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Contents ( 50)
  1. CONTENTS
  2. PROLOGUE
  3. CHAPTER ONE
  4. CHAPTER TWO
  5. CHAPTER THREE
  6. CHAPTER FOUR
  7. CHAPTER FIVE
  8. CHAPTER SIX
  9. CHAPTER SEVEN
  10. CHAPTER EIGHT
  11. CHAPTER NINE
  12. CHAPTER TEN
  13. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  14. CHAPTER TWELVE
  15. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  16. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  17. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  18. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  19. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  20. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  21. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  22. CHAPTER TWENTY
  23. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  32. CHAPTER THIRTY
  33. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  42. CHAPTER FORTY
  43. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  44. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  45. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  47. EPILOGUE
  48. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  49. Also by Liz Flanagan:
  50. COPYRIGHT

Conor understood first. He made a fist with one hand, and then cupped the other, bringing it closer and closer and slamming it against the first. ‘So it’ll crash over the island, like this. And whatever damage it may do, the wave will pass on, travelling west. The tunnel entrances all face west, don’t they? Joe, these tunnels must have been built for this! Maybe the whole of the shadow strip was built where it is, to be protected from the wave?’

‘So it won’t flood, not in here?’ Amina said anxiously.

‘We’ll be fine, if we stay here.’ Winter sounded as if she almost believed it.

That’s when they heard it. The silence in the cavern thick­ened with listening. And then – distant at first, but getting louder – there came a fierce rushing noise, coming from the east, just as Joe had said. The volcano had erupted and finally blown its top. Joe pictured the unleashed wild wave, galloping over the sea, gathering strength, faster and faster, louder and louder.

There was a vast boom, an echoing crash of mighty force.

The huge wave must have broken over the island, slam­ming down with all the weight of gathered water, amplified through the rocky tunnels into a wall of sound. Joe heard a deep groan, as if the island itself was in pain.305

Joe braced, gripping Amina and Winter’s hands either side so tightly that his knuckles showed bone-white through his brown skin.

His ears were filled with confused noise. Dragons growl­ing their alarm call: mrraaa, mrra! Someone was screaming.

Gradually it eased, breaking up into other noises: smash­ing, splintering, swirling. Joe pictured all the island’s boats stolen from the harbour and flung high, where no boat should ever be.

And then it was gone. He sighed out a shaky breath, relaxed his fingers.

Was that it?

‘Look!’ a voice cried. ‘The water – it’s rising! Help!’

No. Everything in Joe denied it. No, no, no. This couldn’t be happening. He couldn’t have led the whole city down here to drown like rats in a barrel.

306

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

Joe grabbed one of the storm lanterns and hurried over to see, with Winter following, their dragons close behind. They knew these caves better than anyone. At the eastern edge of the cavern, where the underground stream vanished, bubbling away underground, something had changed. The stream was still flowing, but the water was getting higher and higher. Soon it would overflow. It must be hotter than ever. Steam rose from its surface, filling the air with heat and dampness.

‘It must be stuck further down!’ Winter spoke in Joe’s ear.

‘That wave – it must’ve blocked the flow of the stream.’

‘We need to get people out, quickly,’ Winter said.

The people nearest the stream were backing away. There were cries of alarm – ‘It’s flooding!’ ‘Get back!’

In the enclosed space, dimly lit and crammed full, panic spread fast. People started swarming higher up, grabbing 307children, abandoning everything else, rushing to higher ground.