Clara tried to make sense of what they had just seen.
“Perhaps our eyes were playing tricks on us,” she suggested.
Lucas sighed as they walked back down the hall. “Maybe it’s because we haven’t eaten breakfast.”
Clara’s stomach agreed, letting out a loud rumble, which made both of the friends laugh.
“Are you hungry too, Ruskin?” the prince asked.
Ruskin growled and looked back down the passageway. He was more interested in what he’d been chasing than in food.
The kids hurried into the royal kitchen.
“Good morning, Cook,” Lucas said. “We’re really hungry.”
Cook turned around from a pot of soup he’d been stirring.
“I just threw out your untouched pancakes!” he grumbled. “If you want something to eat, you’ll have to fetch it yourself.”
Lucas and Clara had no trouble finding food. They grabbed yogurt, fruit, bread, and butter. As they carried their breakfast to the kitchen table, they heard Cook whistle for Ruskin.
“Here, boy!” he called. “I saved you a nice juicy bone!”
Ruskin scampered after Cook as he left the room.
“Hopefully, this food will cure us of seeing things,” Lucas said as the kids sat down at the table.
No sooner had he said spoken these words than a strange woman appeared in the kitchen. She had long, wavy white hair and a misty gray-blue dress. She looked pale as if she hadn’t been outside in a very long time.
“Can we help you?” Lucas asked.
The woman drew closer. Her dress floated behind her, and the air around her felt cold. Lucas got goose bumps.
“Yes,” said the woman in a voice that was strange and distant. “Tell me about your dragon.”
