Stolen Treasures by Summer Waters

Chapter One
    I t was almost the end of another school day. Antonia Lee pushed her long blonde hair back over her shoulder as she put her book in her tray. Then, hovering by the door, she watched the hands on the classroom clock move round to three fifteen.
    Hurry up
, she thought impatiently, hopingthe teacher would dismiss the class on time.
    Miss Brown folded her arms and glared at the noisy children.
    “No one is going home until there is silence,” she said. “Lauren, that includes you.”
    Antonia willed the class to be quiet. She had a strong feeling that her dolphin charm was about to call her. Antonia was a Silver Dolphin, a guardian of the sea. Silver Dolphins were specially chosen to care for the oceans and the creatures living there. Antonia wore a magic silver dolphin charm around her neck and it called to her whenever help was needed. Then, using magical dolphin skills, she would swim to the problem and sort it out.
    Silver Dolphins were rare. Only people who were in tune with nature and believed in magiccould become one. Antonia knew of two other Silver Dolphins. They were her friend, Cai, and his great-aunt, Claudia, who ran a conservation charity called Sea Watch. Claudia had just recently decided she was too old to do the work of a Silver Dolphin properly.
    The class fell silent at last and Miss Brown smiled.
    “Well done, 5B. Off you go, then.” Antonia was first out of the classroom, running for her peg, where she stuffed her pencil case into her bag. It was no surprise when her dolphin charm began vibrating. This wasn’t the first time she’d sensed it would call before it actually had. Cupping her hand around it so that no one would notice the movement, Antonia called to Cai, “Ready?”
    Cai’s brown eyes widened in surprise as his own silver dolphin badge, pinned to his polo shirt, vibrated. He lifted his school bag to his chest to hide it.
    “Yes,” he answered.
    “See you tomorrow, Sophie.” Antonia waved at her other best friend, who waved a sketch book back. Sophie was mad about art and her latest project was painting pictures of the cats that roamed around Sandy Bay.
    “Ooh, look at the lovebirds,” called Lauren nastily, as Antonia and Cai ran from the building together.
    Antonia ignored the comment, knowing that it was the best way to deal with Lauren.
    “Spirit, I hear your call,” she murmured as her dolphin charm thrashed its tail and thenbegan to whistle. Spirit was the leader of a dolphin pod and he was responsible for calling the Silver Dolphins.
    Cai’s badge was whistling too and the combined noise was ear-splitting. Nervously, Antonia glanced up at the parents waiting at the school gates, but only a Silver Dolphin could hear the dolphin’s call and no one looked their way as they weaved between them.
    “Which beach?” panted Cai.
    “Sandy Bay’s nearest,” said Antonia, her fingers still curled round her dolphin charm. Its tiny tail flicked against her palm, urging her into the sea. She and Cai ran neck and neck down the street, only stopping at the promenade to pull off their shoes and socks. Antonia was first to jump down on to thebeach. Her feet sunk into the soft white sand and it trickled through her toes as she ran to the rocks.
    “This’ll do,” she said, dumping her things against a large boulder before stepping across the rocks to the sea. Cai hobbled slowly behind. It was only the second time he’d answered the dolphin’s call and his feet weren’t used to walking across slippery rocks encrusted with knobbly barnacles. Antonia hesitated. Normally, she would answer Spirit’s call as fast as possible. But she had a strong sense that this time it wasn’t urgent and wondered if she should wait for Cai.
    “You go on,” called Cai.
    Antonia was grateful to him for letting her go ahead. What if her feeling was wrong andSpirit’s call for help was life or death? Splashing into the water, Antonia concentrated on believing she could swim like a dolphin.