The Rescue Princesses #2: Wishing Pearl Read Online Free PDF Page B

new.”
    “If anyone can do it, it’s you, Jaminta,” said Emily.
    “I’m going to try using Clarabel’s sapphires because she’s the one who knows the dolphin the best.” Jaminta took Clarabel’s bracelet and gently tapped each jewel in turn with her tiny chisel, chipping them into a circular shape.
    “Here’s something we can test it on,” said Lulu, holding up a wilting potted plant. “I found it by a window in the hallway. It could use some healing.”
    “If the plant recovers, then so will the dolphin.” Clarabel clasped her hands together.
    “I hope so,” said Jaminta seriously.
    Clarabel could feel the seconds ticking by while Jaminta gave each gem a little polish. Finally, after turning the bracelet this way and that to look at all the jewels, she placed the bracelet around the plant’s stem.
    “Now we wait and see, I guess,” said Emily.
    So they waited, watching the plant closely. But nothing happened. The leaves remained wilted and slightly brown.
    Clarabel’s hopeful face fell.
    The clock chimed midnight.
    “Let’s try again in the morning,” said Jaminta. “Right now, we need some sleep.”

    The morning dawned with a gray sky and a blustery wind.
    The princesses were up early, before most of their parents had woken up. Ally brought them a breakfast of cherry muffins and pancakes in the enormous dining room.
    The empress walked past with Queen Trudy, who was talking very loudly about Samuel. “He’s such a sweet boy, and so smart! He’s learning to fish now and has borrowed a net from the harbor fishermen.”
    Clarabel frowned. Something seemed wrong about what Queen Trudy had just said. But she and the empress left the dining room before Clarabel could hear any more of their conversation.
    Ally handed out pancakes and syrup. “Be careful around the island today because there’s a tropical storm coming. It was a storm like this that sunk that old ship, the Rising Gull .”
    “Do you think the treasure from that ship is still somewhere on the island?” asked Lulu excitedly.
    Ally nodded. “I think so. Jewel thieves have been searching for it for years. But no one ever had the map, so no one could find it.”
    “But we know who has the map! It’s Prince Samuel!” whispered Emily, nearly knocking over the syrup.
    Ally shook her head. “I think that the treasure really belongs to Ampali Island now, and that’s how it should stay.” She filled their glasses with strawberry milk. “What were you girls doing up so late last night, anyway?”
    “We were trying to craft a jewel that could make the dolphin better,” explained Jaminta. “But it didn’t work.”
    “Maybe you need an ocean gem for an ocean creature,” said Ally, heading back toward the kitchens.
    Clarabel took a sip of strawberry milk, then she put her glass down with a snap. “An ocean gem!” she exclaimed, her face lighting up like the sun. Leaving her cherry muffin behind, she ran to her bedroom, nearly bumping into a bad-tempered Queen Trudy on the way.
    Opening her jewelry box, she gently picked up her pearl. Could this be the ocean gem that would heal the dolphin? After all, pearls were made in the sea, inside little shells.

    Clarabel put the pearl into her pocket and smiled. Maybe this was the answer. The thought of her dolphin being healthy again made her so happy she felt as if she was glowing.
    She hurried down the grand staircase, but something stopped her halfway. A faint noise echoed around her. It made her skin prickle.
    It was a high, unhappy sound. Without knowing why, she reached for her pocket and drew out the pearl, which was slightly warm.
    The noise came again, and this time she recognized the dolphin’s calls coming from the pearl.
    The sound wrenched at her heart.
    The dolphin was in trouble and he was calling her.

Clarabel flew back to the dining room, her golden hair falling over her shoulders.
    “We have to go! It’s the dolphin!” she said breathlessly to the other princesses, and