Free The Secret Path by Christopher Pike

through those bars? They look far enough apart.”
    â€œOh, I can crawl through the bars all right,” she said. “But then what am I supposed to do? Fly down to you guys?”
    Watch nodded above their heads. “There’s that chandelier there. You might be able to jump and catch hold of it.”
    â€œIt isn’t that far from the window ledge,” Adam agreed.
    â€œWho do you think I am?” Sally demanded. “Tarzan? I can’t swing from a chandelier. I might get hurt.”
    â€œThat’s true,” Watch said. “But we’re about to be boiled to death. I think the time for caution has passed.”
    â€œI agree,” Adam said.
    â€œI thought you were worried about my safety,” Sally said indignantly.
    â€œI am,” Adam said quickly. “I’m just—”
    â€œMore worried about my own safety,” Watch interrupted.
    â€œI didn’t say that,” Adam said.
    â€œYou were thinking it,” Watch said. He glanced at one of his watches. “If you are going to try to rescue us, you’d better do it now. The witch and her black knight will be back any second.”
    Sally squirmed through the metal bars—getting stuck only once—and crouched on the stone window ledge. She eyed the chandelier—which had candles instead of electric lights—warily. It was only six feet away, but from her perspective, it was a huge six feet.
    â€œWhat if I miss and go splat on the ground?” she asked.
    â€œIt won’t be as painful as being boiled,” Adam said.
    â€œWhat am I supposed to do once I’m swinging from the chandelier?” she asked.
    â€œWe’ll worry about that if you make it that far,” Watch said.
    â€œSomehow,” Sally said, “you guys don’t fit thehero mode.” She braced herself. “I’m going to do it. One—two—three.”
    Sally leaped. Her outstretched fingers barely reached the rim of the chandelier. The shock of added weight immediately pulled down on the rope that suspended the chandelier from the ceiling, which wasn’t such a bad thing. Like Tarzan or Jane, Sally was able to ride the sinking chandelier all the way to the floor. The candies toppled and went out, their blood-colored wax spilling everywhere. Luckily candles in the wall sconces still burned. When Sally was safely on her feet, she casually brushed herself off and walked over to them.
    â€œDid you know,” she said, “that this castle is surrounded by a moat filled with crocodiles and alligators?”
    â€œWe’ll worry about them if we get that far,” Watch repeated. He gestured to their chains. “I don’t suppose you have the key to these in your pocket?”
    â€œCan’t say I do,” Sally said, glancing around. “Where’s the witch?”
    â€œFilling our bath,” Adam said. He glanced at Watch. “We have to face the fact wearen’t going to be able to break these chains. But what if we have Sally break something else?”
    â€œWhat?” they both asked.
    Adam nodded to the hourglass. “It’s her pride and joy. Most witches have a black cat, but she’s got that. Maybe it’s the source of her power. Knock it over, Sally. Break the glass and spread the dust over the floor.”
    The idea of destruction appealed to Sally right then. Or so Adam supposed as he watched her attack the hourglass as if she were a hungry lion jumping a plump zebra. The thing was not welded down. Probably the witch had never had an unchained guest who hated hourglasses. A few stiff kicks and the thing fell over. It hit the floor with tremendous force. The glass walls ruptured. The diamond dust flew across the stone floor.
    Then everything in the nightmarish realm went crazy.
    The candles on the wall sconces flickered, almost going out, which would have plunged the room into total darkness. The ground shook as if gripped by an