Dragonkeeper 2: Garden of the Purple Dragon by Carole Wilkinson Page A

taken the baby with him.”
    She summoned her
qi
. Even though she was out of practice, the hatred she felt for the necromancer enabled her to focus it easily. She thrust out her left arm and his sword dropped from his hand.
    “Don’t waste my time with your pathetic tricks,” hesneered. “They’re no match for my powers.”
    He raised his hand and Ping felt herself being lifted into the air by an invisible force. She tried to focus her mind. Just summoning that one burst of
qi
had exhausted her. The
qi
blow had startled the necromancer, but it hadn’t hurt him. He sensed Ping’s weakness. He allowed her to drop down to the ground, the ugly smile back on his face. Ping backed away from him, trying to make her mind do her bidding, to think of a plan, to refocus her
qi
.
    The necromancer picked up his sword. Ping’s hatred was replaced by fear. He was right. Her powers were pitiful. He would defeat her easily.
    Hua appeared on top of one of the rocks. His bright blue eyes glared at the necromancer. His fur stood on end gleaming bluish in the sunlight. He looked huge and unearthly. The confidence drained from the necromancer’s face like water through a strainer. But he only hesitated for a moment. He grabbed the neck of Ping’s gown and raised his sword ready to strike her. Hua launched a spitball. It hit the necromancer with a small explosion and a flash of flame. He let go of Ping and beat out the smouldering patch on his cloak. Hua launched another spitball. The necromancer yelped with pain as it hit him on the head. Ping could smell burning flesh. She jumped back, out of his reach. It was only then that she realised she was on the lip of the well. She tumbled backwards. As she fell, she saw thenecromancer lunge towards Hua with his sword. The rat was quicker. Sparks flew as the sword clanged on the rock.
    Ping hit the water. She sank under the surface, reaching with her feet to touch the bottom. She couldn’t find it. The well was deep. She heard a muffled scream of pain. She peered up through the greenish water and could see the dark shape of the necromancer and flashes of flame. Ping paddled her arms, trying to stop herself from sinking. She had to get back to the surface and save Kai. Her arms were as heavy as iron bars. Her gown billowed up around her head.
    Then something hit the surface of the water and plunged towards her in a cloud of bubbles. When the bubbles cleared, Ping saw that it was a cooking pot. The pot was twisting and distorting. Kai was finally changing back into his dragon shape. His hard little body slammed into her. Ping was running out of air. Panic gave her strength and she kicked her legs and paddled her arms. She slowly started to rise again. Ping resurfaced and just had time to gulp a mouthful of air before she felt something pull her beneath the water again. She turned to see the little dragon with the hem of her gown in his mouth. He was dragging her down. In the water he was stronger than she was. She struggled against him, but she’d used up all her reserves of energy. He kept pulling her down, down, down. The well was deeper than she had ever imagined. Kai dragged her into its depths, untilthere wasn’t enough light to see him through the dark green water.
    “Don’t, Kai.” She shouted the words in her mind, even though there was no way he could hear them. “I can’t stay underwater like you.” Her voice in her head sounded hopeless. “Kai, I’m drowning.”
    Ping had to have air. Immediately. Kai was above her now, pushing her down with his large paws. She used her last
shu
of strength to try and resist him. Her feeble efforts were useless. She gave herself up to the waters. She opened her mouth and breathed in the dark water. At least Kai could hide in the depths. He might be saved from the necromancer. The thought calmed her. Then she heard a faint voice in her head.
    “Ping.”
    Someone was calling her name.
    “Ping.”
    It wasn’t a voice she had ever heard