startled, these Djinn are powerful when provoked and present a formidable front to predators when in herds.
“Huh,” Jackson pondered the Djinncyclopedia’s readout for a moment and then pointed it at the other two. The Basic evolutionary forms were called Ponizu and the Advanced forms called Vandallion. “Sounds like I owe my life to you guys.”
One of the Aquestria in the front, an especially large specimen with muscles bulging beneath its smooth, scaled hide, and some claw marks down its neck and front shoulder, took a few cautious steps forward out of the surf. In place of hooves, Jackson saw the Djinn’s feet all ended in small, cloven webbed toes. The Djinn’s deep blue eyes drew in Jackson’s gaze and he held his breath, afraid to startle or provoke the creature.
“Th-thanks,” Jackson stuttered out. Many species of Djinn were intelligent enough to at least somewhat comprehend humans, even without being tamed or benefitting from telepathic communication. The Aquestria dipped its head and then raised it. Jackson repeated the motion, lowering his eyes as well in a submissive, non-threatening gesture he’d often used with some of the more docile Djinn back at the Sato ranch.
The Aquestria seemed to be satisfied. With a snort, it turned around and let out a warbling call much more pleasant than a whinny to the rest of the herd. The Aquestria reared up on its hind legs and…disappeared without so much as a splash.
Jackson blinked and rubbed his eyes. Had the entire pack just vanished right in front of him? If it wasn’t for the health app already proving he had no head injury, he would have thought he had gone crazy, but he had more important things to figure out.
After clearing his head, Jackson released both Scrappy and Asena from stasis in their rings. As soon as they materialized, the two Djinn looked around in confusion, clearly having no idea where they were or how they’d gotten there.
“We, uh…had a little bit of an accident,” Jackson explained.
Jackson couldn’t tell for sure, but he could’ve sworn Asena and Scrappy both gave him accusing looks.
“It wasn’t my fault!” Jackson protested. “If you two want to be useful, Asena, you can build a fire and Scrappy, fly around overhead and see if you can see anything that might help us out. Don’t get too high — we don’t know what kind of Djinn are on this island.”
Jackson gathered together the driest driftwood he could find, but when Asena hit them with a Fire Bark, the wood smoldered and gave off a terrible smell like someone had blown up a toilet. Coughing and waving a hand in front of his face to clear out the foul smoke, Jackson buried the makeshift fire with sand as fast as he could.
While Scrappy soared about within eyesight, Jackson wrapped himself around Asena as much as he could, hoping her natural heat and would dry him out. The Lyote whined in protest. Jackson was sure if he could see himself and Asena, it would have looked something like an overzealous kid hugging a stuffed toy. Jackson soon realized the humidity wouldn’t allow him to dry out and pulled away from Asena, sparing her further displeasure.
Just then, Scrappy dove out of the air and let loose a series of excited cackles. A series of impressions hit Jackson’s mind, but one was repeated over and over to the best extent of the Djinn’s communicative abilities.
Fiona! Fiona!
Jackson jumped up from the sand and Scrappy wheeled around, flying fast and low over the sand with Jackson and Asena following as fast as they could behind him. All at once, the Scoundrook veered off of the beach toward the ocean and Jackson spotted a small figure on the back of a large, finned object making its way toward the beach at a quick pace. Soon, he could make out Fiona’s features as she sat on back of what could have only been Black’s Orcys. The dark blue and lime green Djinn swam as far in to the shallow as he could manage and Fiona slid off of his back, landing up to her neck in water. She gave the Orcys a pat on is rubbery back and the Djinn let out a pleased burst from its blow hole before swimming back out to deeper water and submerging.
Fiona only made it halfway to the beach before Jackson knocked her over in a fierce hug. Both of them went down in the water, Scrappy and Asena cawing and barking happily from back on the sand.
“Get off me!” Fiona said, shoving Jackson away. “
You almost got me drowned once, you don’t need to try to do it again!”
When Jackson pulled away, however, he could see she was smiling.
“You’re okay!” he said, feeling a stupid grin split his salt-dried face.
Fiona tried to hide her own smile with a scowl. “No thanks to you. If it wasn’t for Black’s Orcys, I’d probably still be bobbing around out there.”
They sloshed their way up onto the dry sand and found a log to sit on. Jackson couldn’t help but notice Fiona had lost her windbreaker, leaving her wearing nothing but a workout tank top and a pair of hiking leggings.
“How did you make it here?” Fiona said. “Did the Orcys drop you off first or something?
Jackson shared his theory about the Aquestria and showed Fiona the scan as proof.
“Sounds like you got even luckier than I did,” she said.
“Well, we can’t get too excited yet,” Jackson held up his holo-watch. “No service. Any chance you do?”
Fiona held up her wrist without saying anything and Jackson saw the front of her holo-watch was completely shattered. “You’re better off than me. I smacked it against the railing when I tried to save you. It’s completely dead.”
“Well, great,” Jackson couldn’t help but say. “Thanks, by the way.”
Fiona’s face scrunched up.
“What?” Jackson said.
“I guess I was expecting you to tell me that you had everything handled and that I was stupid for even trying to help?” Fiona said.
Jackson didn’t know how to react to that. She was right. Not too long ago, he would have made that very argument, but at this point, he was just happy not to be completely alone.
Jackson’s holo-watch cut his thoughts short as it started whirring and beeping in a high-pitched, annoying sequence he’d never heard before. He glanced down and a small projection window framed in red appeared. All at once, Black’s voice cut through, interspersed with static.
Djinn Tamer - The Complete Bronze League Trilogy Page 66