6 Meeting the Witch

CHAPTER Six Meeting The Witch "Get the small ones!" the Ninns shouted. "And the purple Lumpy king, too!" The kids shot down the passage like rockets. They dived into the first cave they came to. The two Ninns didn't see them. They charged away down the passage, thumping their big feet. Eric breathed a sigh of relief. Then he looked around. "Uh… who picked this cave?" "You did!" Neal answered. Instead of a hot, red cave, the space inside was tinted blue. A cool breeze blew through it.

And in the center was a large pool of the bluest water imaginable. The surface of the water glistened and sparkled like glass. "Whoa!" said Julie, peering around. "This is the place from my dream! This is what I saw!" "Do you think it's regular water?" Eric asked. "I don't see anything yucky," Neal said. "I don't like it," Khan murmured. Keeah stepped closer. "Let me test it out." Keeah had told the kids she had powers. But they weren't exactly sure what she could do. "Careful," said Eric. "This is Kano, don't forget. Sparr's home base." Keeah reached for the water. Suddenly, something with scaly skin slithered toward her from the far side of the pool. "Watch out!" Julie cried. "A sea monster!"

Keeah jerked back from the edge of the pool.

A long, green, scaly tail broke the surface with a loud splash. It slapped down hard, and seconds later a head popped up out of the water. It was the head of a woman! "A mermaid!" Eric whispered. Her skin was white, her lips were black. She had long, wet, green hair. Her shoulders were dark and scaly. And her deep blue eyes narrowed as she looked from one child to the next. "No," said Max. "Not a mermaid." The woman spoke. "Who—are—you?" Her voice was eerie and deep. It seemed to come from every corner of the cave. Each word echoed off the stony walls. Keeah glanced at her friends, then turned to the woman. "Uh… we… I am Keeah, Princess of Droon. And these are my friends." The woman's eyes didn't move. "Friends from the Upper World. Sparr has spoken of you." Julie shuddered. "What did he say about us? What does Lord Sparr know about us?" But the woman didn't answer. She turned to Keeah. "You have come for the Eye of Dawn." Eric jumped. "How did you know that?"

"I am Demither," the woman said. "Some people say I am a witch. I know many things." Her spiked tail flipped up suddenly. Water splashed on the cave walls and hissed. "I've heard of you," Max twittered. "My master, Galen, has spoken of your evil deeds." "Some choose to be evil," the witch said. "Some are forced to be evil." Demither clenched her teeth and dove under the water again. "Something's weird," Eric said. "She looks like she's in pain or something." "I am still afraid to trust her," Max said. Splash! Demither rose again. "The Eye is in the Room of Fire!" She closed her eyes and groaned. "Cross the Bridge of Ice, and you will find it." Keeah stepped to the edge. "If you know things, can you tell me how my mother died—" "Your mother is alive!" the witch cried sharply. "Like me, she is cursed, in prison!" Keeah gasped. "Prison! Here in the volcano?" "Not here… everywhere!" the witch cried. "Find her. Help her— as no one has helped me!"