Chapter 1

DRAGON GIRLS Book 12 Sofia the Lagoon Dragon by Maddy Mara

1 The last day of aquatics camp was here. The campers were celebrating by having a party at the nearby lagoon. Sofia curled her toes around the edge of the rock and looked around. From the moment she arrived, Sofia could tell the lagoon was a special place. The water was

surrounded by rocky cliffs and lush greenery. It glittered like a precious jewel. There was an impressive waterfall that flowed over the rocks before tumbling into the lagoon. The camp counselors had decorated the tall palm trees with paper lanterns, making everything look truly magical. Best of all, to one side was a long table loaded with tasty things to eat and drink. "Sofia! Coming for a swim before we eat?" Sofia looked over. On the little beach were her cabinmates and new besties, Grace and Zoe. They waved at her. Sofia smiled and waved back.

Normally, it took her a little while to make friends. But she had clicked instantly with Grace and Zoe. Maybe it was because they all loved water. Or maybe it was because they shared an amazing secret. The three girls had the ability to travel to a place called the Magic Forest. This was a beautiful land, ruled by the kindly Tree Queen. In the Magic Forest, Sofia and her friends were no longer normal girls. They became Sea Dragons!

As Sea Dragons, they had powerful mermaid-like tails that helped them swim very fast underwater. They also had strong wings so they could fly high above the treetops. Sofia loved how she could roar as a dragon. For a start, roaring was fun. But it was more than that. The Sea Dragons' roars had amazing magical powers! But the Magic Forest was facing a terrible threat. There was an evil Fire Queen, who was trying to destroy the seas surrounding the forest. She had kidnapped three Sea Keepers, who were in charge of looking after the seas and keeping them in balance. So far, Sofia, Grace, and Zoe had rescued two of the missing Sea Keepers: the dolphin leader and the sea turtle. Sofia couldn't wait to return and help rescue the third and final one. "I'll be there in a sec," Sofia called to her friends. "I just want to do one dive."

Sofia loved diving. She had come to camp so she could work on her diving skills. She had learned a lot during the daily training sessions at the camp's dive pool. Just today, she had perfected her reverse dive. It had been so cool! She really wanted to try it out again. The late-afternoon light was slowly turning the water from bright blue to purple. Low on the horizon, a full moon was rising. Sofia shivered with happiness. This was the perfect setting for a dive! Once again, she looked down. She had already checked with her dive instructor, Mel, that the lagoon was safe, and deep enough for diving. The water was so clear, she could see all the way down. The bottom of the lagoon was strewn with smooth pebbles that glimmered like treasure. I'll dive down there and scoop one up, Sofia decided. As she prepared herself to dive, she heard something. It was a song. At first Sofia thought