Emerald Child — Karen Hughes (1)

A hidden island. A forgotten child. A kingdom ruled by fear ... Far away on a hidden island, smoke rises from an ancient chest buried in the sand. When Indie sees a boy's face in the smoke, she is sure he will answer her questions. But the boy, Kai, has a more desperate motive. He helps Indie escape from the island, knowing she is the only hope for Gort and the tree-dwelling Kalika people.