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‘Who won’t?’ I asked, confused.
She raised her eyebrows in surprise. ‘Why, the Pendragons of course. Who else?’
‘The Pendragons?’ I squeaked in fear. ‘Why would they be in Whitby? We are still in Whitby, aren’t we?’
‘Oh my dear, you have no idea what’s been going on, have you?’
‘I know the Pendragons killed Zephyr Ambrose,’ I said, as we headed towards the staircase. ‘Sister Gertrude told me that much.’
She sighed and shook her head. ‘Terrible business. Terrible. I couldn’t believe it when I heard. Come now, let’s get you home and fed, the rest can wait for now.’
Sister Gertrude unlocked the door at the top of the staircase and switched off the light as we entered another room.
I blinked at the bright sunshine that flooded through the windows, then looked round me in amazement. We were in a small room with white, wooden walls. There was a small sofa, a tiny kitchenette, and a table with two chairs. Other than that the room was empty. Net curtains hung at the windows, but I could see we were close to the sea. Very close.
Sister Agnes turned to me, and her hands hovered over my head for a moment.
‘You’re safe for now,’ she said. ‘Of course, it won’t last long, but long enough to get you back to our home.’
She opened the door, and we stepped outside. I gasped in astonishment.
‘A beach hut!’
It was true. It seemed my prison had been beneath a beach hut. A beach hut that sat at the end of a row of other beach huts, all painted bright and cheerful colours of yellow, red, green, and blue. We were on Whitby’s West Cliff, and the beach was right in front of us.
‘But—but how?’
‘Just start walking, dear. I’m not sure how busy the town will be, and we don’t want the glamour to wear off before we get back home.’
‘Glamour?’
‘It hides you from others,’ she explained. ‘Oh, they’ll be aware of you, but they won’t be able to focus on you. Won’t notice you. I doubt the Pendragons are still in town, but one never knows, and it’s always better to be safe than sorry.’
I shivered and she put her arm around me, clucking sympathetically. ‘Poor girl. Not far to walk, don’t worry.’
We headed back over the bridge towards East Cliff, and my heart began to thud as memories of the last time I was here returned. Walking down Church Street I gazed around me apprehensively. Were the Pendragons here? How would I know? I had no idea what they even looked like.
Like me?
Like Lowen?
It was an odd thought, and rather unwelcome, that the people I were so afraid of meeting were my own relatives. One thing I could say with confidence; since I met Sirius life had sure never been dull.
I thought we were maybe going to climb the hundred and ninety-nine steps up to the abbey or the church, but to my surprise, the two women led me past them and down a cobbled street. Henrietta Street.
I remembered thinking, before I’d been kidnapped, that I’d have to go down there next to look for Sister Agnes, but I’d never got that far.
It was a long street, lined either side with attractive houses, some painted in pretty pastel shades. We passed Fortune’s, famous for its smoked kippers, something Sirius had told me I ought to try while I was here but which I hadn’t got round to.
The view opened up after that, and we were treated to the stunning sight of the sea, with the pier stretching its two arms wide as if to embrace the rolling waves.
‘There we are,’ Sister Agnes said cheerfully. ‘There’s home.’
I dragged my gaze away from the view and turned to see her standing in front of a small, cobbled area at the end of the street.
‘There’s nothing here,’ I said blankly.
‘You’d think so, wouldn’t you?’ she said cheerfully.
