The Hidden Beast Read Online Free PDF Page B

than they seem.’ ”
    â€œAnd two of them are missing,” Sally added.
    â€œLeah wouldn’t have taken them,” Bryce said quickly.
    â€œNo?” Adam said. “Two of them have obviously been removed. And you did say you hardly knew her.”
    â€œThe code seemed to indicate that the crystals were the most valuable things here,” Watch said.
    â€œThen why didn’t she take all of them?” Bryce asked.
    â€œIt would be hard enough for her to hike with even two of them on her,” Watch said. “I think she took as many as she could carry.”
    Cindy gestured to the other treasure. “But there are so many gems here, so much gold—why fool with the crystals? I mean, we don’t even know what they can do.”
    â€œBut I’m betting Leah does,” Adam said. “Her father told her more than we know.” He paused, “Is that possible, Bryce?”
    Bryce was at a loss. “She didn’t tell me anything.”
    â€œThen why do you keep defending her?” Sally asked.
    â€œShe’s my cousin!” Bryce snapped. “Family. Wouldn’t you defend your family?”
    â€œI would,” Watch said softly, even though his family was spread all over the country.
    â€œWe’re not trying to pick on you,” Adam told Bryce. “We’re just trying to figure out what to do next.”
    â€œI say we take these two crystals,” Sally said.“And stuff our pockets with as many diamonds and emeralds and rubies as we can carry.”
    â€œBut what about the monster out there?” Cindy asked.
    Sally made a face. “He’s probably been in here for thousands of years. What’s he going to spend all this wealth on?”
    â€œNo,” Adam said. “We know nothing about this creature, except that the treasure probably belongs to him.”
    â€œI think it’s a her,” Watch corrected.
    â€œIt doesn’t matter,” Adam continued. “If we take any of this stuff, it will be stealing.”
    â€œYou cannot steal from a beast,” Sally complained. “They have no constitutional rights.”
    â€œCouldn’t we just take a few emeralds?” Cindy asked Adam, apparently having a sudden change of heart. “I’ve always loved emeralds, and there are so many of them.”
    â€œI can’t tell any of you what to do,” Adam said. “But I feel it’s wrong. If there hadn’t been a sleeping beast, I might have felt different. But now I feel like we are breaking and entering.”
    â€œI wouldn’t go that far,” Watch said, steppingcloser to the crystals. He peered at them for a moment before frowning. “This is odd.”
    â€œWhat?” Bryce asked.
    â€œThese appear to be nothing more than quartz,” Watch said. “The least valuable thing in this room. Yet they’re placed here on a pedestal, and the code implied they are magical.”
    â€œWe haven’t had good luck in the past with magical devices,” Cindy warned.
    â€œWe could take just one,” Sally said as she reached forward to pick one up.
    â€œDon’t!” Watch snapped, trying to stop her.
    He was too late.
    Sally already held the crystal in her hands.
    She laughed at their concern. “It’s not like this is a weapon.”
    But it must have been something important.
    Behind them they heard the sleeping beast begin to stir.

5
    A rhythmic change in the breathing of the beast was the only difference. It was no longer slow and deep but rough and—it actually sounded—grumpy. From this they assumed it was waking up, but of course they still couldn’t see it to be sure. Sally put down the crystal and wiped her hands on her pants.
    â€œI was just looking at it,” she said quickly.
    Watch hastened to the entryway of the treasure room and peered into the blackness. Adam came up at his side.
    â€œWhat’s happening?”