Read Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist for Free Online

But what? It was so strange. One moment it made me feel happy and at peace; the next, it sent my heart racing like an engine. I tried to lift it out of my pocket, but I couldn’t! My hand was jammed fast and wouldn’t budge. I bit hard into my cheek to take my mind off the sensation.
    Just then, Miss Finwave swam forward. “Your Majesty,” she said, “please allow me to show you what we have collected for you.” She motioned to us to clear a path toward the rock in the center of the pool and waved a hand out toward it. Treasure winked and sparkled from every inch of the rock.
    “The children have done well, wouldn’t you agree?” Miss Finwave said, turning to Neptune.
    But he wasn’t listening. His eyes feasted greedily on the jewels as he swam all the way around the rock. “Perfect,” he said, his mouth dribbling slightly, his eyes glinting as much as the jewels. Reaching out with both arms, he swept the multicolored gems toward him, clutching them to his chest.
    As he glided back to his chariot, his hands crammed with jewels, he turned back to us. “Well done, children,” he said. “You’ve done the islandproud. Miss Finwave, excellent thinking. I wonder if anyone else who was set this task has fared so well. I shall visit them all and reward the most conscientious. Now that I am here to oversee this operation and ensure no one attempts to trick me out of my treasure, I will no longer keep it confidential. You may speak freely of your task. And you may be proud of your work.”
    His eyes leaving the jewels for only seconds at a time, Neptune looked around at us all. I’m sure he stared directly at me when he spoke again. “It will all be returned. Every last item. Do you hear me?”
    With one final, terrible stare at all of us, Neptune banged his trident loudly on the floor of his chariot. The row of dolphins returned in a flash, picking up the reins in their mouths. Now that he had a chariot full of jewels, he wasn’t interested in us.
    “Beeston, wrap it up,” he called over his shoulder. “Return to me if you have any more news on my lost treasure. And not before.”
    With that, the dolphins swam into action, whisking Neptune out of the cave.

    Once Neptune had left, Mr. Beeston seemed to swim higher in the water. When he spoke to us again, his voice contained the old creepy snarl Iknew so well rather than the simpering tone that he adopted whenever Neptune was around.
    “You have heard your king,” he said, looking slowly around at us all. “I do not need to tell you how powerful he is. When he says he wants something to happen, it will happen. It will indeed. And I, my friends”— he raised a hand to smooth down his hair —“I shall make sure of that. Now that this mission is no longer secret, every single inhabitant of this island will take part in this project until our king is satisfied. Do you hear me?”
    We all nodded. Most of the others looked too nervous to speak. I wasn’t nervous, just annoyed. Who did he think he was, telling us what to do like that? He didn’t frighten me !
    Just then, Mr. Beeston’s gaze fell on me. He looked into my eyes, then glanced toward the pocket at the side of my tail. Did he know? Should I tell him now? I tried to pull my hand out. Again it felt chained down. I couldn’t even move it! What if I could never move my hand again? The panic must have shown in my eyes as Mr. Beeston swam closer to me. “Got something to share, Emily?” he asked, his voice as slimy and ugly as a conger eel.
    “No!” I said quickly. What else could I say? Well, yes, possibly, but it appears to be a magic ring that is digging into my palm, holding my hand down so I can’t actually show it to you just at this moment? I don’t think so.
    He swam closer. “Are you sure? I hope you know how seriously Neptune would view it if anyone tried to trick him out of anything, even the smallest jewel. . . .”
    That was when I lost my nerve. Why? Why did I let him get to me? Why