Chapter One

It was going to be a perfect summer’s day. Lizzy Baxter woke to the delightful sight of sunlight streaming in at her window, and the air in her bedroom felt warm and balmy. Throwing her duvet back, she scrambled out of bed and went to the window to peer out over the rooftops of the Cornish fishing port where she lived.

Beyond the roofs was the harbour, with the sea sparkling sapphire blue beyond. The morning bustle of the docks was in full swing, for several trawlers were due in on the tide and everything had to be ready Lizzy could just see the boats in the bay, far out beyond the great landmark of St Michael’s Mount, which shone in the brilliant early light. In less than an hour they would be home and unloading their catch.

Lizzy smiled to herself as she thought how much she already loved this place. It was hard to believe that she and her family had been living in Cornwall for only two weeks. So much had happened to her since they’d come to their new home… and it was all so astonishing and incredible that she could still hardly believe it was real.

Lizzy had always known that she and her older sister, Rose, weren’t the Baxters’ own children. Mr and Mrs Baxter had adopted Rose when she was one, and a few years later they had adopted Lizzy too. But, while they knew that Rose was an orphan, Lizzy’s history was unknown. She had been found abandoned as a baby, not very far from here, and no one had been able to trace her family. Lizzy had thought that she would never learn the truth about herself. But then Dad had been offered a lecturing post at a college in Cornwall, and the new house they bought was, by coincidence, in the same area where she had been found when she was small. Amid all the upheaval and excitement of moving, Lizzy hadn’t had much time to wonder about her own past. But then one day on the nearby beach she had met a boy called Kes. And what she learned from him changed everything…

There were footsteps on the stairs and along the landing. Moments later Lizzy’s door opened and Mrs Baxter’s head appeared.

‘Morning, love,’ she said. ‘Breakfast’s nearly ready, so if you want a shower first you’d better get a move on.’ She smiled. ‘Another lovely day! We’ve been so lucky with the weather since we came. What are you doing – going to the beach again?’

‘Mmm, yes, if that’s all right?’

‘Of course. Lucky you – I’m working, and Dad’s going in to the college to be shown round. I don’t know what Rose is up to; staying in bed half the morning, I expect, and then seeing Paul.’

Paul Treleaven was Rose’s new boyfriend. His father was a fisherman and Paul sometimes went to sea with him. He was used to getting up early, but it hadn’t rubbed off on Rose yet.

Lizzy grinned. ‘I expect so too. OK, Mum, I’ll be down in a few minutes.’

Mum went back downstairs and Lizzy headed for the bathroom. She showered quickly, then dashed back to her room, feeling light-hearted and excited. She had arranged to meet Kes today and she was so looking forward to seeing him again.

She pulled on a swimsuit, then put shorts and a T-shirt on top. As she wriggled the T-shirt over her head she suddenly remembered something. Her locket – it was on its silver chain round her neck. Quickly she unfastened the chain, and laid the locket on her bedside table. It was a very beautiful and unusual one, made from two pieces of mother-of-pearl. It had been with her when she was found as a baby, and she always wore it. But not when she went to the beach and the sea. Because now she knew the real truth about the locket. Inside it, hidden in a secret compartment, was a tiny treasure. And that treasure must be kept safe at all costs…

She gave the locket a last glance, then pushed her feet into flip-flops and hurried down to breakfast.

The trawlers that Lizzy had seen from her window were heading towards the harbour when one of the fishermen shouted to his crewmates and pointed further out to sea. A dolphin was heading westwards along the coast, streaking through the water. The fishermen watched it with smiles on their faces. They always enjoyed seeing dolphins. Sometimes the creatures came right up close, hoping to be thrown a few fish, and the men wondered if this one might follow them towards the harbour.

But the dolphin wasn’t interested in fish. She had somewhere to go – and she needed to get there fast. Soon she had left the boats far behind and, as she surged on, the sun glinted on an unusual silver streak down the length of her back. Then suddenly she dived with hardly a splash, and swam down, down into the sea’s depths. Ahead of her now was a forest of oar-weed, the long brown fronds swaying gently in the current. This was the right place… the dolphin plunged in among the weed, pushing herself through it with flicks of her powerful tail, and emerged on the far side, in front of an underwater cave. The cave entrance was covered by a waving curtain of finer weed, and many-coloured sea anemones grew around it.

The dolphin swam up to the entrance and gave a series of high, shrill whistles that echoed strangely through the water. She waited, and a few moments later the curtain parted and someone looked out.

‘Arhans!’ A boy emerged from the cave. He had black hair and brilliant blue eyes, and, though he looked completely human, he breathed underwater as easily as any ordinary boy did in air. He was smiling at the dolphin, delighted to see her, but as Arhans whistled again his expression changed.

‘Mother? She’s away in the forest, gathering food. Arhans, what is it? What’s the matter?’

There was no mistaking the urgency in Arhans’s shrill reply, and the boy, who had grown up understanding the language of dolphins, was alarmed. ‘Yes, I’ll take you to her – I know where she’s gone, she shouldn’t be hard to find. Come on!’

He dived into the forest, Arhans close on his heels. The boy was an expert swimmer, but the dolphin had told him that there was no time to lose. So he concentrated his mind… and his shape began to change. His legs seemed to fuse together; shining scales appeared on them as his feet became fins, and suddenly he was no longer human but a merboy with a fishlike tail. Arhans whistled approval and their speed increased as they headed through the forest.

Within minutes they saw a shape moving more slowly ahead of them, and as they drew closer the shape resolved into the figure of a mermaid. She was picking seaweed and putting it in a woven bag that was slung over one shoulder. Her long golden hair flowed around her, and they could hear her singing to herself as she worked.

‘Mother!’ The boy put on a last burst of speed and rushed up to the mermaid in a swirl of bubbles.

‘Kes?’ The mermaid, whose name was Morvyr, smiled a welcome, then saw the dolphin. ‘And Arhans too. What are you both doing here?’

‘Mother, there’s trouble!’ Kes said breathlessly. ‘Arhans came to warn us – she says we’re in danger!’

Morvyr’s smile changed to a frown. ‘Danger? What kind of danger?’

Arhans answered with a stream of whistling and chittering, and as she listened Morvyr’s eyes grew wide with alarm, for the dolphin’s message was simple and stark. Taran, Queen of the mermaids, was planning to arrest Morvyr.

‘Arrest me?’ Morvyr exclaimed. ‘But why? What have I done wrong?’

Arhans did not know, but there was no doubting it, she communicated. She and her friends had heard the news from their cousins. Taran had already sent her henchmen to find Morvyr and take her captive – and it had something to do with a silver pearl.

‘The pearl that’s hidden in Lizzy’s locket!’ Kes gasped, horrified. ‘The Queen must have found out about it somehow – and that means she must know about Lizzy too. Oh, Mother, what are we going to do?’

‘I can guess Taran’s plan,’ said Morvyr grimly. ‘She means to hold me hostage, to make Lizzy give her the silver pearl.’

‘But why?’ asked Kes. ‘What’s so special about it? Mother, why won’t you explain the mystery?’

‘I’ve told you before: it’s far safer if you and Lizzy don’t know the whole story, at least not yet.’ Morvyr looked around at the flowing fronds of weed. ‘Taran’s henchmen could come at any time. Whatever else happens, she must not get her hands on the pearl! There’s only one thing to do, Kes. We’ll have to go into hiding.’

Kes was aghast. ‘Where?’

‘The dolphins will find us a safe place.’ Arhans chittered agreement, and Morvyr stroked her smooth head. ‘We’re so grateful to you, Arhans! Now, we daren’t waste a moment. We must set off at once.’

‘Mother, what about Lizzy? I promised to meet her today –’

‘Then you’ll have to break your promise. Neither of us can risk seeing anyone until this is over.’

‘But Lizzy’ll be frantic with worry! Can’t I at least try to reach her through the shell I gave her?’

‘No, Kes, it’s too dangerous. Until we’re safe in hiding, we daren’t try to contact her in case Taran’s servants overhear. We must leave everything and everyone behind, and go now!’

Kes tried to argue but Morvyr was immovable, and eventually he gave up. Arhans had sent out a call to her friends, and now five more dolphins arrived. They knew a hiding place that Taran’s servants would never find, and they urged Morvyr and Kes to go with them as quickly as possible. Two dolphins went ahead to make sure that the way was safe, and Arhans and the other three flanked Kes and his mother as they swam away through the kelp.

They had not been gone more than a few minutes when, not far away, there was a sudden disturbance in the oar-weed forest and five of Queen Taran’s servants emerged in front of Kes and Morvyr’s cave. Tullor led them; with the rest crowding behind him he swam to the entrance curtain and thrust his huge ugly head through it. One look was enough. The cave was untidy, and there was half-eaten food on the rock that served as a table. The occupants had obviously left in a hurry.

With a savage hiss Tullor withdrew. ‘They have gone!’ he snarled. ‘Someone must have warned them – they have escaped!’

Thinking fast, he gave orders. Morvyr and Kes must be found – if they were not, the Queen's fury would have no limit and they would all suffer! Immediately the other creatures set off to start the search; but Tullor called one of them back. It was a huge cuttlefish, and as it hovered in front of him, its long tentacles quivering and its savage beak snapping, he said, ‘We too will search for the mermaid and her son. But first we will destroy their home, as a warning to others. We will show them what becomes of anyone who dares to disobey our Queen!’

A shudder of pleasure ran the length of the cuttlefish’s body. Then the two of them swam through the seaweed curtain into the cave.