Rescue Princesses #3: The Moonlight Mystery by Paula Harrison Read Free Book Online

the tunnel, the light bouncing as they ran. Turning the corner, they stopped inside the vast cavern with its walls of glittering crystals. Emily and Clarabel hurried over to meet them.
    “Did you find the amethyst?” asked Clarabel.
    Lulu held it out to show them, as she tried to catch her breath. “Don’t look at it for too long,” she warned them. “It makes you sleepy really fast.”
    “We explored the cavern and found another way out,” Emily told her. “There’s a wider tunnel that leads to the foot of the mountain.”
    “We’re sure that the lioness will catch the scent of the grasslands and escape that way,” added Clarabel.
    “Great! After we’ve released these lions, we have to go and look for Tufty,” said Lulu, and she explained how Olaf had seen someone take the little cub from her room.
    “Poor Tufty! There’s no time to lose!” said Emily. “Let’s see if the amethyst works.”
    Lulu crept toward the lions’ cage with the amethyst hidden in the palm of her hand. The little cubs took no notice of her. But as she came closer, the lioness began a long, low growl. Crouching down slowly, Lulu laid the amethyst next to the bars of the cage. The lioness stared at it and the cubs bounced over to look, spellbound by its sparkling purple shape.
    Lulu hurried back to the others and made them turn away from the jewel.
    “If we’re not careful, we’ll end up staring at it,” she hissed. “Then we’ll fall asleep, too.” She nudged Clarabel, who was taking a sideways peek at the amethyst.
    The minutes seemed endless as they waited. Finally, when the cave felt very still and quiet, Lulu dared to peek around.
    “It worked!” she whispered.
    All the lions were still, their furry golden bodies stretched out peacefully. Even the lioness had laid her head on the ground, her eyes shut tight.
    Clarabel smiled. “The cubs look even cuter when they’re sleeping.”
    “We have to be quick,” said Jaminta. “We don’t know how long they’ll sleep for.”
    Lulu strode up to the cage door. But just as she was about to open it, footsteps came from the other end of the cave. She turned Olaf’s flashlight toward the sound, and a figure emerged from a tunnel, carrying a bundle.
    Lulu’s mouth dropped open. It was Lady Malika.
    When she saw the girls, Lady Malika stopped, her face twisting furiously.
    “I don’t believe it!” whispered Emily.
    But Lulu couldn’t speak. How could the thief be her aunt? It didn’t make sense. Then she remembered how her aunt had wanted the princesses to come and visit her, so that they would stay away from the grasslands. Her aunt had been awake last night, too, and could easily have taken Tufty.
    “What are you nosy girls doing here?” snapped Lady Malika, her voice echoing around the cavern. “These are my beasts! I captured them and brought them here in my truck, ready to be put to work in the circus. I won’t have you meddlesome princesses getting in my way!”
    Lulu recovered her voice. “You’re not taking them anywhere, and we’ll tell the king and queen unless you leave right now!”
    “Dreadful princesses!” screeched Lady Malika. Then she dropped her bundle on the floor, turned on her heels, and fled back into the shadows.
    Lulu breathed in sharply. Was the bundle what she hoped it would be? She raced across the cavern. Scooping it up, she kissed the furry ears and wriggly body of a little lion cub.
    “Tufty! It’s really you!” She beamed at him in delight.
    Inside the cage, the lioness rolled over with a grunt but didn’t open her eyes.
    “Quickly, Lulu!” whispered Jaminta.

    Holding Tufty under one arm, Lulu undid the latch of the cage and pulled. But the door didn’t budge.
    “There’s a second latch, really high up,” said Emily, pointing at it.
    Lulu put Tufty into Clarabel’s arms and stretched up to reach the other door latch. “I — can’t — get — to — it!” she said between clenched teeth.
    Looking around, she noticed a