Final Storm Read online

  About the Book

  Isabella, Griffin and their friends have settled into New City, enrolled in school and are making new friends, including the charming Aleksander Larsen.

  But their home is facing a new threat – weather patterns are becoming erratic and fierce ice storms batter the city.

  When someone from Isabella’s past returns, loyalties are tested. Who is watching her from the shadows? And can Isabella and Griffin’s friendship survive this furious final storm?

  Contents

  Cover

  About the Book

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Griffin’s Diary

  Prologue

  Chapter One: A Broken Rule

  Chapter Two: The Academy

  Chapter Three: A Special Demonstration

  Chapter Four: A New Alliance

  Chapter Five: Aeroball

  Chapter Six: A Small Gift

  Chapter Seven: A Grand Unveiling

  Chapter Eight: A Curious Incident

  Chapter Nine: An Unfortunate Encounter

  Chapter Ten: A Warning

  Chapter Eleven: A Wild Ride

  Chapter Twelve: A Quiet Fear

  Chapter Thirteen: An Uncertain Promise

  Chapter Fourteen: A Race Against Time

  Chapter Fifteen: Unexpected Guests

  Chapter Sixteen: A Sneaking Suspicion

  Chapter Seventeen: A Puzzling Find

  Chapter Eighteen: An Unforeseen Turn of Events

  Chapter Nineteen: A Long Overdue Reunion

  Chapter Twenty: A Grand Celebration

  Chapter Twenty-one: A Fateful Decision

  Chapter Twenty-two: A Terrible Discovery

  Chapter Twenty-three: A Frightening Prospect

  Chapter Twenty-four: A Disturbing Realisation

  Chapter Twenty-five: An Old Foe Returns

  Chapter Twenty-six: A White Lie

  Chapter Twenty-seven: A Clever Escape

  Chapter Twenty-eight: A Sneaky Plan

  Chapter Twenty-nine: A Trip to the Haggle

  Chapter Thirty: An Unlikely Hero

  Chapter Thirty-one: A Close Call

  Chapter Thirty-two: A Wretched Betrayal

  Chapter Thirty-three: An Uneasy Farewell

  Chapter Thirty-four: A Fiendish Act

  Chapter Thirty-five: A Deadly Storm

  Chapter Thirty-six: The Grand Finale

  Chapter Thirty-seven: A Sudden Appearance

  Chapter Thirty-eight: A Hasty Escape

  Chapter Thirty-nine: Coming Home

  About the Author

  Acknowledgements

  Deborah Abela and Room to Read

  Praise

  Books by Deborah Abela

  Imprint

  Read more at Penguin Books Australia

  To Brandon,

  for making me a better writer

  And Monica Hawton,

  for helping me with this book

  And Edyn, as brave as Isabella

  Dear Diary,

  It’s been four years since the floods. Four years since Grimsdon was ruined. Since everything and almost everyone we knew was lost, including our parents.

  I remember the noise the most. The creaking buildings, the smashing windows and crunching metal as cars and trucks were rolled down streets like marbles.

  The waves were like a hungry giant stampeding through the city, devouring everything in its wake.

  Luckily most people were rescued but we were left behind.

  We made a home in a building called the Palace, found the twins, Bea and Raffy, and soon after that, Fly. When Xavier broke in, Isabella almost threw him out the window, until he told us about his flying machine called an Aerotrope. We weren’t sure if we could trust him at first, but when he took Isabella flying, we knew we could use the machine to try to escape, so we let him stay. He has a big mouth and can be annoying, but when he’s not showing off, he’s almost bearable.

  For three years we survived without electricity, computers, phones and our families, facing sea creatures and sneaker waves and an evil harbour lord called Sneddon.

  It was only when we met Jeremiah and he told us that he and Isabella’s father had warned the government about the floods, that we learned Grimsdon could have been saved.

  Adults knew about the warnings and most of them did nothing.

  With the city becoming too dangerous, Xavier used his Aerotrope to get help and we flew to New City, where we live now. It’s modern and new, with buildings strong enough to withstand the wild and unpredictable weather. It was ruled by Major General Grimes and his Garrison, who rescued the city from chaos after the floods.

  Turns out he wasn’t so trustworthy. When we heard rumours about a secret at the edge of the forest, he insisted they weren’t true and ordered us to stay away. But Isabella refused to obey and discovered he was lying. I was angry about the danger she’d put herself in, but when she gets an idea in her head, not even a tornado can shift it. She was right, as usual, and the Major General finally got what was coming to him.

  That was a year ago.

  The Garrison has been expelled and replaced by a new government, Jeremiah is officially our guardian, we have a new home and we’re back in school.

  The planet is still suffering from dangerous weather, but governments are listening now and trying to repair the damage, even though some parts of the world have been lost forever.

  I feel safe with Jeremiah and the others but there are times I worry, that just like Grimsdon, everything will be taken away again.

  That’s what scares me the most.

  I wish I could be as brave as Isabella and as strong and confident as Xavier, but one thing I do know, I am going to do everything I can to keep all of them safe.

  That’s a promise.

  Griffin

  Prologue

  The creature rose into the dawn light. Its wings unfurled in powerful swoops, launching higher. Other creatures followed in perfect formation, until a squadron of flying beasts filled the sky.

  High on a mountaintop, a man in a long, woollen coat stood on the balcony of his mansion, eyeing the birds through a golden spyglass. He watched as one by one, they disappeared into a bulging mass of clouds.

  He lowered the spyglass and slipped it into his pocket. Rubbing his gloved hands together, he gazed over New City that lay before him.

  It was a model for all future cities if humans were to survive.

  His eyes ran over fields of solar panels, hills of wind turbines and food domes that glistened like crystal balls. He admired the cyclone-proof buildings, draped in layers of plants and topped with gardens, so they looked like furry giants sprouting wild hairdos. Winding through it all were narrow, cobbled streets, crawling with indestructible bug-shaped vehicles.

  And in the centre, lording over it all, was a labyrinthine castle. Protected by a dark, snaking wall, its towers, battlements and gatehouse reached into the sky.

  It was the castle the man’s eyes settled on last. A greedy smile lifted into his lips.

  ‘Not long now,’ he said.

  He took a phone from his pocket. The light from the screen gave his face a ghostly glow as he typed. He replaced the phone and waited in the calm of the morning.

  It wasn’t long before the clouds began to boil and churn. A crack of thunder split the heavens. Shadows fell across the city and the last of the sunlight was wiped out. The temperature plummeted and it began to snow.

  The man closed his eyes and let the flakes of ice melt on his skin. A violent burst of wind bullied into him and he lost his footing. He gripped the railing and was quickly swallowed by the blizzard.

  He held on and laughed.

  This was even more marvellous than he’d imagined.
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br />   He pulled his collar up to his chin, made a dash for the building’s warm interior and closed the door against the storm.

  CHAPTER ONE

  A Broken Rule

  Isabella ran.

  She tore across the frozen lake, squinting against the falling snow that stung her cheeks and clogged the air like confetti, making it almost impossible to see.

  The heavy smack of footsteps behind her came closer.

  Ignoring the pain in her legs, she ran faster. She had no choice. She had to get away. Her eyes watered and her ears filled with the pounding of her heart and the rushing wind, when a piercing smack split the air.

  She came to a sliding halt, arms waving, just managing to stay upright. Between her boots, she watched a long, snaking crack carve through the ice, creating a maze of deadly, tree-like splinters.

  Any movement and she’d be hurled into the icy, black waters.

  Rasping, strangled breathing sounded behind her.

  Looking over her shoulder, she saw a tall, cloaked figure step out of the snow, his face hidden beneath a dark hood. Shafts of black, tangled hair caught in the wind, writhing like snakes. Each step he took sparked another wave of cracks.

  Isabella.

  ‘Who are you?’ She tried to keep her voice from shaking.

  The man laughed. It sounded more like a wheezy cough. His gnarled, bony hand reached out from beneath the folds of his cloak.

  Isabella.

  She couldn’t move. She barely breathed.

  The fractures in the ice grew. She had seconds to get away.

  But it was too late.

  In one last sickening crack, the ice shattered like broken glass and she plunged into the freezing water.

  Isabella woke, gasping for air.

  ‘Everything’s okay.’ Griffin was by her side. ‘You were having a nightmare.’

  Isabella tried to pull herself from the haze of sleep. She wasn’t being chased, there was no frozen lake. She was safe at home with Griffin and the others.

  Letting out a weary sigh, she dragged herself up, pulling her knees to her chest. ‘Sorry I woke you. Again.’

  ‘It’s okay.’ And he meant it. ‘I was awake anyway.’

  Isabella eyed him through a tumble of auburn curls. ‘You’re a terrible liar.’

  He offered her a superior look. ‘I’ll take that as a compliment.’

  Isabella hugged her knees tighter. ‘I was being chased.’

  ‘By what?’

  ‘A man, I think.’ She gave her friend a sideways glance. ‘Did I say anything?’

  Griffin adjusted his glasses, wondering if he should tell the truth. ‘You were calling for your mum.’

  There it was, the look he’d been dreading.

  ‘Oh.’

  This had been happening a lot lately. The nightmares where Isabella was being chased and calling for her mum.

  ‘Can I tell you a secret?’ she asked.

  Griffin leaned forward. ‘Of course. Anything.’

  ‘Ever since we found out my dad died, I’ve wondered if Mum’s still alive and if she might try to find me. It’s silly, isn’t it? After all this time.’

  Isabella’s mum left when she was a kid. No note, no goodbye. Nothing. She hadn’t seen her since. All she had was one crumpled photo. Everything else about her was blurry, like looking through a window in a storm.

  ‘I don’t think it’s silly,’ Griffin said quietly, careful not to wake the others. ‘I wonder the same thing about my parents.’

  Griffin’s mum and dad were on a boat on the Grimsdon River when the flood hit. He knew the chances of surviving were slim. Impossible even, but that didn’t stop him hoping.

  ‘Do you think of them often?’

  Griffin bit his lip and admitted, ‘Every day.’

  Isabella’s voice caught. ‘Me too.’

  ‘Can I tell you my secret?’

  Isabella nodded.

  ‘I talk to my parents every morning when I wake up. Just to say hello.’

  Isabella’s eyes widened. ‘I do the same with Dad. Do you think they can hear us?’

  ‘Mum could hear me mumble from the opposite side of the house, so I’m guessing she can.’ Griffin straightened, shaking off Isabella’s nightmare. ‘Ready for our first day back?’

  ‘I think so.’

  ‘Remember when we started school? Our dads walked us there. You were so excited until you realised they couldn’t stay. Your tantrum was spectacular.’

  ‘My dad was smarter than anyone. He deserved to be there.’

  Griffin didn’t even try to hide his smile. ‘It was the first of many rules you didn’t like.’

  ‘I like rules.’ Isabella tugged at the blankets in a huff.

  ‘Really? Like the Garrison’s rule to stay away from the forest?’

  ‘I had to see what was there.’

  ‘Or their rule not to leave headquarters alone?’

  ‘I can handle myself.’

  ‘What about Sneddon’s rule to steal for him.’

  Isabella jolted at the name. ‘Rules deserve to be broken when they don’t make any sense.’

  ‘Even if it gets us into trouble?’

  ‘Especially then.’ Isabella smiled for the first time that morning, which made Griffin’s heart skip a little.

  ‘I’ll remember that when you break another one.’ He got to his feet. ‘Are you feeling okay?’

  Isabella perked up. ‘Much better. Thanks, Griffin.’

  ‘Anytime. I’ll wake the others.’ He headed for the door and snuck one last look before he left. Isabella’s face had clouded over and she slumped forward.

  Griffin was annoyed that he’d mentioned Sneddon. He thought back to the cruel, wild-haired man who’d lived on a ship in Grimsdon Harbour, whose thugs forced them to steal for him. Who tied Isabella in ropes and made her walk the plank, so she almost drowned.

  They rarely said his name; it was an unspoken rule. One that Griffin had just broken.

  CHAPTER TWO

  The Academy

  Small plumes of snow swirled behind the Armavan as it lumbered into the heart of New City. Resembling a steel tank, it drove between plant-covered buildings that towered above them.

  Jeremiah checked the monitor on the dashboard. ‘Light snow. No warnings,’ he mumbled. ‘That’s good. Very good.’

  Knowing the weather at every second could save your life.

  From the backseat, Isabella caught his worried look in the rearview mirror. When their eyes met, Jeremiah switched to an overly cheery mood. ‘Everyone ready for a new term?’

  ‘I am.’ Bea was desperate to be upbeat for her brother. ‘It’ll be fun.’

  Raffy hadn’t spoken all morning. ‘What if they kick me out?’

  ‘I won’t let them.’ Bea crossed her arms. She had a long mane of rebellious red curls and even though she was short, she gave the impression of being taller than she really was.

  Bea and Raffy had been five when the floods hit. Now that they were nine, they’d only had one year of school. Bea had caught up fast, but Raffy found it harder.

  ‘What if I’m not smart enough?’ His voice was small and barely there.

  ‘You listen to me, Raphael.’ Isabella rarely used Raffy’s full name or her stern voice, but sometimes she knew it was necessary. ‘You’re not going anywhere. You are stuck with us for life. And if anyone thinks differently, they’ll have to deal with us.’

  ‘You bet they will,’ Bea said.

  Griffin put on his best tough guy voice. ‘They wouldn’t stand a chance.’

  Bea tilted her head, trying to catch her brother’s downcast eye. ‘Okay?’

  Raffy glanced at them through his floppy red fringe. ‘You’re all a bit scary when you gang up on people.’

  Bea threw him a cheeky grin. ‘That’s when we do our best work.’

  ‘I predict you will all be exceptionally fine,’ Jeremiah said, poking a finger into the air. ‘And I should know, I’m a scientist.’

 
Relief seemed to sink into Raffy’s shoulders and Bea mouthed, ‘Thank you’ to Jeremiah.

  They entered a wide avenue and joined a long line of Armavans. They were heading towards a complex of domed buildings, connected by tubular glass walkways. On the largest dome was a sign that read:

  The Academy

  School of Excellence

  ‘Everyone got their weather detectors?’ Jeremiah asked the same question every time they went outside. Even into their own backyard.

  ‘Yes,’ they replied, grabbing their schoolbags and scrambling out of the van.

  Isabella lingered at the door. ‘Are you sure you’re okay?’

  ‘Just a bit tired,’ Jeremiah replied. ‘There’s a lot going on at the Bureau. Nothing a good night’s sleep won’t fix. Now go out there and shine, Ms Isabella Charm.’

  The door of the Armavan came down with a quiet hiss and Jeremiah drove away.

  Over the last few years, life had been so precarious that Isabella had become used to being in a constant state of high alert. Of avoiding sneaker waves and storms, bounty hunters and corrupt adults. She was used to trouble following them at every turn. It was a hard feeling to shake. The worsening weather didn’t help.

  Armavans pulled up and kids spilled out, racing into each other’s arms and streaming into school. Teachers welcomed the students, warning them not to linger too long outside.

  Another Armavan arrived. A tall boy stepped out wearing a long, black coat. He had carefully messy hair and the confidence of someone who’d never doubted themselves. He was more rock star than fifteen-year-old. At least to himself.