Checkmate

by Helen Keltie

Overview

It has been two weeks since Nepta and his sixteen-year-old sister, Coralie, visited the earth world. Now Coralie is ready to leave for boarding school. Wizen, the old merman, is accompanying Coralie and her mother, Meerlyn, on their journey. But as the shell carriage arrives at the school, no one knows what is in store for Coralie.

After her mother and Wizen bid her farewell, Coralie quickly learns that her room overlooks a haunted kelp forest ruled by the Alptraum. Despite warnings to stay away, curiosity leads Coralie to enter the shadowy forest where she is welcomed by those who say they have been waiting for her. After she meets a prince confined to the forest by his dangerous nephew, Darkla, he gifts her with a strange magical power. As Coralie is led on a journey into the unknown where she must plot against Gwilda the white witch, she travels between reality and the forest world as her friends and family set out through turmoil to find the truth and hopefully save Coralie from herself.

Checkmate shares the exciting conclusion to a trilogy as a teenager enters a dark forest and into a destiny she never expected.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781504310390
Publisher:	Balboa Press AU
Publication date:	10/02/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	116
File size:	210 KB

About the Author

Helen Keltie is a retired paediatric nurse and widow with two children, three adult granddaughters, and one great-grandchild. She loves writing children’s stories and playing croquet, otherwise known as “Hit and Giggle.” She lives in Portland, Victoria, Australia. Checkmate is the final book in her trilogy.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

The last two weeks had flown by, and the morning had arrived for the sixteen-year-old Coralie to leave home and attend boarding school. Wizen, the old merman was harnessing Meerlyn's two giant seahorses to the shell carriage. He was waiting for Coralie and her mother Meerlyn, and would escort them to Marinal, the school for girls. Wizen's own giant manta ray was waiting patiently for him.

For the first term, Meerlyn would stay at the home of Agava, her sister, who lived about an hour away from the school in the city of Marinas.

"Nearly ready, Wizen?" Gwilda, Meerlyn's cook and housekeeper, was bubbling with excitement, thought Wizen. He had never seen her look so happy. He realised Gwilda badly needed a break, especially from Coralie. The housekeeper had grown into a pretty young woman with dreamy blue-green eyes, reddish seaweed for hair, and pale fawn scales, tinged with white.

Gwilda had her arm around Old Wal, the walrus who tended the garden. He was wiping his eyes with his flippers.

"Come on Wal, this is a happy occasion. No need for tears." Wizen patted him on the head.

Wizen hadn't told Meerlyn that he had heard from Nepta, her son. Since Nepta and Coralie had returned from their earth visit two weeks earlier, he and his mother had quarrelled and Nepta left home. He had enrolled at college and was studying marine architecture.

Wizen kept in touch and hoped that the quarrel would be resolved. He understood that Nepta seemed happy sharing a shell house with two other students.

Meerlyn and Coralie appeared; to Wizen's relief, Meerlyn wasn't crying for once. She handed the house keys to Gwilda before hugging her and stepping into the carriage.

Coralie, who was studying Gwilda, hesitated. "There is something different about you, Gwilda, but I can't put my finger on it yet." She sneered, "Just don't try and be too smart. I'll discover what it is in time." She turned away and jumped into the carriage; picking up the reins, she nodded to Wizen, clicked her tongue, and murmured, "Gee up." The giant sea horses rose, and with their powerful muscles straining, swam rapidly away. Wizen climbed on to his manta ray, smiled and waved cheerfully before following behind the carriage.

Gwilda and Old Wal watched until they were out of sight. Wal sighed, "Enough of the tears. I have work to do," and he swam away to the rear of the house.

Gwilda chuckled, "Ah! Coralie, if you only knew. Wizen has been teaching me magic, and I know his spell book off by heart. If you try any mischief with me, I'll give you a run for your money."

CHAPTER 2

Marinal was an imposing building built from green marble. It had been a girls' school for fifty years The current principal, Ms Whalley, was an accomplished woman of some forty years of age She came from a family of teachers and always said she understood students better than anyone she knew.

She was short and plump, with mottled brown seaweed hair Her skin was composed of white scales tinged with pink around the eyes She informed anyone who was rude enough to ask that this was a sign of contentment In reality it was a sign of aging.

When Meerlyn and Coralie were brought to her study, the principal sensed tension between the mother and daughter.

"I imagine you have had rather a long journey and must be feeling tired." Ms Whalley smiled at mother and daughter and invited them to sit down.

"There are just a few questions I need to ask and then we shall have some refreshments."

Coralie was given a book on school rules which she folded and crammed into her bag. Ms Whalley noted this and pursed her lips.

"I imagine you will find boarding school rather different Coralie I hope you will be happy here dear."

Coralie stared at the principal and muttered she hoped she would be also.

Ms Whalley then handed Meerlyn some papers which she asked her to sign.

A maid brought in refreshments and when all the formalities were completed, Ms. Whalley rang a bell.

"You will be escorted to your room now Coralie." She turned to Meerlyn and asked, "Would you like to see the room also?" Meerlyn stood up and inclined her head, "Oh yes I would like to see Coralie's room. Thank you very much."

The same maid appeared and escorted Coralie and her mother to the girl's room To Coralie's delight the girls had separate rooms, each floor shared a bathroom.

Coralie's room was on the second floor and overlooked the back garden There was a forest of thick kelp beyond, from which sea horses occasionally emerged Meerlyn cheerfully approved of the bright and colourful room; she was about to speak when Coralie turned and looked at her mother. "Now, don't start blubbering This is my new adventure and I don't want you to spoil it."

Meerlyn's eyes which had been glistening with tears, now hardened, "I suppose I should have expected you to say something like that." Meerlyn stood up and walked to the door. Opening it, she turned to Coralie and said, "However,I hope you enjoy your stay here. boarding school was what you always wanted." Meerlyn closed the door quietly and walked away.

"Well," said Coralie to the door, "I didn't expect you to leave so calmly Mother."

What Coralie didn't see was her Mother blindly stumbling down the stairs and sobbing bitterly

Wizen groaned when he saw Meerlyn emerge from the building He helped her into the carriage and then, telling the Manta Ray to follow behind, he swam into the carriage, picked up the reins, and let Meerlyn cry herself to a stop.

CHAPTER 3

After about an hour of travelling, Meerlyn and Wizen arrived at Agava's house. Meerlyn turned to Wizen, and said "Give me some time alone with my sister; I need to settle myself."

He nodded and swam to the seahorse's heads, unharnessed them, and led them to the stable grottos at the rear of the house. Wizen briefly chatted to the stable boy before swimming back to the carriage and collecting Meerlyn's belongings.

A hearty laugh greeted him. "Wizen, my dear friend, how very kind of you to escort my sister and niece." Wizened turned and smiled, finding himself enveloped in a warm embrace. Agava was like Meerlyn at first glance, but jollier in appearance with a welcome breath of humour. She had never married, but lived a busy and happy life. She was a keen gardener, her house backing onto every shade of green sea plants that it was possible to grow.

Agava, several years older than Meerlyn, had always disliked her troublesome brother-in-law, blaming his abrasive nature for its negative influence on Coralie's disposition. As they entered the house, Agave asked her sister about the parting from her daughter. 'Was it very emotional?'

Wizen, following closely behind, answered for Meerlyn. 'Yes. A little tearful.'

Agava looked at him sceptically. 'I'm sure there was a regular fountain of tears. And how was Coralie?'

'She sees this as a new adventure, and is determined to enjoy it,' replied Meerlyn.

Hearing this, Wizen and Agava exchanged a knowing glance.

A mermaid came in, placing finger food on a small table, and then relieved Wizen of the luggage.

As Wizen picked up a crab claw, Agava asked him if he was staying overnight. 'Yes. I'll call on Nepta before returning home.'

Agava glanced at Meerlyn. "Nepta should be here shortly; I told him you were coming."

Meerlyn stood. "Perhaps I should wait in my room? I –"

Agave snapped, "Don't be absurd, Meerlyn. Now is the time to patch up your differences. You know you owe him an apology. Nepta was not to blame for the accident that caused the burn to Coralie's face. You know that now." Meerlyn sat down and dabbed at her eyes. "Oh! For goodness sake? Don't start crying again."

The mermaid returned and cleared away the dishes. Just then they heard a knock on the door. "I'll go," said Wizen, swimming into the hallway.

He opened the front door. Nepta and young woman with silver scales that gleamed in the light stood there. Her green eyes sparkled with laughter.

"This is Shelley. She is studying coral reef life forms," said Nepta. Wizen stared at her – he was starkly reminded of Katie Jenkins, the young human Nepta had known on the land above the water. Nepta laughed. "I've told Shelley that she looks so similar to Katie you would think they were related."

Nepta hugged Wizen, and the two young people followed him into the front room. There was an awkward silence before Agava recovered and embraced first her nephew and then Shelley. She turned to Meerlyn. "Say hello to your son and his friend, Shelley."

Meerlyn bit her trembling lower lip and then cried out, "Nepta, please forgive me. I shouldn't have spoken to you as I did." She hesitated. "I realize now that Coralie was to blame for all the mishaps that occurred when you visited the humans above the water." She stood up and held out her arms. Nepta laughed and hugged his mother. He kissed her on the cheek.

"Meet Shelley. She is a special friend and very dear to me." He looked fondly at Shelley and she smiled in return.

Meerlyn laughed. "Welcome, my dear Shelley. I'm happy for the two of you. However, I'm still worried about Coralie. Will she settle down and behave at school, do you think?"

Wizen chuckled. "I believe Gwilda can help, here." He patted Shelley's hand. "You haven't met Meerlyn's housekeeper, have you? If anyone understands Coralie, she does. Gwilda is a white witch. I have watched her treating marine life – all the small animals trust her completely. I've taught her how to cast spells. I rather fancy that Coralie is going to find Gwilda something of a challenge."

CHAPTER 4

Coralie had spent her first day at school very quietly. She hadn't liked any of the girls in her class, and wondered if she would make any friends. Only Vaila, a plumpish girl with green scales, had attempted to talk to her. Coralie had brushed her away, but now wondered if she should have been more receptive.

The day had dragged by and, now that it was over, Coralie was glad to be back in her room. She examined herself in the mirror and, glad as she was not to be plump like Vaila, she wished she were taller and less angular in appearance. She unplaited her black seaweed hair and let it fall around her shoulders.

There was a knock at the door. "Who's there?" she called.

"It's me, Vaila. I've come to see if you're all right. May I come in?"

Coralie opened the door; she was suddenly glad of company. She invited Vaila to sit on the bed. "I'm glad I have someone to talk to. It's just that I thought school would be different."

"I shouldn't ask you this, but how did you get that burn on your face? It looks painful. Oh, I am sorry. I shouldn't be so rude." Vaila turned a deeper shade of green and quickly looked away.

"Oh!" Coralie touched her face. "It happened just a few weeks ago. It was an accident. Actually, it's clearing up quite quickly now, and should only end up as a pale scar." Coralie gave a hollow laugh. "Forget it. Tell me about the school. Anything I should know?"

Vaila stood up and walked over to the window. "Most girls move out of this room very soon after they arrive."

"Why is that?" asked Coralie.

"Well, you overlook the forest, and it's supposed to be haunted." Vaila pressed her nose to the glass. "No-one goes near it at night. Even the seahorses who feed in there."

Coralie strolled over to the window. Seahorses were swimming out of the thick kelp and disappearing from sight as they hurriedly moved away from the forest."

"Hmm. I wonder what spooked them?" She studied Vaila. "When you say it's haunted, are there shades? What type are they?"

Vaila shuddered. Shades are shades. I don't know and I don't want to know. You're not going to visit there at night, are you?"

Coralie murmured, "Well, perhaps not tonight. Come on, tell me about the teachers here." She gave Vaila an encouraging smile.

When Coralie was on her own, she threw a dark cloak around her shoulders and looked at the clock. "I've just enough time to have a quick look before supper," she said to herself. She studied the ground outside; no-one was around. Opening the window, she floated down to the ground.

Close to the forest of kelp it was very dark. Coralie pushed the heavy fronds away and stepped into the forest. A greenish purple light was shining from its centre, and there were strange rustling noises all around her. She was afraid and thought she had better return to the school.

Suddenly a hand brushed across her face and a voice whispered in her ear, "Coralie, we know you and have been waiting a long time for you." The kelp parted and a pathway opened before her. Vague shapes writhed around her, and the whispering commenced again. "Come, girl. Come with us."

Coralie took a step forwards.

CHAPTER 5

The following day, Wizen farewelled Meerlyn and Agava. "Coralie's coming for the weekend, isn't she? I hope you all enjoy yourselves."

Wizen mounted his manta ray. "Let's see if we can beat the city traffic; I'd like to reach home before dark."

They'd only travelled a short distance when a sudden shock almost pushed him off the ray's back. She reared up, convulsed, and dropped to the seabed. Wizen was too stunned to help at first. As he bent over her, he could hear faintly mocking laughter. He raised the ray's head, massaged her back, and chanted to her. She gradually recovered, and drifted back up in the water.

Wizen was relieved, but remained worried. He thought they should rest for a while until she felt able to continue their journey. He was still stroking her. "What happened to you, dear friend?"

The manta ray regarded him with a puzzled expression. "Do you hate me? I thought we were friends. Why do you wish to hurt me?" She pulled away from him.

Wizen was shocked. "Hate you?" he exclaimed. "I wouldn't know what to do without you. We have been friends for so long, we are like family. Let's get out of this traffic; there's a park nearby. We'll rest and think about whether we should continue."

He swam beside her until they reached the park. The water was warm, and they found a cosy place overlooking a colourful reef. Wizen waited, but as the manta ray did not speak, he asked, "Why did you think I wanted to hurt you?"

She swam a little distance from him, and then gazed steadfastly back at him. She blew some bubbles before answering softly, "I thought I was dreaming. Didn't you sense it, too?" She hesitated and then swam back to him and nudged his arm. "Something told me you were dangerous, and I'd better be careful. Then I felt this sharp pain and I collapsed." She continued to rock gently in the water.

Wizen was puzzled. "I could hear mocking laughter, but I don't understand what happened." They continued to look fixedly at each other until disturbed by some other visitors passing close by.

The manta ray sighed. "I'm well enough to continue. Let's go home. I feel the further away we get from this city, the safer we'll be.

CHAPTER 6

Coralie followed the eerie light ahead of her, into the kelp forest. The light pulsated and grew brighter. She stepped into a clearing in which a huge misshapen being was sprawling on a thrown, its body throbbing with light. The head was human in appearance, but had a sea dragon's body.

Coralie gasped; the monster opened its eyes and stared back at her. It laughed softly. "Welcome, Coralie. You are with the Traums in the Dream World. I am the Alptraum." He beckoned to Coralie. "Come here."

She wanted to run away, but was drawn towards the monstrous figure. The Alptraum laughed. "Watch closely." Coralie had a sudden vision of Wizen and his mount. The manta ray convulsed and collapsed, leaving the wizard confused and concerned.

As the vision faded, the Alptraum reached out a claw and touched her on the forehead. "You saw what happened to your mother's friend?" She nodded. He continued, "All you have to do is choose someone you dislike and concentrate on the harm you wish them. Go now. I have left my mark on you. I will see you tomorrow evening."

Coralie found herself back in her room. Someone was knocking on her door. "It's Ms Reefa, Coralie. Are you all right? You missed supper. May I come in?"

Coralie opened the door. "I'm sorry. I fell asleep. My first day at school was so tiring." She noticed Ms Reefa had brought a tray on which sat a bowl of shrimp and seagrass stew. "Thank you Ms Reefa."

The teacher placed the tray on the bedside table and turned to Coralie, placing a hand on her forehead, but snatching it back immediately. "Oh!" she gasped. "What is that mark on your forehead? It came alive under my hand."

Coralie looked in the mirror and noticed a claw mark that rapidly faded, leaving her forehead clear and smooth. "I don't know, but it's gone now."

Ms Reefa walked to the door. "You don't seem well. I think I should contact your mother."

"No. no. I'm perfectly all right. My mother doesn't need to be bothered. Please, Miss. I'll feel better when I've eaten."

"Very well, Coralie, I'll see you tomorrow. Pleasant dreams."

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Checkmate"
by .
Copyright © 2017 Helen Keltie.
Excerpted by permission of Balboa Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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