Rise of the Isle of the Lost Read online

  “What about your locket?” asked Gil. “Didn’t you say there was something in there?”

  Uma gasped. She’d almost forgotten about the locket she always wore. What had her mother said when she’d given it to her? It’s all I have left. All Ursula had left of what? They were about to find out. Uma swung the chain over her head and held it out so everyone could see it. Then she carefully pried open the top with her fingernail. It flipped up with a snap, revealing a sliver of gold.

  “That’s it!” said Harry.

  “I think it just might be the last piece,” said Uma. It looked to be the right shape, but she wouldn’t be sure until they’d fit it into place. Her heart skipped a beat as she lowered it into the opening.

  It fit perfectly. “Gil, sludge me.”

  Gil handed her the bucket of sludge, and they all watched, holding their breath, as Uma glued the final piece onto the shell. She could have sworn there was even a flash of light, but maybe it was just the gold reflecting off the moonlight through the window.

  It was done. The shell was complete.

  “There,” Uma said with satisfaction. “I think that’s it.” She studied her handiwork. The shell glittered in her palm—history, legacy, and tragedy in each curve of its shape. She held it up for everyone to see. “Ursula’s necklace!” she cried.

  “Put it on,” said Harry.

  She nodded, undid the clasp, and draped the necklace over her collarbone. The gold was warm against her skin, and she felt a faint echo of its former power. It had the sense and shape of her mother’s wrath. One of the greatest treasures of the sea, and it was in her hands.

  “All right?” said Harry.

  Uma nodded. “I can feel it,” she said, holding the gold seashell between her pointer finger and thumb. “It’s almost like it’s alive.”

  “Excellent,” said Harry. “Where to, Captain?” he asked, a hand on the wheel.

  Uma whispered to the seashell, “Find me the trident.”

  She felt the shell tilt slightly to the right, like a compass, just as Cook told her it would. The necklace and the trident, as the most powerful objects from the underwater kingdom, were linked. Drawn to each other like magnets.

  “West,” she said. “It’s due west of us.”

  “West it is. To the trident!” cried Harry. “Avast, me hearties! Flip up the jib! Haul anchor! Let’s go!” he ordered, rushing around.

  “To the trident!” cried Gil. “Um, what’s a trident?” he asked.

  Uma took the scope and looked through the lens. In the distance, she could see Auradon, the mainland. Soon, she thought. Soon she would have Triton’s trident, and she and her crew would be off this cursed island forever.

  Uma scanned the horizon. Countless waves dotted the sea, crashing higher and higher, curling into whitecaps, the wind catching the water and throwing it into the air. The sky was dark with clouds, but even so, she thought she saw something in the distance, headed toward them from the opposite side of the bay—the Auradon side. She thought it might be driftwood at first, but it was moving quickly against the wind. “Do you see something over there?” she asked, focusing on a small dot that she could barely make out through the wind and fog.

  Harry picked up a telescope. “Yeah, I see it. It’s on the other side of the barrier, and it’s heading toward us.”

  Uma gnashed her teeth, annoyed at this unexpected arrival from an unknown party. “What does it look like?”

  “I don’t know. We’ll need to get closer, but it must be some sort of boat,” said Harry.

  “They’re moving against the wind, which means they’ve got a powerful speedboat of some kind,” said Uma.

  “But why are they here and why now? Fishing? No one ever comes this close to the Isle of the Lost. All the Auradon folks like to stay on their side of the channel,” said Harry. “They know what’s good for them.”

  “I don’t think they’re out here to fish,” said Uma. “It’s not exactly fishing weather.” The waves were taller now, and each time they struck them, the ship was cast upward, then quickly set down again, loudly thumping into the gap between the waves before the next one hit and sprayed the deck with water. All in all, it was miserable progress, but at least they were moving quickly. Just not quickly enough for comfort. Uma took to the telescope to monitor the progress of the boat they’d spotted. She had a bad feeling about this.

  Worse, it began to pour. The skies cracked with thunder and all around them the air darkened as raindrops pelted the ship.

  “Harry! Can’t you make us go faster?” she ordered. The necklace kept tugging toward the right, and it appeared the trident was somewhere close by. But Goblin Beach was almost endlessly long.

  “Aye, aye, Captain,” said Harry. “I believe we’ve done all we can, short of throwing over any excess cargo. A light ship is a fast ship, if either of you would care to jump over the side? Or maybe I can make the wind blow a bit harder?”

  “Well, if anyone can do it, you can,” said Uma.

  “I’m on it,” said Harry, raising his chin and mockingly blowing toward the sails. “There,” he said. “Now I’ve done everything.”

  Uma balled her fists in annoyance. In truth, she knew Harry had done everything possible to get them moving as quickly as their sails would allow. They were cruising at a considerable clip to the other side of the island, but so was the other ship—and there was no doubt now that they were both headed to the same place. Plus she didn’t need the telescope to know it was moving faster than they were.

  “It’s below there,” said Uma, as the necklace in her hand began to heat up. “I can feel it. We’re at the right place. Can you get us closer?”

  Harry squinted, measuring the distance. “Too many rocks for this big a ship, and with all the sails unfurled we’re moving too fast to navigate those waters. We’ll have to anchor and take out the rowboat.”

  He stowed the sails as quickly as possible, while Gil tossed out the anchor. They had to fiddle with it a bit, waiting until the great hook caught hold of the sea bottom. The rope snapped tight, and they were moored.

  Harry indicated a small boat with only a pair of paddles. “That’s our ride, if you want your trident. It’s the only way into those rocks,” he said.

  It didn’t look promising, but it was all they had, so Uma, Harry, and Gil clambered into the rickety boat, and Harry and Gil rowed Uma closer to the edge of the beach. The rocks made it difficult to navigate, and since both of the boys were facing the wrong direction, they had to rely on Uma to tell them which way to go.

  “Right!” she exclaimed, but the boat went left. “My right, you idiots,” she said, correcting them. “Left now, just a bit. Now right again.” Uma had to stand at the bow and push off the rocks to keep from colliding with them. It was a veritable maze and they were forced to go this way and that, back and forth. At points the rocks were so dense they had to stop paddling altogether. All Harry and Gil could do then was push off manually against the stones.

  “Come on, faster,” said Uma. “This is taking too long.”

  “You’re welcome to get out and pull us,” huffed Harry, straining with exertion.

  Uma frowned, but she got up and pushed against the rocks as well until they were clear, finding themselves in a circle of clear blue water not far from the beach. She stood and glanced down into the depths, spotting something gold glinting through the seaweed.

  King Triton’s trident!

  Her heart leaped with wicked glee. “This is it!” she said, readying to dive down and take it.

  The trident was hers!

  The Isle of the Doomed loomed larger and larger through the mist as they got closer to their destination. Mal had forgotten how foreboding the mysterious island looked, especially with Maleficent’s fortress built right on the top of the tallest cliff, casting gloomy shadows everywhere.

  “Hurry!” said Mal urgently, as Evie checked her mirror.

  Jay scanned through the fog, just as it began to rain. “Look!�
�� he yelled, as a huge pirate ship came into view on the other side of the beachhead.

  “Uma!” cried Evie. “She’s already here!”

  “Ben! Faster!” urged Mal.

  “I’m trying,” said Ben. But it was hard to navigate the three-foot-tall waves, and all of them were drenched.

  “Turn left again!” said Carlos, tracking the trident’s possible location on the map and attempting to navigate the rough waters.

  Ben steered the boat left, and they all leaned forward and tried not to fall off.

  “Uma’s found it!” yelled Evie, as she watched Uma stand up from the little rowboat. “She’s diving for it!”

  “No!” cried Mal. “She can’t have it! Ben, come on!”

  Ben zoomed the boat over to an inlet by the Isle of the Doomed. They couldn’t see anything in all the fog and rain, and as he turned the boat, it crashed against the barrier. “This is as close as I can get us,” he said, trying to keep his eyes open against the howling wind and rain.

  “Mal, do it now!” said Carlos.

  “Jay, take the wheel,” said Ben, as he jumped to the boat’s hood, balancing himself as it was rocked by the waves. He offered a hand to Mal. “Come on!”

  Mal climbed up from the dashboard next to Ben, holding her spell book tightly. Waves lashed against the boat, and it was hard to stand upright. She stumbled, but Ben caught her. “I’ve got you,” he said, his hands steady against her waist.

  She shot him a quick smile and opened the book to the spell she needed. A simple one—even a child could use it. “Spark and fire, elf and gnome, open up this invisible dome!” she cried. For a moment nothing happened; then a small, pinprick-size hole appeared in the invisible barrier. It grew larger and larger until Mal was able to thrust her arm through the unseen wall.

  “It worked!” she said, laughing in relief.

  “Get the trident!” yelled Ben.

  “Too late!” cried Evie, watching the mirror. “Uma’s got it!”

  Mal wanted to curse, until she realized creating a hole in the dome meant that she could use a little magic within the barrier for a change. And a little magic was all she needed. She checked her watch; it was not yet fifteen after the top of the hour.

  “Time and tide, wind and night! Turn the clock back to the top!” she chanted, and time went backward for everyone else just enough to give Mal time to grab the trident before Uma could lay her hands on it.

  “Whoa, what just happened,” said Carlos, confused.

  “Mal turned the time back; it’s okay, you’ll get used to it,” said Evie. “Mal, now! Uma’s back on her boat, she doesn’t have the trident yet!”

  Mal opened her palm. She’d written the spell on her own, and hoped it would work. “Demon heart and all things abhorrent, bring me the sea king’s missing trident!”

  But no trident appeared, only more sheets of rain.

  What was going on?

  It turned out a little bit of magic was all her opponent needed as well, and with the hole in the barrier still open, Uma was tapping into a power of her own. She stood on the rowboat and held a golden seashell necklace, which glowed in the darkness.

  “Uma’s using Ursula’s necklace—it’s pulling on the trident too!” said Evie, watching the mirror intently.

  Mal’s spell and Uma’s necklace each drew the trident, causing a magnetic force that roiled the seas, angering and confusing the waves. The wind lashed with fury, and rain stormed on the water.

  Mal wiped her hair from her eyes. She was soaking wet and shivering in her leather jacket. Lightning struck the skies, thunder rolled, and the waves got bigger and bigger, threatening to overpower the speedboat. They wouldn’t last out here much longer. She had to get that trident away from Uma.

  Evie was almost thrown overboard, but Carlos caught her hand in time. “One hand for you, and one hand for the ship,” he advised, as the skies cracked open overhead once again.

  “Bring me King Triton’s trident!” Mal called, her arm straining across the barrier. She felt the power of the spell through her body as she bent her will toward recovering that trident from the ocean floor.

  From afar, she could see the golden trident as it wavered in its rise toward her enemy. It stalled, floating in the ocean, then slowly began to wrench toward her.

  “It’s working!” yelled Evie.

  The energy around their boat crackled as the necklace and the spell fought for supremacy over the trident and the trident moved toward the speedboat.

  “To me!” Mal cried, using every last ounce of her will and magic to bring it forward.

  It jerked toward their boat, just a hairbreadth away.

  But at the very last second, the trident twisted around, moving closer to the Isle of the Lost, closer to Uma.

  Magic! What was this? There was magic in the air. It crackled with furious energy. Uma could feel it emanating from the seashell necklace and pervading the very atmosphere around her. She had no idea why it was there, or how it happened, or why she had a strange, vague memory of swimming down to the bottom of the sea and actually placing her hands on the trident, but she could feel magic all around her and she knew exactly what to do.

  Uma held up her mother’s necklace. “Bring me Triton’s greatest treasure!” she called, and she held up the necklace a bit higher. For a moment, she felt the wind swirl, picking up the necklace and twirling it around her fingers. The sky darkened to a deeper shade of gray and the boat pitched back and forth. Water splashed the deck.

  There was a loud boom as thunder rolled. Lightning lit the sky with streaks of white and blue. A cool wind swept the boat, and Uma felt the presence of something otherworldly. The necklace and the trident called to each other. She felt the pull; it was all around her.

  The very air vibrated with power, and the seashell became hot in her hand, glowing fiery through her clenched fist. Light emanated from the shell, turning her face a pale shade of orange, making her fingers glow. The wind blew her hair off her shoulders.

  “What’s happening?” said Gil, as the orange glow of the seashell grew brighter and the power Uma sought drew nearer. Soon all of them were lit in shades of red and orange. The light pulsated, washing over them in waves.

  “I can feel it!” Uma called. “It’s coming up!”

  A vortex formed in the water, a churning, swirling funnel, and there was something at the bottom of it.

  Harry peered over the side of the boat into the dark depths. “There!” he cried.

  Uma looked down, and she could almost see it, the tip of the trident emerging from the bottom of the vortex. There it was, twinkling gold…just out of her reach….

  Closer…

  Closer…

  Closer…

  The trident was rising now, flying out of the water. It was nearly within their grasp. The wind howled, and the rain poured down. The water spun in a furious circle, threatening to draw them down into it, just as the trident came near. The boys whooped in victory. Against the wind and the current, they paddled toward the trident, but the boat pitched violently, side to side, dipping and leaning as the wind and waves cast them to and fro.

  “Grab it!” cried Harry. “I can’t keep this up much longer. In a minute, we’ll capsize, and then we’ll be swimming.”

  “Or sucked down into that vortex,” said Gil.

  Uma ignored their pessimism. The trident was all she cared about. The shell glowed wildly; the trident rose. They were close now, terribly close—but as Harry warned, they were just as close to falling into the water as they were to catching hold of the trident. Uma wouldn’t celebrate until that golden staff was safely on board. None of them would.

  “Do it!” Harry cried again. This time they were finally at the trident. They rowed as near as they dared, fighting the current, trying to stay upright as the wind whirled and the water twisted around the mighty golden spear.

  “This is it,” said Harry.

  “We’re close enough,” said Uma. Through the dark fog she co
uld make out the shape of a speedboat on the other side of the barrier. She was sure its occupants had come for the trident too, but they were too late.

  Uma had reached it first.

  There it was, rising, like a phoenix from the ashes. Triton’s greatest treasure. It would be hers!

  She reached out—it was only a few more feet away…inches…All she had to do was grasp it….

  Mal felt the prize slipping away from her, but at the very last second, she chanted the spell again, forcing her immense will on the trident. Suddenly, it hurtled toward her like a missile.

  Mal gasped as the trident slammed into her palm, and she clenched her fist around it. It jerked and twisted in her grasp, and Mal could see powerful energy waves around it, attempting to pull it in the opposite direction. Mal tried to hold it with both hands, but the energy from Uma’s necklace pulled off her left glove, sending it soaring away.

  Mal yanked the trident through the hole in the barrier. “I’ve got it!”

  “The barrier!” Carlos reminded her.

  “Elf and gnome, close this dome!” she yelled, and the hole in the invisible barrier shut with a snap. The magnetic energy around the trident immediately disappeared, and her hand dropped suddenly as the tension vanished. The shock of it sent her flying into Evie, who fell overboard.

  Mal clutched the trident and crouched on top of the boat, searching the churning ocean. “EVIE!” she screamed. “EVIE, NO!”

  Jay steered the boat around the waves as they frantically searched for their friend.

  “EVIE!” called Jay.

  “Evie, come on!” yelled Carlos.

  Come back to me, Mal thought fiercely, hanging on to the edge of the railing. Come back, Evie. She wished so hard, she thought her head would explode; still there was nothing but the raging sea and the crash of thunder and lightning.

  “You guys,” said Jay. “The storm is just getting stronger. We’re going to sink.”

  “I think I saw her over there!” yelped Ben. “Circle around!”