Chapter 8

8 Grace stopped. This was the first time she'd been ahead of Smiler. If she kept swimming, she would win. Then they'd find out where the dolphin leader was! But there was no way Grace was going to leave Smiler to battle the Stinger Eels on his own. She

spread her wings and flicked her tail to turn back. "Come on, FinFin," she called. "We have a friend in need!" She and FinFin sped back to Smiler, who was shivering badly. "Y-y-y-you came back to h-h-help?" Smiler gasped, his huge mouth wide with wonder. "Of course," Grace said. "Stinger Eels look nasty. Much better if we tackle them together." "Watch out!" FinFin warned. An eel lashed out at her. Grace just managed to somersault out of the way. Smiler shivered even more. "Don't be scared," Grace murmured to the huge shark. "Sure, the eels sting. But we've got each other. And we've got tail power!" Grace moved her tail in circles, creating a whirlpool effect. As eels approached, the swirling water sucked them in. Soon the eels were spinning around and around!

A huge smile stretched across Smiler's face. A moment later, he, too, was swishing his tail in circles. The whirlpools grew wider and faster. Each time an eel tried to attack, it was caught up in the vortex! It spun around like a sock in a washing machine. "On the count of three, let's flick them away!" Grace called. "One, two, three—flick!"

Grace and Smiler flicked their powerful tails, sending the eels spinning off into the dark water. They grew smaller and smaller until they vanished completely. "We did it!" cheered Grace, slapping fins with Smiler. FinFin swam in excited circles around them. "Are you guys okay?" The seaweed parted, and there was Sofia, followed by Zoe and some worried-looking sharks. "We heard yelling." "We're fine, thanks." Grace grinned at Smiler. "We just had to team up against some Stinger Eels. But they were no match for our turbo tails." "What about the race?" Zoe asked. "You'll have to start over," said the green-spotted shark. "There's no need for that." Smiler swam to the front of the group. "This Sea Dragon could have easily beaten me. But instead she chose to help me. She's the winner, as far as I'm concerned."

The sharks formed a huddle, speaking in low, toothy tones. Finally, the green-spotted shark turned and spoke. "We have voted. We all agree the Sea Dragon won the obstacle course. What's more, you are officially friends of the Shiver Sharks. Now, I'm sorry to tell you this, but if you want to find the dolphin leader, you will have to go somewhere very dangerous." Grace and her friends looked at one another. They'd had just about enough danger for one day! "Where do we have to go?" Grace asked. "Up to the surface," said another shark, dropping his voice. "You must be careful; it's scary up there." "No, it's not!" Zoe said. "The surface of the water is great. That's where the waves are." "But it's also where the hot fish are," Smiler muttered. Some of the sharks begin to shiver. "The Fire Sparks!" Grace groaned.

"They captured the dolphin leader. We saw them do it with our own eyes!" said the green-spotted shark. "What happened?" Grace asked. "We were hiding in the shadows when a pod of dolphins swam past. Suddenly the hot fish appeared. They attacked the dolphins! We were scared, but we swam over to try to help." "That was very brave," Zoe said kindly. "Maybe, but the dolphins just panicked when they saw us. Like they always do. There was so much chaos, they didn't even see their leader being taken. But we did!" Grace nodded grimly. This all made sense. "Do you want us to take you up there?" asked the green-spotted shark. Grace could feel her nerves. Once again, Grace found it strange to know such powerful creatures could be so fearful! Grace's shell gave a gentle tug, reminding her it was there to help. "No need. We can find the way."