Dragon's Breath Book 2 (Completed)

Chapter 13

We had worked our way through the seaweed and were swimming side by side when I glanced at Eadric and was surprised to see that he looked worried. "Is something bothering you?" I asked. "We got the pearl there in time and we have the hair now, so everything is fine, isn't it?"

Eadric frowned. "Why did you give away the pin we'd brought for Coral? Now we don't have a gift for her."

"I guess I wasn't thinking," I said. "I know how fairies act when you don't give them a gift they'd been expecting. I hope Coral isn't like that."

"Why does everyone forget about me?" asked the crab, tugging on my sleeve. "If it's because of my size, I'll be molting soon and then I'll be much bigger."

"What about you?" growled Eadric. "We're not giving you a gift, if that's what you're thinking."

"No, no, no! I don't want a gift, although that would be nice. Maybe if you—"

"Shelton!" I could see Coral's castle up ahead, and I didn't want to arrive at her door arguing with a crab.

"I was just going to say that I could be a gift for Coral. I like it here, and there wasn't much for me back at your castle, Princess. If you want to say that I'm the gift, I wouldn't mind at all. As soon as I realized that they were weeditarians—"

"Weeditarians?" Eadric asked.

"You know, people who eat only seaweed. As I was saying, since they're weeditarians, they're not about to eat me, so I'm sure I'd be safe here. Much safer than at your castle once that awful otter comes home. So, what do you say? May I be the gift, because it would be the answer to both our problems, don't you think?"

We had almost reached Coral's castle, and I didn't have much time to consider my decision. "If that's what you really want," I said. If the little crab annoyed Coral as much as he did Eadric, she might come to resent my gift ... and me. On the other hand, we didn't have anything else to give her, and Shelton did want to stay.

"Shelton, let me get this straight," said Eadric. "According to your theory, people who eat weeds are weeditarians. What about animals who eat humans? Say, dragons, for instance. Would you call them humanitarians?"

"Maybe," said Shelton, "depending on who it is they eat!"

Seeing movement out of the corner of my eye, I turned my head to look. One of the sharp-faced creatures had come to examine us more closely. "Gentlemen," I said. "I think we have company." I darted to the castle door and tried the latch, but it was locked. Eadric turned to face the creature, bracing himself in the sand. While he guarded my back, I banged on the door as loudly as I could, which isn't easy underwater. "Hurry up, Octavius," I yelled. "Please open this door!"

"That's a shark," said Shelton. "Some are nice enough, but others are nasty. See the way he's looking at us? It's all right as long as he looks, but be careful when he comes closer. I've heard some really scary stories about those guys. Remind me to tell you about the one who—"

"Will you please get that crab to be quiet!" Eadric said. He had his dagger back in his fist and was trying to stay between the shark and me.

"Shelton!" I said, shaking my arm to get his attention.

"I got the point!" said the little crab, scrambling into my sleeve.

The shark was closer now, so close that we could see its cold, round eye staring at us. "Shelton," whispered Eadric without turning his head. "Do sharks have any weak spots?"

The little crab poked his eyestalks out of my sleeve. "You're asking me? I thought you wanted me to be quiet!"

"Shelton!" I cried.