Dragon Keepers #3: The Dragon in the Library by Kate Klimo Read Free Book Online Page A

breeze that day, Jesse knew that this was the dryad spirit inside the tree welcoming them into his shade. Earlier in the summer, St. George had imprisoned the hobgoblin queen beneath the ground in this willow's root-ball. Neither willow nor hobgoblin had been very happy with the arrangement.
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    With his root-ball no longer weighed down by a goblin, the willow seemed positively perky now...for a weeping willow, at least.
    Jesse and Daisy spread their towels out in its dappled shade and stripped down to their bathing suits.
    Daisy was the first to wade in. Even in the deepest parts, the brook wasn't very deep. The water came up only to Daisy's chest, but Jesse knew it was as cold as the Arctic Ocean. She pinched her nose and ducked right under. It took Jesse a little longer to get wet. He liked to get used to the frigid water one toe at a time. But Emmy bombed ahead of him and then bounded out for a good long shake of her sopping wet coat...all over Jesse.
    All three of them stayed in the freezing cold water until Daisy's lips began to turn blue, then they crawled out onto the bank to dry out and eat their lunch.
    They had finished eating and Jesse and Daisy were packing up when they heard Emmy barking. She was standing on the other side of the brook, tail rigid, head raised, barking fit to bust.
    The cousins gathered their things together and waded across the nearest shallow spot in the brook. Emmy turned and ran across the pasture toward
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    the barn. By the time Jesse slid the big barn door closed behind them, Emmy was already unmasked and hunkered down over the makeshift table--old planks laid across sawhorses--that held their collection.
    If you didn't know any better, you would think it was just a bunch of old junk: a farmer's ancient three-legged milking stool, some rusty old horseshoes, antique hinges, animal skulls, pressed flowers, pinecones, and a crusty old metal ball about the size of a peach. The cousins called it the Sorcerer's Sphere.
    Ever since the day she had hatched, the sphere had held a powerful fascination for Emmy. She reached down and plucked it up in her talons. "I like this!" she said, as if she were discovering it for the first time.
    "We know you like it, Em." Jesse yawned widely and glanced at his wristwatch. "You've always liked it."
    "Pack this," Emmy said, tossing Jesse the sphere.
    Jesse barely managed to catch it two-handed. "For the party?" he asked.
    "For the party," Emmy said.
    Turning the rusty ball around in his hand, Jesse
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    said slowly, "I don't know, Em. We've never taken this away from the Dell."
    "Do what she says," Daisy said. "If this is what Emmy thinks we need, then this is what we're taking. Thanks for the tip, Em."
    "Finally!" Emmy said. "Someone who really understands me."
    Jesse was hurt. "I understand you, too, Em. I was just making sure this was the right thing to do."
    "Trust the ladies," Emmy said, "and pack the sphere, Jesse Tiger."
    Jesse put the sphere in the backpack. "I'm packing the sphere, ladies. Are you happy?"
    "For a grumpy dragon," Emmy said, "I'm practically dancing with joy."
    "And does the grumpy dragon promise to make nicey-nice with the other dogs at the party?" Jesse said.
    "The grumpy dragon promises," said Emmy. "I will even let them sniff my butt."
    When Uncle Joe dropped them off in front of the library, there were kids on the front walk holding cages and pet carriers, saying good night to their parents. Jesse had never seen any of the kids before. The kids he knew, Daisy's friends from school,
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    either weren't coming or were still at sleepover camp. But that was okay. Since he had moved twenty-six times in his life, he was used to strangers.
    Sitting in the front seat of his old truck, Uncle Joe eyed the vast amounts of stuff they had brought with them. "You guys need any help carrying?" he asked.
    "No, thanks, Poppy," Daisy told him. "We're good."
    Daisy grabbed the covered dish while Jesse took charge of Emmy's leash, and they each carried