Dragonkeeper 2: Garden of the Purple Dragon Read Online Free PDF Page A

behind, but there was nothing. She reached for the soup ladle, it was the only thing close by that she could use to protect herself. The grey blur ran straight toward her. She tried to hit it with the ladle, but it was too quick. It clambered up her gown as if it was going to attack the little dragon. Kai squawked with terror, leapt to theground and ran to the pond. He dived into the water.
    Ping tried to pull the grey thing off her. She thought it was going to take her by the throat, but instead it crawled inside her gown. She screamed, got hold of the creature and flung it away. It landed neatly on four feet. Ping saw for the first time what it was. It was a rat, but it was no ordinary rat. It was very large and it was staring at her with bright blue eyes. In the sunlight its fur had a bluish sheen, like embroidered satin. It also had a chunk missing from one ear. Ping stared at the rat. She had known another rat with a piece missing from its ear.
    “Is that … Ping could hardly bring herself to say it. “Is that you, Hua?”
    She sat down, stunned.
    The rat scuttled onto her lap, looked up at her and squeaked. Ping stared at the rat. She reached out and cautiously stroked its warm fur.
    “It is you, Hua!” Ping said. “You’re healed and you’ve grown and … she stared at the rat’s blue eyes, his huge yellow teeth, “and you’ve changed.”
    She hugged Hua to her, examined his bluish fur and then hugged him again. The smile on her face kept growing. “I’m so glad to see you.”
    The rat gently nibbled her ear.
    The red phoenix finished preening its feathers, flapped its wings and took off. Ping watched until it was no more than a black dot in the sky again. It seemed that Hua had come to stay.
    Ping could find no trace of the wounds Hua had suffered. He was completely healed. The Isle of the Blest did exist after all.
    “Kai,” she called out. “Come and meet Hua.”
    She looked around. Her smile shrank and then disappeared completely. Kai had dived into the pool—and he hadn’t come up again.

• chapter four •
A D RAGON F RIEND
    Something floated to the surface
.
Something purple, spiky and lifeless
.
    Ping peered anxiously into Black Dragon Pool. She could see nothing.
    “Kai! Where are you? If you’re hiding from me, you’re going to be in trouble.”
    She searched the reeds, looking for any rocks or fallen branches that weren’t there before. She’d seen Kai dive into the water after Hua had startled him. He had to have come up for air by now. Could he have resurfaced when she wasn’t looking? Or was he still underwater?
    Ping lifted the hem of her gown above her knees,tucked it into her belt and stepped into the pond. The water was icy. She peered into the dark depths, but could see only fish and waterweed. She waded up to her waist. Kai was as at home in the water as the fish. Could he have been washed over the rim? Fear gripped her heart. Surely he couldn’t have drowned? Her feet slipped on the slimy rocks. She splashed and spluttered and managed to regain her footing.
    The passing time was marked by her heartbeat pounding in her ears, getting faster and louder the longer Kai was gone. He had been underwater for at least ten- and-five minutes. What sort of Dragonkeeper was she? All she’d had to do was take care of one small dragon. She hadn’t watched over him carefully enough.
    She remembered the terror of being underwater. She’d nearly drowned when peasants had tried to sacrifice her to the dragon god that they believed lived in their lake. She remembered her panic when she’d taken a breath and sucked in, not air, but water. Panic was rising in her throat again, threatening to burst out in a wild scream. She swallowed it down. Danzi had saved her then. She had to save Kai.
    She took a deep breath and plunged into the water. She opened her eyes, but all her stumbling had stirred up the mud and she couldn’t see anything. She reached down into the murky water but her hands