“They didn’t need to go that far,” Audun whispered to Millie. “What do they think we’re going to do, turn into whales?”
“They’d probably enjoy that, too,” said Millie. “We need to hurry and start looking, so let’s do this together. One, two, three …”
They had gotten good at timing their turns at the same moment. The air began to shimmer around them, then their bodies began to elongate, their heads stretched, their limbs grew. Scaly skin replaced human flesh, and their teeth grew long and sharp. Their blinking eyes became larger, their pupils narrower. It all happened quicker than three heartbeats, and then they stood on the beach, water swirling around their scaled legs as their tails lashed the sand.
The dragons took to the air with the sound of the witches’ applause. Millie could still hear them as she and Audun flew out over the curling waves to the deeper water that moved in small, barely discernible swells.
“Hold on tight,” Audun said, taking her front talons in his.
They dove into the water and began to make a circle around the island. Millie held her breath until she remembered that it wasn’t necessary. She felt a flutter of panic as she took her first breath, and relaxed when it felt natural.
Millie had gone swimming in the ocean as a dragon before, but she never grew tired of seeing what lay below the surface. Brightly colored fish darted around fantastic formations of coral, scattering as the dragons approached. Snaggle-toothed eels peered out from their hiding places, backing away when the dragons came too close. Large fish watched warily, keeping their distance. A curious shark came close enough to study the swimming dragons, then swam lazily away as if it had nothing to fear.
After swimming around the island once and seeing no hint of a sea monster, Millie and Audun expanded their search, swimming in ever-widening circles. As they moved away from the island, they no longer saw coral or the brightly colored fish, yet there was still life in the ocean around them. A strange flat fish nearly buried in the silt of the ocean floor watched them with one eye as they passed overhead. Fish as long as Millie’s leg swam past in a school, their silver sides flashing as they changed direction. A huge crab scuttled across the ocean floor, leaving a trail of disturbed silt in its wake. And still they saw no sign of a sea monster.
They widened their circle, spiraling out from the island, which had now disappeared from sight. With nothing to use as a visual reference, Millie was glad that dragons had such a good sense of direction. No matter which way she turned, she knew where the island lay and even which way she’d have to fly to go home. Once she’d visited a place as a dragon, she could always find it again.
Lost in their own thoughts, Millie and Audun swam side by side in silence. That was one of the things that Millie liked most about Audun: he was great company even when neither of them had anything to say. She glanced at him and thought again how handsome he was and how good to help her with her family’s problems. Most of the human princes she’d met would have helped her only if they themselves would have benefited in some way. Audun had told her that he did it simply because he loved her. She couldn’t think of a better reason.
The ocean floor had begun to look monotonous, so Millie couldn’t help but notice the seaweed. It started out as a few stray clumps but soon became a vast bed of long green plants swaying with the movement of the water, like saplings in a strong wind. Knowing that anything could lurk in the seaweed made her more cautious, but Audun plowed ahead, pulling her with him as they entered the forest that reached from the ocean floor to the water’s surface.
The seaweed surrounded them immediately, muffling sound and blocking much of the light that filtered down through the water. Millie didn’t like the way the seaweed hissed like a nest of baby snakes as it brushed against her scales, plucking at her limbs like long, green fingers. Even worse was the knowledge that some terrible beast could be only yards away and she wouldn’t know it. She pulled her legs tighter to her body and discovered that she could swim faster with her legs tucked close and her tail moving from side to side to propel her. Powerful beats of her tail shoved the seaweed aside, tearing out the more persistent strands.
When they entered a thicker patch of seaweed, Millie felt increasingly anxious. She hurried Audun along, although they couldn’t see where they were going. The only thing that kept her from panicking was having Audun close and hoping that nothing would want to take on two dragons at once.
They were racing through the seaweed when it ended suddenly and they emerged from the forest in a flurry of torn plants, nearly swimming into a mermaid. She looked terrified when she saw two dragons; turning tail in a swirl of long silver and dark blue hair, she sped away with only one quick backward glance.
“I know that mermaid,” said Millie. “That’s Coral. She’s a friend of my mother’s and Grassina’s. I didn’t realize we were so close to where she lives. Do you suppose my mother went to her for help?”
“It makes sense if your mother knew that her friend was close by. Maybe we should—”
“Let’s go talk to her,” Millie said, tugging at Audun.
“Did you see which way she went?”
“This way!” she said and let go of his talons to race after the mermaid.
“Millie!” cried Audun just as she realized what she’d done.
She turned and looked at him, suddenly all too aware of the weight of the water bearing down on her and that she had no air to breathe. Millie wanted to call out, but she stopped herself from trying, knowing that she’d lose her air that much faster. Although she could have held her breath for a few minutes and reached the surface with ease, it didn’t occur to her to try. The only thing she wanted was Audun with his amulet. She couldn’t believe how fast she’d become dependent on a small metal disk. Throwing herself toward him, she met him halfway.
“Don’t let go!” he told her, pulling her into his arms.
Millie took a deep breath and smiled. “I won’t!” she promised and kissed him, then turned and looked for Coral. She saw the mermaid disappearing over a rise in the ocean floor. “Look,” she said. “There she is.”
This time Millie kept hold of Audun as they followed Coral. They were skimming over the rise when the mermaid stopped to look back. She shrieked and raced off to a castle visible in the distance.
“Wait!” Millie shouted, but the mermaid swam faster.
The two dragons followed her to the castle, reaching it while she was pounding on the door. Turning around, she brandished a long, pointed object that Millie thought looked like a unicorn’s horn. “Stay back!” cried Coral, jabbing the horn in their direction. A stream of sparkling bubbles shot out of the horn, nearly hitting Millie and Audun as they lurched out of the way. The bubbles struck the rise with a loud boom, sending up a cloud of silt and debris.
“We just want to talk to you!” Millie screamed, but her voice sounded faint even to her own ears.
Coral aimed the horn at them again; they were already backing away. When the door opened behind her, the mermaid darted through the opening and slammed the door.
“That went well,” said Audun. “Now what do you suggest?”
“I have to talk to her,” Millie said. “But she’s afraid of us when we’re dragons. We have to let her see us as something a little less threatening.”
It was the first time Millie had changed while touching anyone, and she wasn’t sure she liked the feeling of someone else’s hand altering its skin and shape while hers was doing the same. The contact also seemed to amplify the normal feelings and left her whole body tingling, like a foot or hand does when cut-off circulation is restored. Fortunately, the change seemed to go faster than usual, and she and Audun soon stood in front of the door as humans.
Millie was still feeling peculiar when Audun raised his fist. “Please let us in!” he shouted, pounding on the flat white surface. “Hurry, it’s urgent!”
The door was a fragment of a giant seashell and had a single small bubble marring its perfect surface.
Millie didn’t remember the bubble being there, although it had been years since she and her mother had last visited the mermaid, so she leaned in for a better look. An eye suddenly appeared in the bubble, startling her so that she jerked her head back. The eye examined her for a moment before shifting to the side to study Audun. A moment after the eye disappeared, the door opened and Octavius, Coral’s octopus butler, beckoned them in.
“What are you two doing out there?” he asked, sliding aside as they stepped across the threshold. “This is a terrible time to come visiting. There are monsters around and who knows what else.”
“It’s me, Octavius,” said Millie. “I’m Millie, Emma’s daughter.”
The octopus looked at her as if he was affronted. “I know who you are, Princess. Didn’t I dandle you in the highest tower of this castle when you were just a hatchling? Wasn’t I the one who spent hours chasing you around the castle while your mother talked about magical things with Mistress Coral? And how many times did I have to undo the knots in your hair because that low-life crustacean Shelton hid there when we were playing hide-and-seek? I’d better warn you, Princess, he’s getting ready to molt and is in a nasty temper.”
“Shelton’s here?” said Millie.
“And where else would he be?” Octavius asked, gliding down the floor in front of them. He was moving at an angle, as if the floor wasn’t level, something Millie attributed to his age. “He’s been here ever since your mother gave him to Mistress Coral, a dark day for us all.”
“Shelton is the crab I mentioned before. My mother introduced him to Coral,” Millie whispered to Audun. “They hit it off right away and Coral invited him 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 haven’t heard a word about her. I assume Nastia still lives where she always has. Her shipwreck isn’t far from here—just on the other side of the seaweed. Grassina left after I told her that, and I haven’t seen her since, but a few days later your mother and father showed up asking the same questions. I told them what I’d told Grassina, and they took off in a tremendous hurry. I was hoping they had taken care of their business and gone home, but to tell the truth, I was getting worried. If everything was all right, wouldn’t they have stopped to say good-bye?”
“I’m sure they would have,” said Millie. “But everything is not all right. They never came home and the witches never saw them again. We need to find my mother. Olebald Wizard kidnapped my baby brother, Felix, and turned him into a frog. He set him loose in Soggy Molvinia and we don’t know how to get him back. Mother needs to come soon, before an animal eats Felix or steps on him or something equally horrible! And now my parents and great-aunt and great-uncle have all disappeared and are probably in terrible trouble, too. Whatever happened, I need to go help them and take them to Soggy Molvinia as soon as I possibly can!”
Ten
We should start by talking to Nastia Nautica,” said Millie. “Two dragons should be able to handle one nasty sea witch.”
“I’ll go with you,” Coral said. “If you’ll give me a few minutes to get ready, I’ll show you the way.”
Audun shook his head. “That won’t be necessary. I’ve already visited her sunken ship. I should be able to find it without any trouble.”
“But you’ll still have to deal with Nastia Nautica herself,” said Coral. “She’s usually horrible to everyone, but if she’s the one behind the sea monster attacks, then she’s gotten worse. You need me to go with you.”
“If you really think you should … ,” Millie said. “It’s awfully kind of you to offer.”
“Kindness has nothing to do with it. I’ve been a friend of your great-aunt and your mother long enough to know just how upset they’d be if anything bad happened to you. Oh, and take Shelton with you, in case we get separated. You can always send him back to me if you need my help.”
“A fat lot of good he’d do,” muttered Octavius.
“That will be all, Octavius!” Coral snapped at her butler. “You may go.”
The octopus looked deflated as he slunk out the door, his eyes turning to watch them as he left.
“I don’t know if Shelton will want to go with us,” Millie said. “We’ll be going as dragons.”
Shelton waved his claws in the air.
“I’m not afraid of dragons! See here, I’m wearing my own suit of armor! Nothing can hurt me.” He thumped his shell with his claws and tried to look fierce.
“I didn’t think you’d be afraid,” Millie hurried to say. “It’s just that we’ll be traveling very fast, and you might be in danger when we meet Nastia Nautica.”
The little crab scuttled down Coral’s fishy tail, across the white sand-strewn floor, and up the skirt of Millie’s gown. “When do we start?” he asked.
“Octavius!” Coral called. The octopus appeared in the doorway as if he’d been listening in all along. “Our guests and I will be leaving now. Please see that there’s nothing lurking outside the door that shouldn’t be there.”
“Right away!” said the octopus, and he disappeared from view.
“Thank you for your help,” said Millie. “We’ll come back to visit you properly when we have more time.”
“Just take care of that baby brother of yours,” Coral told her. “Olebald Wizard is a horrible old man to have kidnapped a baby like that. And to turn him into a frog … The least I can do is help you find Grassina and your mother. Now, if you’ll give me just a minute, I’ll go get ready.”
Octavius made them wait while he peered through the bubble, then went outside to look around. When he came back and reported that the area was clear, he blocked their way with spread tentacles and said, “Good luck finding your parents, Princess. I like your mother. She was always nice to me, even if she did bring that pest Shelton here.”
“Who are you calling a pest?” Shelton asked, peering out from Millie’s cupped hands.
“Thank you, Octavius,” Millie said before the crab and the octopus could start arguing again. “I’m sure we’ll find them.” She tried to swim over Octavius’s raised tentacle, but the octopus refused to budge.
“And as for you,” Octavius told Audun, “I’ve known this girl most of her life. I’m holding you responsible for her safety. You take good care of her, or you’ll have to answer to me.”