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pressed her cheek to the ugly wound in his side and wept, her grief feeding the storm.

Until slowly, the rhythmic chanting of voices that she knew and recognized edged out the chaos from her fevered consciousness, and she fell into blessed darkness.

Chapter Eighteen

To Do: In the event of the tour guide’s illness or indisposition, she must rely on her employers to take charge.

Homu Ho’omalu leaned forward, staring through the helicopter’s windshield at Na’alele, rapidly approaching below.

“Hurry,” he urged his son. “Ah, Pele,pôpilikia weliweli. Something terrible has happened.”

They’d realized something was wrong when the phone silence from Na’alele outlasted the storm, but all of them had been in Honolulu for the presentation of one of Daniel’s sculptures to the state of Hawaii. They’d been at the airport when Daro had called, worried about Bella, who hadn’t called back and apparently had turned her phone off.

Claire and Melia had both checked their messages and found Bella had texted them, as well, and they couldn’t reply. Frank wasn’t answering calls either.

The party wasn’t due back until late afternoon, but Homu, David and Daniel had all felt the same gathering unease, and the decision was made to return to Nawea. They found Hilo waiting for them at the Kona airport, his usually merry face somber, sharing their premonition.

The Ho’omalus knew Bella as the best friend of their sons’ bride and brideto-be. They had welcomed her but only discovered she was one of them when her mother confessed as much while here on the island. Now, she was their cousin Daro’s daughter, and a Ho’omalu. And she was in some kind of trouble; Homu could feel it, as could his sons.

The closer they got to home, the more restless David and Daniel became, and Claire, Melia and Tina picked up on it. Melia, her emotions turbulent with her pregnancy, dissolved into tears. Claire clutched Daniel’s arm and demanded to be allowed to come with him to rescue her friend.

With a scowl, he refused. “No, tita. I told you there would be times when I’d have to go, and you’d have to wait. This is one of them.”

“Bring Bella back to us,” Melia pleaded.

David bent to kiss her, but his face was grave. “I’ll do my best, ku’u ipo, sweetheart.”

Tina stood beside Homu. “I am coming with you this time,” she told him. “To chant with you, and to be there for her.”

He nodded, knowing that it was the right thing for her to do.

And now they rode together to save one of their own.

“What is it?” Daro leaned forward from the back seat, his face lined with worry. “Do you see her?”

“Hold on, we’re almost in sight,” David said calmly, though his handsome face was pale under his golden tan. “Au’e,” he breathed as the chopper banked around the last turn, and they saw the hurricane of vegetation below.

“Land somewhere,” Homu demanded.

“I can’t.” David shook his head. “If I try to get close, the branches and plants flying around will tangle in the rotors. If I land too far away, we’ll never make it.”

“There’s David and Hilo,” Tina called from the seat behind her husband.

Below, a large turquoise cigarette boat roared through the waves toward Na’alele, flying across the water, white spray flying out behind it.

“Look at that.” David pointed, and they all looked down to see the large yacht just off shore. “It’s the Helmans’ yacht.”

Tina gasped. “What are those kepolos, devils doing here? I thought they were all dead.”

Homu stared at the sleek craft, dread tightening in his chest. They’d all thought so. But now it seemed at least one of their enemy was still alive.

“Very well,” he said. “We must begin the chant from here.” He looked over at David as the small helicopter bucked and slid sideways. “Can you hold it?”

David nodded grimly. “But we’ve got to hold her.”

“My Nani,” Daro groaned, his voice shaking. “Oh, what have they done to her?”

“I don’t know,” Homu admitted. “I can feel her power, stronger than I would have believed possible.”

“She is very strong,” Tina agreed. “Unnaturally so.”

“David? Pop?” Daniel’s deep, rough voice crackled through their headphones. “What in hell is going on? Looks like a storm going on down here— all on land. And that’s the Helman yacht out there.”

“We’ve seen it. I don’t know what is happening. Bella has obviously inherited our powers—my powers,” Homu said grimly. “And she is out of control.”

“What can we do?” Daro demanded.

“Chant—now!” roared a new voice through the radio. Hilo, Homu’s brother, rode in the boat