AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘A promise to who?’ I asked. ‘Meri?’
He shook his head. ‘Meri understood even less than you,’ he said sadly. ‘I couldn’t tell her either.’
I leaned forward, curiosity burning within me. ‘You seem to know so much,’ I said. ‘What are you? Some sort of seer? A prophet? What?’
‘I’m neither of those things,’ he said. ‘The events we’re living through now were told to me, with the strict instructions that I tell no one what’s to come. I can’t influence them in any way, you must understand that?’
‘So you know if there’s a battle between fae and witches?’ I asked, with some trepidation. ‘And you know the outcome of it?’
He shook his head. ‘I swear to you, I know nothing of that. By the end of this year you’ll all know as much as I do. My informants gave me no information beyond that point.’
‘You’re a very frustrating person,’ I said.
Hector grinned. ‘Isn’t that the truth?’
‘What about you?’ I asked. ‘Can Guardians go forward in time to see what’s going to happen?’
He looked appalled. ‘Certainly not! And risk causing even more mayhem than Blaise St Clair did? We only travel in time when it’s for an urgent cause, and only ever backwards. Even then, we try to interfere as little as possible. It’s not a super power, Lowen. It’s not some fun parlour trick. There’s a huge responsibility attached to our abilities. You’ll learn that for yourself one day.’
‘I already feel it,’ I admitted gloomily. ‘So, Hector, you feel John should take on a third identity. Emrick, you believe he should be left here to live a life with Romy. But a third identity could cause him mental problems and would mean he’d have to start all over again, giving up a life he’s grown to love and is happy in, which seems desperately unfair to me. And leaving him here as he is wouldn’t be much better, would it? He knows we all think he’s Blaise St Clair, but he has no recollection of the man and thinks he’s either mad or we all are. As for Romy, he’s ended it with her because he no longer trusts her, and who can blame him? As far as I can see, neither solution is ideal.’
‘Then what do you suggest?’ Hector asked curiously.
‘I have no idea,’ I admitted, feeling incredibly foolish. ‘I’m sorry. I know I should come up with something brilliant, but—’
‘Why should you?’ Emrick asked. ‘If Hector and I can’t decide what’s best to do with him, why would we expect you to?’
‘I suppose you think I’m an idiot, bursting into this meeting and demanding to know what’s going on, when I haven’t made the slightest contribution to it,’ I mumbled. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t be sorry,’ Hector said kindly. ‘It’s been good to have you here, Lowen. We might not have made any decisions yet, but you’re right. You should be involved in this. One day, we’ll all look to you for answers, and it will be us asking if we may be present in your meetings. Remember that.’
I couldn’t imagine, for a single moment, that would ever happen. Frankly, I was kind of hoping he was exaggerating.
‘So,’ Emrick said, settling back in his chair, ‘can we at least agree that, for now, we do nothing. Let John stay on the island where he’s safe, and give him and Romy time to come to terms with things? Hopefully they’ll rebuild their relationship.’
‘And if I have to give him a new identity, what then?’ Hector asked doubtfully. ‘Surely it will be even harder on Romy if we do things your way?’
‘What do you think, Lowen?’ Emrick’s eyes bored into mine, and I swallowed.
‘I think—I think you’re right. Leave them for now,’ I said, giving Hector an apologetic look. ‘We don’t want to rush into doing something we may regret. Let’s see how things pan out and—’
The door burst open, and Iliana hurried in, her face bright with excitement.
We all got to our feet.
‘Come quickly,’ she gasped. ‘There’s an old woman here, and she says she knows where Trinity is!’
Chapter 15
Trinity
I was having a perfectly lovely time in this weird house in Whitby. Now I was no longer a prisoner, and knew help was on its way, I relaxed, tucking into a delicious ploughman’s lunch that Sister Dorothy had prepared for me in their cosy kitchen, which had more than a touch of shabby chic about it.
‘Are you warm enough, dear?’ she asked me kindly, and I nodded.
‘Quite warm enough, thank you. It’s so warm and toasty in here compared to—’ I paused, ‘—to wherever the heck I was before anyway.’
She pursed her lips and shook her head. ‘I can’t believe Sister Gertrude behaved in such a fashion! Really, youth and inexperience are no excuse for such cruelty.’
