Chapter 1

DRAGON GIRLS Book 10 Grace the Cove Dragon by Maddy Mara

1 Grace had been at sleepaway camp for only a few days, but she already loved it. For two whole weeks she would get to do her favorite thing in the world: swim! At this special camp, kids could have coaching sessions in their favorite water sport. Some kids were learning to water ski; others

were doing diving, surfing, or wakeboarding. Grace was training in the pool. She was already one of the fastest swimmers on her team. After camp, she'd be unbeatable! Grace was sharing a cabin with an awesome surfer named Zoe and a champion diver named Sofia. The three girls had very different skills. Their personalities were different, too. But they had one thing in common: They all loved being in the water. After training ended each day, everyone had free time. Some kids went for hikes in the forest or read in their cabins. But Grace, Zoe, and Sofia always joined the group headed to the small cove near camp. "You've been in the water all morning," teased Emily, their counselor, as the girls spread out their towels on the golden sand. "Isn't that enough for one day?" "No!" Grace, Zoe, and Sofia cried at the same time.

"Who wouldn't want to be here?" Grace gazed around the beautiful cove. The sun hung low in the sky and a soft golden light danced across the water. All around the bay, palm trees swayed in the gentle breeze. Small children ran in wild circles around their parents, and a group of teenagers played ball by the shore. A salty sea smell wafted through the air. Emily laughed. "I can't argue with that. Okay, you three know the rules. Make sure you stay within sight of the lifeguards, and don't swim past that red buoy." "Who's coming in?" Grace asked her new friends. "I might lie here for a few minutes," Zoe said, stretching out on her towel. "I'll just check out the pier first," Sofia said. "I want to see if the water is deep enough for me to dive off." "Okay! I'll see you out there," Grace said, standing up.

Swimming in a pool was great. But there was something about swimming in the sea that Grace couldn't resist. She just had to go in! It was like being under a magic spell. Grace ran across the sand and splashed into the sparkling water. Small waves broke against her legs as she waded out. Even though she had been practicing all morning, Grace still felt excited to swim. The red buoy floated up and down on the gentle waves. Emily had told them not to swim past it. She didn't say not to swim to it, though!

Grace turned back to shore. Emily waved and Grace waved back. Then she plunged into the water and began to swim. Swimming in the sea was way more challenging than swimming in a calm pool. But Grace loved it. Sometimes she swam over the top