TOBIN AND I describe to our team the brutal beating Sham and Whitey gave Mako and tell them about the kill switch in the bossman’s rooms. The next day, Mako almost seems to be himself again. He even starts wrestling and hanging out with Sham and Whitey. I notice now how often he’s on the receiving end of the nastiest of their teasing, and we are more careful than ever to try to steer clear of the shark crew as we continue to search through countless labs and storage rooms looking for the c-plankton.

After lunch, Ocho says that the bossman wants to see us right away. My stomach twists at this news. Dai is off conducting one of his deep-water experiments, which means we’ll have to face his dad without him. Even Kuron’s kids are quiet as we make our way up to the bossman’s conference room, and I sense the tension growing in all of us.

Kuron’s waiting for us, dressed in another simple dark suit, his hands clasped behind his back. As we climb out of the water and line up before him, he smiles at us all pleasantly. It’s like he’s completely forgotten how angry he became when he found out we weren’t collared yet.

The metal band around my neck feels colder and heavier than ever as he strolls over to where my team and I are standing together.

“I’m very pleased with the way you Neptune subjects have been settling in,” he says to us. “It’s clear from your intelligence tests that your intellectual abilities, except for brilliant young Robry’s here, are on a par with my own specimens. I’m curious, too, about your physical capabilities, and I’ve designed a series of experiments to explore them.”

My skin crawls at the way he refers to us as specimens and subjects. What happened to us being his “guests”? I’m starting to wonder if he really sees any of us as human. Shadow is standing near me. Her face appears as impassive as ever, but when I touch her mind, I can tell she’s seething with resentment.

“Octavian,” Kuron continues, addressing Ocho, “I want you to take them to the Maze, conduct a level-one blind directional and memory test on all the Neptune subjects, and enter their results into the computer. I will have you run some other tests on them in a few days.”

“Yes, sir,” Ocho replies.

My friends and I look at one another uneasily.

“Very well. You’re dismissed,” Kuron says with a curt nod and strides from the room.

“Guess we’d better head to the Maze now,” Ocho tells us, and he dives back into the water.

:What exactly is this maze?: I ask as we follow him.

Wasp, Whitey, and Sham move up so they are swimming all around me. :The Maze is just what it sounds like,: Wasp replies before Ocho can, :and we have such fun playing games in there.: She looks so excited, my heart sinks.

:I hate going in there,: Shadow declares. :It makes me feel just like a lab rat.:

:Aw, the Maze ain’t so bad,: Sham says with a mean, toothy grin.

:Particularly when we get to play ‘hunt and seek,’: Whitey adds and sends me a long, challenging look.

:We are not going to play ‘hunt and seek’ with the newbies today.: Ocho looks back over his shoulder at the shark crew.

:It’s really not too scary. One of us will lead you into the Maze,: Sunny explains, :and then we see how long it takes you to find your way out.:

:But you have to do it with the lights off,: Sham says, a gleam in his eyes. :The bossman wants you to do a blind test, and that’s the best kind.:

:So why do you guys like blind tests so much?: Ree asks.

:Because I can echolocate,: Sham replies, :and Whitey and Mako here have the ability to sense electrical fields just like sharks can.:

Goose bumps rise all over me. No wonder they like to play hunt and seek in the Maze. With the lights off, Sham would be able to use his personal sonar system to find other people, but the kids with shark senses would have an even bigger advantage. I’ve seen sharks find prey buried under inches of sand just by sensing the electrical currents their bodies generate.

Between their taunts and having to swim with the shark crew right next to me, I’m pretty wired by the time Ocho leads us through the doorway to the Maze. It’s labeled with a plaque that reads DIRECTIONAL AND MEMORY TESTING FACILITY.

:Guess Kuron couldn’t just call a maze ‘a maze,’ could he?: Tobin says so sarcastically that I smile, but once we’re all inside the small control room for the Maze, I don’t feel like smiling anymore. Whitey, Wasp, and Sham still look way too eager about our tests. Wasp spins around and hits a set of light switches beside the door. The small room is plunged into complete darkness. I bite my lip and wonder if Whitey is sneaking up to tear a chunk out of me.

:You could have waited five more minutes,: Ocho says, resignation in his tone.

:They might as well get used to the dark, Ochy,: Wasp says sweetly.

:Sunny?: Ocho asks.

:I’m on it,: she replies. Moments later, her hands begin to glow. The light emanating from them grows brighter and brighter until the control room is illuminated as brightly as it was before Wasp turned off the lights. I stare at Sunny’s hands. The light shines right through her skin, just the way it does in bioluminescent fish.

:That is just sooo cool,: Robry says, shaking his head.

Sunny smiles at him. :You never need a flashlight when I’m around.:

:All right, Kalli and Ree, you guys are up first,: Ocho tells them. :Shadow and Sunny are going to lead you into the center of the Maze. They’ll leave you there and see how long you take to find your way out. If you can’t do it in fifteen minutes, we’ll send someone in to get you.:

:This should be interesting,: Kalli mutters as Shadow slips a wide, thick blindfold over her eyes.

When both Ree and Kalli have blindfolds on, I ask, :Can you see anything?:

:Nada,: Ree replies.

:Take ’em in.: Ocho nods to Shadow and Sunny, and turns on a dozen different screens that display the interior of the Maze.

:We’ll be cheering for you,: Rad calls after them.

We watch on the screens as Shadow and Sunny lead Ree and Kalli into the heart of the Maze.

:Time starts NOW,: Ocho declares after Sunny and Shadow return.

Sunny switches off the light she’s been generating, and the only illumination in the booth comes from the screens. We watch as Kalli and Ree start trying to find their way out. The shark crew laughs as my friends take a series of wrong turns and head farther into the southeast corner of the Maze.

After fifteen minutes, Kalli and Ree still haven’t found their way out. Sunny lights up her hand again and swims into the Maze to lead them back.

:So here are your test results,: Wasp taunts them when Kalli and Ree return. :You have no sense of direction and your memory stinks.:

:Like you could find your way out of there.: Shadow shakes her head.

:Wasp gets lost in the Maze all the time,: Rad tells us with a smirk while Wasp glares at him.

Ocho nods to Tobin and Robry. :You’re up next.:

:Can’t Nere come with us?: Robry asks.

:Nope. The bossman left express orders that she has to go solo.:

That news makes my skin prickle. I still manage a smile for Robry before Shadow helps him put on his blindfold.

After Sunny leads them in, Sham snickers. :I bet they get more lost than the first two.:

:I think you’re about to get a big surprise,: I say. Sure enough, as soon as Ocho tells them to start, Robry begins to lead Tobin along the shortest route out. The shark crew swears in disbelief as Robry chooses the correct turn again and again.

Our guys return to the Maze’s entrance in less than three minutes.

:What took you so long?: I ask Robry after he takes off his blindfold.

:I had to feel my way along.: He grins. :If the lights had been on, I could have had us out of there a whole lot faster.:

:Not bad. How’d you do that, squirt?: Rad asks.

:Robry has an amazing memory,: I say proudly.

Ocho enters their results into the computer. :Pretty impressive, kid. You guys should head back to the school room now. Sunny and I will come after we finish up Nere’s testing.:

I hate whenever our team gets split up, but I’m pretty sure Rad and Shadow will keep an eye on my friends. I catch Wasp and Whitey exchanging a conspiratorial look that I don’t like at all, but they leave with the others.

:It’s your turn next.: Ocho sends me a smile when the door closes behind Whitey. :Remember, if you can’t find your way out, it’s no big deal. We’ll just come find you in fifteen minutes.:

I stare at his kind, round face until Sunny slips the blindfold over my eyes. You’re in a huge space—there’s no reason to feel claustrophobic just because you can’t see, I keep telling myself as Sunny leads me into the Maze.

I’m so busy taking deep breaths and trying not to panic, I have no idea where I am when Sunny finally leaves me. Floating there in the dark, I fight the urge to rip off my blindfold. Already I so can’t wait until this test is over.

A lifetime later, Ocho says, :Nere, your test starts NOW.:

Reaching out, I feel my way along the wall. It’s cold and smooth under my fingertips. I come to the first turn. Right or left? Taking a wild guess, I turn left. At least the shark crew isn’t watching me fumble around in the dark. Slowly, I work my way toward where I think the entrance is. But for all I know, I could be heading deeper into the Maze.

I’ve just reached a dead end when Sunny says, :Hey, what are you guys doing back here?:

:We just wanted to see how Nere’s doing with her test,: Wasp says. :Oh, isn’t that too bad? It looks like she’s lost wayyy back in that corner.:

My face burns and my stomach starts to churn.

:Sham, let go of me!: Ocho shouts.

:Hold him, and if you don’t want to get inked, keep that hood over the ink sacs in his neck,: Wasp orders.

Then Sunny swears and says furiously, :Get this bag off me, you big blubberhead!:

:Sorry. Can’t let your light show mess up our game,: Sham replies.

:Whitey, is the door locked?: Wasp asks.

:Yeah, and now it’s time for some serious hunt and seek.: The menace I hear in Whitey’s voice fills me with dread.

I rip off the blindfold and stare wildly all around me. All I can see is blackness. How can I possibly escape when I don’t even know where I am?

:Wasp, you promised me you wouldn’t do this,: Ocho pleads with her.

:I’m sorry, Ochy, but we just couldn’t pass up this chance to show Nere how much we like to play in here. Come on, Whitey, let’s go.:

:She’s in the southwest corner,: he tells her.

Thanks, Whitey. At least now I know roughly where I am. I swim as fast as I can, trying to head north and east, back toward the entrance. I keep my left arm extended straight ahead of me and my right out to the side, fingertips brushing the cold, smooth walls. I can’t afford to miss an opening.

Here’s one! Praying it’s not a dead end, I turn right and sprint ahead. Within seconds, my left hand slaps into a new wall. I follow it left, and then get a chance to turn right again, in the direction I want to go. I think.

:If you hurt her, Ice will never speak to you again,: Ocho calls after Wasp.

:Like I care about what he does?:

:You can lie to everyone else, but don’t lie to me. It’s always about him,: Ocho says bitterly.

As I race through blackness, I hear my own pulse beating in my ears and the sob of my breath. This is worse than my nightmares when something terrible hunts me in the dark.

I reach out to see if I can read Whitey or Wasp and get some sense of where they are, but I touch only blankness. Wasp must be shielding their thoughts.

:Tsk tsk, you’re trying to cheat, reading our minds like that,: Wasp goads me.

:Whitey can sense electromagnetic fields, and you say I’m cheating?:

:It’s not cheating to use the abilities our creator gave us. I’m looking forward to teaching you that lesson, along with another one. You never should have come here.:

:You have to catch me before you can teach me anything,: I gasp as I dash up a long, straight corridor.

:That shouldn’t take us very long. Whitey tells me we’re very close to you now.:

I sense her rising elation. It’s so totally dark in here, I won’t know they’re near until it’s too late. I turn and sprint down another corridor. My outstretched hand hits a wall ahead of me. I lunge to the right and then to the left, but there’s no opening.

It’s another dead end! I’ll have to swim back the way I came. Fighting down my panic, I whirl around and kick as quickly as I can. My legs and lungs are burning. Several kids argue and shout over by the entry room. I can feel Wasp’s growing excitement, which means she must be close.

I may be about to plow right into her and her poisonous fingers.

:Sunny, light up so Nere can see them coming!: Ocho yells.

Light begins to trickle through the small gap between the divider walls and the ceiling. I glimpse movement out of the corner of my eye.

I twist around just in time to see Wasp dart through an opening behind me. She charges at me, her ungloved hands raised. Whitey’s right behind her, but I have no weapon. Desperately, I bring my feet up and kick out. The edge of my right fin hits her nose, hard, and she reels back from me.

She clutches her face. :I think you just broke my nose. Whitey, take her apart.:

:With pleasure,: he says. He starts forward, his clawlike hands raised. I see such hatred in his eyes that I think he plans to kill me.

Seconds later, a dark shape streaks over Whitey’s head, and all of a sudden, Dai’s between us, holding a loaded speargun.

:Back off, Whitey. Wasp, you know my father wants Nere here.:

:But we don’t,: Wasp cries.

:You sting her, or me, and I will tell him this time,: Dai says in a hard, implacable tone. :You know what he said he’d do if you ever touched a member of our family again.:

Wasp gasps and turns even paler.

:We were just playing a little game with the princess here,: Whitey says with a shrug. :I don’t see why you’re so bent out of shape, bro.:

:Sometimes, bro, you two get carried away with your games. Nere and I are leaving, and Wasp, you’re not going to block us from talking to each other.:

Dai takes my hand and leads me away. I feel Wasp’s and Whitey’s angry stares burning into my back.

:You okay?: Tobin asks me when we reach the entry room. Everyone is glaring at Sham.

:I—I’m just a little shook up. Guess I’m not a big fan of hunt and seek.:

:Nere, I’m really sorry,: Ocho says, wringing two of his hands.

:You should be,: Dai says and leads me past the others to the main door.

I blink when I see the door handle is melted and buckled. :W-what happened to this?:

:Rad melted the lock for me so I could get to you in time.:

:You thought Whitey and Wasp really might hurt me?:

:Yeah.:

So it wasn’t just a nasty joke. I start to shake. Wordlessly, Dai slips an arm around my shoulder and leads me to the nearest entry bay, where he calls a keeper to get permission to take me outside.

:I thought you might want to call Densil and Sokya,: Dai says while we wait. :I know they’re around here somewhere. Ton’s been hanging out with them. Maybe the dolphins will help you feel better.:

:Th-thanks. Just going outside for a bit would be g-great. I don’t understand why I’m shaking. I feel like such a big chicken,: I admit, staring down at my dive fins.

:You’re hardly that. I think you’re the bravest girl I’ve ever met.: Dai reaches out and gently lifts my chin so I have to meet his gaze. :You kept it together when it mattered, and now you’re just having a delayed reaction.:

The look in his eyes makes my face heat. :Yeah, well, whatever I’m h-having, I’m going to be glad when it’s over,: I mutter. He drops his hand again, but my skin seems to tingle where he touched it.

When the keeper gives us permission, Dai and I swim down through the entry bay together. As soon as I’m out of sight of the looming gray fortress, my trembling starts to ease. I even manage a smile when Densil and Sokya streak toward us, Ton right behind them. I hug my friends and give them rubs. I’m surprised when Ton sidles up to me, asking for a rub of his own.

:He likes being scratched in front of his dorsal,: Dai tells me.

:How’d you find me so fast?: I ask Dai as I give Ton a gentle scratch.

:Let’s just say I’ve spent a lot of hours in the Maze, and I know Wasp pretty well.:

:What is it with her? She’s crazy.:

:What my father did to her was worse than what he did to the rest of us, since she can’t touch anyone. Because of her tentacles, we didn’t want to be near her when we were little. Most of us still don’t.:

:But she’s so angry all the time. I don’t get it.:

When Dai looks up from Ton, his eyes are haunted. :I think what really warped her was the day she killed my little sister, Maiya. You asked once about the black coral ring Maiya made for me.: Dai tugs a small dark ring from beneath his seasuit and shows it to me. I remember on our journey to Safety Harbor, he told me about the ring and said he’d had a little sister who’d died.

Dai curls his fingers around it. :One day Maiya got into Wasp’s room and started playing with her things. Wasp lost her temper and slapped Maiya on the cheek. Wasp didn’t really mean to hurt her, but sea wasp venom is deadly to small children. Before my dad could get a dose of anti-venom into her, Maiya was gone.:

:Oh, Dai, I’m so sorry.:

:Yeah, I’m sorry, too. Maiya was the best. She was a funny, smart little kid, and super sweet despite the way we were raised. She used to follow me everywhere, and I did my best to look out for her. But I didn’t protect her that day. Everyone loved Maiya, and we all blamed Wasp for her death, me most of all.:

:But you guys were just kids.:

:Yeah, but looking back on it, it wasn’t fair to Wasp. She used to be pretty nice, and she felt awful already, and then we all made it worse. Over the years, Wasp’s grown more twisted. She’s decided I’m her personal property, and that’s why she hates you. I’ve been afraid she’d kill you, or find a way to provoke Whitey into killing you. Today, she came close.:

:Can’t you tell your dad about her?:

:I’ve been trying, but he doesn’t listen to anyone anymore. He’s always been so brilliant and so stubborn. My mom was the only one who could make him see reason.:

:Dai, what really happened to your mom?:

:She drowned when her research ship went down in a sudden storm,: he replies, his mental tone cooling.

:But my dad said there wasn’t a storm in that area when her boat went down.:

:Her death really isn’t any of his or your business,: he says so abruptly that I draw in a breath. I search Dai’s face, but all I see is the closed, angry expression he wore so often when I first met him.

:Right. Well, I think I’m ready to head back now,: I say. :The others will be worrying about me. Thanks for saving me from your friends’ fun little hunt-and-seek game.:

Before he can see how hurt I feel, I turn away and head back toward the entry bay. Now I know that Dai cares enough to keep me alive, but he doesn’t trust me enough to share the whole truth about his family.