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‘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.
