Checkmate

By Helen Keltie

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press AU
• Release date: Oct 2, 2017
• ISBN: 9781504310390

Helen Keltie

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.

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Copyright © 2017 Helen Keltie.

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The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

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Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5043-1038-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-1039-0 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date: 09/26/2017

Contents

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

DEDICATION

M y grateful thanks to Anne Mountford, who saved the day with her astute editing and assistance with formatting.

PROLOGUE

C HECKMATE is the third book in the trilogy of the OTRIANA series.

The story begins two weeks after Nepta, and his sister Coralie, had visited the earth world in Nepta and the Pirates. Previous to that story, Katie and Josh, from the earth world, had visited Nepta and Coralie in The Mysterious Lake.

In Nepta and the Pirates, Otriana, the sea spirit, along with her sisters, Eden, the earth spirit, Cerule, the spirit of the air, and Ariel, the little fairy, helped Nepta to overcome many obstacles.

However, Coralie ran foul of Fieran, Otriana’s brother, who was the spirit of fire. Annoyed with her he had slapped her face and left a scorch mark.

When they returned to the sea world, Meerlyn, Nepta’s mother, blamed him for Coralie’s disfigurement and they quarrelled. Nepta left home very angry.

The story continues, with Coralie leaving for boarding school.

CHAPTER 1

T he 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

M arinal 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