Checkmate

Checkmate is the third full-length novel in the series.

Summary
Callie Rose struggles with growing up as half-nought and half-Cross after she learns the truth about her nought father's life from her friend, Tobey, who calls her a terrorist's daughter. Callie Rose had been told by her mother that her father, Callum, had been a gardener who died in an accident. Callie Rose becomes angry with her mother, Sephy, for hiding the truth. She decides to follow the path of her father with her new hate-filled personality. She also cuts off her friendship with nought Tobey despite his attempts to apologise. Sephy feels trapped and rejects an offer of marriage from her boyfriend, Sonny. Sephy then meets Nathan, the owner of the restaurant in which she sings, and the two start a relationship.

Jude takes Callie Rose to Kamal's house. After Kamal denies that she is his granddaughter, Jude, now the General of the Liberation Militia, exploits her anger to groom her to become a suicide bomber.

Callie Rose starts dating Lucas, a cross who is an ex-friend's brother. Jasmine, Sephy's mother, does what she can to bring Callie and Sephy closer together but develops breast cancer and struggles with her life. In a moment of weakness, she drinks a glass of wine despite having banned herself from alcohol for life. Nathan proposes to Sephy, who accepts, but Sonny shows up in her life again. Sephy is left confused.

Celine Labinjah, the daughter of Callum's prison guard Jack, gives a letter that was written by Callum before he was hanged. Callum told Jack this is the letter with his real feelings. Callum says in the letter he greatly wishes that he had been able to stay with Sephy, as he loved her so much. He also tells Sephy to keep his past secret from their child.

Sephy and Callie Rose resume their relationship after Jasmine traps them in her wine cellar so that they sort things out. Jasmine sets off the bomb, killing herself and Jude, to prevent Jude from injuring anyone else. Kamal had been the intended target of the bomb, but he only loses power, after Jasmine had sent a letter to the press about his rampant corruption.