Free Dragon's Breath by E. D. Baker Page A

easy."
    Eadric interrupted. "Of course we'll do it. Emma is your only niece, and I keep hoping that someday ..." He put his arm around my shoulders.
    "Then I suppose ..." My aunt smiled feebly and reached for our hands. We took her hands in ours and held them tightly. "Thank you, Emma, Eadric," she said. "You don't know what this means to me. I need to go after Haywood before his trail gets cold. You may use the magic carpet, of course. I'll have it take you directly home. I already know where you can find the first item. Emma, open the silver chest in my bedchamber. Take the silver comb to the saltwater bowl. Run the comb through your hair three times, then do the same for Eadric. Put the comb in your pouch—keep it safe, for you'll need it to come back—and dip your hand in the salt water. This will take you into the sea, but don't worry, you'll be fine. When you get to the castle, ask for my friend Coral. She's a sea witch and she'll help you all she can. Be sure to take her a gift. When I come home, I'll get whatever you haven't located."
    "How will you find Haywood without the carpet?"
    "I have my ways." Sticking two fingers in her mouth, Grassina whistled, then turned back to me. "Tell your mother what your grandmother did. You can also tell her that she doesn't need to worry. I'll be home soon. Now climb on and be careful," she said as the carpet landed at our feet.
    "How do you steer it?" I asked.
    My aunt seemed edgy and impatient to go. She sighed and said, "I don't have time to show you now. It already knows the way home, so you won't have to worry about steering. Just say 'home' and it will do the rest."
    Eadric and I looked at each other. He swallowed hard and said, "I'm ready when you are."
    I nodded and tried not to think about falling off.
    Clenching my teeth, I stepped onto the carpet and sat down, taking deep breaths to calm my pounding heart. I was trying to get comfortable when my hand brushed the pouch hanging from my belt. "Maybe this could help," I said, taking out the string. "If I could turn this into some sort of strap to hold us on—"
    "Emma, you clever girl! That's a marvelous idea." Grassina's eyes lit up, and I realized that she was more worried about us than she let show. She gestured, and the string grew into a heavy cord that whipped around my waist, attaching itself to the carpet behind me.
    I glanced at Eadric, who was secured as well. Although it wasn't much, it made me feel better. Stay calm, I told myself, closing my eyes as the carpet began to rise.

Nine
    The flight back to the castle was nothing like our trip to the island. After I told the carpet, "home," it rotated until it faced the right direction and took off at a smooth and steady pace into the darkening sky. Eadric and I were tense at first, waiting for the ride to become bumpy or the carpet to suddenly go limp. When the flight remained uneventful, we both began to relax.
    "You didn't ask me if I wanted to go," said Eadric, "but I really want to help you find those things for Grassina. She helped us break the spell and gave me back my life. I owe her, so I'm honor-bound to do whatever it takes to get her and Haywood together again. Anything less would be unworthy of a prince."
    "I don't see how—"
    "Anyway, I've been thinking about the things we have to find. Grassina said that her friend will help us locate the gossamer hair, and even I've heard of magic beans, so they can't be that hard to get. The feather of an aged horse might be tricky. I've never seen a horse with feathers, so I don't know how we'll handle that one. Your aunt will probably know what to do when she comes home. You were wrong about the dragons, though. It isn't going to be quick and easy, as you seem to think. 'The breath of a dragon green.'" Eadric shook his head. "It's too bad we don't have the vial I lugged around when I was a frog. That dragon's breath had lots of colors in it, and one of them must have been green. You don't suppose we could go find