Ellie and the Secret Potion Read online

  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 Ophelia-Fleur

  —G. S.

  For my parents, David and Eileen—thank you for all your support and eternal optimism! All my love,

  —H. J.

  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 has sent 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!”

  Misty 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?

  Ellie

  Chapter One

  “Wake up, everyone!” said Ellie, as she slowly yawned and stretched.

  She had been asleep on a sandy island, but now the sun was coming up and making the sparkling waves dazzle her eyes. Ellie gracefully uncurled her glistening purple tail, then gently woke her mermaid friends—Misty, Sophie, Holly, Lucy, and Scarlett.

  “Ooh, I slept so well,” sighed Misty, blinking in the morning light. “I was tired after our adventures yesterday.”

  “I know, but we can’t sleep all day, Misty,” smiled Ellie. “Wake up, Sisters of the Sea. We’ve got a long way to swim!” The sleepy mermaids rubbed their eyes and shook the sand from their shining hair.

  Ellie and her friends weren’t just going swimming for fun. They were Crystal Keepers on a very important mission for Queen Neptuna. But two days ago, Mantora’s terrible storm had blown the brave young mermaids miles off course to a deep kelp forest. And now they had to reach Coral Kingdom by the end of the week, before it was too late.

  “We must head west,” said Ellie, looking out over the dancing waves. “That’s where Coral Kingdom lies. But we just don’t know how long it will take us to get there.”

  Scarlett couldn’t wait to dive into the cool water and set off.

  “Is everyone ready?” she asked impatiently. “Then let’s go!”

  The mermaids slipped into the clear sea. Their tails glinted rainbow colors—red, pink, yellow, green, purple, and orange—as they set off.

  For a while they swam in silence under the cloudless sky, eager to get nearer to Coral Kingdom. Ellie glided through the water next to Sophie and Holly, their tails swaying up and down in perfect time with each other. Scarlett flicked her crimson tail eagerly and tried to edge ahead. Misty was behind the others encouraging Lucy, who wasn’t such a strong swimmer.

  As they reached the surface, the sun was glittering on the waves and a fresh breeze ruffled the mermaids’ glossy hair. Then three snowy-feathered seabirds swooped above them.

  “Look at those white terns!” Ellie said. She swirled her tail expertly and floated on her back. “My mom says they are sometimes called fairy terns, because they look as light as gossamer. Oh, I wish I knew what it feels like to fly!”

  “But we do, in a way,” Holly replied as she glanced up at the elegant birds. “Don’t forget that Mantora’s whirling storm blew us all the way to the kelp forest.”

  “But that was rough and scary,” said Ellie, tumbling over to swim on her front again. “I’d like to fly peacefully, like a white tern.”

  “And I’d like to be a dolphin, riding the wild waves,” Sophie declared as she arched her tail in a high, leaping dive.

  Ellie smiled. Just for a moment she forgot about racing home with the crystals. She loved to see Sophie twist and turn smartly in the water. Scarlett was a daring, graceful swimmer, too.

  “What about you, Scarlett?” she called out. “Would you like to be a dolphin?”

  But Scarlett wasn’t listening. Her crimson tail whooshed through the waves, making a trail of golden bubbles. She wanted to prove that she could swim faster than Sophie, so she was racing ahead of her friends toward a tall rock. It stood up from the sea like a broken tower.

  “Hey, Scarlett, wait for us!” shouted Misty.

  As the mermaids tried to catch up with Scarlett, Ellie saw something strange. A magnificent albatross, the king of the seabirds, was flying overhead. But instead of gliding serenely, he was zigzagging around the column of rock and peering intently down at the sea. Ellie instantly recognized that something was wrong.

  “Look,” she said to the others, pointing up. “What do you think is the matter?”

  The albatross was crying out in a harsh, deep voice. All the mermaids stopped in alarm, except Scarlett, who kept racing on.

  “I’m swimming faster than all of you!” she called gleefully over her shoulder. “I’m even faster than Sophie!”

  As the stubborn young mermaid merrily sped away, Ellie noticed a dark patch gleaming on the surface of the water. It lay ahead of Scarlett like a menacing shadow.

  “Stop!” Ellie cried out. “There’s something in front of you, Scarlett.”

  “It’s only seaweed,” laughed Scarlett, plunging through the waves faster than ever. “You’re such a worrier, Ellie.”

  Scarlett’s vivid red tail flashed in the sunshine as she charged toward the shadowy water. But at that moment, the albatross swooped down urgently.

  “Danger! Danger!” he cried in his deep voice. “Oil has been spilled in the sea ahead!”

  Ellie instantly shivered at his words. Oil was very dangerous for all sea creatures—including mermaids.

  “Be careful, everyone,” she shouted. “We can’t get a single drop of oil on our tails, or we’ll be in big trouble.”

  But it was too late. Scarlett had already swum into the dark, sticky mess …

  Chapter Two

  “Help!” Scarlett spluttered, as she struggled to swim back to her friends. The mermaids were shocked when they saw her! Scarlett’s delicate face was dirty, and her hair hung in limp clumps.

  “Ugh! I’m covered in oil,” she wailed. “What will I do?”

  “You must clean it off right away,” called the albatros
s, as he circled overhead, “before it does any more damage.”

  “But what is it? Where did it come from?” asked the puzzled mermaids.

  “We bird folk have heard rumors that Mantora was here last night, with her snaky sea serpents,” replied the albatross gravely. “She is behind this trouble.”

  “Mantora!” the friends cried. “What happened?”

  “A cormorant said that he saw a human boat near that tall rock,” said the stately bird. “A sudden storm blew up, as jagged yellow lightning flashed in the sky. The sea was boiling, and dark shapes twisted in the waves. Then Mantora’s scaly serpents pushed the boat against the rock. The side ripped open, and the oil tank flooded into the water.”

  “So Mantora used humans again to spoil the sea for everyone else!” exclaimed Misty.

  “When the sun came up there was no sign of her,” the albatross continued. “The humans managed to get their boat to the distant harbor, but look what they have left behind!”

  The mermaids stared in dismay at the murky oil floating on top of the sea. Scarlett was splashing and spluttering, trying helplessly to shake the greasy mess from her tail. But when she swam she felt sick and dizzy. She clutched on to Ellie and started to cry.

  “Can we do anything for Scarlett, sir?” asked Ellie bravely.

  The wise bird looked down kindly and said, “Take her to those low green rocks in the distance. You can tend to her there. But now I need to fly and warn the other sea creatures. Farewell!” He swiftly wheeled away.

  “We must get you cleaned up somehow, Scarlett,” Ellie said.

  “How?” Scarlett sobbed, her hair stuck in tangles over her smudged face. “Oil doesn’t wash off like ordinary dirt. I can’t swim properly anymore, and I feel so … so ugly.”

  “Let’s go to those rocky islands the albatross showed us,” suggested Ellie. “It’s not too far.”

  Ellie took Scarlett by the hand and gently helped her to swim over to the rocks and away from the oil. The others followed them slowly. Then all the mermaids pulled themselves out of the water, and at last they were sitting together in the sunshine.

  The rocks were covered with fresh green seaweed and purple anemones. Gentle blue waves lapped against their sides. It would have been the perfect place for a mermaid party, if they hadn’t all been so worried. Ellie was anxiously wondering how they would make it to Coral Kingdom in time if Scarlett’s tail was damaged.

  “I’ve got some pearly potion in my S.O.S. Kit,” she said urgently. “Does anyone else?”

  The mermaids reached into their sparkly pouches and quickly found some soft sponges and dainty shell cases in their kits. The cases were full of pearly potion, a magical cleansing ointment that glistened like fresh seafoam. The recipe was a secret guarded by the Merfolk.

  Ellie and her friends dipped the sponges into the sweet-smelling potion. Then they carefully wiped them over Scarlett’s sticky smears and smudges. Soon, the potion started to heal the blisters on Scarlett’s tail. It really was mermaid magic! But Scarlett didn’t enjoy being rubbed clean.

  “Ow! Misty, you’re so rough,” she complained.

  “I’m trying not to be,” Misty replied, as she polished a rosy-red scale on Scarlett’s tail.

  “I’d love to give Mantora’s nasty old tail a good scrub,” said Sophie grimly. “Then she’d know what it’s like to be smothered in slime like this.”

  “Wasn’t it a little strange that Mantora was hanging around here last night?” said Holly thoughtfully. “It feels as if she’s plotting against us everywhere we go.”

  “I think Mantora did this on purpose,” exclaimed Ellie, “so that she could ruin our chances of getting home in time.”

  The others looked at each other in horror.

  “Don’t worry about being gentle anymore,” Scarlett urged. “Just hurry up so that we can set off again. We can’t let Mantora stop us!”

  Ellie and the others worked as quickly as they could. At last, Scarlett’s tail shimmered like rubies, her skin gleamed, and her hair shone like polished stone.

  “You’ve all done a good job, but I’m glad it’s over,” Scarlett sighed thankfully. “Is your crystal all right?” asked Lucy. Luckily, Scarlett’s accident hadn’t hurt her twinkling crystal, which had been hidden in her red pouch. The others quickly checked their own crystals, too. Then Scarlett slid from the rocks into the cool waves. “I can swim again,” she cried happily. “Now let’s go home!”

  The mermaids got ready to follow her, but Ellie hesitated.

  “I hope nobody else makes the same mistake as Scarlett,” she said, in a worried voice. “The albatross won’t be able to warn every single creature.”

  “We’ll have to trust him to do his best,” said Misty. “Come on, Ellie, it’s time for us to be on our way.”

  One by one the mermaids dived from the green rocks into the shimmering sea. But just as Ellie was about to follow them, she noticed three shabby creatures floundering on the waves. She gasped in disbelief. They were the fairy terns she had seen earlier—but now their snowy feathers were drenched in black and sticky oil!

  “Oh, no,” cried Ellie. “We’ve got to help!”

  Chapter Three

  Ellie dived into the sea like a speeding arrow and raced toward the struggling birds. Then she called, “Misty! Sophie! Please come over here!”

  Soon all the mermaids were gathered around the flapping, fluttering terns, taking care not to go near the oil patch. The great albatross flew overhead again.

  “Alas!” he cried. “I was too late to warn them about the oil. But perhaps, Sisters of the Sea, you might be able to help?”

  “We’ll do anything we can,” Ellie said solemnly. This was her chance to do something for the bird folk that she loved. She quickly asked her friends to form a Mermaid Chain, strung out across the water all the way back to the sunny green rocks.

  The mermaids carefully lifted and passed each fairy tern over their heads, one to the other. Soon the exhausted birds lay safely on the rocks, but they looked shocked and ill. The mermaids bobbed gently up and down in the waves that lapped softly against the little island.

  “Now we must start cleaning their feathers, so that they can fly and look for food again,” said Ellie.

  “But we can’t!” Holly replied.

  “Why not?” asked Ellie, with a puzzled look on her face.

  “You know I feel sorry for the terns,” Holly hesitated, “and I’m angry that Mantora makes these things happen. But we’ve got to get back to Coral Kingdom.”

  “She has a point, Ellie,” said Misty slowly. “Queen Neptuna is waiting for us.”

  “And for the crystals,” added Sophie. “But we can’t leave them like this!” Ellie cried.

  The albatross had been listening very carefully to the mermaids as he glided above them.

  “Mantora has caught you in a clever trap,” he said. “If you stay to help, you will be slowed down in your task for the Queen. Think how that would please Mantora’s black heart! Yet can you really leave these helpless birds, brave Sisters of the Sea?”

  “Oh, what will we do?” groaned Ellie.

  She felt torn in two by the difficult choice. All the mermaids fell silent. The delicate terns lay awkwardly on the rocks, trying hard to stretch their wings. If they weren’t cleaned soon, they would not be able to survive. Suddenly, someone broke the silence.

  “We should try to save them,” said Scarlett firmly, pulling herself onto the rocks with a smart twist of her crimson tail. “I know how horrible it is to be smothered in oil. These terns were flying as free as air, and now they can hardly move. Poor things!”

  The others looked up, astonished. They had never heard Scarlett speak like that before. Perhaps Mantora wasn’t the only one who would surprise them on this journey!

  “But what about getting back to Coral Kingdom?” said Ellie in amazement.

  “If we swim extra fast afterward we can make up the time,” Scarlett replied stubbornly. “We can even
swim all night long if we have to. Anyway, aren’t you forgetting our Mermaid Pledge?”

  “We promise that we’ll take good care …,” Lucy began.

  “… of all sea creatures everywhere,” finished Holly.

  “That’s what being a Sister of the Sea is all about,” Sophie said cheerfully. “Scarlett’s right, we have to stay and help.”

  The mermaids quickly joined Scarlett on the rocks and hugged her tightly. She looked a little uncomfortable but very pleased.

  “Your Queen would be proud of you,” said the albatross graciously. “I will guard the sea to make sure this does not happen to any more of my folk.” He soared across the waves, calling, “And maybe we birds will find a way to repay you for your kindness and courage.”

  Ellie squeezed Scarlett’s hand to say “thank you.” “I’ll never forget that you wanted to help,” she said.

  “Well, don’t get too excited,” Scarlett sniffed in reply. She had gone back to being her bossy old self again. “There’s still one tiny problem.”

  “What’s that?” asked Ellie.

  “You used up every last scrap of pearly potion on me!”

  It was true. There was not a single drop of the magic ointment left. How could the mermaids possibly save the birds now?

  “I’ve got an idea,” said Ellie quickly. “The ingredients for the potion all come from the sea. Maybe we can make some more ourselves.” She looked around hopefully. “Is it worth a try?”

  “But what would we need?” wondered Misty.

  “Holly, your mom is a healer,” said Ellie. “I know you help her make remedies at home. Do you remember what goes into the pearly potion?”

  “I’m not sure,” said Holly uncertainly. “I’ve never made it on my own. I know you need different kinds of seaweed …”