We were given three different clues per team, so each pair took one.
“Don’t drop them. Destroy them once you have the token so no one else can use them.” Rip addressed the group under his breath, making eye contract with each of us in turn. “Be on your guard. Some of the more aggressive teams might try to take them.”
I exhaled through closed lips. We had made a wise decision when we partnered with the biggest threats. That didn’t mean there weren’t other Mers to worry about, however. There were plenty of big and brutal Mers still in the competition.
I turned over our shell and read.
A prize found when you have a taste, seek your token in colors of the sunset.
Rip looked at me, his eyebrows raised. I shrugged. Sunset might mean . . . warm colors?
“Maybe coral?”
“Yes, it must be. Unless there’s a school of salmon.”
“I don’t think so,” I murmured, looking up to where most schools would pass through. “Well, we’re going to be bottom feeders, that’s for sure.”
He nodded and faced forward. We scanned the sandy bottom in front of us and to both sides. I saw a small coral reef far to our left, nearly at the edge of the border.
“There. Aim for that.”
His eyes widened.
“Agreed. Don’t slow down for me.”
I gave him a bright smile.
“Agreed.”
The horn blew, and we were off. We had no idea of the other clues. There simply wasn’t time to confer with our teams about anything. Most Mers swam straight forward, but we dove down to the left, swimming cleanly beneath them all. My fingers nearly grazed the silt as we headed straight for the coral. As we got closer, I could see that it was a warm pink, with oranges and yellows mixed in.
There were other Mers about, but none seemed to be swimming straight for the coral outcropping. I hoped we would be fast enough that no one would notice what we were doing.
I glanced behind to see Rip not all that far behind. He nodded his silent encouragement, and I kept swimming, reaching the coral a few moments later. Without hesitation, I swam into it, my eyes roving the nooks and crannies without cease. I felt Rip arrive and veered to one side, letting him take the other half of the coral.
I took a moment to scan the waters around us to look for approaching Mer. Nothing. No one else was clued in to this particular prize, if there even was one. But I felt in my gut that we were close. I lowered my head again, searching for the token.
I was beginning to lose hope when I saw it. There! Something was gleaming amid the spikey coral branches. I swam closer, reaching my hand into the coral. I felt the skin on my wrist scraped raw as my hand closed over a smooth circular globe. I pulled it free, dislodging another flat shell with it. I grabbed that with my other hand.
A pearl. Of course, Something you find when you have a taste. The token was a pearl nearly the size of my closed fist. I couldn’t imagine the size of the clam or oyster that might contain such a prize, but there it was. It was nearly glowing, a pale pink that reflected the light with its sheen. I stared in awe as a chain dropped out of it and it magically fastened around my neck. I pulled on it, but it didn’t give. I tried to pull it over my head and it tightened.
All right then, I guess I’m wearing it.
I tucked the end into my tunic and swam to Rip, reading the clue as I went.
A star unlike any other, you will find it under cover.
I handed the clue to Rip, who read it and shoved it quickly into a pocket in his steel gray tunic with green trim. He took out the last clue and broke it in half, throwing one piece into the coral and taking the other with us as we left.
“A pearl on a chain. It’s around my neck.”
He nodded.
“What do you think of the new clue?”
I watched as he chucked the second broken piece of shell into a thick patch of seaweed.
“A starfish. It must be.”
“But where?”
“Under cover . . . they like rocks and coral. Look for a ledge. Maybe it will be underneath? And look for other clues. We could stumble onto something.”
“Good plan.”
We swam in formation now, packed nearly side by side. Now that we had a clue and a token, we needed to stick together. By tacit agreement, I had no choice but to hold onto the token, so he held the clue. If we were able to find another token, we would switch. We didn’t see any of our other teammates.
We dove low again, hoping to avoid the other competitors. But by then, it was crowded down there as well. I quickly pointed when I saw a rock wall ahead. There were Mers already searching it. I suspected it was one of the easier landmarks to spot. Or perhaps there was more than one token hidden here.
Or perhaps they were after the same prize as we were.
That thought helped me focus. I wanted to win. I had a fire in my belly. I wanted to find as many tokens as I could!
I saw a cluster of starfish and picked up speed, pulling ahead. I heard Rip shout out a warning as a heavy body slammed into me.
“Give it to me!”
I was being shaken too violently to answer, with a blade held to my throat. I stared up at the tall, thin Mer who gripped me in his hands. Then I saw his eyes widen. His hands slowly opened and I slipped away. Behind him, I saw the young three-eyed Mer holding a spear.
Marcum.
He’d . . . killed him. For me. Then I saw the thin Mer twitch and realized it was not a mortal wound. I hoped not, anyway. Even though I really, really did not like him.
Marcum nodded to me and swam away.
But why had he saved me? And why had the tall, thin Mer been so desperate?
“Go!”
Rip was still not close enough to look for the token on the rock wall, but I was. I turned and dove, feeling the edge of the cliff face with my hands. Ordinary starfish dotted the surface. I dove again, coming up just under a small outcropping. There, in the darkness was a star unlike any other.
It was gold. A solid gold starfish. I reached for it and felt the warm metal come off the rock and wrap itself into a band that settled around my wrist, forming a thick cuff bracelet. A shell dropped from the rock where it had been held in place by the starfish.
Another clue.
I was shaking as I handed it to Rip as he finally caught up to me. He stared at the shell, then at the bracelet. His hand was gentle as he lifted my chin.
“Are you all right?”
I shook my head. I wasn’t. I looked around for the dark-haired Mer who had attacked me.
“The Medics took him away already.”
“Why did he attack me like that?”
He shrugged.
“We already have two tokens. Most don’t have any.”
He took my shoulders gently.
“We can stop if you want, hang back. Let the rest of the team finish. You’ve already done more than your share.”
I shook my head. Giving up wasn’t in my nature. But he had reminded me that my friends were out there and that things were getting combative.
“No. But let’s find Dane and Starla.”
He nodded, taking the clue.
“Let’s read this first.”
We peered down at it and gasped.
In the air, near the sky, here I am. Come and fly.
“The surface?”
“It must be,” I agreed.
“But it’s forbidden.”
I exhaled slowly, shaking my head.
“I’ve been there. Let’s find them, then I’ll go.”
“You have the tokens. I should do it.”
“I’m quick, and I know I can jump pretty far above the surface. I’ve done it before.” He was shaking his head but I cut him off before he could speak. “Let’s just find them and then we can argue about it.”
We circled the arena, looking for the others. It took longer than I’d expected, but only because they were half-buried in a cluster of seagrass. I spotted Dane’s blue tail first. It was harder to see Starla’s dark green fins against the grass.
Starla emerged, clutching another token and shell. We dove to her, surrounding her just in time to see the gold shell form a belt that attached to her waist.
“Whoa. I guess there’s no stealing of tokens.”
I held up my wrist.
“Not without maiming us.” I held up the one at my throat. “Or worse.”