Princess in Disguise by E. D. Baker Read Free Book Online

through the wall seconds after she had passed by, spraying her back. Although she’d thought she was moving as quickly as she could, she went even faster now.
    â€œThe floor is slanting up,” Liam called to her. “I think the water level is dropping. Yes, it’s definitely lower. How are you doing?”
    â€œFine,” Annie said through gritted teeth. The
thing
was still stuck to her boot, and she was dragging it forward with every step. If it was a snake, as she feared, she wasn’t going to do anything about it until she could see what she was doing. She was sure that Liam would help her if she told him, but it would mean they would have to stop. Although the tunnel was dryer now, it could still collapse around their ears. The thing on her boot would just have to wait.
    As they trudged through the tunnel, Annie could tell that it was definitely angling upward. Her boots felt like lead weights and she could hear the thing dragging behind her each time she moved her right foot.
    When Liam stopped suddenly and called, “We’ve reached the end of the tunnel,” Annie wasn’t sure what he meant at first. If they’d reached the end, why had he stopped?
    â€œThere’s something blocking the way,” Liam called to her. “I just … Ah, I see. We turn here and … Comeon, Annie. You have to walk around the boulder and you’ll be outside.”
    The light from the torch vanished along with Liam, but an instant later it was back as he shoved the torch into the tunnel. Annie hurried then, shuffle, drag, shuffle, drag, to the end of the tunnel, which was indeed blocked, spying the opening to her left only when she was feet from the boulder.
    Annie sighed with relief as she stepped out into the cool night air. They were in a field with a mound of boulders behind them. Hay grew thigh high on every side, but they couldn’t see more than a few feet because of the thick green fog that surrounded them.
    â€œI think I should put out the torch,” Liam told her, his voice slowing with each word. “The light might make the fog around us brighter and give us away.”
    â€œNot yet,” Annie said, pointing at her foot. “There’s something on my boot and I’ll run a lot faster without it. I need your light to see what it is.”
    â€œAnnie,” Liam said as he lowered the torch. “You’ve been walking with
that
on your foot?”
    A snake as long as her arm lay stretched out on the ground behind her. Its body was limp and battered, and its fangs were stuck in her boot.
    â€œI tried to shake it free,” Annie told Liam. “But its fangs are really in there.”
    â€œFirst of all, let’s make sure it’s truly dead,” Liam drawled. Even though the fog clinging to his skinand clothes slowed his movements, it took him only a moment to find a fist-size rock. When he was sure the snake couldn’t possibly be alive, he grabbed its head and unhooked its fangs from her boot. “I’m glad you suggested we wear these heavy boots. If you’d worn anything else, the snake would have bitten you.”
    â€œI know,” Annie said, not wanting to think about it. “Which way should we go?”
    â€œYour father said the tunnel led east. In that case, the forest should be straight ahead.”
    â€œDon’t put the torch out yet,” Annie said as she peered into the fog. “It’s so thick, I don’t think anyone could see the light.” She took a step forward and the fog retreated so that she stayed in a clear circle about eight feet wide wherever she went. “Look, the fog is moving away from me. I think I … Liam?” He had been there a moment before, but the fog had already swallowed him.
    â€œI’m right here, Annie,” he said, his voice faint although she knew he couldn’t be far.
    â€œDon’t move. I’m coming to find you,” she said, retracing her