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‘Sanctuary,’ Keely said thoughtfully. ‘That’s where you said Laragh went after Ashen died.’ She sat up, excitement in her eyes. ‘A sanctuary in the north of England that’s been there for over fifteen hundred years! Is that where you meant? Is that where you sent Laragh?’
‘Was it?’ I asked hopefully. Finally I might be getting some more answers.
‘Sort of,’ he said. ‘But it’s very different now. You see, Merlin stayed with Aerwyna and Morvoren for a few years, helping them to establish their new life, and aiding them in welcoming those magical beings who needed refuge. But he couldn’t stay there forever. He had to move on because fate had other plans for him. Sadly, that meant Aewryna and Morvoren were left to fend themselves. Then, many years later, something wonderful and amazing happened.’
‘What?’ Iliana asked eagerly.
‘Aye, go on. Surprise us,’ said Castor.
‘In 657AD, a monastery was founded on the headland at Whitby by Hild, the daughter of a Northumbrian nobleman,’ Emrick said.
‘Hild?’ I said eagerly. ‘I just saw her name and image on Caedmon’s cross in St Mary’s churchyard.’
‘That’s right. Caedmon was a protégé of Hild and is credited with being the first English poet.’
‘There were five faces around her,’ I said, remembering. ‘She carried a staff, and there were gulls by her side. And,’ I added, puzzled, ‘she was standing on ammonites. What’s that all about?’
‘Hild is reputed to have driven snakes from Whitby and turned them to stone. People believed that ammonites were the headless stone snakes,’ Emrick explained. ‘It’s rumoured that seagulls either refuse to fly over Whitby Abbey at all or dip their wings in honour of the memory of St Hilda, as she’s also known. As for the five faces—they’re her most famous scholars. Hild was a great teacher, as well as being extremely kind and tolerant. Which is why,’ he added, ‘Aerwyna and Morvoren went to her for help, and she took them under her wing, helping them to establish the well-run sanctuary it still is today.’
‘What?’ There were gasps of astonishment around the table. ‘An abbess? She cared for magical beings?’
‘As far as Hild was concerned, magical beings were God’s creatures, and all God’s creatures were welcome,’ he explained. ‘Aerwyna and Morvoren were devoted to her, and called her Mother, as did almost everyone who knew her. They therefore became her “Daughters”. The Daughters of Hild. Under her patronage two Daughters became seven, and the sanctuary flourished.
‘Naturally, Hilda’s lifespan was a fraction of the merfolk’s, and she died in November 680AD. But the Daughters of Hild continued in her honour, and the sanctuary is still helping those in need, even though the abbey itself has been rebuilt and destroyed, and seen some terrible times and shocking adversity—Viking raids, the dissolution of the monasteries, damage during the war... Needless to say, as time passed and people changed, there was no place for the sanctuary or magical beings near the abbey building, so the Daughters found other places to live and continue their work, while staying as close to both the sea and the abbey as they could.’
‘And Morvoren and Aerwyna are still running the place?’ I asked, astounded.
‘Don’t be an eejit.’ Killian laughed. ‘The merfolk might have long lives, but not that long.’
‘As I said, there are seven Daughters of Hild now,’ Emrick explained. ‘As one passes away another mermaid sister replaces her, each taking the name of her predecessor. The merfolk adore and revere Hild, and are loyal to her memory, considering it an honour to serve as a Daughter at the sanctuary. There’s always a Sister Agnes in charge. It’s she I went to visit today, and when I said she had gone home, I meant to the sea. The Daughters each take a week or so away each year to refresh themselves in their natural environment and visit their families. Naturally, I wasn’t inclined to try to follow her there.’
‘Well,’ said Iliana, ‘I can’t blame you for that. That’s an amazing story.’
‘And so Laragh was given sanctuary with the Daughters of Hild, and Trinity and Lowen were born there,’ Keely said. ‘And that’s why Celeste saw that vision of you and Mum talking about Sister Agnes, and how she’d be able to tell them something about their birth. But what I don’t understand is why you didn’t explain this to Lowen ages ago. He could have gone to Whitby himself and seen Sister Agnes, and then there’d have been no need for Trinity to go there undercover and unprotected.’
She was right, and we all turned to Emrick, accusations on our faces. Sirius’s eyes were dark with anger.
‘So go on. What excuse can you possibly have for not telling Lowen?’ he demanded.
Emrick sighed. ‘I know it looks bad, but there were reasons. We weren’t ready… There are things you don’t yet understand.’
‘Who’s we?’ I demanded. ‘What don’t we understand?’
‘If I could tell you I would,’ he said. ‘I gave my word. But believe me, the truth will be revealed to you very soon now. Just have a little more patience.’ He looked round at us all. ‘And when that truth is revealed, please be kind.’
‘To you?’ Sirius asked scornfully.
‘No, not to me. Just, try to have some empathy and understanding.’
‘Well,’ Aidan leaned back in his chair and blew out his cheeks, ‘I can’t believe the sanctuary has been there all that time and even we weren’t aware of it. How do people find sanctuary there if it’s so secret?’
‘For those who need it, the sanctuary will be revealed to them,’ Emrick said. ‘And for those who don’t, they’ll never find it no matter how hard they look. The place has faced many dangers over the centuries. The Daughters have learned to adapt and protect. Their special fae magic guards them even from Guardian detection.’
‘It certainly does,’ Hector said. ‘I’d no idea it existed. Well, let’s just hope Sister Agnes knows what happened to Trinity, or at least can give us some ideas about where she might be.’
‘In the meantime,’ Celeste said gloomily, ‘we’re still left with the problem of Blaise St Clair, who right now is languishing on Peloryon Island.’
Sirius’s eyebrows lifted in shock. ‘What did you say?’
