Horus bellowed, “Dive! Dive!”

Jake’s heart pounded with shock. Dive? Shouldn’t they try to climb above the flames?

As the ship’s nose dipped again, building up speed, Jake suddenly realized the captain’s plan. They’d never make it over the firestorm. The only chance of survival was speed, to ram straight through and hope for the best.

With no time to get belowdecks, Jake yelled to his friends. “Get down!”

Jake barreled into Marika, pinning her beneath him. Pindor pinned Nefertiti. Bach’uuk dove for the shelter of a roped set of barrels.

As the ship hit the wall of flames, Jake sprawled flat. He covered both of their bodies with his cloak, pulling it over their heads. Marika scrambled for his hand until she found it.

They held tightly to each other.

Then the world flared brightly, stinging his eyes. The blast came with a deafening roar and a blistering heat that sought to bake them to the boards.

Jake held his breath, fearing his lungs would boil.

Then darkness fell back over him, and the roar faded.

Sharp cries from the crew reached Jake’s ears.

He tossed back his cloak and rolled free. They’d made it through the firestorm.

But not unscathed.

Patches of fire danced atop the deck as the crew bustled to put them out. But that was the least of their problems. The ship listed to one side. A glance over a rail revealed that one of the rubbery wings had melted down to its bony struts.

Politor burst from belowdecks, rolling out of the hatch in a thick choke of smoke. He came to rest on his hands and knees, coughing heavily.

A loud hissing pop drew all eyes upward.

Air was escaping from the balloon at an accelerating rate as rivulets of flaming, melted rubber dribbled to the deck.

As Jake watched, the balloon shredded wider with a ripping tear.

From the stern, Horus yelled a needless warning.

“We’re going down!”

25

CRASH LANDING

The Breath of Shu gave out its last gasp as its balloon collapsed in flame. Jake crouched with the others on the middeck. Everyone huddled, preparing for the crash to come.

Horus worked to get as much distance as he could from the burning ship. Politor performed miracles, using the remaining wing to turn their deathly plummet into a long glide. Jake watched as the ship cleared the last of the Flame Forest, but they were not out of danger.

Beyond the rail the desert rose in rippling dunes. Gliding above, it was not hard to imagine that the windrider was an ordinary boat sailing through a rolling sea. Then the keel hit the first dune. The entire ship jarred, sliding everyone forward. But the ship had only grazed the top. The windrider flew onward, skidding across another dune, then another. It slowed each time—but they were still flying fast.

“Ready for impact!” Horus screamed.

The next strike tore out the bottom of the boat, leaving a trail of broken planks and woven reeds. Jake bounced a full yard above the deck, flying for a moment with the ship—then crashing back down.