Holly Takes a Risk

by Gillian Shields

  Contents

  Map

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Mermaid Sisters of the Sea

  The Mermaid S.O.S. series

  For Rhona, Sheena, and Catriona

  —G. S.

  This book is for my lovely grandparents, who have always encouraged me to reach for the stars. All my love

  —H. T.

  Map

  Prologue

  Meet Misty, Ellie, Sophie, Holly, Lucy, and Scarlett. They are Mermaid Sisters of the Sea, who live in the magical underwater world of Coral Kingdom. The Merfolk and their wise ruler, Queen Neptuna, look after the sea and all its creatures.

  Coral Kingdom is protected by six powerful magic crystals, which give life and strength to the Merfolk. Without the crystals, Coral Kingdom would not survive.

  Every year, the old crystals fade and have to be replaced. Queen Neptuna sends Misty and her friends—six special mermaids who are pure of heart—to collect the new ones from the secret Crystal Cave. But as they are bringing the crystals home, a storm blows the mermaids completely off course.

  This is no ordinary storm! It is created by Mantora, Queen Neptuna’s jealous sister. Mantora wanted to rule Coral Kingdom, and now she is bitter and full of hatred. She is determined to stop the mermaids from returning home, so that she can overthrow Queen Neptuna and set up her evil Storm Kingdom instead.

  Luckily, the young mermaids have courage and friendship on their side. But that’s not all; their S.O.S. Kits will help them as they race to get the crystals back safely. And they never forget their Mermaid Pledge:

  We promise that we’ll take good care

  Of all sea creatures everywhere.

  We’ll never hurt and never break,

  We’ll always give and never take.

  And as we fight Mantora’s threat,

  This saying we must not forget:

  “I’ll help you and you’ll help me,

  For we are Sisters of the Sea!”

  Holly and her friends are eager to prove that Queen Neptuna was right to trust them with the precious crystals. They are going to do everything it takes to get them home and safeguard Coral Kingdom for another year.

  Will Mantora win? Or can the mermaids get the new crystals back in time to stop the light fading forever from Coral Kingdom?

  Holly

  Chapter One

  The sun was setting in a blaze of gold over the sea. The mermaids Holly, Misty, Ellie, Sophie, Lucy, and Scarlett had been swimming west with their new friends the dolphins. Earlier in the day, they had rescued one of them, Silver, who had been tangled in a fishing net. Now Silver and her sisters were changing course to head for their home in the Wild Waves. They called “farewell” to the mermaids by leaping high over the water in a shower of golden droplets.

  “Good-bye, Sisters of the Sea!” called Silver. “I’ll never forget that you saved my life.”

  “Thank you, mermaids,” cried her baby, Smudge, waving his soft flippers and smiling with his snuffly beak. Then he dashed happily after his mother as the dolphin family sped toward the far horizon.

  “It was exciting to swim with Silver and her sisters,” said Holly, swishing her yellow tail gently in the cool sea. “But we should rest now. We’re all tired, and Lucy can barely stay awake.”

  “I can keep going,” said Lucy bravely. “We must get closer to Coral Kingdom.”

  Queen Neptuna had asked the courageous young mermaids to fetch six new crystals for her silver Throne. If Holly and her friends didn’t get them home by the end of the week, the power of the Merfolk would fade forever. But Coral Kingdom still lay far ahead in the West.

  “We can’t continue swimming without stopping, Lucy,” said Misty, “even though we’d like to.”

  “Misty’s right,” agreed Sophie. “Tomorrow there will still be three days left before the old crystals fade. We can take a short break.”

  “I think we’ll have to,” yawned Ellie, “if we can find a place to sleep.”

  “What’s that ahead?” asked Scarlett, pointing in front of her.

  Holly looked over the waves in the gathering dusk. She could see some dark buoys bobbing up and down in the water, topped by flickering warning lights. Beyond them, a string of green mounds rose gently from the sea in the twilight. They were crowned by small, swaying trees.

  “It looks like a group of reef islands,” Holly said. “Those buoys are to stop the human boats from getting too close. That will be a perfect place to rest.”

  “As long as Mantora isn’t hanging around,” muttered Scarlett. “Nowhere is safe while she’s trying to stop us from getting the crystals home.”

  The friends set off with weary limbs toward the reef islands. The moon sailed high in the sky and the sea sparkled silver. They swam past the bobbing buoys and saw the shape of the reef spread out below them in the clear, shallow water.

  “This reminds me of Coral Kingdom,” said Misty. “I think we really must be getting closer now.”

  “Of course!” said Holly suddenly. “I know exactly where we must be. And I know a story about these islands—an old legend.”

  “Ooh, what? Tell us, Holly!” cried the others eagerly. They knew Holly was very smart and had learned lots of things about the ocean from Queen Neptuna’s sea scrolls.

  “Let’s settle down for the night, then I’ll tell you all about it,” she replied with a smile.

  The mermaids quickly chose a small, deserted island with a soft white beach. They pulled themselves out of the water and sat in a circle on the glistening sand. Lucy found her Mermaid Comb in the dainty green pouch tied around her waist, and she combed her friends’ shining hair in turn. The cool night breeze ruffled their silky curls as the stars began to glitter in the velvety sky.

  “What about that story now, Holly?” said Ellie drowsily.

  “Yes, please,” begged the others, stifling their yawns as they snuggled down to rest. They looked at Holly with expectant, sleepy eyes. “Tell us a bedtime story, but don’t make it a scary one!”

  It was good to be quiet after such a busy day. Listening to a story reminded the mermaids of being at home with their families.

  Holly smiled at her friends, took a deep breath, and began.

  Chapter Two

  “These reef islands are called the Shipwreck Isles,” said Holly. “I’ve seen them on Queen Neptuna’s great map, which hangs in her palace. Coral Kingdom lies beyond them, further to the West.”

  “Why are they called the Shipwreck Isles?” asked Misty.

  “That’s all part of the legend,” replied Holly. “You saw the coral reef under the waves. It’s dangerous for the humans to sail their boats too close to the sharp peaks and pinnacles of the coral, so there are warning lights on those buoys out there. But even so, there have been many wrecks in these waters.”

  “I feel sorry for the humans who are shipwrecked,” said tender-hearted Lucy. “This sounds like a sad story, Holly.”

  “The next part isn’t sad at all,” Holly reassured her. “It’s about the most famous shipwreck of all, the Lady Jane.”

  “That sounds like a fine, elegant ship,” said Ellie.

  “It was,” answered Holly. “The legend goes that the Lady Jane made her voyage here more than two hundred years ago. She had three tall masts, billowing white sails, and a splendid gilded prow. It was carved in the shape of a …”

  “… a mermaid!” guessed Sophie and Scarlett at the same time, laughing together.

  “That’s right.” Holly grinned. “The carved mermaid had a curling golden tail and long fair hair, but her swe
et smiling face was a portrait of the ship owner’s wife, the real Lady Jane. Her husband, Sir Richard, had worked hard to make his fortune in the prosperous lands near here. At last, he had sent his ship to bring Lady Jane and their children to join him in his new life.”

  “So what happened?” asked Misty, with big, wondering eyes.

  “A terrible storm sprang up as the Lady Jane reached these islands. The ship grounded on the reef, and everyone’s lives were in danger.”

  “How dreadful,” whispered Lucy.

  “Ah, but help wasn’t far away,” Holly continued. “The Merfolk heard the pitiful cries of the young mother, and saw the golden mermaid prow plunging in the billowing waves. Lady Jane was clutching the ship’s rails, with her children clinging to her skirts. She was weeping, saying that she didn’t care if she sank to the bottom of the sea, as long as her children were spared.”

  “Poor lady,” said Ellie. “She must have been so frightened.”

  “Her gentleness and beauty filled the hearts of the Merfolk with pity,” added Holly. “They rescued Lady Jane and everyone else before the ship sank, carrying them to these islands, where they were found safe and well the next day.”

  “But what did the humans say when they saw the Merfolk?” asked Misty. “They must have thought they were dreaming!”

  “The sailors babbled afterward that a band of angels had snatched them from the storm,” laughed Holly. “Of course, nobody believed them. But Lady Jane always declared that a mermaid had saved her children’s lives, and she showed her gratitude in a special way.”

  “How?” asked the friends eagerly. “What did she do?”

  “When she was reunited with Sir Richard,” said Holly, “Lady Jane asked him to bring her back here on another boat. Then she cast her little ruby earrings overboard as a thank you gift to the Merfolk. My granny told me that Lady Jane’s rubies are still lying on the seabed, near the ghostly wreck of her proud ship.”

  “Ooh, how exciting!” said the others. “That’s a great story.”

  “But is it just a story?” wondered Holly. “Wouldn’t it be amazing if we actually saw the Lady Jane tomorrow? We could even find one of the rubies and take it home for Queen Neptuna!”

  “The only things Queen Neptuna wants us to take home are the crystals,” said Scarlett sensibly. “We can’t risk spending time looking for ghost ships, Holly.”

  “But couldn’t we just take a peep on our way home tomorrow?” Holly pleaded. Her head was full of legends, stories, and treasure, so for once she wasn’t being her usual cautious self.

  “I suppose it would be fun to look,” said Misty. “If you’re really sure it won’t make us late.”

  “It won’t!” promised Holly. “We have to swim over the reef anyway to head for Coral Kingdom. What do you all think?”

  “Well, all right,” agreed Scarlett. “But we’ll have to get up extra early, so that we don’t lose too much time on our journey home with the crystals.”

  “I’ll wake everyone as soon as the sun rises,” said Holly excitedly. The mermaids murmured good night to each other. Lucy began to sing a gentle lullaby in her sweet, soft voice:

  Here is the end

  Of this bright day,

  Tomorrow we must

  Be on our way.

  But now we’ll rest

  And meet our dreams,

  Beneath the stars

  And soft moonbeams …

  Soon the mermaid friends drifted off to sleep.

  But Holly was restless. Muddled dreams raced through her head of ships, rubies, and adventures as the waves lapped all night long on the silvery shore.

  Chapter Three

  Holly thought she was still dreaming when a wild seabird cried out to greet the dawn. She opened her eyes sleepily. The pale light of the sun was starting to break through the soft clouds. Then she remembered. The mermaids were on the reef island, and they were going to look for the wreck of the Lady Jane!

  “It’s the new day, everyone,” Holly called, as she sat up.

  The young friends slowly uncurled their sparkling tails and stretched.

  “We’re heading for Coral Kingdom today,” Holly said excitedly. “And who knows—maybe we’ll see the old shipwreck.”

  The mermaids quickly got ready to leave. They checked that their magical crystals were hidden safely in their pouches, and soon they were swimming out toward the reef, eager to be on their way. But Holly suddenly slowed down and looked around carefully.

  “That’s strange,” she said to her friends, as they rippled their bright tails through the fresh waves. “Something looks different.”

  “Maybe that’s because we’re seeing the reef islands by daylight now,” suggested Ellie.

  Holly hovered in the water for a moment, searching the waves with her keen dark eyes.

  “Hmm, I’m not sure,” she said. “Something has definitely changed since last night …”

  “Are you worried, Holly?” asked Lucy, in a concerned voice. “Should we stop?”

  “Nooo …,” Holly replied slowly. “I’m probably just imagining it. Come on, we’ll risk it. Follow me!”

  She flicked her yellow tail and dived under the satiny sea in a splash of foam. Her friends swiftly followed. They were all thrilled by the sight of the magnificent coral reef, stretching out in the clear water below them.

  “Oh, it’s so much like Coral Kingdom,” cried Lucy gladly. “Look, there are turtles!”

  “Parrot fish!” said Ellie.

  “Shrimps!” said Sophie.

  “Angelfish!” said Misty.

  “And look at those gorgeous fronds of red seaweed,” said Holly. “They’re as bright as Scarlett’s tail!”

  The colorful coral was full of life. Some of the reef dwellers were just starting to wake up, and others were going to bed after a busy night. They watched curiously as the mermaids swam past, swishing their sparkling tails and making trails of silver bubbles.

  “I wonder where we should look for the shipwreck,” said Holly, weaving in and out of the twisting branches of coral.

  “Don’t forget that we’re just going to swim over the reef without stopping,” said Scarlett. “We can’t go out of our way for treasure hunting!”

  “I know, Scarlett,” smiled Holly. “I promise I won’t do anything to put our crystals or our journey in danger. I just think it would be fun to see the shipwreck—if it really exists.”

  “If?” said a slow, deep voice behind them. “If? Are you saying that you don’t believe the legend of the Shipwreck Isles?”

  Holly and her friends whirled around in the water. A large green turtle with a dappled shell, strong flippers, and a comical face was eyeing them very closely.

  “I beg your pardon,” gasped Holly. “We’ve heard of the legend, of course, but we weren’t sure if it was real.”

  “Of course it’s real,” said the turtle sternly. Then he smiled. “My name is Tobias. I have lived here for many years, and my family before me, going all the way back to the time of dear Lady Jane herself. I can show you the wreck of her ship if you like.”

  “Can you really?” exclaimed Holly. “That is, if it wouldn’t take too long. We’re on an important journey for Queen Neptuna,” she explained hurriedly.

  “Well, well, we can’t delay royal business,” replied Tobias. “This will only take a minute.”

  Holly looked at the others excitedly. “Should we?”

  “Oh, let’s go and see it,” said Misty. “Just a quick peek can’t do any harm.”

  “Then follow me,” said the turtle, gliding ahead of them in the clear water.

  The young friends surged after him, curving around the spiky walls of the reef. After a little while, the strangest sight loomed up below them. On the bottom of the sandy seabed, lying on its keel, was the ghostly skeleton of a once splendid ship. Its three great masts reached upward into the water like slim trees in a winter forest. The tattered remains of the sails fluttered in the current like a few forlorn
leaves.

  “Oh, it’s so sad and beautiful,” breathed the mermaids. They swam closer and saw the name LADY JANE in faded red paint on the wooden side. At the front of the ship, the carved mermaid prow still gleamed golden, though the face was chipped and worn.

  “So it was all true,” said Lucy softly. The young friends gazed for a moment in awe at the gallant, derelict ship, and thought about the brave souls who had sailed with her.

  “Was it worth coming to see?” asked Holly in a whisper.

  “Definitely!” the others replied.

  “I’ve heard that the Merfolk from the old times left Lady Jane’s rubies lying in the sea nearby,” added Tobias. “They said that mermaids would come back here to find the jewels one day. I don’t know whether that part of the story is true. But at least you can see that the wreck is true, as real as you and me!”

  “Thank you so much for showing it to us, Tobias,” said Holly gratefully, tearing herself away from the silent, shadowy ship. “But we really do have to speed on our way now. Would you kindly lead us in the direction of Coral Kingdom?”

  “Certainly, my dears,” he replied. “It’s been a pleasure to have some of the Merfolk by our reef once more.”

  The gentle turtle led them up to the sparkling surface of the sea just above the tips of the coral reef. Holly and her friends shook the drops of water from their shining hair and turned their thoughts to getting home with the crystals. They listened carefully as Tobias gave them directions.

  “To go west you need to follow …,” the turtle began, but he never finished what he was saying.

  A black cloud passed over the sun and everything went dark. Then a blast of icy wind whipped over the mermaids’ shoulders, and the sea began to crash menacingly around them.