Sister Agnes rolled her eyes. ‘She thought she’d done a clever and remarkable thing that would impress me. She was very eager to impress me. Sadly, her eagerness rather got in the way of common sense. She decided to keep you away from the other Daughters, so she’d get all the credit. If her Sisters had known about you I can assure you that you’d have been released immediately. Thank goodness Sister Gertrude finally had the sense to fetch me, that’s all I can say.’

  ‘She got into a bit of a panic,’ I said. ‘She told me Zephyr Ambrose had been killed.’ I turned to Sirius. ‘Is that true?’

  ‘I’m afraid it is,’ he confirmed. ‘It’s been an horrendous twenty-four hours.’

  ‘Poor Zephyr,’ I said. ‘What happened?’

  ‘I’d quite like to know myself,’ Sister Agnes admitted. ‘Emrick came here looking for you,’ she told me, ‘but of course the Sisters knew nothing about you. He told them what had happened to Zephyr, but Sister Gertrude was in such a panic by then, realising she’d made a terrible mistake, that she barely listened. All she could tell me was that it was a Pendragon attack, and it took place right here in Whitby. Perhaps you have more information?’ she asked my family.

  ‘It seems Zephyr Ambrose was trailing Trinity to make sure she was safe,’ Killian explained. ‘While he was busy watching her, he didn’t notice a fae creeping up on him. Well, he wouldn’t.’ His jaw tightened. ‘We believe it was Malliss, Havok Pendragon’s henchman.’

  ‘Oh dear,’ Sister Agnes said. ‘Zephyr would have stood no chance. He’s lightning fast that one.’

  ‘You know about them?’ I asked. ‘You’re fae, aren’t you? Sister Gertrude lost her temper with me and transformed into something quite—’ I’d been about to say hideous, but stopped when I realised how insulting that would sound. After all, for all I knew, Sister Gertrude might be the pretty one. ‘Different,’ I said lamely.

  ‘The Daughters of Hild are mermaids,’ Killian explained.

  ‘Mermaids?’ I gaped at Sister Agnes in shock. I thought of the mermaid we’d seen off the coast of Peloryon Island on Beltane. ‘But—but you don’t look like mermaids.’

  She laughed. ‘Well, we’re not in the water, are we? I can assure you, being on land takes its toll. That’s why it’s important we go home every year to refresh. Fresh air can have a damaging effect on our complexion,’ she added mischievously.

  ‘Then why do it?’ I asked. ‘Why stay here?’

  ‘It’s our work, in memory of our beloved Mother Hild,’ she said solemnly. ‘It’s an honour for us to continue her mission.’

  ‘I’ll tell you more later,’ Sirius promised me.

  ‘What baffles me,’ Lowen said, ‘is why the Pendragons sent Malliss after Zephyr. Surely he was far too big and important to be a target? They must have known that would risk a war.’

  ‘But that’s what they want, I’ve told you,’ Killian said. ‘And what better way to draw out the Great Guardian than to start the next great fae/witch war, forcing him to take back his magic and reveal his identity to them?’

  ‘It seems Sister Gertrude might well have saved Trinity’s life then,’ Sister Agnes said thoughtfully. ‘If she hadn’t, er, removed Trinity from the scene at that exact moment, Malliss would probably have killed her as well as Zephyr, always supposing they knew who Trinity was. If they did, was she the intended victim all along, rather than Zephyr himself? And who told the Pendragons that either of them would be in Whitby?’

  We all sat in dumb silence, absorbing this. It was a chilling thought. But how would they know who I was? I had no magic, no way of them tracking me.

  ‘Which suggests,’ Sister Agnes said, when I voiced my thoughts, ‘that if you were the intended victim, someone betrayed your identity to the Pendragons. It seems to me, whether their target was you or Zephyr, someone in your ranks is a traitor. You must be very careful in future.’

  ‘Don’t worry,’ I said. ‘Next time I’ll be on my guard. I should have thought.’

  ‘There won’t be a next time,’ Sirius said with a shudder. ‘I’m keeping you well away from the magical world.’

  ‘Do you really think that’s possible?’ Sister Agnes asked gently. ‘Given her heritage?’

  ‘Sister Agnes,’ I said eagerly, ‘it was you I came to Whitby to find. My sister-in-law—she has this ability to walk in other people’s memories, and she saw the memory of a conversation between Ewella St Clair and Emrick—’ I paused, suddenly realising I had no idea what Emrick’s surname was. When no one volunteered the information I continued. ‘Between Ewella and Emrick. They were discussing our births—mine and Lowen’s—and they were saying that you’d have more information and that you’d tell us the truth if we asked you.’

  Sister Agnes nodded. ‘So you came here looking for me, hoping I’d tell you the truth about your birth?’

  ‘We’d be very grateful,’ Lowen assured her. ‘I know it was a long time ago, but—’

  ‘Thirty years or thereabouts, as I recall,’ she said thoughtfully. ‘Three decades. Well, that seems fitting.’

  We looked at each other, wondering what she meant.

  ‘So, is there anything you remember about that day?’ Lowen asked hopefully.

  Sister Agnes laughed. ‘My dear boy, I remember it as if it were yesterday. It’s not every day you get to deliver the future Great Guardian into the world.’

  ‘So you do remember!’ I said, relieved. ‘You remember our mother?’

  ‘I’ll never forget dear Laragh,’ she said, her eyes softening. ‘She was so lost when she came to us. So broken. She was only expected to stay with us a few short months, but months turned into years. She simply couldn’t get past the loss of your father, you see. And after she gave birth she got worse, rather than better. She started to believe her babies were going to kill her. We thought she was going to harm you, so we had to summon Emrick to take you to safety. It was a difficult decision, but we had no choice. We had a lot of difficult decisions to make back then,’ she said with a sigh.

  We were all quiet, and I thought about my mother and how she’d grieved the loss of her beloved Ashen. I could imagine how I’d feel if Sirius had been killed in that way, and I couldn’t imagine ever getting over it. Automatically, my hand crept into Sirius’s hand, and he held it tightly as if he knew all too well what I was thinking.

  ‘We didn’t want to do it you know,’ Sister Agnes said suddenly.

  ‘Do what?’ I asked, startled.

  ‘Summon the High Council to remove her magic.’ She shook her head. ‘We had no choice. We’d tried to talk her out of it for a long time, but she was adamant that magic was the cause of all her troubles, and that if she could just be rid of it she, and her children, would be safe. We did all we could to dissuade her, but…’ She broke off and I was touched to see her wiping away tears. ‘That night. That awful night. It was terrifying. We had to do as she asked, you see. After that.’

  ‘After what?’ Lowen asked nervously. ‘What happened?’

  Her eyes took on a faraway expression, as if she were reliving every moment of whatever had gone on that night.

  ‘It was raining,’ she said, her voice a whisper so I had to strain to hear her. ‘We couldn’t find her. Somehow, she’d got out of the house and—well, we hunted high and low for her. It was me who found her in the end. She was soaking wet and covered in mud. It was her despair,’ she told us, looking round at us all tearfully. ‘I felt her despair. It drew me to her.’

  ‘Where was she?’ I asked fearfully.

  ‘She was standing in the churchyard,’ she said. ‘I say in the churchyard; she was actually teetering on the brink of the cliff, looking down as if she…’ She shook her head. ‘I’m sorry to have to tell you this about your own mother,’ she said sadly, ‘but I honestly think—no, I know—that she intended to take her life. She was planning to hurl herself from that cliff, I know it. I’ve never felt such sadness. Such overwhelming hopelessness.’

  ‘I know,’ Lowen said quietly. ‘I felt it, too.’

  ‘You did,’ Killian said, surprised. ‘I remember. When we were up there you were not yourself, not at all. It was only when we headed down Church Street that you managed to shrug it off. How is that possible?’

  ‘How was it possible for me to feel Laragh’s despair?’ Sister Agnes asked. ‘Who knows? I know what Mother Hild would have said about it, and who can say she’d be wrong? Anyway, I managed to coax her back to this house, and that was it. We all decided we had no choice but to do what Laragh wanted. I contacted the High Council through Emrick, and they came to Whitby to perform the ceremony. They removed Laragh’s magic, just as she’d wanted.’

  ‘So the High Council know about you?’ I asked.

  ‘No. Everything was done through Emrick. We had no personal contact with them, and her magic was removed in the abbey grounds late at night with only Emrick and the High Council there. After it was done, Emrick brought her back to us. Eventually, she recovered enough to decide it was time to make a life for herself again. She wanted a fresh start. Her sister, Keresen, wanted to help her. They planned to take care of the children together, somewhere the Pendragons would never find them. Sadly, it wasn’t to be.’

  ‘It must have been awful for you,’ I said sympathetically. ‘I’m so sorry.’

  She gave me a smile that quite transformed her face. She looked suddenly rather beautiful.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘It was an extremely sad time, and we still mourn her passing. And Keresen’s, too, of course. We were sorry to hear from Emrick that she had also passed away.’

  I appreciated her kindness towards the woman who’d brought me up as her own. She’d been a wonderful mother, but even I hadn’t appreciated at the time all she’d done and sacrificed for my sake. I wished she was still here so I could hold her one last time, and tell her how grateful I was, and how much I loved her.

  ‘At least now,’ Sister Agnes said, her gaze understanding, ‘you have found your brother. That’s something, isn’t it?’

  ‘It is,’ I said. ‘We’re so glad to have found each other, aren’t we, Lowen?’

  ‘Linnet and Wulfram,’ she said. ‘You were the eldest, Wulfram,’ she said, nodding at him. ‘And a fine pair of lungs you had on you, too. It caused quite a stir when we realised you were a boy. A boy child, born to one of the Nine Sisters! It had never happened before. We knew immediately it meant something, and that you had to be special. Your mother named you after the wolf and the raven. Magical leaders both, as will you be.’

  Lowen blushed and shrugged, as modest as ever.

  ‘And you, dear Linnet,’ Sister Agnes continued. ‘Named after your grandmother.’

  ‘My grandmother?’ I asked nervously. ‘Which one?’

  ‘Linnet Pendragon, Ashen’s mother. She died when Ashen and Havok were young boys, but Ashen had always told Laragh that she would have spoken up for them. I believe their father didn’t give her the best life. Well, one can imagine.’ She sighed and shook her head. ‘You were the youngest. What a shock of bright red hair you had. You and Wren were both blessed with that.’ She chuckled. ‘You were a fierce baby from the start, making sure you got the attention. Poor Wren was always quieter, waiting her turn. Ah, I hope she’s safe and well, wherever she is.’

  Lowen and I stared at each other, then at her.

  ‘Who’s—who’s Wren?’ I asked tentatively.

  Her eyes widened in astonishment. ‘Why, the middle child of course. Named after the wife of Phoenix Tremayne, who I believe was the first ever leader of the High Council of Witches. Laragh had great respect for her.’ She glanced round at us all, seeming to finally realise we were in shock. ‘Wren was your sister. Did you not know?’

  ‘Our sister?’ Lowen managed at last. ‘You mean there were three of us?’

  Sister Agnes looked amazed. ‘Well of course there were! What did you think?’

  ‘We thought we were twins,’ I confessed, feeling dazed. I was still getting my head around the fact that I had a brother. Now she was telling me I had a sister, too?

  ‘But surely you realised,’ she said, sounding puzzled. ‘Your mother was one of the Nine Sisters. They only ever have triplets.’

  Lowen groaned. ‘Of course they do! Cycles of three! How could I have been so stupid?’

  ‘I’m sorry to have broken it to you so bluntly,’ Sister Agnes said. ‘I just assumed you knew that there were three children born to Laragh that night. I rather think your adopted mother, Trinity, left a clue in the name she chose for you, didn’t she? Trinity. Meaning “threeness” or “three-in-one”. Dear me, what a shock for you all.’

  ‘So somewhere out there, we have another sister,’ I said, hardly able to take it in. I turned to Lowen who seemed deep in thought, his face pale. ‘We have to find her,’ I said. ‘She needs to be with us. But where do we even start?’

  He looked straight at me, and I saw the strangest look in his eyes.

  ‘It’s okay,’ he said quietly. ‘I think I know exactly where she is.’

  Chapter 16

  Romy

  Mum and I had returned to Peloryon Island after the High Council left Castle Lodge, having had enough of the busy house with so many people gathered in it.

  She and I had always sought solitude, I realised. While Keely and Harley had happily moved out and mixed with other people, I’d been quite happy to stay at home in Northumberland. Only my desire to study psychology had prised me away from our remote house in the country, and even then I’d been a day commuter to university, returning home each night, no desire to socialise with other students.

  Keely had blamed Mum for that, saying she kept me tied to her apron strings, but it was me really. I liked being at home. I liked being with Mum. I suppose it was because she and I had always had the closest bond. The twins had each other, and never really seemed to have need of us. Plus, of course, they had magic, whereas Mum and I…

  Well, at least that was what I’d thought at the time. I knew better now, and it had shaken me to the core to discover that Mum was a witch herself. Having come to terms with that, though, I think I felt even closer to her, because I knew now how much she’d sacrificed for us.

  Only meeting John at a psychology conference had persuaded me to leave Northumberland behind and move to Cumbria, where he worked as a family support worker. The fact that I was willing to move so far from home was testament to how much I loved Johnnie.

  Now it seemed, even he was to be taken from me. I was determined to spend as much time with him as I could before that happened, and Mum was happy to take me back to the island so I could be with him.

  ‘Do you mind the funeral being held here?’ I asked her, as we prepared a late lunch for the three of us. ‘It’s going to be pretty crowded with everyone here. There are bound to be a lot of mourners. Zephyr was so important.’

  She shook her head. ‘It’s the least I can do for him,’ she said. ‘Zephyr Ambrose dedicated his life to the service of witches everywhere and lost it trying to protect Trinity. I’ll forever be in his debt for that, and besides, Aveta was right. This is the safest place for everyone to gather. The Pendragons can’t touch us here.’

  ‘Do you think Trinity’s okay?’

  Her eyes clouded. ‘Who knows? I can only pray that she is.’

  ‘She means a lot to you, doesn’t she? They both do—Trinity and Lowen. I can see it in your face when you’re with them, or when you talk about them.’

  She smiled and cupped my face with her hand. ‘I took care of them for four years, sweetheart. They were just tiny babies when they came to us, and I loved them from the moment I saw them. It broke my heart to give them up, even though I knew it was the only way they would be safe. I’m so glad they’re back in my life, and so glad they found each other again.’

  I nodded, understanding. It was pointless to be jealous of them. I may have had to share my mother with her two foster babies, but I had no recollection of that time, so what did it matter? Besides, I was used to sharing her. Keely and Harley had certainly taken up most of her attention once they arrived—Keely especially. I smiled to myself, remembering her antics. She’d been such a handful! Poor Mum deserved a medal.

  ‘Do you want to take this up to John’s room?’ Mum asked, nodding at the ham salad we’d prepared. ‘Or do you think he’ll be happy to eat down here with us, since it’s just you and me?’

  ‘I’ll go upstairs and ask him,’ I said. ‘If he wants to eat it up there I’ll see if he’d allow me to eat with him. Would you mind?’

  ‘Of course not. He needs you, whether he realises it or not. He shouldn’t be left alone to wallow in misery.’

  I gave her a grateful smile and headed upstairs. As I padded along the thickly carpeted landing towards John’s room, I stopped dead, hearing a sudden commotion in Lowen’s room. So they were back then. I sighed inwardly. Peace is over.

  What on earth was all the excitement about? There was a loud chattering of voices, and I couldn’t resist pausing to listen.

  ‘But are you sure about this, Lowen?’ That was Killian’s voice.

  ‘If you’re wrong and you upset her for nothing…’ Sounded like Sirius.

  ‘I’m not wrong. I’m certain of it.’ Lowen’s voice was more determined than I’d ever heard it before. ‘Think about it. Red hair—’

  ‘Lots of people have red hair!’

  ‘She’s nearly thirty, same as us, Trinity! We should have thought of that before, though of course why would we? We weren’t looking for another sister, were we? But Ewella even told me I was here on the island with her. We used to play together.’

  ‘But that’s because Ewella gave birth to her around the same time our mother gave birth to us! It proves nothing.’

  I froze. What were they on about? Were they talking about me?

  ‘Okay,’ Lowen said. ‘So what about this? Why did Romy fall for Blaise St Clair when Hector had done something to him to ensure that no St Clair so much as gave him a second look? He told us himself that he couldn’t understand how Romy had fallen in love with him. It was never supposed to happen. Well, if she’s not a St Clair it makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? Keely and Harley couldn’t understand what she saw in him because the magic worked on them. They’re blood St Clairs. I’d bet my last pound that Romy isn’t.’

 

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