Page 68 of Shinji Takahashi: Into the Heart of the Storm

“We did it,” he said. “It’s over.”

Oliver let out an explosive breath and collapsed onto the seats. “Well, this has certainly been an adventure,” he said, grinning at them all. “Storm Boars, hidden islands, exploding volcanoes, and flying into a hurricane? Priya is never going to let me take you kids anywhere ever again.”

Abang on the door jolted Shinji out of bed.

Blearily, he peered at the clock on the nightstand, trying to remember where he was and how he’d gotten there. A snore sounded beside him, and he looked over to see Roux sprawled on a second bed, mouth hanging open, one arm and leg dangling over the sides. In the corner, Oliver slouched in the chair with his arms crossed and his chin on his chest.

That was when it all came rushing back to him. After the intense battle with the Storm Boar and releasing the idol into the heart of the storm, Scarlett had returned them to Los Angeles. After flying through a monster hurricane, she wanted to make sureRhettwas still flightworthy before she

took them home. So they had gotten a hotel room while they waited for Scarlett to make repairs onRhettand discussed what came next.

Unfortunately, with the exception of Phoebe, everyone was too exhausted to think of anything but sleep. There was still the question of Roux, and what was going to happen to him, but that seemed like a problem for the next day. Shinji had staggered into the hotel room with Roux and Oliver, collapsed on the bed, and was asleep almost before his head hit the pillow.

The knock came again, a sharp rapping against their door. Lucy and Phoebe were in the room across from theirs; Shinji wondered if one of them had gotten bored and decided to come over.

Rubbing his eyes, he slid out of bed, staggered across the room, and opened the door. It swung back, revealing the stern, unamused face of Priya Banerjee peering down at him.

“Hello, Shinji,” Priya greeted as Shinji’s stomach cartwheeled. Her voice was pleasant, but her eyes could freeze a lava pool. “I am very pleased to see you are all right. Where is Oliver?”

“Um,” Shinji began, but Priya brushed past him into the room. Roux sat up quickly, glancing at Shinji in confusion, but Priya didn’t stop. Striding over to Oliver’s chair, she stood in front of it with her arms crossed, glaring down at him. Oliver didn’t move, but after a few seconds, his brow furrowed, even though his eyes remained closed.

“I’d recognize that glare anywhere.” He sighed, still without looking up. “Hello, Priya. I suppose you heard what happened in the South Pacific?”

“A bit” was the short reply. “Enough to give me heart palpitations and seriously reconsider my decision to send Shinji anywhere with you. Bad enough that you had to flee an island with an erupting volcano, but then I hear from Scarlett about flying Shinji and Lucy into a hurricane!” She took a breath, smiling, as Phoebe and Lucy poked their heads into the room, eyes wide as they spotted her. “So, I decided to come here and hear the story for myself. Perhaps I am missing something. Perhaps all these tales of fleeing an erupting volcano, nearly sinking your ship, breaking into Hightower private property, and flying into a hurricane have a perfectly reasonable explanation. I am willing to hear your side of the tale. We are adventurers after all. Even if some of us are too young to even drive a car, much less go flying into a hurricane.” Priya shook her head and sighed. “So, we are going to sit down, make some tea, and then you all can tell me exactly what happened from the day Shinji and Lucy left with Oliver.”

So, they did.

Starting with their arrival in Pula with Scarlett. They told her about Mano and theSeas the Day. They told her

about meeting Roux, and though her eyes narrowed when they got to the part where he had stolen Tinker, she didn’t say anything. Her lips thinned when they revealed that Hightower had beaten them to the shipwreck and had taken everything inside. When they got to the part about the island, the hidden village, the trapped guardian, and having to flee the volcano, she was looking rather nauseated. Finally they told her about sneaking into Hightower’s warehouse, stealing the idol, and flying into the heart of the storm to return it to the Storm Boar.

“I see,” Priya said when they were finished. Her voice, though it was as cool and unruffled as ever, was slightly breathless. It was nearly an hour later; there had been several interruptions as everyone added their own version to the story, with the tale getting longer and more exciting each time. Priya shook her head. “Absolutely incredible. If it wasn’t for Shinji and his previous adventures with the Coatl and the font, I’m not sure I would believe any of this. I don’t know whether to commend you, and Shinji especially, for appeasing the guardian and doing the right thing, or to lecture you all about your complete and utter recklessness.”

“Come on, Priya,” Oliver said, giving her a roguish grin. “We’re the Society of Explorers and Adventurers after all. Death-defying escapes and leaping headfirst into danger is what we do.”

She glowered at him with pursed lips. “You and I are going to have a conversation when we get back to headquarters,

Oliver,” she warned, making him wince. “As for everything else, I wish we had gotten more information about the Natia people. It’s a shame we weren’t able to discover more about them.”

“Not to worry, Ms. Banerjee,” Phoebe announced loudly. “The expedition was not in vain. Before the volcano erupted, we were able to make some fascinating discoveries and find some extremely interesting artifacts that concerned the Natia and the island. Dr. Grant and I have already discussed teaming up on this project and sharing what we find. Maybe we will even discover where the Natia went! I will keep you informed as well, if you like.”

“Please do.” Priya nodded. “I would very much like that.”

“Me too,” Shinji said. “I want to know more, too.”

They all stared at him in surprise. He shrugged. “There was an entire culture who lived next to a guardian and a font,” he said. “I want to know more about them. The Storm Boar said if we remember them, they’ll never truly fade away.”

Priya, Oliver, and Phoebe all smiled. “No,” Priya said softly. “They won’t. We can make sure of that.

“Now,” she continued, rising from her seat, “there is one more item of business we need to discuss, but not here. I have been asked to tell you thatRhett, according to Ms. Blaurhimmel, is, and I quote, ‘too traumatized to fly anyone around right now.’ So, after we stop by the harbor and I assure Captain Mano that he will be fully compensated for

this fiasco, we will be traveling home. Via car.” She glanced at Oliver, who was visibly slumping in relief, and chuckled. “Try not to betoodisappointed.”

The sun glimmered brightly off the water, and the ocean breeze was cool on Shinji’s face as he leaned over the railing of theSeas the Day, watching the gulls wheel above him. Mano had greeted Priya and the others at the harbor and had nearly cracked Shinji’s ribs in two with a very enthusiastic hug. They couldn’t leave without saying good-bye to Mano and theSeas the Day; both had been a huge part of their adventure in the South Pacific. It seemed only right that they be there when it ended as well.

“Hey.” Lucy joined Shinji at the railing, Tinker perched happily on her shoulder. The mouse squeaked a greeting, copper ears and whiskers glinting in the sunlight. Shinji’s phone suddenly buzzed. He pulled it out, and the gif of a cartoon mouse waved cheerfully at him when he glanced at the screen.

“Roux is still talking with Priya, Oliver, and Phoebe,” Lucy said, sounding slightly worried. “They’ve been in there for nearly an hour. What do you think is going to happen to him?”

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