then it dove, heading straight for the bottom of the lake. Tamisin barely had time to fill her lungs before she was underwater. She was still trying to pull her legs free when the monster changed direction and headed for the surface. Its head was thrown back so far that Tamisin could see a round, white stone filling the fluttering edges of the hole. That must be what the fairies had dropped. If only she could get the stone out . . .
Tamisin reached for the stone but was thrown back when the beast began to thrash again. One of her feet came loose and she slid sideways, still held fast on the other side. She glanced down when she felt new pressure on her leg. A nymph was there, trying to unwrap the tangled tendrils that were holding Tamisin in place. Fighting the urge to draw a breath, Tamisin clung to the sea monster’s back for one more agonizing moment until suddenly her leg was free and the nymph was tugging her to the surface. But there was something that Tamisin had to do first. Pulling away from the nymph, she shot out her hand, dug her fingers into the hole, grasped the stone, and ripped it from the opening. A gush of fishy air shoved her halfway to the surface.
Tamisin surfaced with a lung-wrenching gasp. Her hand was shaky as she pushed her streaming hair off her face. “Thank you,” she told the nymph who had dragged her up.
“I’m glad I could help,” the nymph replied. “Thatwhisker was tied around your foot so tight, I thought I’d never get it undone. Why did you tie yourself on, anyway?”
Tamisin was confused. “I didn’t.”
The nymph gave her an odd look, then flipped her head to toss her hair over her shoulder and said, “My mistake. Thanks for helping Rudie. I don’t know why the fairies like dropping stones into his breathing vent, but that’s not the first time it’s happened.” With a wave of her hand, she dove back into the water.
“Are you all right?” Dasras called to Tamisin from the shore where he and a crowd of fairies had been watching.
“I’m fine,” Tamisin said, grateful when he reached out to give her a hand up.
When she was standing beside him, Dasras eyed her clothes. “You should go change. Your father sent word that he wants to talk to you.”
“Did you see what happened? A fairy dropped a stone in the sea monster’s breathing vent! Do you think we should tell my father?”
“What difference would it make?” asked Dasras.
“We could have drowned!”
“Fairies are always playing pranks like that. It’s what they do for fun. Your father couldn’t do anything unless he had proof and knew who dropped it. And even then he probably wouldn’t do much. Where’s the stone now?”
Tamisin shrugged. “At the bottom of the lake, I guess. I dropped it after I pulled it out.”
“Then I wouldn’t bother telling him,” Dasras said.
“But what about the monster’s tendrils or whiskers orwhatever it is you call them? Someone tied me onto the monster’s back!”
Dasras frowned. “Why would anyone do that?”
“That’s what I’d like to know!” said Tamisin.
“There’s no way to prove that either. All I can say is that you’d better hurry. Oberon doesn’t like being kept waiting.”
Tamisin would have liked nothing better than to rest and gather her thoughts, but she doubted Oberon would understand if she didn’t go to him as soon as she could. Dashing back to the tree where she slept, she changed into a dry dress, then hurried to Oberon’s glade.
A group of fairy warriors surrounded the fairy king, looking stern faced and serious. Mountain Ash was there as well, his expression grimmer than the rest. While Oberon spoke in muted tones to the colonel, Tamisin waited at the edge of the glade. She was there only a few minutes when the fairy king glanced up and saw her.
“Ah, there she is,” he said, and gestured to the fairy warriors. Although they bowed and backed away, Tamisin could feel their eyes on her as she approached the king.
Tamisin reached for the stone but was thrown back when the beast began to thrash again. One of her feet came loose and she slid sideways, still held fast on the other side. She glanced down when she felt new pressure on her leg. A nymph was there, trying to unwrap the tangled tendrils that were holding Tamisin in place. Fighting the urge to draw a breath, Tamisin clung to the sea monster’s back for one more agonizing moment until suddenly her leg was free and the nymph was tugging her to the surface. But there was something that Tamisin had to do first. Pulling away from the nymph, she shot out her hand, dug her fingers into the hole, grasped the stone, and ripped it from the opening. A gush of fishy air shoved her halfway to the surface.
Tamisin surfaced with a lung-wrenching gasp. Her hand was shaky as she pushed her streaming hair off her face. “Thank you,” she told the nymph who had dragged her up.
“I’m glad I could help,” the nymph replied. “Thatwhisker was tied around your foot so tight, I thought I’d never get it undone. Why did you tie yourself on, anyway?”
Tamisin was confused. “I didn’t.”
The nymph gave her an odd look, then flipped her head to toss her hair over her shoulder and said, “My mistake. Thanks for helping Rudie. I don’t know why the fairies like dropping stones into his breathing vent, but that’s not the first time it’s happened.” With a wave of her hand, she dove back into the water.
“Are you all right?” Dasras called to Tamisin from the shore where he and a crowd of fairies had been watching.
“I’m fine,” Tamisin said, grateful when he reached out to give her a hand up.
When she was standing beside him, Dasras eyed her clothes. “You should go change. Your father sent word that he wants to talk to you.”
“Did you see what happened? A fairy dropped a stone in the sea monster’s breathing vent! Do you think we should tell my father?”
“What difference would it make?” asked Dasras.
“We could have drowned!”
“Fairies are always playing pranks like that. It’s what they do for fun. Your father couldn’t do anything unless he had proof and knew who dropped it. And even then he probably wouldn’t do much. Where’s the stone now?”
Tamisin shrugged. “At the bottom of the lake, I guess. I dropped it after I pulled it out.”
“Then I wouldn’t bother telling him,” Dasras said.
“But what about the monster’s tendrils or whiskers orwhatever it is you call them? Someone tied me onto the monster’s back!”
Dasras frowned. “Why would anyone do that?”
“That’s what I’d like to know!” said Tamisin.
“There’s no way to prove that either. All I can say is that you’d better hurry. Oberon doesn’t like being kept waiting.”
Tamisin would have liked nothing better than to rest and gather her thoughts, but she doubted Oberon would understand if she didn’t go to him as soon as she could. Dashing back to the tree where she slept, she changed into a dry dress, then hurried to Oberon’s glade.
A group of fairy warriors surrounded the fairy king, looking stern faced and serious. Mountain Ash was there as well, his expression grimmer than the rest. While Oberon spoke in muted tones to the colonel, Tamisin waited at the edge of the glade. She was there only a few minutes when the fairy king glanced up and saw her.
“Ah, there she is,” he said, and gestured to the fairy warriors. Although they bowed and backed away, Tamisin could feel their eyes on her as she approached the king.
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