Chapter 7

7 Grace, Zoe, and Sofia looked at one another. Who would have thought such big, fierce-looking creatures would be so sensitive? "What should we do?" Zoe muttered. "We have to cheer them up somehow."

FinFin swished around Grace. "Try distracting them with a game!" she suggested. Grace smiled. It was a good idea! Games always cheered her up. Turning toward the sharks, she sighed loudly. "I guess you are too sad to have that race." Instantly, the sharks stopped crying. "We still want to race!" they called, swishing their tails from side to side. "Racing is our favorite thing to do!" "Let's do an obstacle course!" "Sure," Grace said. "But if we win, do you promise you'll tell us what you know about the missing Sea Keeper?" "Deal," said the biggest shark. "And if we win, will you come and visit again?" "Deal!" Grace, Zoe, and Sofia said at once. "Now, you must choose your fastest swimmer to race against our fastest swimmer." "Grace, that's you," Sofia said without hesitating.

"Absolutely," Zoe agreed. "I saw you training on the first day of camp. You're the fastest swimmer I've ever seen!" "Thanks," Grace said. She felt a little quiver of nerves. She knew she was fast—in the human world. But now that she was a Sea Dragon swimming against a Shiver Shark, she had no idea how good she was! "You can do this." FinFin nudged her gently. "And I'll be with you." The mood of the Shiver Sharks had completely changed. None of them looked even slightly sad anymore. They were chatting excitedly, flapping their fins, and swishing their long, smooth bodies. Then the group parted and a particularly sleek shark moved to the front. "This is our fastest shark, Smiler," the green-spotted shark said proudly. "He's actually the fastest swimmer in the entire sea. At least, we think he is. No other sea creatures have ever raced against us!"

"He sure looks fast," Grace said. Now she was really nervous! Zoe gave her a quick wing-hug. "You're a Sea Dragon, don't forget. You'll do great." "We'll be cheering you the whole way," Sofia added, wrapping a wing around the other two. "Time for the race to begin!" announced the green-spotted shark. "Listen up while I explain the course. First, you must swim through Shark City. Be careful, because if you touch any of the buildings as you pass, you will be disqualified." Grace gulped. This race was already sounding hard. "Next is the rock tunnel," the shark continued. "That's where the Snippy Clawed Crabs live. Better speed up through that part. Snippy Clawed Crabs are… well… snippy." "The final stage is the Seaweed Forest. Watch out for the Stinger Eels. They're hard to spot in all that seaweed. But you sure know if you touch one. They sting!"

"I thought Shiver Sharks were scared of everything," Zoe whispered. "They seem pretty brave to me." "I know, right?" Sofia said. "Maybe they're only nervous when they're getting to know someone. I'm like that, too." The spotted shark held up its fins. "Competitors, get ready to race!" The sleek shark called Smiler swam alongside Grace. Grace felt her stomach flutter. Smiler was so big and powerful! Did she stand any chance of beating him? To Grace's surprise, Smiler reached out a fin. "I'm so happy that I finally get a chance to race!" he said, showing a broad, toothy smile. "Good luck, and let's have fun!" Grace took hold of the shark's fin with her paw and gave it a friendly shake. It was clear Smiler got just as excited as Grace did about swimming competitions. It was weird—she had never expected to have something in common with a

shark. Then again, Grace had never expected to turn into a Sea Dragon. Life could be very surprising! "Good luck to you, too!" she said warmly. "Three, two, one, GO!" Smiler shot off in a whirl of bubbles. Grace set off behind him, with FinFin by her side. "Go, Grace!" yelled Zoe and Sofia. Swimming through Shark City was tricky. This wasn't just because the streets were narrow and full of sharks. It was also because it was such an interesting place. Everywhere Grace looked, she saw cool buildings, underwater parks, and beautiful sea sculptures. There was even a huge fountain! Pink water flowed from it before merging with the surrounding seawater. Stay focused, Grace reminded herself, tearing her eyes away from all the sights. She needed to win this race so they could find out about the missing dolphin leader. The Tree Queen was counting on them!