to live with her. He came from the island where the witches live. He must be awfully old by now.”
“You thought I was dead!” squeaked a voice by her elbow. “What a horrible thing to say about somebody! Although living here with that bloated bag who calls himself a butler would be enough to shorten anyone’s life. Did you know that he kidnapped me the other day and tried to stuff me down a hole in the ground bubbling with super-hot steam? I was lucky to get away with only a few toasted toes!”
“I wouldn’t have done it if you hadn’t glued my suckers to an electric eel, you vermin on a half shell. I’ll probably list to the side for the rest of my life, shortened as it will be from living with you.”
“Now, boys,” said a melodious voice from another room. “How many times have I told you that I want you to get along? Who was at the door, Octavius?”
“Princess Millie and her friend,” Octavius replied. “I think he’s a very close friend, too. They’ve been holding hands ever since they arrived.”
“Really?” said Coral, swimming into the hallway. She looked surprised and nearly dropped the seashell she was using to comb her long hair. Millie saw that the mermaid had already changed the seashells she wore on the top part of her body. “Ordinarily I’d be delighted to see you, but this isn’t the best time for a visit. You didn’t happen to see two horrible dragons when you came in, did you? I just had a very narrow escape! They were outside the castle a few minutes ago. I shot at them with my narwhal tusk. I put a repelling spell on it to keep the sea monster away, and I’m so glad I did. We’ve had such a terrible time of late. First the sea monster and now the dragons; who knows what’s going to show up next?”
“Uh, should we tell her?” Audun asked Millie.
“I think we’d better,” she told him.
Coral looked puzzled. “Tell me what?”
“That we’re the two horrible dragons,” said Millie. “I can turn into a dragon at will now, and Audun, well, he’s a dragon who learned how to turn into a human. We didn’t mean to frighten you. We just wanted to ask you some questions.”
Coral clapped her hand over her mouth. “I’m so embarrassed!” said the mermaid. “I know that your mother can turn into one and I’d heard that you could, too, but it never occurred to me that you might be one of the dragons outside my door! And you’re Audun? Grassina mentioned you. You’re a very brave young man—er, dragon—from what I’ve heard. Octavius, what are you doing?”
One of the octopus’s long tentacles was edging across the floor, reaching for Shelton, who was too busy listening to Coral to notice. Octavius stopped now and flushed a deep red. “I was about to take out the trash?”
“You two will never stop, will you? Why don’t you get us something to eat, Octavius? You must be starving,” she said, turning to Millie and Audun. “I’m sure becoming a dragon takes a lot out of you.”
“Actually, this isn’t a social visit. We need to ask you about my mother and Grassina. They came to help the witches who live on an island near here. Did either of them come to see you by any chance?”
Coral sighed and nodded. “I was afraid that was why you were here. Come sit down and I’ll tell you what I know, which isn’t much, unfortunately.”
Millie looked worried when she glanced at Audun and was grateful when he slipped his arm around her. They followed the mermaid into another room and sat down on a bench made of polished stone. Coral sat down opposite them and lowered her hand to pick up Shelton, who was tugging at her tail.
“Grassina and Haywood stopped by first,” said Coral. “They said that a sea witch was using a sea monster to terrorize some other witches on an island. I told her that the only sea witch in the area, other than myself, of course, was Nastia Nautica. I haven’t seen her in ages, and since her daughter, Pearl, moved away, I
“You thought I was dead!” squeaked a voice by her elbow. “What a horrible thing to say about somebody! Although living here with that bloated bag who calls himself a butler would be enough to shorten anyone’s life. Did you know that he kidnapped me the other day and tried to stuff me down a hole in the ground bubbling with super-hot steam? I was lucky to get away with only a few toasted toes!”
“I wouldn’t have done it if you hadn’t glued my suckers to an electric eel, you vermin on a half shell. I’ll probably list to the side for the rest of my life, shortened as it will be from living with you.”
“Now, boys,” said a melodious voice from another room. “How many times have I told you that I want you to get along? Who was at the door, Octavius?”
“Princess Millie and her friend,” Octavius replied. “I think he’s a very close friend, too. They’ve been holding hands ever since they arrived.”
“Really?” said Coral, swimming into the hallway. She looked surprised and nearly dropped the seashell she was using to comb her long hair. Millie saw that the mermaid had already changed the seashells she wore on the top part of her body. “Ordinarily I’d be delighted to see you, but this isn’t the best time for a visit. You didn’t happen to see two horrible dragons when you came in, did you? I just had a very narrow escape! They were outside the castle a few minutes ago. I shot at them with my narwhal tusk. I put a repelling spell on it to keep the sea monster away, and I’m so glad I did. We’ve had such a terrible time of late. First the sea monster and now the dragons; who knows what’s going to show up next?”
“Uh, should we tell her?” Audun asked Millie.
“I think we’d better,” she told him.
Coral looked puzzled. “Tell me what?”
“That we’re the two horrible dragons,” said Millie. “I can turn into a dragon at will now, and Audun, well, he’s a dragon who learned how to turn into a human. We didn’t mean to frighten you. We just wanted to ask you some questions.”
Coral clapped her hand over her mouth. “I’m so embarrassed!” said the mermaid. “I know that your mother can turn into one and I’d heard that you could, too, but it never occurred to me that you might be one of the dragons outside my door! And you’re Audun? Grassina mentioned you. You’re a very brave young man—er, dragon—from what I’ve heard. Octavius, what are you doing?”
One of the octopus’s long tentacles was edging across the floor, reaching for Shelton, who was too busy listening to Coral to notice. Octavius stopped now and flushed a deep red. “I was about to take out the trash?”
“You two will never stop, will you? Why don’t you get us something to eat, Octavius? You must be starving,” she said, turning to Millie and Audun. “I’m sure becoming a dragon takes a lot out of you.”
“Actually, this isn’t a social visit. We need to ask you about my mother and Grassina. They came to help the witches who live on an island near here. Did either of them come to see you by any chance?”
Coral sighed and nodded. “I was afraid that was why you were here. Come sit down and I’ll tell you what I know, which isn’t much, unfortunately.”
Millie looked worried when she glanced at Audun and was grateful when he slipped his arm around her. They followed the mermaid into another room and sat down on a bench made of polished stone. Coral sat down opposite them and lowered her hand to pick up Shelton, who was tugging at her tail.
“Grassina and Haywood stopped by first,” said Coral. “They said that a sea witch was using a sea monster to terrorize some other witches on an island. I told her that the only sea witch in the area, other than myself, of course, was Nastia Nautica. I haven’t seen her in ages, and since her daughter, Pearl, moved away, I
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