1 MY Turn

The Secret World of Mermaids

CHAPTER 1

MY Turn Swish! Swish! Swish! Prince Lucas and his best friend, Clara, swept dirt, leaves, and bits of straw into a corner of Ruskin's lair. They wanted the cave to be clean and perfect when Ruskin returned. Ruskin was on the island of Crestwood for the week. He was perfecting his fire- breathing skills, and Grom, the wizard overseeing Ruskin's training, had told Lucas that being around other dragons every once in a while was good for him. "Look at all the cobwebs!" cried Clara, pointing to shadowy corners of the lair. "This place looks more like a home for spiders than for a dragon," said Lucas. They turned their brooms upside down and began to brush the webs from the corners of the lair. Spiders

scurried into the cracks between the stones. "I can't wait until Ruskin can go on more adventures with us," Lucas said.

"Me too," agreed Clara. "I wonder what land we'll discover next." "Well, wherever it is," answered Lucas, "I'm going to be the one to discover it!" Clara stopped sweeping the walls for a moment. "Why do you say it like that?" she asked. Lucas shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it's because you always discover everything first," he said.

"I'm not trying to," responded Clara. "It's just because I know my way around the kingdom from all the bread deliveries I've done with my father." "I know," said Lucas, "but I wish I could discover something before you just once." Clara pulled a cobweb from her sleeve. "You're being silly," she said. "Besides, we've discovered lots of things together."