Page 9 of Shinji Takahashi: Into the Heart of the Storm

Oliver glared at Phoebe, as if he blamed her for the plane dropping out of the sky. Shinji remembered the “Mystic curse” and wondered if it really had been Phoebe who’d caused the plane’s malfunction, or if it was justRhettbeingRhett.

The door behind Oliver opened with a grinding screech, revealing Scarlett’s smiling face on the other side.

“Welcome to Pula!” she announced, crimson hair whipping around her in the hot breeze sweeping through the hangar. “A little-known place halfway between Tahiti and Easter Island. I do apologize for the rough ride.Rhettgot a

little cranky there in the middle of the flight and decided to act up. I don’t think he likes you much, Ocean.”

“Trust me, the feeling’s mutual.”

A taxi pulled into the hangar, rolling to a stop a few yards away. Scarlett stepped back a pace and motioned them out. “All right, everyone, off you go! Have fun out there, and don’t let Oliver sail into a reef again. I’d hate to have to come and rescue you in the middle of the ocean.”

“You sailed into a reef?” Phoebe asked.

“I did not sail into a reef,” Oliver said indignantly. “My boat was pushed into the rocks by a hurricane; there’s a difference.”

“Yes, but the question you have to ask yourself,” Scarlett broke in, smiling as she leaned casually against the side of her plane, “iswhyhe was out on his ship in the middle of a hurricane in the first place. Have him tell you that little story one day; it’s sure to be entertaining.”

With a wink, Scarlett pushed herself off the side of the plane and walked around the front, vanishing from sight. Shinji stared after her a moment, then looked questioningly at Oliver.

He grimaced. “Yeah, not a story you’re gonna hear anytime soon, kid. Sorry.” He jerked his head at the taxi. “Let’s go. My butt cheeks have been clenched for the past nine hours. I need to be on a boat.”

Now this is what I’m talking about,Shinji thought. Sitting

in the backseat of the taxi, windows rolled down and a cool wind blowing in his face, he stared out at the sparkling waters, gleaming sand, and tropical paradise beyond the road. Palm trees grew everywhere, seabirds wheeled through a cloudless sky, and the distant ocean was the turquoise green of a precious jewel. Pula itself was an interesting mix of rural and modern, with gravel side roads and tiny huts giving way to looming resorts and hotels. The breeze blowing into the taxi smelled like seawater, which made Shinji all the more eager to get down to the ocean.

Lucy sat beside him, also staring out the window with wide, eager eyes. Tinker’s nose poked out of her hair and twitched, like he was a real mouse.

“So, Oliver.” Abruptly, Phoebe twisted around in her seat to peer at them over the headrest. “I know we’re in a frantic race to beat Hightower to this ship at the bottom of the ocean and recover evidence of a culture that has been lost for decades, but what’s the likelihood of running into a kraken in this part of the world? Any hope of a long, sucking tentacle reaching up from the abyss and dragging us into the void?”

“A kraken?” Lucy shuddered.

For a second, Shinji thought Phoebe was joking, before he remembered who he was in the car with.

“As fun as that sounds, probably not,” Oliver answered with a dismissive shrug. “Not at the depths we’ll be diving. The kraken and all their squiddy cousins like deeper, darker

waters. Plus, for such a giant, scary sea monster, they’re kind of wimps. The noise of the ship engines will likely scare one off long before we’d ever get to see it.”

“Aw.” Phoebe pouted. “Darn it. Why are all the underwater monsters so painfully camera shy? Someday I’ll see one. Someday. So, Shinji!” She turned to him, making him jump. “Speaking of monsters, I heard you came face-to-face with the Weaver while you were in the temple of the Coatl. Tell meallabout that. Was she really half-human, half-spider, or was it more of a sixty-forty split?”

Shinji blinked. “I don’t—”

“And when the Coatl made an appearance,” Phoebe went on without letting him finish, “what did it look like? Were you scared? Was it a terrible winged snake creature of vengeance, or more of a benevolent demigod? Did it speak to you, or did you justknowwhat it wanted?”

“Well…”

“Oh, and don’t forget about the fight between the Weaver and the Coatl!” Phoebe waved both hands, hitting the top of the taxi roof. The driver, Shinji noticed, was giving her a side-eyed look of concern. “I want to hear all about that battle, every tiny detail, even the ones you might’ve missed. What an epic sight that must’ve been, two legendary creatures trying to tear each other apart.” She sighed dreamily. “I would’ve happily given up my collection of dragon scales to see that.

“So, go ahead, Shinji,” Phoebe finished, staring at him

intently now. “I’m all ears. Tell me exactly how everything happened. Leave nothing out.”

Shinji was trying to think of a way to point out that the backseat of a taxi wasn’t exactly a good place to recite what would likely sound to the driver like the plot of a monster B-movie. Thankfully, before he could speak, the taxi slowed and came to a rather jolting halt next to the sidewalk.

“Kiani Harbor,” grunted the driver, pointing with a weathered hand. Glancing out the window, Shinji saw a distant line of sails bobbing against the sky. Seabirds wheeled above the masts, and sunlight glinted off the water. “You’ll have to walk from here.”

As Oliver scooted forward to pay the driver, Shinji took the opportunity to escape and quickly opened the car door, sliding out onto the sidewalk. Instantly, the breeze coming off the water and smelling of salt and fish tossed his hair. A bicyclist rolled past him, ringing a bell, and a small dog yapped at him from the end of a leash.

The hair on the back of Shinji’s neck prickled, making him pause. It was the same feeling he got whenever he and Aunt Yui found themselves in a strange city or on the questionable side of town. That uncomfortable sensation of being watched.

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