7 The Fierce Beast

CHAPTER Seven The Fierce Beast The four kids all stared at Demither. "So it's true!" Keeah exclaimed. "My mother is alive. I knew she was! I knew it!" "Why are you helping us?" Eric asked the witch. "I thought you were a friend of Sparr." "Friend!" the woman shrieked. She rose up ten feet in the air. Her scaly skin rippled and twisted as she curved up toward the cave's ceiling. "I—am—a—friend—of—no—one!" "Wait," Keeah pleaded. "I need to know—"

But the witch's scaly body slithered back silently into the dark pool. The water hissed loudly as she passed under it. Then the surface went still. Demither was gone. The kids looked at one another for a long time. "It sounds like Sparr is forcing the witch to do bad stuff," Julie said finally. "Maybe he cursed your mother, Keeah." "I don't like it," Max said. "Demither could be lying to us." Keeah stared at the pool. "We need the Eye." "Can the Eye do good things, too?" Eric asked her. "Can it, like, heal people and stuff?" Keeah nodded. "Galen told me once that the jewel does what its owner wants it to." "Cool," Neal mumbled. "I wish my dog did." "But it is dangerous, too," said Khan. "Even Sparr was hurt by its power." Eric turned to Keeah. "We'll get the Eye back for you. We'll do it, I promise. No matter—" He never got a chance to finish. Clomp, clomp! Heavy footsteps rushed toward the blue cave from the path outside. "Hurry, or we'll be trapped!" Julie cried. She and Neal slipped out, with Max and Khan scrambling behind. But Eric and Keeah couldn't make it.

"Behind these rocks, quick!" Eric said to her. They jumped behind a low pile of rocks near the cave entrance. In marched ten Ninns. In between them crawled a strange, dark beast. It snarled and growled at the nervouslooking Ninns. The beast stopped at the pool's edge. "What is that thing?" Eric whispered to Keeah. The princess shook her head. "I don't know." The beast yowled sharply, as if it were hurt. In the dim light, Eric could see that the creature had four thick, clawed legs and a long body. Its skin was black and bumpy from its large head all the way to its long, spiked tail. On the top of its head were rows of large, pointed ears, like bat's ears. Eric's stomach turned just looking at the ugly thing. He swallowed hard. "It's some kind of weird, horrible monster." "Is this Sparr's secret weapon?" Keeah asked. Eric struggled to keep his food down. "Maybe this is his secret. The one in my dream. The secret Sparr thought I knew. He keeps a monster for a pet." Suddenly, the creature charged forward and leaped to the pool. It began to slurp loudly.

"Let's get out of here," Keeah whispered. "That thing could turn on us." Eric began to tremble. "Wait…" They watched the beast drink and drink.

Eric turned to Keeah. She looked at him.

then they looked back at the creature. Their eyes went wide with amazement. No, eric gasped softly. "It can't be"