《Awaken A Rose Caldwell Story》 Prologue March 1836 Stonebrook Mill, Chester, England ¡°Mama!¡± The child¡¯s voice was thin and reedy in the night air. ¡°Mama!¡± The cry came again, plaintive, frightened. Light flared as a lamp was lit. ¡°Sssssh, little one, what is it?¡± ¡°Bad dream Mama!¡± ¡°Bad men and big doggie!¡± ¡°Grandmas!¡± Each statement was interspersed with sobs as the little girl was lifted onto her mother¡¯s lap. ¡°Ssssssssh, Rose, it¡¯s just a dream, my sweet. Ssssssh.¡± The child¡¯s sobs faded as she was rocked in the comfort of her mother¡¯s arms * * * June, 1844 Stonebrook Mill, Chester ¡°Good morning Rose.¡± ¡°Is it Mother?¡± the girl spoke listlessly. ¡°Another dream Rose?¡± ¡°Yes Mother.¡± The girl sighed. ¡°Every June it is the same, night after night, why is that? ¡°Why do these dreams plague me so?¡± the girl put her head in her hands as she sat at the oaken kitchen table. ¡°What was it this time?¡± Asked her mother. ¡°The horse Mama, it was the horse, racing across the fields, sparks flying where its feet hit the ground. Men running from it falling down being hit by the hooves!¡± The girl shuddered as she recalled her dream. ¡°Then the women came again, three of them as usual, old and stone faced, but their eyes are warm. Who are they Mama? Why do I see them? Oh I wish it would stop!¡± She put her head on her arms and sobbed. Her mother sat down next to her, her flour dusted arms gathered the girl in. ¡°It¡¯s alright Rose, it¡¯s alright. You¡¯re seeing a message from God I¡¯m sure, the light of angels.¡± She huffed a half laugh, half sob. ¡°Oh Mother, if so they are the strangest looking angels I have ever seen or heard of! If God is talking to me I wish he would use plainer language, and not speak every night!¡± ¡°Rose Caldwell! That¡¯s blasphemous!¡± Her mother said with a laugh and a hug. * * * 1846 Carmelite Convent of Saint Teresa Chester, England This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Tell me child, what makes you think that a life of contemplation and devotion is your path? Why do you wish to be a postulant?¡± Rose looked up at the woman who sat across the grated opening from her. The Mother Superior was stern faced but her eyes at the moment had warmth in them. They were sat in the parlor of the convent, the only space in which visitors might be allowed within the convent precincts. Rose sat in the public area barred from the other side by wood paneling, only the grating allowed visitors to see and converse with those within. Rose considered before answering, at sixteen she was unusual in that she didn¡¯t just blurt out her thoughts. There was also the fact that saying she had visions or dreams of angels was most likely going to get her shown the door than acceptance into the community of Carmelite nuns. Unlike many of her friends and their families, her family was still stoutly Catholic, not rare, but not that common in England. ¡°Mother, I cannot explain fully, I just feel in my heart that my life has a meaning and destiny in the work of God. I do not know if it is God¡¯s will or my own desires but I feel I have much to learn from a life that is apart from but of the world.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The older woman appraised the slight girl sat opposite her. She was impressed with the girl¡¯s eloquence it spoke of education beyond that most girls of her age had received. It was also measured and balanced which was unusual for a teenage girl. ¡°You can read and write?¡± ¡°Yes Mother and do my sums, I helped my father with the counting of the mill.¡± ¡°You understand to what you commit? If accepted, you will spend three years as a novitiate before we decide if you will join our order fully. At this time we have a dispensation from His Holiness to accept novitiates to our house as we must expand our congregation here in England. However, His Holiness has said that any accepted must spend a period of seven years under simple vows only. This means that you will be able to go out and about and assist with the sick and elderly. This is something our order does not normally do, but His Holiness feels it is necessary in order that the people here accept us. At the end of that time, you may decide to take full vows and enter the contemplative life fully or stay as you are. One other thing His Holiness included in his dispensation was the matter of the dowry. He has set aside the normal requirement of two hundred crowns as your dowry and set it at 10 crowns, with the rest paid by the papal bank. Do you understand all this? Do you have the money for a dowry?¡± ¡°I understand Mother. We are not a wealthy family, the mill is tied to the estate of the Culpeppers, but my father works hard and has saved the dowry for me.¡± ¡°Very well child, I will consider and pray on the matter and I will talk to Father Peter and he will let you know my decision.¡± * * * 1847 Carmelite Convent of Saint Teresa Chester, England ¡°You have now taken your final vows and stand before Christ as his bride. Now is the time to put aside your past and take up your new life. As a symbol of this release of the past, you will have new names in Christ.¡± The Mother Superior spoke to the three young women in front of her. ¡°Novitiate Emily, hence forth you shall be known as Judith. ¡°Novitiate Mary, hence forth you shall be known as Katherine. The Mother Superior sighed as she turned to the last girl who stood head bowed before her. ¡°Novitiate Rose, hence forth you shall be known as Rose.¡± The girl looked up in surprise, why did she not have a new name? Had she failed, was she to leave the convent? ¡°Do not fear child, I have prayed many times on what your new name should be. Each time I received the same answer from God. A white Rose with a single red petal it is clear that your name came from God in the first place so you shall keep it. The Bishop has agreed.¡± ¡°Now my children, you are sisters under God and may wear his habit with humility. Your new garb is in your cells. Go with God my children.¡± She held out her hand for each of the new nuns to genuflect and kiss before departing. Her brow was creased and her eyes worried as she watched Rose, no Sister Rose, follow the others from the chapel. She did not know why but she knew in her heart that the newly accepted nun would follow a different path to her fellows. Chapter One: Friday, the 15th of September 1851 2:45 AM, The Cell of Sister Rose Carmelite Convent of Saint Teresa, Chester, England Rose stared into the wolf''s eyes, piercing blue-grey pools surrounded by thick black pelt. The creature rested on its haunches, its sides heaved silently, its tongue lolling from its mouth, teeth bared in a grin, the only sound the harsh repeated caw of an unseen raven. An open field of emerald green turf surrounded Rose and the wolf. Within the animal¡¯s eyes, scenes flickered as if they caught the movements of her or someone else behind her in the field. She knew not to look around but instead look deeper. She stared into the wolf¡¯s eyes, feeling herself falling down into its world. Another world beyond the realm in which Rose dwelt and knew. There she was, one of three sisters. She was all yet none. She hovered between what they were as individuals and a single unified being, greater and more terrifying. The sisters gazed intently into the roiling cauldron they tended. Rose was drawn hypnotically down into the roiling fluid and found herself back in the field watching through the eyes of the wolf. In the predawn light, men wearing the kilts and accouterments of Celtic clansmen were drawn up in a loosely organized mass on the far edge of the field, perhaps two or three hundred of them. Swords, spears, and a few axes were held aloft, catching the first light of the sun. Across the field from the warriors was not an army but a single man. All around him, the grass withered and died, and with each step he took the blight spread. The man smiled, stopped, and casually seemed to raise his foot before stomping down. As his foot hit the ground, a fissure opened and swiftly spread towards the clansmen, widening and deepening as it did. From its depth, tongues of flame licked upwards, and a roiling red glow lit the scene. The fissure widened as it raced across the field of green towards the clansmen. As it reached the first ranks of men, it was fifty feet wide with smoke and fire erupting from its depths. The stunned silence of the clansmen turned to cries of fear as the chasm engulfed those closest. Fear grew in Rose as she realized she was no longer an onlooker, but stood in the throng of fear-crazed men desperately trying to escape. Rose was just another warrior struggling to flee the death that raced towards them, men falling screaming into its depth, the flames reaching for them. Pushing and shoving to escape, the body she inhabited strove to leave the field, when with heart-stopping speed, a terrifying apparition swooped down on the clansmen. The Banshee, clothed in ragged grey fabric, long white hair streaming behind it, soared over the fleeing men, who stopped their flight as the frightful visage of the Banshee loomed in front of them. Its mouth opened to let forth its shrill, head-splitting death scream. Rose felt the terror rise in her as she looked desperately for an escape path. Behind them, the earth was swallowing her comrades while in front, men reeled and fell to their knees as the scream drove thought from their minds. The cry grew in intensity. Rose fought silently to keep control of her mind¡­ Rose woke with a start, the Banshee¡¯s scream ringing in her head. It took her a moment to realize that the noise in her head was the soft tolling of the bell for Laud, the early morning prayer. Her nightmare had been so vivid and real, her heart was pounding still. This was not her first dream or vision in which the three sisters had appeared, their power to control the arcane apparent to her, even from an early age. Her mother told her as she held her on her knee, soothing her weeping brought on by the dreams, that she saw the light of angels and there was nothing to fear from them. She had not had such visions for some time. When she thought about it, she had not since she took her vows a year ago. In the darkness of her cell, she fumbled to light the taper next to her bed. The simple bed was a slatted wooden frame supporting a slim wool-filled mattress. Despite being basic, it was a comfortable bed. Best of all, she didn¡¯t have to share it with her younger sibling. The small space around her was briefly illuminated as the match she struck flared. She lit the tallow candle, the wick catching in the match''s flame. The shadows were pushed back as the candle brightened. Like all monastic cells, the small stone room was austere with just the bed, a stool that doubled as a night table where a Bible sat, a small shelf, and a crucifix above the bed. Rose had only ever lived in two places in her life. For the first sixteen years, it was in the tenant farmer''s house attached to the grain mill on the village''s other side. Her parents still lived there with her younger sister. Her second home was here, the Carmelite convent. Rose had lived in the convent on the outskirts of Chester for the past four years. Three years as a Novitiate, followed by one year as a sister under simple orders. She removed her bedclothes and placed them on the shelf next to her habit that was folded neatly on a shelf. She donned the garb and then, once dressed, took her candle and opened her cell door. She joined the other sisters in the hallway. The sisters formed up in two lines and made their way silently to the choir across the cloisters from the dormitory. They entered the side door and took their seats as the second round of bell ringing ceased. The abbess took her place before the altar and opened the recitation of the morning psalm. Like the rest of her sisters, Rose repeated the Latin phrases, thus beginning another day for Sister Rose Caldwell. * * * 6:40 AM, The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist Chester, England The cathedral had been a holy site since King Aethelred founded a small sanctuary on this spot in 689. The original chapel was now but a memory. Upon the foundations of that early medieval chapel, the Bishop of Litchfield had made it a cathedral at the turn of the first millennia. The Bishop of Litchfield¡¯s church collapsed in the 1500s. That cathedral¡¯s rubble and ruins still littered the site. The new Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist was the tallest construction in the city. This gothic church had fallen into disrepair and received a renovation in 1580 at great expense, using the advanced construction methods of high gothic style. Naves, arched vaults, and buttresses were more ornate, broader, and taller, but it was still stacking stones in an intricate puzzle that forced them to defy gravity. A master stonemason like Edward could see beyond the wear and tear on the surface of the stonework to where pinch points were stressing. The crumbling stone would eventually start a collapse after two-hundred and sixty-eight years of use. ¡°You see here boy, this section of the buttress is losing stability,¡± said Edward. ¡°Yes, Pa. Replace the stone here and here. The sandstone is highly porous and has been taking in too much moisture with the seasons,¡± stated Eddie pointing out the problematic stones. ¡°How do you know that, son?¡± ¡°Grandpa would tell me every Sunday when we came to church.¡± The elder Edward chuckled, ¡°My grandfather used to do the same to me. I craved to go play in the ruins of the old cathedral with the other children, and he would drag me around and point out all the problems and the worst of workmanship.¡± ¡°There is so much more to see up here, Pa.¡± The two men were halfway up the scaffold. You could see all of Chester and over the old Roman wall and beyond into the country of undulating green hills at this elevation. Looking down, Edward the elder saw his employees showing up for work, ¡°Yes, son, this is yet another of the joys of our work. We can be at heights that only the birds enjoy.¡± ¡°I was talking about seeing the stonework up close. Seeing what could only be vaguely made out from the ground,¡± said the younger Mason. The teen was apprenticed to his father, a master stonemason, and planned to continue his father¡¯s trade. His family had been stonemasons for generations, and now Mason had become the family name. With the commencement of construction, the Masons would have several years of work on the cathedral, shoring up the exterior walls, then doing work on the interior and the bell tower. Edward¡¯s father, Eddie¡¯s grandfather, said the work was needed back when he ran the business, but the church never sprang for it. There had been a small collapse recently, and that had forced the bishop¡¯s hand. Every mason who came out to look at the building told him the same that Master Edward had said; the building would soon be beyond repair if they didn¡¯t act now. Edward climbed up to the next terrace of the metal and wood scaffolding they had erected. A zig-zag path made its way up and weaved through the thick wooden buttresses Edward¡¯s men had installed to relieve the pressure from the stone buttresses scheduled for repair. This vertical maze allowed the Masons to walk up to various points on the outside of the church. At the top of the scaffolding was the mechanical steam hoist Edward purchased upon being awarded the job. The first one in the county, for that matter, the first in the Midlands. He expected to cut his labor costs significantly by using the hoist to lift the stone blocks to the great height faster and with less labor. Once finished with this job, he would have paid for the hoist and have it for subsequent jobs. He and Eddie had talked through how with this device. They could go after similar high masonry projects and undercut the competition because of the reduced labor. As he peered out, a falling motion caught his attention. He wondered if it was his imagination, ¡°Eddie, did you see that?¡± ¡°What, Pa?¡± his son asked, pressing on a fragile stone in the buttress with his fingers. ¡°I saw something fall from atop,¡± ¡°Stonework?¡± asked the son with unease in his voice. ¡°No, slightly smaller,¡± Edward glanced down. If something had indeed fallen, it was too small to make out from here, Edward yelled down to his foreman, ¡°John, look over here in the turf. I thought I saw something fall.¡± John waved and responded, ¡°Righto, boss.¡± Edward made his way up. Now the scaffolding changed from the wide zig-zag to where each level ran horizontal, and a ladder was at the end to ascend to the next height. At each level, the walk ended with the ladder on the alternate end, making Edward walk the church''s length on each level. He half-expected to find youngsters from Chester up on the roof fooling around. The scaffolding was too tempting for the young folk to ignore, and it wouldn¡¯t be the first time he had to scold children for climbing up to see the church roof. ¡°I just saw something fall, Pa,¡± Edward stopped and looked over to see what it may have been. Eddie was two levels down looking above Edward to the roof while John was pacing around on the ground looking down. ¡°John, look over this way,¡± Eddie yelled to the man on the ground. Edward ascended the last ladder. As his head poked up through the opening to the top level, his eyes were at the roof level. He stopped his ascent. His eyes widened in disbelief. There crouched in front of him was a squat grey-skinned muscular creature no larger than a two-year-old child but muscular, like an athlete. Edward¡¯s gaze met that of the beast. Black, cold, pupilless eyes met his own. His mouth opened and closed soundlessly as an identical gargoyle-like creature came up behind the other, its arms full. "Master Mason, I found it. It''s a lynchpin," yelled John. One pin of many that held the scaffolding to the church and gave it stability. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. The elder Mason saw the second creature had its arms full of the lynchpins. By the amount it held, it may have been every one of the wooden fasteners. The first creature grinned toothily at Edward. The mouth a gash full of tiny sharp teeth. It uttered a low guttural noise and approached the edge of the roof, giving the scaffolding a thrust with its foot. The second creature flung its armload of pins over the side, then helped its twin push the scaffolding away from the building. Edward clutched the ladder as the framework swayed outward. Below him, he could hear Eddie calling out in alarm as the framework of wood and metal swayed and distorted. He found his voice at last, but his despairing ¡°No!¡± was lost in the sound of cracking wood and squealing metal as the scaffolding collapsed under its own weight. The Mason dynasty''s plans, dreams, and heritage ended among the headpieces of ancient graves as Edward Mason, Eddie, and their foreman John died under the twisted tangle of wood and metal. As the last pieces settled and a stunned silence fell across the churchyard, a chilling cackle of laughter faded away. * * * 8:30 AM, The Reliquary at the Carmelite Convent Chester, England Rose¡¯s day had begun at three a.m. when she joined with all the other nuns and novitiates in the first prayers of the day. The next three hours were taken up by simple tasks, preparing for the day ahead. At six a.m., they gathered again in the choir for Prime. Their voices rose in prayer and song for the next hour. Now she was working in the reliquary, a cramped room more like a study or a library. The shelves lining the walls were crammed with books and scrolls. The room was called the reliquary as it held the Relic of Saint Ostric, an old monk who had traveled with an early Christian king bringing Christianity to this land. On a catafalque in the center of the room, a wood and glass cabinet took pride of place. Inside on a piece of blue material rested an old intricately carved box. Its paint was peeling and almost nonexistent, just a few flakes remaining. Inside the box was the skull of the Saint. This holy relic had been in the care of the Sisters of Saint Teresa since 700 A.D. when it had been moved in secret from Gilling Abbey in the East. The skull had traveled in secret again when the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII forced the Sisters to flee Britain for France, the skull carried under the skirts of the abbess. In France, the Order of Saint Teresa found refuge at the Carmel of the Trinity Monastery in Caen, where they remained until 1821. In that year, after many years of petitions by both the Order and members of the local Catholic communities, the Order was granted permission and given an invitation to return. When the bell rang for breakfast, Rose had been sweeping the stone floor of the reliquary. She set the broom aside and made her way to the dining hall. The hall was on the other side of the cloisters, between the kitchens and the dormitory. The reliquary was a small antechamber connected to the chapel. As she entered the long dining hall, she passed the small room where the contemplative sisters ate. Six of her sisters were focused on a meditative track and had taken vows of silence. They ate in a separate room from the rest of the monastery and were served first. Rose noted Sister Katherine carrying a tray on which the serving bowls for the silent sisters sat. Their eyes met, and each smiled at each other. Rose sat down at her usual table with Sister Judith. The pot of porridge was already on the table, and Judith served Rose, spooning a large dollop of the oatmeal into a wooden bowl. It landed with a splat, and Judith pushed it across to Rose. ¡°Why are you so sour-faced?¡± asked Rose, taking in Judith¡¯s glum face. ¡°Those old Frogs were whining again about the food being cold. I told them to take it up with Sister Meredith. I am just the serving wench. Sister Angela and the rest of the old bags spoke in French. I know they were talking about me,¡± said Judith. Katherine sat down at the table, and Judith slid a bowl over to her. ¡°Bitten by a frog?¡± said Katherine to Judith. Rose almost snorted a mouthful of the porridge through her nose. In private, the three young nuns spoke with disdain about the clique of older women who had come to Chester to reestablish the sisterhood in England and treated the younger sisters with contempt for being English. Sister Maria, the Mother Superior, approached them with a stern look on her face. Rose and the two others got serious fast. ¡°Why do you not sit with the other sisters?¡± said the old woman as she pointedly looked over to the other three tables filled with more senior nuns. ¡°They don¡¯t want us because we¡¯re not French,¡± blurted out Judith. ¡°All Carmelite Sisters have a heart filled with compassion. Even you, with your curt reply. Tonight, before bed, contemplate your compassion while you complete a rosary,¡± said the Mother Superior. She turned to Rose, ¡°There has been an accident over at the old cathedral. Both the Mason men have sadly died. Rose, I would like you and Judith to go with Sister Honor¨¦ to their home for vigil and prayer.¡± ¡°Eddie Mason is dead?¡± cried Rose in dismay. The entire room stared when she had this outburst of emotion. ¡°Yes, and his father as well. Go and comfort them,¡± ordered her superior. * * * 10:20 AM, The road to Chester The three nuns padded into town, just the sound of the earth and stones of the path crunching under their feet. The way they took turned onto the main road that passed the Cathedral. Workers were pulling apart the pile of wood and iron used for platforms and ladders that the stoneworkers had constructed to scale the church. To reach the Masons¡¯ home, the Sisters the shortest route was to go into Chester proper, passing through the old Roman walls to reach the bridge that crossed to the south bank. Originally a Roman fortress known as Deva or Deva Victrix, the city''s heart had been constructed around 70 A.D. as a garrison for the 20th Legion Valeria Victrix and covered some sixty-two acres. Many remains from the Roman occupation were still visible, but the most obvious example was the walls that encompassed the city. The massive walls were nearly five feet thick at the base, and there were almost two miles of them circling the city. Inside the walls, wooden and stone Tudor structures lined the streets. A mix of residences and shops, the streets were busy with the day¡¯s trade. As the Sisters walked through town, those they met either averted their eyes or crossed themselves, though there were fewer now that performed that action. England was predominately Protestant, and the sign of the cross was not familiar to that faith. The townsfolk knew where they were headed, and it was a reminder of the tragedy that had befallen the town. Rose was aware of the covert glances or open stares of the townspeople, making her feel uncomfortable. It was as if they somehow blamed the sisters or thought they would bring further calamity upon them. They weren¡¯t openly hostile, but she could see lips moving as they muttered to themselves or each other. The trio passed through the south gate and across the Old Dee Bridge, passing the field where the ancient Roman temple still partly stood. Rose had played with Eddie and his sisters in that field near the old sandstone ruin. They had all grown up together as children, frolicking about Chester without a care. Now he was dead, and Rose wondered what life had in store for her as she watched the middle-aged woman she walked with. Sister Honor¨¦, like Rose, had joined the order at sixteen, transforming from a village maiden to a bride of Christ. Just south of the River Dee, Rose said, ¡°It¡¯s just ahead,¡± as she pointed to a path heading off to the left of the road. A group of men was congregated outside one of the cottages at the end of the path. The men, workers for the Masons, stood outside the neat garden in front of the cottage. They made way for the nuns. While the Masons and most of their workers and neighbors were Anglican, it was the Carmelites'' custom to minister to all the local families. ¡°Sisters,¡± said one man with a nod of his head and removing his cap. Rose and Judith took their cues from their elder, Sister Honor¨¦. They all gave the men a nod and walked down the path to the house. Inside the Mason home, the two daughters of the house sat with their arms around their mother, their grief all too clear on their faces. Two men attended them. ¡°Sisters, good of you to come,¡± said Father Wheaton, the local vicar. ¡°The Carmelite Sisters would like to pray for you and with you in this time of loss and grief,¡± said Honor¨¦, in a heavy French accent. ¡°Rose, Judith!¡± cried Catherine, the eldest Mason sister. She ran to the two young nuns hugging both then breaking down in Rose¡¯s arms. ¡°What happened?¡± asked Rose, looking at Catherine and wiping away the tears from the Mason girl¡¯s face. ¡°Pa and Eddie were on the scaffolding at the cathedral when it collapsed. They were killed in the fall, along with John, the foreman. Their bodies were taken to the mortician. We were getting ready to go over there with the sheriff.¡± Rose looked at the lanky county official who urged, ¡°We should go, Mrs. Mason,¡± ¡°What will happen, to us, Rose?¡± asked Catherine in a panic. ¡°Why don¡¯t we stay here while your mother goes with the sheriff and let them work out the arrangements? The circumstances look dire, but we will look for some good to come out of this. Isn¡¯t that right, Father Wheaton?¡± Rose offered, but the words felt hollow as she thought of what would happen to her family¡¯s prospects if her father was killed. ¡°Something caused it to fall, I say,¡± came a loud voice from outside. An argument ensued. Sheriff Alderton and Father Wheaton went outside to try and quieten the argument. Rose followed to see three of the workers arguing. ¡°I was there and seen that scaffolding come down as if it was held together with straw, and you were one of the blokes what put it together. What if we were all up there?¡± said the tallest man. ¡°I tell ya, mate. Someone is behind this. I saw half the lock pins scattered, not a one sheared or splintered. I put those in with Master Edward me¡¯self, and that scaffolding was as solid as the church,¡± argued the youngest man. ¡°Gentlemen, no one serves their grief or that of the family by accusations and anger. We need to be here to pray for the family and the souls of those men,¡± urged the Vicar. "We masons know how to hang a scaffolding," said the tall man with a scowl as he walked away. Rose turned to the sheriff. ¡°Do you think someone did this on purpose?¡± ¡°Sister, we will listen to what the men say and get to if there was sabotage or shoddy work, and if someone is at fault, I¡¯ll pursue it. Don¡¯t you worry,¡± said the sheriff. * * * 5:00 PM, The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist Chester, England The Sisters had spent the rest of the day comforting Edward Mason¡¯s daughters and wife on her return to the house with the vicar. The vicar told them that arrangements had been made to bury the Mason men, but it would not happen until the sheriff had finished his inquiries. The vicar left soon after relating this, clearly uncomfortable amongst the weeping women. By late afternoon, relatives had arrived, and the Sisters felt able to make their way back to the monastery. Rose deliberately steered their route to pass the Cathedral. As a youngster, she and the other children would play in the old ruins behind the church, Protestant and Catholic alike. The Webers, Masons, Caldwells, Jones, and others would meet and play their imaginary games. It wasn¡¯t until they were older and had knowledge of religion, trades, and class that they drifted away. She always had fond thoughts of Eddie Mason. He would parrot what his father and grandfather would say about the stone works as if he were the local authority. He once led them all on an expedition to the quarry where they dared each other to stand at the edge¡ªa scary prospect for a pack of children only a decade old. It seemed ages ago now; Rose could recollect more than just Eddie, who were childhood friends but no longer alive. Illness and accidents had already begun to take the lives of those she grew up with. She stopped and said a prayer. Judith and Honor¨¦ joined her in the prayer. Men were sorting through the pile of broken wood stacking up the material; a few looked over at the nuns. ¡°Sister Honor¨¦, I will have a few words with William over there,¡± Rose indicated William Mason, a cousin of Eddie. ¡°Sister, you are best to stay with us,¡± retorted Honor¨¦. Rose ignored her and walked over to William. ¡°William, I was so very sorry to hear about the accident,¡± commiserated Rose. ¡°What a horror. Now we need to make sure the wood buttressing is sound, or the whole building could come down,¡± ¡°What about the lock pins?¡± asked Rose. William cocked his head and gave Rose a stare. ¡°You learn stone masonry over at the convent?¡± asked William. ¡°Just something I overheard. Some men arguing that there may be more to the accident than meets the eye. One of the men noted none of the locking pins were broken. Catherine was sure her father¡¯s work was sound,¡± Rose explained, hoping to gain more information. ¡°I was up on that rack, and it was as secure and sturdy as I could see. Let me ask you a question. Do you notice anything unusual about the wall?¡± asked William. Rose looked. She tried hard to find what he wanted her to notice, but it was the same old water-stained, umber sandstone she has seen her whole life. ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten that far in the convent¡¯s masonry course,¡± Rose responded. ¡°The scaffolding fell, but none of the walls gave way. When a scaffolding comes down, it is usually caused by the underlying building giving way. Besides that, Uncle Edward¡¯s structure was overbuilt to support the steam hoist he had installed at the top. Come here,¡± William said as he walked over to the piles of wood. He began sifting through wicker baskets that held large wooden dowels. ¡°Ay, any of you lot find splintered lynchpins around here?¡± The replies were shrugs and looks of confusion, "You know Sister, you might be on to something; if all of those pins were removed, that might be enough together with wind or a good jostle to get the entire frame to swing off the building. One would need to have some knowledge of engineering to know to remove those pins," ¡°The fellow at the house said he saw dozens scattered on the ground,¡± mentioned Rose. "I didn¡¯t give it much thought, but when we cleaned up, those pins were all over the ground," said William. He paced a bit, deep in thought, ¡°I can think of one or two blokes who might like to see that steam hoist end up like that,¡± William pointed at the heap of distorted metal and gears. ¡°What I can¡¯t figure is why leave such a blatant clue as to what happened here?¡± Chapter Two: Saturday, the 16th of September, 1851 10:30 AM, The Reliquary at the Carmelite Convent ¡°What are you up to?¡± Rose jumped, she had a book out and was reading. Not reading as much as she was looking at the pictures, she could read a little, but certainly not this old English hand written, illuminated manuscript. The ancient volume told the story of Saint Ostric with beautifully detailed drawings. Although she couldn¡¯t read the text, Rose filled in the missing pieces of the story in her head, based on what she had heard by word of mouth and from the pictures in the book. The tale described how the Monk had visions of a battle between an angel and a demon here in Chester and of his support of the holy and righteous King Aethelred. She was admiring the illumination of the King and the monk standing before the demon emerging from a chasm in the ground when the librarian, Sister Madeline surprised her. "I was just looking.¡± ¡°We are caretakers, not readers.¡± ¡°Sister, I have completed my chores and I just thought¡­¡± ¡°My dear, Mother Maria decided that you were to work here, not me. I do not need nor do I want your help,¡± said Sister Madeline. ¡°Is it not our responsibility to know the location of all the tomes, that they are kept in good condition and have some general knowledge of the contents?¡± asked Rose. ¡°No, you are to be obedient, just as I am. Our superior has instructed that we are to work together and as I am librarian, I require you to tidy the place. Then you can sit and pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit,¡± said the elderly French nun. That meant fall asleep, like Sister Madeline did. Rose resisted the old nun¡¯s authority and didn¡¯t know why she couldn¡¯t read rather than sit and pray. ¡°I just thought¡­¡± ¡°I just thought¡­ I just thought, I would spend my days in devotion at the convent in Arles, but we were all sent here, along with that box,¡± said Sister Madeline pointing at the wooden box in the glass case. ¡°Yes, Sister,¡± Rose whispered sullenly as she closed the tome and set it back on the book rest in front of the relic case. ¡°The dusting in this place is never done. Make your best work of it, Sister,¡± said Sister Madeline Rose went to the shelves and began dusting the books. As she went about her work, she looked at the spines. Some she could read, others she could not, but even those she could not made her wonder about the tales within. Some of the books were treatises, the work of theologians trying to understand the human condition and interaction with the spiritual world. This was most of her day, tidying and organizing the books, waiting for when Sister Madeline would doze off in her chair. Then she would pull a book off the shelves and read or look at the pictures. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Sister Madeline jerked awake, almost falling out of her chair. Her own snoring had likely wakened her. Rose smiled to herself and quickly stuffed the book back in the stack. ¡°I am going to check on Sister Anne in the kitchen,¡± said Sister Madeline, standing up and making her way to the door. Rose went to the table where Sister Madeline had been sitting and pushed the chair into the table. She then walked back to the cabinet where the book and relic were kept. Rose stood before the glass cabinet. In the past, when the cabinet was opened and the box moved, it was under the direction of the bishop. Rose looked around to be certain that Sister Madeline was gone. With the glass door opened she carefully worked the lid off the old case. She wondered when the last time was that someone had opened it. She was careful to not damage the box, but the top was snug, and she worried she would break something in her urgency to get the box open. With the top opened, she peered inside and was shocked to discover a skull gilded in silver; the cranium was open and replaced by a crystal dome allowing the observer to see into the skull. Inside it was a collection of other bones, maybe finger bones, pieces of fabric and feathers. The artifact seemed too large, but who was she to know how big a skull should be. Reaching in, Rose lifted the skull out of the box. She thought the whole idea of preserving a man¡¯s skull a bit savage and un-Catholic but here she was holding a dead saint¡¯s remains. She placed the relic back in the box and in the process pricked her finger on the sharp nose bridge of St. Ostric. She reacted by sticking her fingertip in her mouth to stem the blood flow. As the iron taste of her blood hit her tongue, she felt a swoon overtaking her. Her head spun, and she felt as if she was falling. She did not hit the ground, however. Someone caught her mid-way and steadied her. Rose turned to see a man dressed in monk¡¯s robes standing next to her. His deep blue eyes were piercing yet warm. He had an aura about him that spoke of more than being a simple monk. He had a regal air and he held himself erect. From the shadows that formed behind him, a slice of golden light split the darkness. Rose¡¯s senses told her that the light was connected to the infinite as from out of the light walked a golden-maned lion of immense size. She heard the heavy padding of the beast¡¯s feet hitting the floor as she looked back to the wild man who had helped her. He just nodded, and when she turned back, the animal was gone and in its place was a form, human-like yet twice the size of even a large man. It was adorned in billowing robes that floated and flowed as if suspended in flowing water. The fabric of the robes streamed endlessly behind the figure, connecting it with the golden light piercing the shadows. The figure addressed the young nun. Rose listened in awe but could not understand a word of the strange language. At that moment the regal man spoke, ¡°You have been chosen by Ariel the Arch-Angel, the lion of God. If you respond to the call you to will one day speak the tongue of the Enochian.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand, what did he say? Who are you? What¡­¡± said Rose, as she felt the blood from her finger trickle down her hand. She looked down to see a drop falling to the floor. Her vision was focused and telescoped onto the bead of blood that dripped from her hand as it fell to the floor. It happened in silent slow motion, its shape and color clear and sharp as it fell. It hit the floor and splashed, and the world crashed back in around her with the sound of the ocean smashing against a cliff. She was back in the Reliquary, alone in the still silent room. On the ground at her feet another drop of her blood dripped onto the old stone. There was nothing to confirm her vision or what she had heard. Rose stuck her injured finger in her mouth again and this time the world stayed in place. She sucked the blood and realized she needed to be quick. She took her handkerchief from her pocket and mopped up the blood on the floor then wrapped it round her hand before quickly closing up the relic box and the cabinet to hide any evidence that she had touched the holy object making sure there was no blood on either. Chapter Three: Thursday the 18th of September 1851 1:30 PM, Chester Book and Print Chester, England When Rose was called to the Mother Superior¡¯s office after breakfast she was afraid that her transgression in the reliquary had been somehow discovered. She was relieved to learn that the Mother Superior, aware of her friendship with the Mason family required her to visit them and ascertain their needs if any at this time and when the burials of the Master Mason and his son would take place. She used the opportunity to visit the book store on Duke Street owned by Mr. Cooper. Rose had been in the store a few times as a little girl but her hard-working family had little money to spend on books for a girl. Steeling herself she stood before the door, taking a deep breath before entering. The small shop was located on the street level of an old wooden Tudor building painted the traditional black and white. The aged door required a hard shove to open, announced by the faint tinkling of a doorbell above her head. The elderly man who came out from the back of the shop was wiping his hands on a rag, chewing on food in his mouth. He waved his hand to his face in a nonverbal request to wait until he had swallowed, ¡°Good afternoon, Sister. How may I help you?¡± Rose looked out the window of the shop to see if all was clear, then stepped up to the counter. She removed a note from her habit, unfolding it and smoothing it out on the counter. ¡°I have copied this from a book in the library I was hoping you could help me read it.¡± The man looked around the counter then chuckled and on felt the top of his head, finding his reading glasses. Dropping the glasses to his nose he looked at Rose¡¯s note. He gave her a look over his glasses then walked around the counter to a bookshelf. The shopkeeper stepped up onto a small footstool to reach the top shelf and pulled down a thick tome. Making his way back to the counter he opened the book and flipped pages back and forth. The man hummed to himself as he deciphered the writing. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°It¡¯s a title, The Exultation of St Ostric. Illuminated by a Brother Aetherwel, of the Abbey at Bardney,¡± disclosed the man. ¡°What else does it say?¡± asked Rose. He put his glasses down on the book, ¡°Sister, this is a most strange request. Is there no one capable of translating this for you at the convent?¡± ¡°I am afraid there isn¡¯t,¡± Rose answered feeling a resistance from the shop owner. ¡°Not the librarian?¡± ¡°I suspect her letters are as bad as mine. Mr. Cooper, would you teach me to decipher this, as it is unreadable to me? It doesn¡¯t look like Latin or English and if it is French, the old nuns won¡¯t help me out of fear that I would now know what they say behind my back.¡± said Rose. ¡°You appeal to my biggest weakness; that of learning, and to teach another is such a temptation, but think what you¡¯re asking? This task will take months and you would need to bring this book for us to work on together. If it was discovered that a young nun was taking works from the convent and meeting with a man. Well, it would not be good for either one of our reputations,¡± finished Cooper. He was right. She would be punished, but he could be run out of town or worse. ¡°I have an idea. I will transcribe from the book as I did here today. The next opportunity I have to come into town, I will leave the letters with you for your transcription. Then we can arrange for a short lesson, with you sharing the translation,¡± Rose proposed. ¡°That is an interesting thought, but this is a far bigger undertaking than you imagine. You will need a reason to come into the store,¡± Cooper grabbed a small book from behind the counter and handed to Rose, ¡°Can you read this?¡± Rose began slowly reading. Cooper interjected, ¡°You find the book too difficult, do you?¡± ¡°No, it is manageable,¡± said Rose. ¡°Good, then you read that book, when you''re done you bring it back and I will give you another. First, we will improve your English, then we can work on Latin and an old form of English and then the French. The books I lend to you will be selected to support our research,¡± the shop keeper conspired. Rose liked the idea and couldn¡¯t think of a reason there would be trouble with his plan, the Mother Superior was often heard grumbling about the lack of education of these young English nuns. If Rose could say it was helping her Latin surely, she would approve. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Cooper,¡± she said with gratitude, turning to leave. ¡°Sister, it is never too late to learn. You will be better for this endeavor as it will bring strength and fitness to your mind.¡± Chapter Four: Monday the 2nd of August 1852 2:30 PM, Chester Book and Print Chester, England Almost a year had passed since Rose entered Cooper¡¯s shop and received her first book. Now she placed several books on the counter, two books of poetic verses in Latin, from the fifteenth century, and a current work of research into the imagery of northern European monastic illuminations, by a German Academic. Rose¡¯s studies had progressed over the last year, and she no longer brought her scribbled transcriptions to Cooper. Now, he was more of a guide to her research. ¡°Mr. Cooper, I brought back the volumes!¡± she called. Rose stepped behind the counter and peered into the back room. Cooper was coming up the stairs from the cellar with a hand full of papers and a book under his arm. ¡°Sorry Sister, I got a little lost in my work,¡± said Cooper. ¡°Right, I had a breakthrough last night, I discovered an interesting passage in the ¡®The Exultation of Saint Ostric¡¯,¡± Rose repeated the Latin quote from memory, ¡°regnum suum redire Marbas Ostric sancti Angeli singillatim speculo ¡°To return Marbas to his realm St Ostric wielded the mirror of angels,¡± Rose¡¯s teacher interpreted. ¡°That means something to you?¡± she asked. ¡°Vere respondet de occultis. Qui regnare facit morbo et curavit eos. Dat sapientiam et scientiam mechanicis et aliis figuris mutare potest. Et huius signum est, quod praedictum deferri Rose looked up to the rafters as she translated the words in her head. A year ago, she struggled with some of the books Mr. Cooper gave her written in English, but now she could read and write in Latin. ¡°He answers truly of things hidden. He causes diseases and cures them. He gives great wisdom and knowledge in mechanical arts and can change men into other shapes. And his Seal is this, which is to be worn as aforesaid.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. When she looked down to get confirmation of her translation from Cooper, he had a dire look on his face. ¡°Yes, Marbas was one of Lucifer¡¯s cadre, the host of those that tried to overthrow Heaven and were cast down,¡± he said. ¡°But what of this angelic mirror of Saint Ostric?¡± she asked. Mr. Cooper left the front shop without a word and walked into the back. Rose watched him go downstairs under the shop rather than upstairs where he lived. He returned with a small book. He set it in front of her. As she went to pick it up he quickly slapped his hand on top of it, stopping her from picking it up, ¡°Sister, I share this with you but be clear, I will disavow any knowledge of you getting this from me if you are found with it.¡± Rose¡¯s curiosity was piqued. Furthermore, she couldn¡¯t grasp why her possession of this book would be a worse offense than what Cooper and she had been up to for the last year. A nun going outside the convent to study with a man would already be seen as a violation of her vows of obedience. ¡°We¡¯ve gotten this far, haven¡¯t we?¡± ¡°This book is different. It is a copy of the diaries of a Sir Edward Kelly. Some say this isn¡¯t even his hand, a hoax, but I have read these and think there is a thread of truth in them,¡± said Cooper. ¡°Why is this man¡¯s works a concern?¡± asked Rose pulling the book from Cooper. ¡°He was a compatriot of Sir John Dee, the court Astrologer and advisor to Queen Elizabeth. He was seen by many to be an occultist and the Papists looked at his work as witchcraft. Kelly was a confidant and contemporary of Dee. Some say he had the power to scry.¡± ¡°Scry?¡± said Rose. ¡°To see into the future, to look to other worlds. It was said that Kelly spoke Enochian and conversed with the dead,¡± as Cooper spoke the words, Rose¡¯s stomach rolled and her skin prickled, Enochian! ¡°Would you have any books on the subject of Enochian and how it is spoken?¡± asked Rose. ¡°The heavenly language of the seraphim,¡± Cooper said with a chuckle, ¡°Nine months ago you couldn¡¯t read Latin and now you wish to learn to tongue of the angels. Take the book and see if that is any help,¡± said Cooper with a knowing look. ¡°Your Saint Ostric performed a great miracle and helped to save King Aethelred from Marbas and his succubus. He may have used an object to help him see the world and workings of Marbas. Dee and Kelly were believers that angelic powers were attainable through the occult,¡± Cooper concluded. Rose put the book in her satchel and scampered off to finish her errands around town. She was excited to get through the day and back to the quiet of her room to read Kelly¡¯s secrets. Chapter Five: Friday the 17th of September 1852 11:30 PM, The Reliquary at the Carmelite Convent Chester, England Rose finished reading the story of Saint Ostric¡¯s exaltation and rise to heaven. She stared at the hand-painted drawing in the margin, showing the monk being carried to heaven by the Archangel Ariel. Down below on earth, the Saxon and Celt armies watched with King Aethelred on his knees in prayer. She smiled, admiring the illustration of the bizarre tale and its scenes. She considered the beautiful but simple drawings ironic, given the tale of souls in peril. She was proud of her accomplishment. It had taken nearly a year to learn to read the Latin language and countless visits with Mr. Cooper to translate and understand words and phrases. It was an arduous process pulling meaning from the Old Latin, written eleven hundred years ago by a scribe who also spoke an English so different from the current day as to be a foreign language. She wondered if Ostric had visions and dreams that led him on this path and how he obtained the strength and guidance to save the King and stop a demon. Rose was excited by the adventure and wondered how Ostric had dealt with his call to face evil. Rose had the desire to stand up for good and help those who suffered; all she needed was direction. It was well and good that an angel had chosen her, but for what? Why was it that the stories of the saints seemed to be knee deep in mystery and magic all the time? The tale of the wilderness monk who saved King Aethelred¡¯s soul began when the King deserted his throne after his wife¡¯s death. Wandering in despair, he came upon the lands under rule of the Clans of Briton; these Celts had been at peace with Mercia after having been conquered by Aethelred''s army five years before. The saga chronicled how he fell in love with a clansman¡¯s daughter after the death of his wife. The young woman who became Aethelred¡¯s new love was a succubus, the daughter of the demon Marbas, sent to seduce the Christian king and sow discord by siring a son with Briton blood. The king quickly came under her spell. Offspring of a fallen angel, the woman¡¯s magic was prolific; she drew magic from the demon¡¯s underworld lair. The plot to usurp the Christian king of the land and return his kingdom to pagan ways would begin from the sin of lust. The priest Ostric came out of the wilderness and traveled from town to town to rally the Ealdormen for Aethelred¡¯s aid. After Aethelred''s abdication, the monk brought forth armies to the fields of Chester under the banner of Coenred, Aethelred''s nephew, the new King of Mercia. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! The succubus had infected Aethelred with her venom and placed him under a spell. When confronted by King Coenred, Aethelred attacked the new King. All this was directed by Marbas through the temptress. She urged Aethelred to call upon the clans to join with loyal Ealdormen and take back the throne. Ostric interceded; he used a relic the ¡®Speculum angelis Dei¡¯, which was best translated as "the mirror of angels" to show all the true form of the succubus and then called upon the Archangel Ariel to smite the temptress and her father. The miraculous summoning of one of God¡¯s soldiers resulted in the defeat of Marbas and his minions, in addition it restored Aethelred to his faith and made Coenred and all the attending Ealdormen true believers. Rose had completed further research and learned that after the incident at Chester, Aethelred returned to his pious ways. He retired to Bardney Abbey, a Benedictine monastery he and his first wife had founded several years before her death. He finished out his days in contemplation and redemption as a monk. She had found a plate drawing of him from his days as king, there was something familiar about him, yet how could she have seen him, he had been dead for centuries. It was a puzzle for later. Rose looked over at the old wooden box where the skull resided and wondered if she had the strength to accept God¡¯s call as Ostric had done, or if she would be too confused to decipher the divine message. Next to the illumination was the Diaries of Edward Kelly, given to Rose by Cooper. Not a story book or a tome of research as much as it was a journal, a scribbling of notes reprinted by an unknown source. Within it were references to other books like the Book of St. Dunstan and objects that could perform miracles. Rose had marked the page where Kelly described how he connected with the divine using crystals or mirrors to contact angels and notes on alchemical mysteries including the use of tinctures to transmute metals. Reading the intellect and science of the work, Rose was becoming obsessed with Kelly and would need to learn more. Just as the mill where her father worked utilized the power of the river through wheels and gears, applying the invisible power from the river to turn grain to flour; why couldn¡¯t there be a way to tap into the mystical, in a way more potent than prayer? Rose wondered what time it was. When she was alone and deep in her studies time flew. In the last year she had had several instances of being up all night with her research, surprised by the sound of the first morning birds tweeting to alert her to another night of lost sleep. It had been a few hours since the last bell and she was to go see her family tomorrow. She would just finish up reading a little of Kelly¡¯s book then go to her cell to get a few hours¡¯ sleep. Chapter Six: Saturday the 18th of September 1852 The Reliquary at the Carmelite Convent Chester, England It was cold and damp, but the air had a clean feel to it. An early spring breeze, she could taste and smell, it reminded her of being young and a time when she would walk with her Pa to the mill. Her location was unmistakable, as she arrived at the edge of the River Dee, but the town looked different. She did not recognize the buildings, they were a mix of wood and stone. There, in the middle of the town was a huge amphitheater, towering above the wall.This section of the Roman wall and gates were new. Just outside the fortress eight men hung by the neck from a gallows. Ravens or crows circled above it and perched on the crossbeam was the largest crow she had ever seen. Rose watched from across the water, downstream from the river bank of the town. She turned to continue walking to her father¡¯s mill, recognizing she was in the field where the Temple of Minerva had stood. She watched in bewilderment as stonemasons carved the temple from the sandstone in front of her eyes. No longer ruins, it was taking shape before her. The workers were clearly Britons, they wore trousers under their tunics, while the slaves working alongside and the Romans directing them wore knee length tunics and in the case of the Romans directing the work, woolen cloaks. Amongst the work and activity at the site were the semitransparent forms of three women clad in modern day clothing. They were knelt working on a different looking stone of coarse grey with a spiral carved into its surface. They were ignored by those working on the temple but seemed to be burying the stone. Rose awoke with a start, unsure of her surroundings. She wasn¡¯t in her room at the convent or at her parent''s house. She had fallen asleep in the library. Rose hurried to stow the book on the stand near the relic and quickly shoved her own collection of books into a bag. She didn¡¯t want to answer questions from her Sisters, who might at first glance feel that what she read was blasphemous. She hurried to the chapel and stashed her bag out of sight just inside the foyer door and mixed in with the other nuns for the morning prayer. Today Rose would leave to travel to her family home. She was excited to visit the mill and see her sister. She lined up with the others and took her assigned seat; the Sisters sat in deep nooks in the choir, so one could not see the woman next to her but could see across to the other side of the choir where another nun sat and could stare back. It was Katherine looking back at her they both mouthing the memorized prayer. She smiled, and Katherine smiled too; it was good to have other girls from the town in the order. It made her a little less homesick. Rose was content with her decision to join the church, but sometimes she felt trapped and these visits helped. She had taken a vow of obedience and as part of that, she was to divorce herself from her birth family and devote herself to the sisterhood and the poor; being homesick was a small price to pay to be part of the order and have all your basic needs met. Her mind wandered back to her recent dream or was it a vision? It had been so vivid and clear, unlike a dream where on recollection the details were foggy and slipped from your grasp. No, this was sharp, with colors and sound. She had seen details of structures and the land around them that was long gone. She thought again about that carrion crow on the gallows cawing. She had a strong feeling that she had seen it before. * * * 11:30 AM, Chester Granary and Mill Chester, England Rose approached the tenant house on the property of the granary and mill, her childhood home, where she was born and raised. A water-driven grain mill sat in the rear of the property off the road. She searched for her father. He was likely up at the mill working. She could see wagons bringing grain for storage or milling. Rose walked up to the mill. It lacked the familiar sound of wood creaking and water spilling off the wheel as the water from the mill pond, fed by the River Dee, rushed down the raceway turned it. Inside the building itself, there was normally the low rumbling sound of the wooden gearing when it was engaged to turn the runner stone against the bed stone and the grating sound from the stones themselves as they crushed the grain. The sound could be felt as much as heard. Now all was quiet and still, the wheels and gears stopped. Something was wrong. ¡°Pa, do you need help?¡± Rose yelled down into the basement where the gearing from the water driven wheel turned the cogs that led to the gears and stones above. the mill. This was an underdrift designed gristmill, rather than the overdraft configuration of a windmill. One of the mill cats rubbed up against Rose. They didn¡¯t name the cats, as there were so many. The prowling tabby marked felines kept the building clear of rats and pigeons. ¡°I could Rose.It¡¯s hard to get good help these days,¡± her father exclaimed. Rose could see her father through the machinery below her. He had a big grin on his face, he appeared happy to see her. She heard Eamon¡¯s familiar chuckle, he laughed at her father¡¯s oft repeated taunt. Rose knew he really wasn¡¯t jesting and that if her father left Eamon too long on his own, the mill would fall apart around him. She made her way down the wood stairs to the workings below the mill stones. There, Eamon and her father were engrossed with the stone nut, the gear that connected the runner stone shaft to the wheel spur. Rose had an almost complete knowledge of the mill''s workings from her youth; first from playing in the mill-house and then later helping her father with repairs. The two men were struggling to free up the drive gear in an effort to remove it. The pinions had splintered leaving it unable to turn. From observing the stone nut, she knew what the issue was.Her father and Eamon, however, were not employing any subtlety or finesse just the application of brute strength, accompanied by the judicial use of a large mallet, together with the certainty that together they could muscle through any task. Rose was happy to see her dad in good sorts she could recall vividly when his mood would take him to a dark place only relieved by a bout of drinking. He had never struck any of them when in his drink and it only really started after her brother died. Rose grabbed a mallet, some lard and an iron rod then ducked under the transmission gear. It wasn¡¯t all that fair as her dad couldn¡¯t easily manage with the limited space. Even in her habit it was a simple task for her. ¡°Do you have the shaft secured, because the nut is coming off,¡± advised Rose. ¡°I do, and you best use the power of prayer on this bastard,¡± replied her father. ¡°Papa, she exclaimed in mock shock!¡± Rose smeared some of the lard on the iron rod then lined it up with the wooden dowels that held the stone nut in place. With two whacks of the mallet, the first dowel came free. Rose easily pulled the rod free and proceeded to do the same on the next dowel freeing the nut and again sliding out the lubricated metal rod. Rose slid out from underneath the transmission gear and took a bow. Eamon clapped, and her father smiled. ¡°You better hope the nuns don¡¯t open a gristmill John,¡± said Eamon. Rose chimed in with, ¡°If we do, it won¡¯t be an old waterwheel, we will get one of those new steam-powered jigs like the coal miners use to pump water.¡± Her father deflated. ¡°What did I say?¡± Rose asked. ¡°There is talk of one of those being built in Liverpool,¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry who will haul their grain up there, Pa?¡± ¡°The railway for a start. It¡¯s good to have you here to visit Rose, let''s go up to the house,¡± said her father. He turned to Eamon, ¡°can you finish up, it''s not every day my eldest daughter gets to visit from the convent.¡± The two walked to the house. ¡°You¡¯re not really that worried about another mill, are you?¡± ¡°Times change Rose, and the power of steam has made it possible to build mills away from the rivers and the steam engine is making everywhere just a day away from anywhere else. So yes, I worry,¡± his concern was palpable, and Rose felt compassion. ¡°I¡¯ve spoken with Mrs. Culpepper about it. She thinks like you, she doesn¡¯t see us losing business to somewhere so far away. Me, I¡¯m not so sure!¡± Rose heard her Mother say, ¡°You didn¡¯t come through the town, did you?¡± ¡°How else would I have gotten here, Mama?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look, Rose.¡± ¡°You are receiving this look because I don¡¯t know why you would ask me that, Mama. I passed through town, it¡¯s the shortest way and I had errands for the convent,¡± said Rose. ¡°It¡¯s the children, there is a fever being passed amongst them. The Watts girls and the Seeley boy have come down with it. I won¡¯t let your sister out of the garden for fear of her becoming afflicted.¡± her mother voiced, clearly distressed. ¡°There was no mention of this by anyone in town.¡±Rose said with a frown. She gave her mother a hug and kissed her cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll go see her.¡±¡°Bring her in, it¡¯s time for luncheon,¡± called her mother as she walked straight through the house out to the garden to see her sister.There was no mistaking the relationship, the only difference was age. Rose was always being told that she looked just like Violet at that age. Her sister was eleven years the younger. The gap between the Caldwell sisters was also a source of concern for her mother; she had lost her middle child and only son when Rose was a young child, she could not recollect how he had died only that he was rarely mentioned. It seemed this world was always harshest on the children. ¡°What are you up to Violet?¡± asked Rose as she made her way to her sister. ¡°Rose!¡± squealed Violet running over and hugging her sister around her legs, ¡°will you play with me, Mummy won¡¯t let me play with my friends.¡± ¡°I heard your friends are sick,¡± said Rose. ¡°I won¡¯t get sick, because I didn¡¯t go in,¡± said the little girl in her homemade dress. ¡°What do you mean; go in where?¡± ¡°Into the temple. They went into the Witch temple by the river,¡± Violet explained. ¡°Witch temple? Oh you meant the old Roman temple!¡± said Rose. Violet nodded. ¡°Tommy said it¡¯s haunted by a ghost and dared them to go in, but I didn¡¯t, and, and now they¡¯re sick from the ghost,¡± said the little girl with a sob. Rose wanted to tell her sister to not be afraid, that there were no such things as ghosts, well maybe there was the Holy Ghost, she thought wryly. But it was her own dreams and the vision of Saint Ostric that made her hold her tongue. ¡°Lunch is ready girls, come in and wash your hands!¡± called their Mother from the house. ¡°Oh good¡°said Rose, ¡°I¡¯m really hungry are you?¡± Violet nodded, still a little upset.Rose took her sister¡¯s small hand in her own and led her into the house. * * * 2:00 PM, The Home of Mr. and Mrs. Seeley After hearing about the sick children, she felt a need to visit them; partly curiosity, and in part as a caring nun ministering to her home village. Her first destination was the home of the Seeleys, whose little boy had taken sick. His mother was pleased to see Rose. The family had little money to spend on a doctor. Rose gave her some comforting words and then went to see the boy. He was lying in his bed covered by a thin blanket, fevered and delirious, his face pale with dark circles under his eyes. Rose felt his forehead which burned with fever. She told the boy¡¯s mother of some herbal remedies she could use and suggested more covering in an effort to break the fever. She recognized how desperate the boy¡¯s situation was but kept the thoughts to herself. She left the Seeleys and made her way to the home of Violets other friends affected by the fever. Mr. Watts was an older man, a local solicitor and the father of two girls. He and his young family lodged in town above his offices. It was a larger dwelling with two floors above the offices, and if his practice continued to flourish, he would likely move to a larger cottage outside of Chester. She was greeted at the door by his young wife, whose strained face had aged overnight. Rose knew her a little. She was only a few years older than her. She invited Rose into the parlor and told Rose that Doctor Belkin was with the girls. Rose sat in the parlor with Mrs. Watts while the doctor finished his examination. She heard the slow measured footsteps on the creaking wooden staircase as the doctor made his way downstairs. Mrs. Watts stood up, as did Rose. ¡°Rose, I mean Sister, how nice of you to visit,¡± Dr. Belkin turned to Mrs. Watts, ¡°I have known Rose since she was younger than your girls.¡± ¡°How are Anna and Penelope?¡± asked Mrs. Watts, almost in a whisper. ¡°They are resting. You can go up to see them. Keep the compresses on, and be careful to not break the blisters," said the Doctor. ¡°Come, Sister. Let us go pray with them,¡± said Mrs. Watts. ¡°I¡¯ll come up after I speak with the doctor,¡± confirmed Rose. Mrs. Watts made her way upstairs. ¡°I came to the village to visit my family and Mr. Cooper.My mother mentioned that illness had befallen the children, I took it upon myself to visit,¡± Rose related to the doctor. ¡°Thank you for coming. Your care and support of the family will be a comfort,¡± voiced the physician. ¡°I just left the Seeleys¡¯, and the boy was fevered but had no blisters or sores,¡± offered Rose. ¡°It may be separate illnesses, coincidentally afflicting children at the same time. I had similar cases with the Pierce children just about a year past,¡± suggested the doctor. Rose crossed herself and said a prayer, ¡°I heard. What a tragic shame to lose all of your children to illness.¡± ¡°I am sure your prayers are a comfort to the family. I fear my skills are limited in these cases,¡± Dr. Belkin admitted, ¡°It appears you are my spiritual counterpart seeing all of my patients today.¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Rose was not following Belkin¡¯s comment. Her quizzical look must have betrayed her confusion. ¡°Mr. Cooper. Do you pray with him about his condition?¡± asked the doctor. ¡°I have been meeting with him for over a year,¡± said Rose. She purposely left the statement ambiguous. ¡°Hopefully your prayers will help the children as you have helped Mr. Cooper. His recovery is nothing short of a miracle; it is as if his tumor is being eaten away.¡± ¡°Doctor, the Pierce children, do you remember if they had been playing around the temple of Minerva?¡± The physician frowned and shook his head. ¡°I have no recollection of that I think maybe they were playing about the ruins of Saint John¡¯s,¡± ¡°Thank you, Doctor, it¡¯s been nice to see you again, I just wish it was under better circumstances. Now I must go and say prayers for the girls,¡± Rose made her way up the stairs and found Mrs. Watts speaking with the housemaid. In the bedroom, the two girls lay in their beds, covered by linen sheets and comforters. Both girls were sweating and feverish but were lying quieter than the boy she has just visited. Wet cloths were draped across their foreheads which were clearly helping. Unlike the boy the girls were covered in clear liquid filled blisters and where they had broken, were red rimmed sores. Rose knelt between the two beds and placed a hand on each before bowing her head and hands together began to recite the Lord¡¯s Prayer. The other two women got to their knees and joined her in reciting the familiar and comforting prayer. Rose finished, got to her feet and placed her hand on each girls head in turn. ¡°God¡¯s blessing be on you,¡± she murmured each time, then turned to the women. ¡°Mrs. Watts, my sister told me that the girls had been playing at the old temple. Did they mention that to you?¡± asked Rose. ¡°No. Everything was fine until two nights ago at dinner. The two of them wouldn¡¯t eat and went to bed saying they felt ill. I haven¡¯t been able to get a word out of them since then,¡± explained Mrs. Watts. ¡°I have a strange request; would you have a candle and some matchsticks that I might have?¡± ¡°Certainly Sister, Mary fetch the Sister a candle and a box of matches,¡± ordered Mrs. Watts. The housemaid returned with the requested items and passed them to Rose. She realized if she wanted to take the candle and matches away from the house she would need to come up with a convincing reason. ¡°I would like to light this candle and pray with each of the children then I will take the candle to the convent chapel and light it during the vigil,¡± Rose promised. She would do so, but that isn¡¯t why she wanted the candle. She wanted it for her next stop. * * * 5:00 PM, The Temple of Minerva Rose made her way to the field outside the town where in Roman times a temple to Minerva and other gods of the pantheon had stood. It was here that the vision had taken place. Unlike the shrine to Minerva, carved into the face of the quarry that had provided the sandstone for much of the town¡¯s walls and buildings, the temple was in a sorry state of disrepair. The site had been excavated a number of times through the years, by both professional archaeologists and others who had more an eye for a monetary than historical value to any artifacts, but it was some twenty years since it was last the scene of serious work. The columns supporting the temple had fallen or been knocked down centuries ago, blocking the hallway to the inner temple with its main shrines to the gods. It had become overgrown with brambles and other weeds and slim elder branches poked through in places. Rose removed her cloak in an effort to squeeze in through an opening between the columns that lay like children¡¯s pickup sticks.As a little girl, the gaps in the stone tangle seemed so big, now she worried that she would get stuck going in or worse; not be able to get out. How would she explain that to the Mother Superior? Being trapped inside an old pagan temple! The tangle of pillars and stones was clearly worse than when she was a girl. As she pushed her way into the ruins, she felt the pull of the thorns as she forced her way in and under a column that left a three-foot gap underneath it.Once inside, it was dark, not pitch black, there were small shafts of light coming through gaps, but they were faint as the day was fading. She remembered the lack of light inside from when she had explored the temple as a child and had prepared for this expedition by requesting the matches and candle from Mrs. Watts. She pulled both out of the pocket underneath her tabard struck a match and lit the candle. Disliking having had to lie, even a small lie, to the mother of the girls, she wanted to see if the source of the children¡¯s sickness could be determined. If it had truly originated in this location, then she would be able to report it to Doctor Belkin and the children¡¯s parents and maybe God would forgive her transgression. With the light, she could see how badly she had damaged her habit. No tears she could not mend, and she had soiled it with dirt and grass stains but explaining its state to the Mother Superior was not going to be easy. Rose stood, extending the candle to peer into the recesses of the temple. Long ago the statuary had been stolen or removed by archaeologists, only the alcoves remained. Walking towards the back where the largest alcove was located, her foot met air not soil and she fell forward, throwing out her hands to stop her fall, the candle sputtered out as she hit the dirt floor. The almost complete darkness made her heart thump faster as she groped for the candle. She was unsure if she had stepped into a hole or off a step, all she knew was that her right knee smarted and left ankle throbbed. Her breath was getting faster as her hands searched across the ground half fearful of what they might touch, and then they found the candle. She grasped it to her breast with a sigh of relief and took the matches from her pocket and relit it. Once the flame was burning evenly she held the candle near the floor of the hollow in which she now knelt. Three or four flagstones had been lifted and the earth beneath excavated. It was this which had cause her fall as her foot dropped into the opening. Clearly something had been removed from the temple and recently. Did the children discover something that carried an illness or disease? She lifted the candle to look around her, and painfully got to her feet in order see further into the temple. She could not see anything else that had been disturbed on the ground or in the walls. She looked down at the hole and felt the hair on the back of her neck rise as she remembered her dream from the night before. The workers and masons creating the temple around her, the shadowy shapes of the three women burying a stone¡­. Here, it was here, the three women had buried the stone in this spot and now someone had dug it up and children were ill. It couldn¡¯t be coincidence, her lucid dream of the construction of the temple with the shadow women overlaid on that work. Her little sister¡¯s talk of ghosts and curses at the temple and the ill children. It was as if she had been led or directed to come here. Rose felt it in her heart that she was involved in some way that led back to her visions of the wolf and St Ostric and Ariel. Should she share this with the Mother Superior and seek her help and guidance? Would she assist and guide her or take her to task for disobedience in so many ways and her involvement in pagan matters. * * * 8:40 PM, Cooper¡¯s Book & Print, Chester England Mr. Cooper was gently brushing the threadbare carpet running the length of the shop as the bell above the door announced Rose¡¯s entrance. He looked up and his face showed surprise then consternation at her appearance. ¡°God preserve us, Sister. Are you alright? Have you fallen or been attacked?¡± ¡°What? No, ¡ª well yes.¡± She caught the alarm in his face. ¡°No, no, I wasn¡¯t attacked!I had a ¡ª fall, well tripped actually.¡± She brushed at her habit trying to remove some of the dirt and checked her wimple was still on her head. I was trying to find the reason for those poor children¡¯s fever. You have heard about the fever?I was following clues that took me to the Temple of Minerva.¡± ¡°Aye, terrible thing, a sick child. The temple, you say?¡± ¡°Yes, I learned that the children who have become ill were playing in the ruined temple. I had a hunch they might have snuck into the old building the way I did as a little girl. Once inside I discovered something had been dug up. Now, I wonder if they have become afflicted by what they found in that old temple,¡± mused Rose. ¡°You were climbing about inside the temple? Youngsters have been sneaking into that place since the Romans built it; but this is the first I¡¯ve heard of a nun sneaking in or it or causing anyone harm beyond getting scraped or scratched,¡± noted Cooper with a raised eyebrow. ¡°I know. I¡¯m too old to be crawling through bramble patches and under rocks, but I was pleased that I could still get in,¡± Rose replied, looking down at her soiled clothing. ¡°Quite how I am going to explain it when I get back to the convent I haven¡¯t quite worked out yet The young nun thought for a moment and couldn¡¯t keep it inside any longer. She needed to share the mounting fears and concerns that either reality was influencing her dreams, or figure out if her dreams were somehow tied to events that were unfolding. Mr. Cooper was her friend as well as a confidant and teacher. Without him she would still be struggling to read Latin and old English. She had nothing to lose in sharing what was going on with him. Worse case he would assume she was losing her mind and Rose felt she had more than one foot in that camp already. ¡°I need to talk to you in confidence,¡± she said diffidently. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you speak with a priest?¡± replied Cooper. ¡°No, she sighed, that could¡­ no would, make matters worse. Maybe it¡¯s all this reading but of late I find I have been having unusual dreams. I¡¯ve experienced lucid, colorful, realistic and sometimes scary dreams ever since I was a little girl, but recently they have become more vivid, and I hesitate to say prophetic,¡± said Rose. ¡°What do you mean prophetic?¡± said Cooper. He pushed the pile of dust into a dustpan. ¡°Last night the Temple of Minerva was in my dream. Just last night. Then today I go to visit my parents and I hear the children had fallen ill.Here is the strange thing. My sister told me that the children had been playing in the Temple of Minerva,¡± ¡°Tell me more about this dream?¡± ¡°Mr. Cooper, I think this is more my fanciful nature and my vivid imagination. I have always been a dreamer. That¡¯s why I needed the discipline of the Church to get my head out of the clouds. In the dream, I was here, but it was a long time ago. Everyone was helping build the temple. Not just the Romans but Celts, the Britons,¡± said Rose. ¡°This town was originally a Roman fortress, built to hold back the clans,¡± said Mr. Cooper. Rose nodded in acknowledgement. Everyone knew Chester was situated inside ancient Roman ruins that were once part of a fortress.The city was dotted with remnants of the Romans such as the temple, and where the east side of the race course met the city walls. Rose hesitated. Was she ready to reveal her secret? She looked Mr. Cooper in the eyes. They were kindly and full of warmth. He had helped her so much, helped her to achieve her ambitions of reading the books at the convent. He would surely understand and be less inclined to think she was mad. ¡°I have¡­ I have had dreams since I was very little, of a wolf, a raven and a horse. There were also three women at times usually old women but the faces changes sometimes. Sometimes they were looking into a cauldron they had been stirring I was pulled to the cauldron and down into it, but last night I had a different scene in my dream of the temple.Then I visit my family to learn of children becoming in after visiting that same temple,¡± ¡°And the dream that haunts you, what does it tell you?¡± asked Cooper. It begins with an army standing in a field at dawn. The men, they were Celts. I saw them standing in the temple field facing where the walls are now. I first saw them through the eyes of a wolf. Then I was one of them, and there facing us was a man, a single man and then the earth opened up in front of us, swallowing men, the flames of hell it seemed billowing from the ground, the screams were so dreadful¡­¡­ I fled with their screams in my ears and the roar of the flames and the ground shrieking as it split open. Then in front of us floating in the air, a woman, clad in grey clothes that streamed behind her as she flew towards us.¡± Rose paused her narration, her eyes wide with remembered fear, ¡°She opened her mouth so wide and her scream¡­.¡± she tailed off. ¡°The Bian sidhe, a Banshee, a Celtic ghost whose call or scream kills her enemies.¡± interrupted Rose¡¯s mentor. ¡°Mmmm, I found her in a small book on Celtic Mythology, but there¡¯s another thing, I recently had a waking vision¡±, she confessed, her eyes downcast. ¡°A vision?¡± ¡°I should have told you sooner, but I was afraid you¡¯d think I was delusional or worse mad. There was more to my desire to read the manuscripts and books, and that one about St Ostric in particular than curiosity. I needed to understand but I¡¯m not sure I do. I caught my finger on the skull in the reliquary, just a small cut, but as I put my finger to my mouth,¡± she stopped for a moment this was where her life could alter if she wasn¡¯t believed. ¡°I felt faint and my legs grew weak, and then there was a monk, I think it might have been Saint Ostric who caught me and held me up. He spoke to me and he was nothing like he was described and then a lion appeared and transformed into an angel who spoke to me. The monk told me what he said as I couldn¡¯t understand the angel,¡± she finished in a rush and bowed her head waiting for him to show her the door. Cooper moved past her and her heart beat faster as he went to the door. To her surprise he did not open it and tell her to go and get help. Instead he bolted the door and returned to her. ¡°Come through to the back-room Sister¡± He led the way behind the counter and through a curtained doorway to a small room with a desk and filing cabinet and two chairs. ¡°Please sit down,¡± he indicated one of the chairs and sat down in the other. He watched her with a thoughtful gaze as she sat and settled herself. ¡°Sister, there is A long tradition of pagan rites and worship in these parts. Celtic Clans ruled here before the Romans and the Saxons. To this day, there are Welsh and English who still practice those old ways. This is border country, this was as far east as the Romans pushed, it has many legends, curses and myths from those times and before.Magic winds through those tales and this land. ¡°I do not consider myself a superstitious man I treat these tales as just that, tales handed down from person to person through the years. Yet there may be a kernel of truth in them. Saint Ostric was a real person, who stood against the pagans and their conjurations.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t yet understand your connection Rose. You seem to be linked to something bigger than just your dreams. Please, tell me, is there more?¡± ¡°These dreams have always troubled and frightened me but now I am older they are beginning to make some sense. No, that¡¯s not true! They still make no real sense, but they have some connection to each other and now to the physical world.¡± "Rose, growing up you must have heard of the Westfield Witches?" asked Cooper. ¡°My mother used to threaten to sell me to them when I misbehaved, but they are a tale to frighten children, said Rose.¡± ¡°I fear they are far more than that Sister. The Norsemen called them Norns, three sisters, Dvalin¡¯s daughters. The Romans called them Parcae. They are described in the Welsh Triads by Geraint the Blue Bard, as three crones who travelled about as or could summon spirits in the shape of a wolf, a raven and a horse. He sighed and shook his head then continued. ¡°I am most concerned, Sister that you should be having such dreams, but your vision gives me hope. If it was a true vision, then I think you are destined to take up the battle against evil just as Ostric did. When he saved King Aethelred and defeated the demon,¡± mused Cooper. ¡°It is said that the witches had their lair in Potter¡¯s End, over by the Westfield Gate, hence their name. They have been said to have been seen there in one guise or another for many centuries, there¡¯s a very ancient grove of trees there.¡± ¡°Matthew Hopkins, the self-proclaimed Witch Finder General was summoned here to Chester in the June of 1647 to find the witches. He ¡®discovered¡¯ a coven or so he claimed, led by three hags who held sway over the others. He had them all burnt at the stake after he ¡®swam¡¯ all of them and for some time the ¡®Witches of Westfield¡¯ were not seen, but they cursed him as they died. It is interesting that Hopkins himself died in the August of that year. The witches have reappeared again and again, and always there have been deaths amongst the children and disappearances. Now it seems they may have gathered again, and you have seen them at some evil work. I think maybe you should speak to the Mother Superior or the police on the matter. The equinox is upon us, and all hallows is fast approaching, the most important night of the calendar for the devil and his followers.¡± Coopers words gave Rose pause. The situation was becoming more serious than she had previously thought. If as her mentor suggested the three witches of legend had indeed returned in corporeal form or had taken over the bodies of some local women, then it was her duty to go to the Mother Superior. She bit her lip in thought, if she did that then the ensuing hue and cry would be beyond imagining. That is if she was believed in the first place. They were just as likely to lock her in her cell and feed her through the keyhole! ¡°I need to give this careful thought Mr. Cooper,¡± she said slowly, ¡°after all it has no basis in reality, just my dreams and visions.¡± The old man grunted agreement then got up and Rose noticed him wince as he made his way to a small kitchen nook at the back of the room. ¡°Mr. Cooper, pardon me for intruding into your private business, but I had the occasion to speak with Dr. Belkin. He was at the Watt¡¯s house and mentioned that you are under his care,¡± Rose said with concern. Mr. Cooper sighed and turned to Rose, an old battered flask in his hand. ¡°Tea?¡± he asked before suddenly and surprisingly beginning to curse. ¡°Damn that fool of a Doctor, may he be tormented in hell by imps with pitch forks!¡± He guiltily looked at Rose. ¡°Forgive me Sister, I asked him to keep my illness confidential and no one knows, not even my family, what else did he tell you? Did he tell you I have a growth, a tumor in my abdomen?No? Or that I am the youngest of seven and my father and many of my brothers have had these types of growths,¡± Cooper growled, as he rubbed his belly. This was the first time Rose had seen the man angry and her fears for him grew.As she thought how much she had learnt and come to understand under his tutelage, her eyes began to fill with tears at the prospect she might lose him. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about me, I have conferred with specialists and expect a full recovery. Already we have seen the growth eaten away,¡± he said as he turned back to the alcove. ¡°Now then did you say yes to tea?¡± Rose nodded in agreement. ¡°Good I feel I could use a cup.¡± He poured from the flask into two slightly battered mugs, brought them over and placed one in front of Rose. He took a sip from the other.¡±Aah that¡¯s better, now let me think. Where did I¡­ yes there¡­¡± He pulled a, thick leather-bound volume from a high shelf and handed it to Rose. ¡°This is Roger Bacon¡¯s Epistola de Secretis Operibus Artis et Naturae et de Nullitate Magiae written in the 13 Century. It was used as a source by many of the alchemists including Dee and Kelly,¡± said Cooper. ¡°I got many a strange look when I collected that from my dealer friend in London,¡± he added. Rose took the book and held it gently, running her fingers over the title. ¡°I have read about Bacon of course, and this will help me so much to understand Kelly¡¯s words. I cannot thank you enough, but I cannot take it I do not have the money to buy it.¡± ¡°It is yours Rose,¡± for the first time Cooper used her given name instead of Sister. ¡°You have become like a daughter to me. I am proud to see how you have embraced the written word. I must tell you that your book selections are now getting beyond what I can access here in Chester. We are too far from the center of things here, London, Oxford, Cambridge or even Ross on Wye would be a better source for you¡±. Rose gave Cooper a smile and took the book, ¡°Thank you James. Your tutelage and friendship has meant so much to me and I cherish our time together.¡± ¡°As do I,¡± Cooper smiled and added,¡± worry not, Sister Rose, I plan to be around for quite some time; watching you devour these books and becoming the smartest nun in England.¡± Chapter Seven: Monday the 20th of September 1852 10:30 PM, The Reliquary, Carmelite Convent, Chester England Rose sat down at the main table in the Reliquary, the lighting was marginally better than her cell and she could spread out her piles of books on the larger table. Following on from her conversation with Mr. Cooper, she had found mention of the Banshee in Irish Folklore. The Banshee was one aspect of three sisters, the Morrighan or Morriganu, and they were known as Nemain, Badb and Macha. When the three were one, they would or could take the form of a huge grey wolf as well as appear as the Banshee. ¡°Cooper had found her a book called ¡°The Ancient Irish Goddess of War" which told her a lot about the three sisters who were also known as the ¡®Three Hags¡¯. In Welsh, Scots and Irish Celtic legends, Badb was associated with war and death, appearing either to foreshadow imminent bloodshed or to participate in battles, where she created mayhem among the soldiers. She would take the form of a wolf and preside over the battlefields, favoring warriors with her cunning. Her sister Macha, would also strike fear in the hearts of men but she was known too as a protector of the land and fields and horses. She would take on the aspect of a Raven of large size as she flew across the battlefield. The third sister Nemain, personified the frenzied havoc of war. Warriors acted in panic and confusion, striking down anyone near them as she passed, and her scream rang out. It was in this role that she often appeared as a large grey horse with flaming mane and tail ready to rain down pain and fire on mortal men. Rose could not understand how and why these pagan myths had for so long appeared in her dreams. She made notes in a small notebook she kept as a journal, she would need to purchase another one when funds allowed. Maybe Papa would pay her a little for helping out with the mill accounts for an hour or so if she could get away. As it was despite writing in a small crabbed hand she was almost out of space. It was reminiscent of Kelly¡¯s journal in that it had no linear sequence, but rather was a collection of thoughts and ideas jotted down as and when she could or thought of them. On the page she wrote Morrighan, next to it she wrote Marbas. She had been unable to locate a connection. While there were a lot of books in the Reliquary and Mr. Cooper had given her access to many more, they did not cover the field of demons, legends and spirits in any great depth. What she knew at the moment was pieced together from small snippets in many books. She had found a reference to Marbas which said he was described in the ¡®Pseudomonarchia Daemonum¡¯ a tome from the 16 century. Good luck in finding that in a small convent library! Rose snapped out of her musings when she heard the door to the Reliquary open and close. She knew the shuffling of Madeline¡¯s slippered feet on the stone floor and turned to see the old nun. ¡°Why am I not surprised to still see you here?¡± Sighed Madeline. ¡°Forgive me Sister, I am almost finished and did not realize the hour,¡± Rose was duly subservient and contrite. ¡°Don¡¯t fib to me! I know you are in here all hours reading those books when you should be in your room praying.¡± Madeline¡¯s key-ring clunked on the table when she dropped them in front of Rose. ¡°Well if you are determined on reading every book in the convent, then you may as well lock up when you are done. I am going to bed!¡± ¡°Please Sister Madeline, forgive me, but, why is it that you seem to hate these books so much when you are the Librarian?¡± Madeline regarded her, mouth pursed as she pondered her response. ¡°You were fortunate to not be here when we arrived at the convent to reestablish our sisterhood. The monks who were supposed to clean it were no better than buffoons. It was in a terrible state. It took us weeks to get the place clean enough to live in. Those selected to undertake this holy work of returning the relic to the convent felt honored by God to be given the task, but ¡­. we left so much¡­..¡± Her head dropped, eyes looking into the past. ¡°Then when we had cleaned till all was sparkling, I was tasked with unpacking crate after crate of books. For days and then months I unpacked crates and boxes checking the books and scrolls against the inventory the Mother House had provided.¡± ¡°Was I helped! Non, les merdes left me to this.¡± She put her hand to her mouth to hide a little grin as she realized she had spoken aloud. It made her look like a girl again. Rose bowed her head to hide a grin of her own, she understood that much French! Madeline muttered a prayer for forgiveness before continuing. ¡°When the shelves were full,¡± she gestured around the room, ¡°there were still more crates to unpack but no more room. Mother Superior said I should resolve the matter as I see fit but to make sure the books were preserved. So, I put the lids back on any opened crates and moved all of them down there.¡± She pointed to the floor. Rose followed her pointing finger and realized with a jolt that there in the corner was not solid floor as she had always thought, but a trap door. How had she not realized? It must be incredibly sturdy to not creak when walked on. ¡°I went to Mother Superior and said I was done. Her reward for all that hard work was to give me those keys and make my station the Librarian. Now everyone assumes I should read or like to read but I never have, so I am obedient and do not question the will of the Lord,¡± She glared at Rose, ¡°So I who was one of the finest cooks in the convent, have for ten years, ten years!¡± Her voice was becoming shrill, ¡°For ten years I have been forced to sit in this dismal place day after day putting away books the others have taken out and eating the swill that Sister Anne thinks is fit food for us!¡± ¡°No, I take it back. That is too insulting to swill!Her tasteless pap! We could be eating the finest of country food, the vegetables we have in the garden, the chickens, the rabbits oh la! All turned into grey mush by that imbecile!¡± Sister Madeline turned away and shuffled out of the room muttering to herself. Rose sat there, mouth open in bemusement. She had never heard Sister Madeline talk so much and in such a manner. Stolen story; please report. Rose¡¯s gaze went back to the books on the table, then to the shelves around her. Sister Madeline¡¯s words echoed in her head. Did she really want to spend her life, year after year, in a task selected for her by another, whether she wanted to do it or not? Rose reflected on her choice, at sixteen had she known enough of life to choose to leave it and enter a convent? She sighed. Rose had committed her life to the service of God, believing that here, within the walls of the Convent, she would find the help and guidance that would lead her to an understanding of her dreams which seemed to resonate with a deep spiritual meaning. Of late however, she found herself questioning that commitment. She had not found the guidance she sought. She had with the help of the books and James Cooper learnt more in the last year than in all of her previous time in the convent. She sighed, then stood and went over to the case holding the relic. Rose opened the case and the box holding the skull. She felt certain that the skull held answers to the illness of the children and also to the future. She slowly lifted out the skull and held it up in front of her.There was nothing, no thrill passed from the relic into her. She closed her eyes and offered a silent prayer to the saint. Still there were no sensations from the skull or any intrusion into her mind heralding another vision. With a heavy sigh Rose replaced the skull in its box and closed the case. She turned to the table and her books. All of a sudden, she felt weary, it had been a long day and it was past time for her to go to bed. She stacked her books and took them over to her hiding place. They were hidden in plain sight on the shelves along with the rest of the books only in the furthest corner. Her journal she tucked under arm then lifted the oil lamp and the keys sister Madeline had left. She made her way to the door, her feet heavy and her steps slowed by disappointment. At the door she turned and looked around the room again, lit only by the lamp much of it was shadowed and hidden just as the objects of her investigation seemed to be hidden from her. She lifted the keys in her hand looking for the key to the reliquary door when a thought stopped her. She had the keys! The keys that opened everything in the reliquary! She looked to the corner where the hatch to the cellar lay hidden in the shadows. Guiltily she looked around then laughed, there was no one else here to see her. Still she felt a faint frisson on the back of her neck that said someone was watching her. She had the keys to that hatchway and there were more books down there, her curiosity to know the full extent of the collection pulled on her to have a peek. She placed her journal back on the table and with the lamp held high stepped over to the hatchway. Kneeling she tried the first likely looking key in the lock. The third key she had tried had opened the door. Now she stood at the bottom of a short flight of stone steps. She was surprised how big the cellar actually was. It was larger than the library above, there were dozens of crates some opened, others sealed. Rose began rummaging through the open cases; moving from crate to crate gently lifting out one book after another. She was amazed at the number of volumes that had been below her feet all this time, almost forgotten and lost. She lifted the lid from one of the crates and balanced the lamp on another to free her hands. She slowly lifted out first one then another large folio volume. She ran her fingers over the title of the first book embossed on the cover. ¡®De Heptarchia Mystica,¡¯ Could it be? Could it be John Dee¡¯s ¡®On the Mystical Rule of the Seven Planets¡¯? The second was ¡®The Alchemical Writings of Edward Kelly¡¯. She put her hand to her breast, her heart stuttered in her chest. It was impossible! Two books that expanded on the reading she was undertaking.She took another book from the crate and held it up to the light. There was no title on the cover or spine of the book but when she opened it the reason for the convent to have the contents of this case became clearer. ¡®Observations and conclusions on the writings of Dee and Kelley, their reliance on Bacon and their significance to the Holy Roman Church.¡¯ Underneath this verbose title was written ¡®The thoughts of Mother Superior Abigail de Argentat.¡¯ It was dated 1745. The next book¡¯s title page was ¡®A true & faithful relation of what passed for many yeers between Dr. John Dee (a mathematician of great fame in Q. Eliz. and King James their reignes) and some spirits: tending (had it succeeded) to a general alteration of most states and kingdomes in the world. His private conferences with Rodolphe Emperor of Germany, Stephen K. of Poland, and divers other princes about it. The particulars of his cause, as it was agitated in the Emperors court; by the Popes intervention: his banishment, and restoration in part. As also the letters of sundry great men and princes (some whereof were present at some of these conferences and apparitions of spirits:) to the said Dr. Dee. Out of the original copy, written with Dr. Dees own hand: kept in the library of Sir Tho. Cotton, Kt. Baronet / With a preface confirming the reality (as to the point of spirits) of this relation: and shewing the several good uses that a sober Christian may make of all. By Meric. Casaubon, D.D. Her heart skipped a beat as she put it on top of the others. She lifted another book, the title was also by John Dee, ¡®Quinti Libri Mysteriorum¡¯ , Dee¡¯s listing of the four watchtowers and the Enochian angels. The next leather-bound book she took from the crate was also some form of personal journal. She read the first page and realized that this was the journal of a Sister of the original convent in Chester after the reformation and who later became Mother Superior following the order¡¯s exile to France. The last volume in the crate was also a journal but from a later period. She read the first page and realized that here was an answer, one amongst many she sought. It offered answers as to why these books were here and possibly to what was happening now. Flicking through the pages she could see the small beautiful calligraphy of an educated person, written in modern Latin. She turned back to the title page. There was inscribed, ¡®Et pugna contra mala propter populum, qui circum et circum Cestriae ¡®. She translated it in her head. ¡®An account of the fight against evil that doth invest the environs and peoples of Chester¡¯. The date on the flyleaf was 1780, less than a hundred years ago. She hugged the journal to her chest then picked up the other books, the lamp and went upstairs to read. She started with the oldest of the books, John Dee¡¯s ¡®On the Mystical Rule of the Seven Planets¡¯. His vision of the world as one of many, where a man could see, through the tools of fortune telling and science, the unseen resonated in her mind. Dee¡¯s writing was primarily in Latin, but also contained passages filled with symbols and numbers, coordinates and dates. To those that could read Latin, this text verged on lunacy, with no coherent trail to follow. As she read the tome, she struggled to reconcile the clearly heretical writings concerning occult and mystic practices with the manner in which its view of the world and worlds beyond, the piercing of veils between the worlds talked to her heart. An element of what she read was reminiscent of a recent pamphlet by the Necronist cult with its claims that they were through the use of ancient Egyptian scrolls able to converse with the dead. She had read it, though not thoroughly, the last time she was at Cooper¡¯s shop. Then she saw it, towards the end of the book, Dee described his scrying tool that permitted him to pierce the veil and thus foresee the future. An obsidian mirror, with a beaten gold frame, looted from an Aztec city by Conquistadors and liberated from one of their treasure galleons by an English privateer and delivered to the court of Elisabeth. She turned to Meric. Casaubon¡¯s book with its long-winded title that clearly had insights into the activities of Dee. She read through the book just scanning the pages for now looking for reference to the mirror. She came across more details about half way through and read the passages concerning the mirror. How Dee obtained it was not made clear, but a likely guess was that Elisabeth had gifted it to her court astronomer. He had little success with the artifact until he collaborated with Kelley. Its current whereabouts were according to the book unknown. Rose had heard but ignored the bells for prayers throughout the night, but the growing light outside the windows of the room and an empty feeling in her stomach made her pause. She squinted and rubbed her eyes realizing that the night had passed and she had barely finished looking at just two of the books she had found. She needed to read further, but how could she continue to access the books? She couldn¡¯t keep them in her cell there wasn¡¯t room besides there were the rules about books in cells only the bible was permitted and a personal journal. If she put them back would she have the keys again? She looked around her, eyes blurry, was there space here? Yes! If she took some of the books at the far end of that shelf and put them in the cellar, then these books could replace them. Quickly she put her plan into operation and as the bell for breakfast rang left the Reliquary, her mind churning at what she had learnt. Chapter Eight: Thursday the 23th of September 1852 9:30 AM, The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist Chester, England ¡°William! Is William up there?¡± yelled Rose. Rose stood at the foot of the scaffolding looking up. Several men glanced down at her. ¡°Up here. I¡¯ll be down in a moment,¡± William hollered back. Rose watched as he made his way down the various levels of the scaffolding. He had taken over the Cathedral repairs for the Mason family. It kept them on the biggest job in the county and helped out the Mason girls. ¡°What can I do for you, Sister?¡± ¡°I heard you found out the source of what caused the scaffolding to collapse,¡± said Rose. William just looked at her. ¡°Well, what was it?¡± Rose demanded. ¡°No offense Rose, but just what does this have to do with the convent?¡± Nothing, its personal, your family are friends and I don¡¯t believe this was an accident, there¡¯s more to it than that. ¡°It¡¯s a sorry world is not? Where the deaths of my uncle and cousin are left to be investigated by a nun. It¡¯s a shame the Sheriff is not the Bishop, we might see him get off his behind and look for the man who killed them.¡± Williams said bitterly. ¡°The thing of it is, what you heard was nothing to do with the scaffolding coming down.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not with you William,¡± Rose said in confusion. ¡°I heard that¡­.¡± William interrupted her. ¡°What you probably heard is the news that we have found out why this old wall is tilting in the first place and needs the work Uncle Edward was starting. When we dug down to put in shoring, we found a space that shouldn¡¯t be there. Nothing on any surveys or drawings see! We all thought we knew everything there was to know about this site and the churches built here. Seems we was wrong but that didn¡¯t kill Uncle Edward. No, this tunnel or whatever it is, has been there since the first Church was built back in Saxon times or before most likely. It¡¯s collapsing and that¡¯s why the wall is leaning. ¡°Could you show me, William?¡± William hesitated. ¡°Please William it¡¯s important!¡± William grunted then nodded and moved off. Rose followed him to the front of the church where he unlocked the door before pushing it open. ¡°Got to keep it locked until we make it safe¡± he explained. He led the way down the nave then turned to the right and the steps leading to the crypt. He lifted two oil lamps from a shelf at the top of the stairs and lit them, then handed one to Rose. He appraised her for a moment, her face a mix of curiosity, fear and excitement. He shook his head then led the way down the steps. The crypt was not that large considering the size of the church above. Their lamps easily lit the space, though supporting columns left shadowed areas. William pointed to the far wall where oak timbers as thick as a man¡¯s thigh had been braced against the ceiling and wall to hold it. To one side was a small opening in the brickwork, large enough for a man to pass through. This too had thick timbers supporting the weight of the stone above. ¡°We are going to have to fill in behind that with stone and mortar to support the wall above. We are going to start later this morning.¡± Rose moved closer trying to see into the space beyond. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Rose! Be careful, it¡¯s only those timbers keeping the whole structure in place at the moment.¡± Rose lifted her lamp in front of her as stepped into the cramped space beyond the wall, crouching slightly to avoid touching the support timbers. It was clearly an old stone tunnel, the walls cracked and crumbling. ¡°Please Rose! I would never forgive myself if this all caved in on you!¡± The tunnel only ran for a short distance before ending in a pile of stone and dirt sloping up to the ceiling. ¡°What do you make of this?¡± asked Rose, ignoring the stone mason. He had followed her into the tunnel space. ¡°I¡¯d say this tunnel dates back to the original chapel or even before. The Roman tunnels we find used brick and cement, while this is all stone and daub.¡± Rose approached a niche in the tunnel, and saw that the earthen floor had been disturbed, although the sides of a hole were hard packed. ¡°What was here William?¡± ¡°That was there already,¡± William replied. ¡°None of my men have done anything other than brace the walls.¡± Rose reached into her pocket and drew out a small copper mirror about six inches across with a wooden handle. She had fashioned the object, after reading about scrying in Dee¡¯s book. Piecing together concepts on its design over the past few days.She had fashioned the object from materials she has scavenged about town. She held it up at an angle to the lamp she held and murmured the words of the incantation she had read in Kelly¡¯s book. Rose felt a little silly, doubly so with William standing there, but she forced herself to concentrate on looking beyond what was reflected there. She slowly turned the mirror this way and that as she turned in a circle trying to see all of the area. There it was, as she came back to the alcove a faint flickering reflection of what might be a child, grey in color, digging up the ground; the image startled her and made her nearly drop the mirror. The image vanished, but it had worked! ¡°You all right there?¡± William asked, concerned. ¡°Just what are you doing Rose? What¡¯s that for? He nodded at the mirror. ¡°William have any children been in here?¡± she ignored the question; her voice was serious. ¡°No! Well not that I know of. Of course, a child could slip in but not when we were working and not now the door is locked! Why?¡± ¡°I¡­. I just had a feeling that a child was digging here,¡± said Rose hesitantly, her thoughts going to the image in the mirror, a small child, a boy she thought, only naked and grey. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see how that could be Sister, I was here when we broke through the wall into the tunnel and that hole in the floor was already there.¡± ¡°The hole had been dug before you opened the tunnel?¡± ¡°I hadn¡¯t given it a thought, but yes it had to be, you can see from the way the soil is packed down that it has been there a long time. It was made after this was built,¡± he gestured around him. William examined the hole and then looked at the scree slope from the collapsed roof. "Now that you mention it, it¡¯s clear that this was dug after the roof fell in, you can see the debris was moved out of the way,¡± With the observation from William, Rose could see that there was a clear spot where the hole had been dug a few steps away from it and the ground was littered with broken stone and clumps of dried soil. She tried to work out in which direction the tunnel went. ¡°It¡¯s going to the East isn¡¯t it William?¡± she asked her friend as she went to examine the collapsed end of the tunnel. ¡°Please be careful, none of this has been supported,¡± urged William looking at the roof nervously. ¡°It should be headed East if I haven¡¯t been turned around coming down here.¡± Rose lifted her lamp so that its light shone on the debris slope.Near the top of the slope there was less stone and more soil and it looked as if something had burrowed through from either the other side or above. ¡°William, what do you think happened here?¡± Rose¡¯s curiosity was piqued. The man made his way carefully next to her and held up his lamp. ¡°An animal, maybe a badger or the like burrowed through.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t there be signs of it if that was the case?¡± ¡°Not if it turned around and went straight back out again, same as we should be doing!¡± ¡°Alright,¡± agreed Rose, ¡°I want to see if this burrow comes out above ground anyway.¡± They made their way carefully back into the crypt and then into the church proper. They extinguished their lamps and placed them on the shelf before leaving. William gave a heartfelt sigh of relief as he locked the door. ¡°Rose, God may be holding your hand at all times, but for us other mortals that was known as pushing your luck!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go look in the ruins,¡± said Rose with a smile. They made their way to the east side of the church where once the old cathedral had stood. Its remains now littered the ground, along with an occasional headstone, fallen or askew, the names obliterated by time and the elements. Now that they knew roughly where to look, the line of the collapsed tunnel could be made out. It had left a shallow depression in the soil which the grass cropped by sheep could not hide. Rose walked towards the back wall of the church and found the torn divots and soil of the burrow leading downwards. It was too small for a child, yet the image from the mirror¡­ ¡°Over here, Rose!¡± Rose joined William at the far end of the depression. ¡°Whatever was digging into the tunnel, started here!¡± Said William. ¡°There¡¯s no other digging between here and the one that goes into the tunnel. Dug here first and then over there.¡± He nodded towards the hole Rose had found. ¡°Would an animal do that William?¡± He looked at her and fear was evident in his face. ¡°No Rose, I don¡¯t think so, I really don¡¯t.¡± Chapter Nine: Saturday the 25nd of September 1852 10:30 AM, The Chester Architectural, Archaeological, and Historic Society The sign above the half-glazed door read, the Chester Architectural, Archaeological and Historical Society, but the society had only one member, Mr. John Evans.So, it wasn''t much of a society and it wasn''t actually historical, as it had only recently been formed by its sole member. Rose entered the tiny shop and a bell jangled above her. Evans had always been a history enthusiast and after retiring from his role as a local land agent he had made his hobby official by renting space to show his collection of artifacts and to build interest in protecting the antiquity of the area. ¡°Welcome Sister, what brings you here?¡± The old man asked with a smile on his face.He wore his thin grey hair unfashionably long and his thick grey beard still had some strands of red running through it. The self-proclaimed historian was dressed conservatively in a tweed jacket and hounds tooth vest as befitted his previous occupation, where he had daily mixed with the local gentry. His one concession to vanity was a polka dot bowtie. ¡°I was told by Mr. Cooper that you are my best source for reliable historical knowledge and know more than most about the local lore.¡± Rose returned the smile as she approached the older man and shook his hand. ¡°Ah yes, you must be Sister Rose, he speaks of you often.¡± He gestured to a corner where to comfy high-backed armchairs flanked a small table. ¡°Come and sit down¡± Once they were settled he began, ¡°I assume that you want to know about the old chapel?¡± He said with a gleam in his eye. "Ah, well actually no it was the Roman temple of Minerva I really wanted to ask you about," Rose corrected. "Oh, looking to hear some tawdry pagan tales, eh?" He winked at her. "Something like that.¡± She returned his smile.¡± Something to tell the other Sisters over breakfast!¡± She couldn¡¯t help giggling at his expression as he realised what he had just said to a nun. She waved off his stuttered apologies. ¡°I was hoping you might know about the origin and reason for the construction of the temple and could tell me more about Minerva." ¡°How much time do you have?¡± ¡°The temple was constructed at the same time that the shrine was carved into the stone of the quarry. You are aware that much of the walls and buildings including the temple can be dated quite closely by the existence of the shrine?¡± He cocked his head to one side as he spoke to her. Rose nodded in reply. Our best guess for the temple and the shrine is 140 AD, when the walls and other buildings had been completed. Later excavation in the quarry was kept away from the shrine which has been preserved in a remarkable state considering its age. At the time of its construction, Chester was the largest roman settlement in Britain the local clans had either been conquered or had retreated into the marches. Rose could tell she needed to direct the conversation or she would be listening to a day by day history of Chester from the Romans to now. ¡°So, the temple was built at the same time as the shrine, but why two points of worship for the same goddess? Wasn¡¯t Mithras the usual deity for the legionnaires?¡± she tried to steer the conversation. ¡°Well yes, he was, and I believe near the baths is a shrine to him, but much of it has collapsed.¡± ¡°So, the temple is unusual?¡± ¡°Not as such, there are many temples to her throughout Europe, but this one is probably unique in that it was not built within the walls of the town or fort as it was then. We know from the artifacts that have been recovered that the temple was not for Minerva alone. It¡¯s called Minerva¡¯s temple because of the shrine but in fact it was dedicated to a number of gods and goddesses. Minerva was predominant, she was the goddess of knowledge and wisdom as well of war, but she shared the temple with Nemesis and Invidia.¡± Rose interrupted him, her thoughts swirling with the images from her dreams. ¡°Three goddesses? Three women of power?¡± ¡°Indeed, although there were certainly other gods and goddesses, we have statues of Apollo and Jupiter in the museum that were found at the site but those three were in my opinion the reason for the temple. The Romans took many of these gods and goddesses from the Greeks. Minerva was Athena, the second was Nemesis or as the Romans called her Invidia. The third was Artemis or Diana. ¡°Was there any significant event around the time the temple was near completion?¡± Rose posed the question that was foremost in her mind. ¡°There is a poorly documented history, about a high ranking Roman, his name was Praefectus Castrorum Septimius. He was a Centurion and Engineer.Chester wasn¡¯t a town but a military base for the Roman Legio XX. Its purpose was to defend against the Brigantes to the north and Ordovices in Wales. Internal bickering and fighting back in Rome left the Centurion Septimius on his own with no support from Rome.¡± ¡°The history tells that he betrayed the Empire and established himself as a king with the support of his closest lieutenants, the legions he commanded and Brigante mercenaries.¡± Evans shared, as he straightened his bow tie.¡± ¡°Gnaeus Julius Agricola returned to Briton from Gaul with his army and quickly asserted Emperor Vespasian¡¯s control over the region. Agricola, the Legatus of Legio XX, found this rebellious company under garrisoned. Agricola was a great strategist and besieged the garrison but was then surrounded by the Celtic allies of Septimius.¡± ¡°To make matters worse, his men became ill with a pox. The myth was that Septimius was counseled by local witches and they conjured a beast to spread disease and crush the twentieth Legion sent by the Emperor to quell the rebellion.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t account for the genius of Agricola however, while he had surrounded and besieged the fort and was in turn surrounded by the clans that had allied with Septimius, he had foreseen this possibility and had sent two cohorts of the twentieth into the forests to the east. He waited for a month before he ordered them to attack the eastern flank. They drove the clans onto the waiting shield wall of the legion and routed them.¡± ¡°With his support from the clans gone and food growing short in the fort the men inside knew they had little time left. Those who had supported him in his rebellion now arrested Septimius and sued for peace and the hope of clemency.¡± Rose was impressed, ¡°Where did you learn all of this Mr. Evans?¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°I have read a great deal, and in my youth, I spent time in Rome studying history. The irony is, the Romans were better historians of this place than the residents. The Romans managed a massive empire and paid great attention to organization and record keeping, they have more accurate records of that time in history than we have,¡± explained Evans. ¡°What became of Septimius and his witches?¡± ¡°I suspect those supposed witches were just local women who were brought to the gallows along with Septimius. He was hung on the walls of the city for being a traitor. Hanging was seen as a method of execution only fit for slaves.¡± ¡°The Romans were as savage as they were smart; knowing that if you left no survivors, there was no chance of further rebellion. They crucified all of the rebel legions officers and many of the town¡¯s leaders.¡± ¡°They decimated the legions in the traditional meaning of the word, one man in ten was beheaded, impaled or crucified in front of the others and the rest sold into slavery. The women of the town were also tried by Agricola and many were accused of witchcraft and executed. It was a bloody period in our town¡¯s history.¡± ¡°The temple of Minerva was built in honor of the goddess who had protected the Romans from the witch¡¯s curse and given them victory. Minerva had showered fortune on them and those taken ill recovered quickly with the defeat of Septimus.¡± The historian paused. Rose thought of her dream of when the temple was built. ¡°Mr. Evans has there ever been an amphitheater here in the town?¡± "Sister, this whole city is littered with remnants of the past¡±. ¡°That is the purpose of my society, to protect and preserve our history, so we can learn from our ancestors. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if there were an amphitheater." He continued as he got up and walked over and looked out of the window, ¡°Well, that would be interesting, wouldn¡¯t it? I suppose, there could have been a structure that large located here, an amphitheater would help to keep your troops entertained. Quite intriguing! What made you think of that?¡± He turned to face Rose. ¡°I found a small fragment of an old record of those times, that mentioned the games held in the fort and thought that there might have been a structure to hold them.¡± Rose lied adroitly. ¡°You know many of the old Roman structures were pulled down as the locals scavenged the stone. Why cut more from the quarry when there were all those perfectly cut stones there already. I can point to a quite few of the larger homes in the area where Roman stone has ended up in the walls,¡± Rose got up to leave. ¡°This has been most interesting Mr. Evans, thank you so much for your time, if you can think of any more places where I might get information about the temple and its purpose, I would appreciate it,¡± Rose requested, taking his hand in farewell. ¡°I will indeed think on the matter, although I think, without wanting to invoke Nemesis,¡± he chuckled, and Rose smiled ¡°that there is unlikely to be anyone with more details than I have, but maybe, hmm yes, maybe in one or two of the libraries of the larger houses hmm?Yes, I will definitely think on it. Please do drop in when you''re around, it has been a pleasure,¡± said Evans. Rose made her way from the little shop and through the streets to the old Dee Bridge deep in thought. As she walked across the ancient stone bridge, she could see upstream the passenger express train from Liverpool was crossing the newly built railroad bridge, clouds of dark smoke billowing from the locomotive stack. Beyond that were the remains of the iron Dee Bridge which had collapsed just over Four years ago with a number of deaths and injuries. She wondered what it would be like to ride on something going so fast and to travel somewhere away from Chester. She turned to the right at the foot of the bridge and made her way across the field to the ruins of the temple.Mr. Evans had confirmed through his account, that her dreams were based on actuality. Her mind was spinning, how was it that she could see the temple being built and the amphitheater that had disappeared.Was she having true visions, or was it just imagination? Or unlikely as it seemed was it memories from past lives? Could these images be messages from Saint Ostric? She had planned to come back to the temple after visiting Evans. She wanted to see if her scrying mirror would reveal what happened at the temple with the children. On her way back, if she had the time, she would try to call on the families to see if the children were faring any better. Stopping outside the temple she looked around to see if anyone was watching. It might look silly to have a nun squeezing into the undergrowth surrounding the temple. Seeing no one she removed the bag she carried from over her shoulder. It was rough woven barely more than a sack containing several candles, and the newly crafted mirror she had used at the cathedral then removed her wimple and tabard. She felt the breeze blow through her short hair and could not but enjoy the sensation. Holding the bag to her chest she squirmed her way between the small trees and crawled under brambles and fallen columns to reach the interior of the temple. She arrived in the open area beyond the columns short of breath and paused to recover herself before opening the bag and withdrawing its contents. She made her way round the open space carefully, placing and lighting a dozen candles, though to call them candles was perhaps being generous. Save for two, one the remains of the candle from her previous visit and the other that she had borrowed from Mr. Cooper, the rest were stubs left from her room and work in the Reliquary. She hoped they would provide enough light for her purpose as candles were strictly controlled in the convent. She was lucky that she could smuggle out these small remnants, usually they were melted down and reworked into new candles. When all the candles were lit casting a flickering yellow-orange hue around the temple, she withdrew the mirror. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror and it seemed to calm her, her pulse slowed and her breathing quieted, she noted she had a smudge of dirt on the side of her nose. Moving over to the hole she had found last time, she had placed the larger candles around it. She mouthed the words of the incantation found in Kelly¡¯s journal. Turning the mirror this way and that to catch the light from the candles and the hole without seeing herself reflected in the mirror led to strange movements that would have looked like a badly performed dance to any observer. As the thought crossed her mind she turned to check that no one was there. It was as she turned back her body still slightly twisted away from the hole that she saw it and froze. Slowly moving from left to right, watching the mirror intently, she saw the figure in the mirror grow sharper, a small grey figure, diminutive but stocky, its movements not of a child, more animal-like. Now that Rose new the mirror was working for her she tried another experiment. She placed the mirror on the ground supported by her bag and moved the candles into a semicircle in front of her, opposite the mirror. She sat on the ground and waited patiently to see if she could again observe the creature. The light reflected and distorted the imperfections in surface of the polished copper disk and formed images deep below the surface. Rose relaxed and concentrated on the mirror as the flickering flames danced across its surface. She felt herself drawn forward into the mirror, her sense of the world outside the temple fading as the images hovering below the surface of the mirror coalesced. The three creatures were a mottled grey, like stones; they were small, but muscular, stocky with thick necks and as they moved she saw they had a short tail. The trio were scraping and digging at the ground around a stone. It looked like the one she had seen in her dream but was unsure not having a clear recollection of what it looked like. This stone was about two feet long, a similar size to the creatures.With sharp claws hooked underneath it the three muscled the oddly marked stone out of the ground, then between them carried it towards the front of the temple past where Rose sat. The image of the tiny monsters carrying the stone rock faded as her mind¡¯s eye followed them toward the exit. As the images faded, Rose felt tears spring in her eyes; she cried, not sure exactly why, other than her general feeling of overwhelming relief. She was now more than certain that she was sane, but with the confirmation of her sanity came an acceptance that there were foul creatures at work here in the temple and at the cathedral. These creatures were clearly collecting the strange stones, and at the locations where they had uncovered them, illness or accidents had resulted. The cathedral, where the scaffolding had collapsed was the first place she had glimpsed these¡­ she struggled for the right word, then it came to her, imps! Yes imps, maybe not as described in the texts she had read but the word seemed to fit.With the scrying she had just completed, she could now connect them to the infected children. She said a short prayer asking Saint Ostric and the angel Ariel to guide her, to aid her to do the next thing right. The only problem was, it didn¡¯t seem a task which was in agreement with her vows as a nun. Chapter Ten: Sunday the 26rd of September 1852 4:30 PM, The Reliquary, Carmelite Convent, Chester England Rose was rearranging books on the dusty shelves. She was endeavoring to create more space to bring books up from the cellar and to also catalogue and curate what the library held. There was no organization that she could determine, and when asked, Sister Madeline¡¯s response was ¡°I opened a crate I checked the book was on the list, I put it on a shelf until the shelves were full when the shelves were full, I put the crates downstairs!¡± Rose was developing a new system for arranging the tomes. She had yet to find the original inventory of books and they had been shelved as they came out of the crates in any order. She was attempting to arrange the books firstly by language. She planned to then put them in alphabetical order within that grouping. Along the way, she would find a gem of a book and stop to read a few pages. She was looking at a beautifully crafted manuscript in French. She could puzzle out the odd word here and there but was unsure of the context as French was still on her list of languages to acquire. The colorful pictures and grandly written first letters of a page were pleasing to look at. She heard the door open and turned expecting the old librarian to shuffle in. To her surprise it was the Mother Superior herself who entered. ¡°Ah there you are Rose, how are you my child?¡± Rose hurried over and curtsied before kissing the Mother Superior¡¯s ring. ¡°I am quite well Mother¡± ¡°I am pleased to hear that, I understand that you have been attending the children that have been taken ill recently?¡± ¡°Yes Mother, but whatever ails them does not appear to be contagious.¡± ¡°That is good to know, but I seem to have missed you at prayer a number of times of late?¡± ¡°Forgive me Mother, I have been delinquent in that matter, but have said extra prayers at bedtime!¡± ¡°Well please try to make your visits to the children at times that do not interfere with your duties to God. I would not like to have to command you to the precincts of the convent for a period.¡± ¡°Yes Mother, I will try to do better.¡± Rose bowed her head. The Mother Superior sighed she was unsure that Rose had the true calling but knew she was trying hard. She also knew that Rose had missed prayers because she was in the Reliquary more often than not. ¡°Tell me child, what are you doing in here all day?¡± ¡°I am just trying to get some organization to the books and determine if we can arrange for the additional books to have proper storage.¡± ¡°I am unaware of any unshelved books! Are you saying Sister Madeline is shirking her Librarian duties?¡± demanded the Mother Superior. ¡°Oh, No Mother! It¡¯s just that the reliquary lacks the shelf space to hold all of the volumes and they are better crated than loose. However, there are scores of books still in crates in the cellar. I believe with proper rearranging and perhaps new shelving built, it should be possible to get all the books available,¡± said Rose. ¡°Would not this be a better conversation to have with Sister Madeline?¡± suggested Sister Maria. It wouldn¡¯t be much of a conversation and Sister Madeline would never ask the Mother Superior for funds to have a carpenter build shelves, so this was Rose¡¯s chance to broach the topic. ¡°I will discuss it with Sister Madeline, we have touched on it briefly, but¡­..¡± she trailed off. ¡°Yes child?¡± Sister Maria waited patiently. ¡°Forgive me Mother if I speak out of turn, but were you aware that Sister Madeline was unhappy in her work?¡± ¡°We must all strive at the tasks given us, our happiness is secondary,¡± replied Sister Maria. ¡°I understand Mother, but she claims she was a fine cook before she came with you to England.¡± The Mother Superior paused before responding. ¡°Sister Madeline was from a different chapter house to myself. When I asked for someone to be responsible for the kitchen her name was not put forward. I see now that maybe I have been in error here. Thank you, my child, for bringing this to my attention.¡± "My child, Sister Madeline has spoken with me of your activities in here. No, not the tidying but that you have spent quite a bit of your time seeming to read these books," the Mother Superior gestured to the shelves around them. Rose bit her lip then replied. ¡°I wanted to know more about the relic, it started with reading the book about St Ostric and has grown from there,¡± admitted Rose. The Mother Superior made her way over to the glass case with the relic inside and the book resting in front of the case. Her arthritis was clearly causing her pain, so her steps were slow and hobbled. She gently flipped open the book to the point where the ribbon marker was placed. ¡°You can read this?¡± The older nun exclaimed with surprise. How did you learn the Latin that this is written in? ¡°I don¡¯t recollect Latin being in your strong suit when you came here!¡± Rose paused before answering; this could be a touchy subject. She thought about lying but then sought a path illuminated by the truth. ¡°I can, Mother,¡± she said quietly. ¡°Once I was assigned to help Sister Madeline in the Reliquary, it just seemed right that I learn to read the books here, so I taught myself.¡± said Rose, not a lie but she didn¡¯t need to divulge who her tutor was unless directly asked. ¡°Impressive if a little implausible, I assume you had help? Yes? No don¡¯t tell me who it was, it had to be someone outside the convent and I prefer not to know!¡± She shook her head, ¡°Sister Rose I am unsure what will become of you, either the first female pope or¡­.. Anyway, it is clear you have a talent for languages a skill that will come in handy in a library of religious books. How is your French?¡± ¡°That will be next. I can understand some of the words, but not the context. Half of these books are closed to me without it,¡± Rose said downheartedly, then continued, ¡°Mother I have to ask a question about the relic of Saint Ostric.¡± The old woman returned to her chair and dropped her weight into it before speaking, ¡°Then ask.¡± ¡°Have there been any miracles or visions associated with it?¡± ¡°If you have read the works recounting Saint Ostric¡¯s purging of this area and helping the King return to his faith, then you know as much as I do.¡± The Mother Superior knew more of the tale from a set of journals passed from one Mother Superior to the next. They had come with her form France, but Rose did not need to know this, they were kept in her office not the reliquary. They contained knowledge that she and the other nuns did not need. ¡°I meant associated with those of us here in the convent, or the convent in France?¡± ¡°No, the object has been quite unremarkable,¡± the Mother Superior responded. ¡°How did it come about that our order was able to return to England?¡± asked Rose. ¡°I do not know the details of how, only that I was asked by Mother Superior Beatrice the head of our order and Cardinal Hubert to undertake this mission with the others chosen for the task and return the relic to its rightful place. To me it was a symbol of bringing the true faith back to this country,¡± said the Mother Superior ¡°Isn¡¯t it curious though? The importance placed on the return of the relic, and more so, that it be accompanied by a Catholic order with the offer to reestablish itself here? For many years now centuries in fact, the English establishment has made it as uncomfortable as possible for those of us who continue to practice as Roman Catholics.¡± said Rose. ¡°Rose, you look for mysteries where there are none! There are simple answers to these questions. God wished the return of the true faith and we are chosen to carry that message. Someone in England is our ally and wished the return of the sacred object as a symbol of God¡¯s divine power to bring good to all. Our order will now have the pleasure of building our numbers here, of expanding the faith, of that you are an example, oui? Providence has enabled your journey to sisterhood by requiring the relic to return with our order and as a consequence of that return you now live as part of the blessed order of the Carmelites with their teachings and the example of Saint Ostric to guide you,¡± the Mother Superior explained in a kindly manner. Rose was quiet for a moment then asked, ¡°Has no one has ever come forward as our benefactor or requested that the relic be placed within the Cathedral of Saint John?¡± ¡°Child, I pray each night that we are an example to the Monarchy by which they may return to the one true faith, but on this we must tread lightly. On the day my prayers are answered, and old holy sites returned to the church, that will be a miracle. For now, I see our mission here as to be living examples to the community of our charity and contemplation. I am satisfied our order was invited back to help you and the other faithful to practice your faith in the light of day,¡± the Mother Superior uttered these words as if pronouncing a benediction. Cautiously Rose asked the next of her questions, knowing it might provoke an unwanted response. ¡°Do you know any more about the time of St Ostric and tales of local witches and the pagans?¡± ¡°You ask me? You were the one born and raised in this area, I should think that you would be fully aware of any ungodliness residing here,¡± the Mother Superior responded with alacrity. ¡°One hears rumors and whispers in any community of evil beings who do harm to others, but witches? No thankfully we have condemned the practices of the Inquisition to the past.¡± ¡°What I really meant Mother was, Saint Ostric, he was a defender of the faith; the story is he saved King Aethelred from the spell of a local witch. What if the evil he fought had not been destroyed? What if it was now stirring and was trying and succeeding in hurting or even killing people?¡± Rose watched as the emotions played across the Mother Superior¡¯s face. First amusement, then concern, then the look she used when she wanted to cow the nuns and novices. ¡°Rose, it heals my heart to know that you have been inspired by Saint Ostric and are committed to such an effort to better this place with your work in the library and your interactions in the town.¡± ¡°You, Judith and Katherine, will play an important role in bridging the gap between the community and the convent, focus on that, not of saints battling witches. I know the village does not openly welcome us, we are Catholic, and more importantly we are French. ¡° ¡°The wars are not that long ago! The people see us as outsiders and your older sisters feel out of place; cut off from all that was known and comfortable. That is why they appear closed off to you. Listen to an old nun! It is a challenge to your faith when you have been set in your ways to have to deal with such a drastic change. To be sent to a new country, away from your friends and family, to be amongst strangers who have been enemies.¡± She sighed and looked down then up at Rose. ¡°That is why the frogs croak,¡± lamented the old French nun. Rose¡¯s eye grew wide and her hand went to her mouth. The Mother Superior chuckled, ¡°What? You think I do not know what you and your sisters in crime call the older nuns, or that I am blind to their behavior?¡± She laughed, ¡°I am Sister Maria de Carcassone, Mother Superior of the Carmelite Convent of Saint Teresa! It is my duty and pleasure to be Mother to you all and minister to the needs of each of you. That is my burden.¡± Sister Maria¡¯s voice, strong while she declaimed, sank to a whisper. Embarrassment and empathy engulfed Rose, ¡°I am sorry Mother, I just never really thought about how hard it was for you and them or why they are unhappy.¡± ¡°Ah and someday you may be an old gruff nun set in her ways, but today you¡¯re a young one with too much energy looking for your fight with evil. Rose, not all of us will have an epic battle like Saint Ostric. In my case, my battle was with myself.¡± ¡°When I was your age, I too joined a convent near my home village. I saw my friends getting married, having children and I began to regret my decision. The Mother Superior came to me and spoke in a similar manner to this. I don¡¯t remember her exact words, but she told me that every nun ever ordained went through the same battle.¡± ¡°The cause was not the same for every nun, but the battle was the same. That was my battle to accept my part in God¡¯s plan in spite of my personal desires and the envy I wrestled with. If that is what you are facing now, accept it as part of your path and know that it is a good experience for you to help others who face the daily battles of infirmity and grief.¡± The Mother Superior stood and made her way to the door, she turned before leaving the room. ¡°The reason for the battle, the reason to fight it and more importantly how to win it, is between just you and God, my child, just the two of you!¡± She made the sign of the cross, ¡°God¡¯s blessing on you my child¡±, then she was gone. Rose listened to the shuffle of her feet receding down the hallway and sighed. For now, Rose¡¯s personal struggle was in figuring out if accident and the children¡¯s illness were caused by an evil force or if she was indeed slipping over the edge into insanity. The next time she talked with her superior she wanted to be able to definitively tell her that creatures of the devil lurked in the town, or that she required a stay at a sanatorium. Either way, she had to figure out if there was an active coven practicing witchcraft in Chester and tonight was a night that no witch worth her weight in bats wings could resist, it was the autumnal equinox. * * * 10:30 PM,Potter¡¯s End Chester, England Rose had changed out of her habit into the simple home spun dress and warm shawl that was hers and not provided by the convent and slipped out of the abbey to embark on her night time exploration of Potters End. From what she had learnt and Mr. Cooper¡¯s confirmation that seemed to be the most likely starting point in her quest. Rose was determined to find the cause of the recent tragedies and following her investigations she was convinced the forces of evil were at the root of the trouble, forces not of the mortal realm but called from the beyond. Tonight, the Autumnal Equinox, a night of power, when the Witches of Westfield, would, according to legend and the old wives tales, be dancing naked in the field and drinking the blood of children, cats and bats in order to call their foul master. Looking back to the words of her mother, she realized that she had believed the fanciful tales told to frighten her into obedience, when chores needed completing and to stay near to home. Now she felt that there had been more than a grain of truth to the stories. With a start, she realized the one person she had not talked to about this was her mother. She made a note to herself to go talk to her about the stories in the morning. She shivered as she made her way towards Potters End, the night was cool, the year was fading away, already leaves had begun to fall heralding the onset of winter. She almost considered going back to her cell and its warm bed, perhaps this was all just her vivid imagination? This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. She stopped, vacillating between going forward and returning. Was she seriously considering the tales of the witches, old crones and hags who stole babies to use in their rituals to be based on fact? Every town and village in the land had the same tales. She had left the convent at night without permission. Rose had used the old apple tree in the corner of the walled garden which let her climb over the wall without too much issue. Getting back in meant climbing a cherry tree near the fish ponds. She had left behind her habit and dressed in clothes her mother had made for her to purposely sneak through wood and field in order to feed her obsession. Logic and clear thinking would suggest she was losing her mind. What kept her from accepting this was a deep-felt conviction, a guiding sense of there being more to this than just vivid dreams. Rose had been allowed to feel this sensation, this feeling of knowing, since she had cut her finger on the skull and the waking vision, just about a year ago. It had resulted in an energy and drive that fueled her need to learn and was now powering some type of spiritual intuition. Why should she not be being guided by the spirit of Saint Ostric in this matter? As she thought this, the face of the monk she had seen in her vision seemed to appear in front of her. The monk gave her a knowing smile and a nod then faded away. She felt a satisfaction as her feet seemed to move of their own volition. Maybe this was another of his miracles; he seemed to know what she had been thinking. The Mirror of Angels was a tool the Saint had used to show Aethelred the true nature of the witch who beguiled him and now she had created a similar mirror. Wasn¡¯t this the essence of spiritual guidance? God set you on a path and you discovered what you were supposed to do. The more you stayed with God¡¯s plan the easier it was to see how to put the puzzle together. The writings of Kelly and Dee had been put in front of her by two separate sources. Acting on the information in those writings she was then able to replicate the method of scrying the occultists had discussed and used. The story of Saint Ostric and the Mirror of Angels she proudly thought to herself as she made her way through the woods was where it all started. Maybe it¡¯s not what I was to learn from the nuns but the relic being there that drew me to the Order? Her thoughts scattered as the sound of metal on stone brought her out of her reverie. She paused to listen then crept forward to the deeper darkness under the grove of trees. She rested a hand on the bark of the tree as she slowly made her way around it, trying not to make any noise. Just ahead of her on the edge of the clearing, two women were working a rough-hewn stone. It was too far away to see clearly what they were shaping, but the clink, clink of iron on iron and stone echoed with every mallet strike. From behind the tree Rose watched the two women working in the glow of oil lamps; just average women, no cabal of naked crones dancing around a fire. The sounds of their work ceased and the two commenced chanting, whilst the one holding the chisel put it down and picked up a flask and poured fluid over the rock. It was impossible to tell what the fluid was in the dark, but it poured slowly and thickly, and was black in the lamplight. Rose¡¯s mind immediately turned to it being blood. For several moments, Rose watched in amazement; these witches were not the least bit secretive. The duo worked by lamplight, banging away with a hammer. Any one from the town who wasn¡¯t deaf, or blind could find these two. She quietly edged her way round the tree to get closer for a better look. She heard the snap of a branch and turned in alarm to see two forms in dark cloaks, looming behind her. Before she could move, the closest shape grabbed her arm. * * * 10:30 PM, Potter¡¯s End Rose was held in a grip of steel, she tried to pull away in vain. Her efforts caused the hood of her captor to fall back revealing the face of a woman only a few years older than herself. She felt sure she knew her, but the name escaped her in her fright. She was pulled forward as the woman spoke. ¡°You will come with me,¡± she insisted. The women working on the stones paused their activities as they noticed Rose and her captors. Rose was pulled into the area of lamp light and forced to sit on the ground. The circle of lamplight revealed that there was more than one stone that the women had been working on. Around them was a collection of stones, carved with runes and swirling markings into each face of the rock. What Rose had feared was blood, in the light of the lamps was shown to be a deep blue dye. The two women stood and faced Rose and her captor who roughly pulled the bag from Rose¡¯s shoulder and handed it to the woman holding the chisel. She tucked the chisel under her arm and began going through Rose¡¯s bag. She pulled out some candles then found her mirror. She held it up and spoke, ¡°You have the sight?¡± She put the items back and stepped forward. The woman grabbed Rose¡¯s chin squeezingher face and stared intently into her eyes as if she was examining the back of her skull. ¡°She¡¯s one of the Carmelites,¡± announced the witch holding the mallet, ¡°Caldwell¡¯s child, Rose.¡± Rose strained to move her head; she had recognized the voice, ¡°Mrs. Weber?¡± Rose said as the woman released her grip on her chin, ¡°is that you?¡± She was sure the voice belonged to was Mrs. Weber, the mother of her childhood friends. How could such a kind woman be capable of the recent acts? The woman stood in front of her demanded, ¡°What are you doing out here girl?¡± ¡°I could ask the same, what witchcraft do you work?¡± challenged Rose. She held up the mirror in front of Rose. "Candles and a mirror, smells of witchcraft Christian!¡± the woman had a point. ¡°We practice the craft it¡¯s true, but only that of the white way.¡± Rose recognized another voice as the fourth woman walked round in front of her and pushed back her hood, Rose gasped, before her was the wife of the Sheriff, Mrs. Alderton. The woman in front of her pushed back her hood and Rose felt a moment of confusion, it was the Widow Culpepper, a wealthy property owner, with a significant sheep flock held on several tenancies around the town as well as the mill her father worked amongst other properties. Her face was familiar to Rose from those occasions when she would come to the granary to discuss the work of the mill with her father. Mrs. Culpepper looked the mirror over again before returning it to the bag and dropping it at her feet. ¡°We are not followers of the black path, we are of the white. You would probably think of us as Druids, though those of the black are called that too. We have served our people with both prophecy and protection for many centuries; from a time before your Christ walked the earth.¡± ¡°We hold to the eightfold wheel of the year and the three truisms of our people, your people from ages past to now, wisdom, creativity and love. At the end not so different to your Christ eh?¡± Rose considered the woman¡¯s statement before responding, ¡°You are not followers of Marbas, or the Morrighan?¡± All of the women gasped, whether in fear or anger Rose wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°What do you know of these names?¡± demanded Mrs. Culpepper stepping forward and raising the chisel as if to strike. Rose held her ground despite her fear and was please that her voice was strong as she spoke. ¡°I know only what I have read, that Saint Ostric banished a demon in female guise, who had been summoned by means of witchcraft, and that banishment released the Christian King from a greater evil, the master of that demon who would control the king and so control the land.¡± Rose countered. ¡°Well, at least you have part of the tale correct.¡± Mrs. Culpepper lowered her arm. ¡°Your Saint Ostric may have been instrumental in defeating the beast from the lower depths that you have named Marbas, but it was and still is, we who have kept the monster in its slumber all these years,¡± replied Mrs. Culpepper. ¡°Really?¡± Rose smiled, ¡°So the myths are all true? There was a demon, and it was banished, and now you¡¯re here¡­..?¡± she trailed off. ¡°Why do you smile so!¡± demanded the unknown woman on her left. ¡°Does it make you happy to know that our land is plagued with a fell beast,¡± spat the woman who had grabbed Rose in the woods. ¡°No, No, forgive me, I smile at this news because I thought during the last few days that I was surely going insane and my future was to be a life in Bedlam!¡± She paused. ¡°Let me explain, I have had strange dreams all my life and lately I have had what I must call visions. I think that within those visions I may have seen Saint Ostric but also the dreams have shown me the Morrighan.¡± She sighed. ¡°You asked me if I have the sight, I don¡¯t know exactly what you mean by that, but you are right, I have used this mirror and within it I have seen strange creatures, little grey beast ¨C men, I thought of them as imps. I have seen them in the mirror at the temple of Minerva and at the Cathedral,¡± Rose explained. Excitement and joy bubbled within her, to finally have the supernatural events she had experienced validated. She watched the faces of the four women as her news sunk in. Her words had clearly shocked them. ¡°Come here girl¡± Mrs. Culpepper crouched down by the rock on which she had been working. ¡°This is a petro glyph, a stone of warding,¡± Rose knelt on one knee to get a closer look. Mrs. Culpepper grasped Rose¡¯s right wrist and pulled her hand to the face of the stone. Her hand made a wet slap as it was pushed into the liquid that covered it. Mrs. Culpepper looked up at the other women who had gathered around them and nodded at them, clearly something of import, some test, had been passed when she touched the stone. She could feel some of the strange spiral carving under her hand through the cold liquid. Mrs. Culpepper continued, ¡°Those things you saw are the minions of your Marbas, you were right to call them imps for that is what they are, imps working to free their master. They are stealing our stones, Rose, breaking the wards by removing the stones from their places. They know that our network of petroglyphs restrains their Master and prevents his return to the plane of man. The stones do more; they power the link for generations of women who have summoned the Morrighan when it was needed,¡± Mrs. Culpepper kept her hold on her wrist as she stared into Rose¡¯s eyes. ¡°They have destroyed the stones they have found, and the restraint weakens! Marbas stirs from his long slumber. This is not the first time it has happened, but they have found more stones than before, I fear they have help from this realm.¡± The elation Rose had been feeling vanished she looked from one woman to the next, their obvious fear and concern and her happy feeling was lost. ¡°I am so sorry Mrs. Culpepper, ladies,¡± Rose acknowledged the other women. ¡°I came here tonight expecting to find the Witches of Westfield summoning a demon, hoping I was insane and that I was imagining all of this. Now you confirm that what I have seen in my dreams since I was little is true that the earth will open up and release a great evil and this is Marbas that St Ostric slew,¡± said Rose quietly. Mrs. Culpepper spoke as she released Rose and stood up, ¡°This land and the practices of our faith are far older than Christianity; and it is this sisterhood here on this estate and in the town, who have been protecting us all down through all those years.¡± ¡°Careful what you share with her, she is beholden to the Church,¡± the small woman whom Rose did not know cautioned. Rose looked at her, then back to Mrs. Culpepper, ¡°I am beholden to the truth and goodness; it does not matter to me if it is called the Holy Roman Church, or Druidism or some other name for faith in humanity¡± ¡°Well said Rose,¡± Mrs. Weber offered her support. ¡°I have known her all her life Mary,¡± she addressed the woman rose hadn¡¯t known. ¡°She is no enemy to us,¡± Rose realized she did know the woman after all, it was the doctor¡¯s wife, Mrs. Belkin!Were all the women of note in this part of town involved? Surely not, they were good women! Mrs. Culpepper picked up a lantern, ¡°Finish the stones¡±, she told the other women, then to Rose, ¡°come with me and bring your bag.¡± She led Rose to the far side of the grove of trees and beyond until they came to a stile over a low stone wall. She pointed to an upright stone on the right of the stile; Rose recognized the carvings on it. ¡°This wall is more than a boundary of my property. Within the ring of walls that surround this field, the ancient beast is trapped. For centuries, my sisterhood has worked diligently to keep this barrier empowered with the stones of wisdom. Outside of this ring there are stones in cardinal points in hidden locations, in a double circle of protection. A third ring lies beyond that. It is from the outer ring that the stones have been stolen.¡± ¡°But, if you have this beast contained within the walls, how does he contact and control these imps and others? Why are they taking the outer stones? Why not come here and break the inner circle?¡± ¡°Not all of the stones are to keep it contained, others are to deter and keep his agents out,¡± Mrs. Culpepper shared as they made their way towards the middle of the field. ¡°The stones themselves are warded, and they make a circuit of magic you might say, that erects an unseen field of power. That power stops his agents and creatures like the imps from entering the circle. It uses the power of the earth to keep him contained.¡± ¡°The power of the earth?¡± Do you mean magnetism or gravity? ¡°It is not a power recognized by science and graced with study in universities. No, it is scorned and deemed the realm of fantasy. I am talking of ley lines; they criss-cross the land and even stretch on to the continent. We believe they actually cover the world in a network of power. ¡° ¡°The cardinal stones here are erected on strong ley lines. The power they contain is gathered by the stones and where they cross is in the center of the inner circle.¡± Rose felt her stockings and the bottom of her skirt growing wet from the damp grass. A dew was falling as the night wore on. ¡°Where is the center? I thought it was in the grove,¡± she gestured off into the darkness behind them. Mrs. Culpepper didn¡¯t answer immediately; rather she set the lantern down. They were in the middle of the field. Rose realized that here was an almost bare patch of ground, the grass short and withered, brown in comparison to the lush growth around it. Mrs. Culpepper looked at Rose and nodded confirmation as Rose¡¯s eyes widened in understanding then she quietly spoke. ¡°The grove is a sacred place, a place of power it has been touched by the gods long ago. That is why we must carve the stones there to charge them with that power.¡± ¡°Tell me, these creatures you observed, did you see them with your naked eye or with your witchcraft?¡± Rose bristled at the description, but understood it was meant to irritate her. ¡°I used the mirror and candles. Concentrating on the mirror when it was at a certain angle I was able to see images under the surface of the mirror. Or so it seemed to me, it was like a dream but the mirror showed me events that had happened in the past.¡± ¡°Who taught you this?¡± demanded the other woman. ¡°No one, I puzzled it out for myself. From hints and clues in books and descriptions of the objects that the authors claimed to have used to see past events.¡± ¡°Huh¡±, grunted Mrs. Culpepper, ¡°you mean those charlatans Dee and Kelley I suppose?¡± Rose nodded than continued her explanation. ¡°It is true that their books helped, but it was the story of St Ostric that led me to them and to the mirror.¡± Again, she felt it important not to implicate Mr. Cooper in her exploration of the occult. ¡°Show me how you were able to see the creatures. I would know what you can see here at this point,¡± instructed the woman, gesturing at the ground. Rose bit down on her anger. She did not abide the commanding tone of the woman. She was no performing monkey on a stage to act at her command. Yet she wanted to share what had been her secret; relieved to have someone who seemed to fully accept that what she had seen was real. Rose knelt and removed the candles from the bag and set them up in a semi-circle, around her. As she lit the candles, Mrs. Culpepper doused her lamp so that the only illumination came from the candles. With her light source set, Rose began to view the field in her mirror catching the candlelight as she turned it in a slow circle. She was beginning to understand, it was not about focusing on the surface of the mirror or the light, but letting her eye be drawn to the images deeper in the surface. Mrs. Culpepper stepped back out of the light into the darkness around them. As she did so Rose saw it, a streak of energy erupting from the ground. Ruby red energy, crackling and streaking, from an invisible rift in the ground, up, up into the sky. The image was lost as she inadvertently moved the mirror a small amount. She took a deep breath realizing she had been holding it and turned the mirror back slowly. There it was, an angry force leaping skyward. Rose began to smell something burning, a musty and earthy wood scent, cloying and sweet verging on a smell of the incense used on special services at the convent. Mrs. Culpepper was waving a small bunch of smoldering twigs through the air above Rose as she knelt. ¡°This is rowan, heather and foxglove; together they have power for those with the sight. Watch in your mirror Caldwell, tell me what you see!¡± The smoke settled around Rose and she looked again into the mirror turning it slowly. Through the smoke she again saw the red energy reaching to the sky, but now she could also see thick blue lines that met at the point from which the energy rose upwards. She could see other smaller thinner eruptions of red light from cracks that were spreading from the central circle. ¡°You see it don¡¯t you?¡± Rose smiled, ¡°It is beautiful¡± ¡°Indeed, but it is also a deadly warning. You are witnessing the opening of a doorway into another realm; one that your church calls Hell. That is where Marbas is waiting to make his way back to this world and make it his own and all of us his playthings. It is a rift through the very fabric of reality, the blue are the ley lines that with the stones are holding the door shut. They hold for the moment, but with the outer stones being destroyed as fast as we can make them we may lose the battle. The image disappeared as Rose lowered her scrying mirror. The weight of Mrs. Culpepper¡¯s words sunk in. ¡°How long do we have before it is freed?¡± ¡°I do not know for sure, the imps may access the stones in the outer ring though it causes them pain and they can open a gap for others to approach the second circle. The protection and warding from the second circle is stronger and the stones larger, so they must be destroyed in situ, no easy task. The imps cannot touch them, so they need something more powerful or human aid to open the circle. But they only need to destroy one or two stones and open a path to the innermost circle and then¡­.¡± She sighed, ¡°I have been part of the sisterhood protecting this land since I was your age. My mother did the same before that, and hers before her.We have never had such a coordinated attack or for such a long period. These creatures must be receiving aid from mortals.¡± ¡°You mentioned the Morrighan earlier; what are they to the minions of Marbas, this demon?¡± ¡°The Morrighan are the defenders of this land, they are anathema to Marbas and his kin they are an aspect of the Earth Mother.¡± ¡°She has gone by different names for many people. To the Greeks she was Gaia, to the Egyptians Isis, to the Celts, our ancestors she is Gwenhwyfar in all her beauty and ferocity.¡± ¡°There are three forms of the Morrighan, sisters who manifest their power through the Druidic sisterhood that I lead. Witches, we are not!¡± ¡°In Celtic and Irish legends, all three sisters were goddesses of death and war. Badb would take the form of a wolf and comb the battlefields, spreading confusion. Her sister Macha, would also strike fear into the hearts of men. She would take on the aspect of a Raven of large size as she flew across the battlefield. The third sister Nemain, caused warriors to act in panic and confusion, striking down anyone near them as she passed, and her scream rang out. It was in this role that she often appeared as a large grey horse with flaming mane and tail ready to rain down pain and fire on mortal men.¡± Rose, as she listened to the older woman talk, felt for the first time in her life that she was right where she was supposed to be, and at the right time to be doing what she was destined to do. ¡°You have seen how the ground of this field is beginning to charge with aether fissures spreading from this point. As the power of the stone circles weakens, so this circle grows, and the fissures spread. My sisterhood must work diligently to preserve the stones.¡± She paused, and Rose impulsively took her hand and squeezed it. ¡°I have faith in you Mrs. Culpepper, you will succeed I¡¯m sure.¡± Mrs. Culpepper squeezed back and smiled. ¡°Thank you my dear I hope you are right¡± She thought for a moment then surprised Rose by saying. ¡°You must come to my house and we can discuss this in much more detail, I have a feeling that you coming here was meant to be, that you will be of great assistance to us.¡± ¡°Thank you, I would like to learn more, to understand, I have so many questions. If you wouldn¡¯t mind, would you ask at the Convent if you could have me visit, perhaps you could say it¡¯s in regard to the sick children? It would make for fewer questions of how I know you and why you would want to see me. I shouldn¡¯t be out here tonight,¡± Rose finished sheepishly. Mrs. Culpepper dropped the smoking twigs she held in her other hand and put her foot on them to make sure they went out. She rubbed her hand on her skirt to remove the ash. ¡°I had guessed by your attire that you were not here on church business. You should get back to the convent before you are missed. Say nothing of this to anyone. I will expect you at my home. I will prepare an invitation in the morning and a send carriage for you, we will dine together.¡± Chapter Eleven: Monday the 27th of September 1852 4:45 AM, Sister Rose Caldwell¡¯s Cell Rose was nestled in a bed covered with lamb skins, the thick wool held in the warmth of her body and that of the man next to her. Underneath her was a soft mattress stuffed with wool and aromatic herbs. She breathed in the scent or rosemary and thyme as she moved closer to her man. She was happy and content to continue slumbering in her sod house, curled up with him, but he rose and sat on the edge of the shelf on which the bed lay allowing the cold to steal the warmth from her snug cocoon. Rose awoke fully as the brisk air prickled her naked skin. She wanted to just pull the covers over her, but she could hear through the sounds of men, many of them congregating before the hut. The wind was rising, whistling through the gaps toward the top of the roof where the wisps of smoke from the smoldering fire were whisked away. The man on the edge of the bed was at least ten years her senior. His body was marked from battle, the scars old and new yet with the fit lean physique that showed him to be a warrior. Nothing revealed that he was also once a king, as he sat there in the cool air, naked except for a carved, wooden cross suspended from a leather thong around his neck. ¡°It is still early my love, come back to bed¡± she trailed her fingers down the side of his muscular body. The man spoke without turning around. ¡°The men are gathering, I need to speak with them.¡± He stood and went to the stool on which their clothes lay. He tossed a simple blue woven dress to Rose along with a cloak of a deep red with golden trim. ¡°Dress, I would have you by me when I talk to the men¡± His voice was commanding as he began to put on his own clothing, woolen trousers over woven undergarments then a thick long shirt round which he tied a belt from which a dagger hung. He was tying the thongs of his sandals when the hide door of the hut was pulled back allowing the sunlight to stream in. In the doorway stood a formidable man dressed for battle. The metal helmet on his head was encircled by a thin strip of beaten gold. He wore a mail shirt of interlocking rings over his padded armor. At his waist he wore a half axe and long dagger while the grip and guard of a hand and a half sword poked over his shoulder. He ducked under the low beam at the top of the doorway and let the hide door fall closed behind him. Rose held her breath then let it go with relief as he removed his helmet and spoke, ¡°Your Majesty.¡± He dropped to one knee. ¡°Stand up Nephew!¡± the man tying his sandals growled. ¡°You are the King now.¡±¡°You have the helmet; you have my oath that the throne is yours Coenrad. I am done with it!¡± ¡°Uncle Aethelred! Please come to your senses! The council of Ealdormen has been called and all of our forces have rallied behind Ostric¡¯s call to fight the Britons for your soul,¡± pleaded Coenrad. "My soul is quite safe, thank you nephew. I am just tired of being King. I took the throne when your father died. I had no expectations of being King you know this!¡± ¡°When Osthryth died, I summoned Bishop Wilfrid. We had a private meeting with not even a scribe present. My words to him were private, but you need to know. I have never desired to die sitting on a throne surrounded by men whose only interest is to fight over more land.¡± ¡°My intention had always been to abdicate to you and live in peace and then when Osthryth died,¡± he sighed deeply. ¡°I lost my wits for a while, but they have returned, and I have decided to live the life of a simple farmer and to live it with her,¡± he pointed to Rose who was tying the belt round her kirtle. ¡°I wish to be left to contemplate my mortality and enjoy a few peaceful years as a man, not a King. Or if as a King, then one who saw the error of his ways and brought peace not war to two lands. In time, you will understand this wish, Coenred, King of Mercia," Aethelred said quietly. Rose knew she was deep in a dream, but she could not move, talk or wake no matter how she tried. She was trapped, knowing that she was asleep in cell in the convent, yet her consciousness was there in the medieval sod house, containing the bed and presence of King Aethelred. This was truly a lucid dream, she saw through the eyes of the woman she inhabited that the man called Coenred was pointing at her where she stood by the bed. ¡°Uncle! Can you not see! That one has you under a spell! This Briton Witch has beguiled you!She plans to return your kingdom to her pagan ways and spit in the eye of our Lord Jesus!¡± shouted Coenred. Aethelred laughed, ¡°Coenrad, Coenrad, son of my brother, there was a day when my bile would rise, and I would have struck you down for those words. I would have spilt even my own kin¡¯s blood for such an insult. But now¡­ now I will not strike and there will be no war host arrayed against the Britons. ¡°But Uncle¡­!¡± ¡°Enough! Roared Aethelred. ¡°I have spoken with the Bishop on this matter. The vile lies that this field monk spreads about her will not sway me from my path. I have found that which I never thought to have again, the love of a woman! The men will still listen to me, you may have their oaths, but they will still listen to me. Do not make this a fight between us Coenred!¡± His eyes blazed with anger. The hide was flung back and the monk Ostric entered. He bowed to the two men. ¡°My King¡± he addressed Coenrad. The Ealdormen grow restless and await your commands the men are foregathered,¡± Ostric stated, head bowed. ¡°Please wait outside, Father Ostric, while my uncle and I speak,¡± asked Coenrad. ¡°As you wish my king. May I have your guard escort the witch out?¡± the monk suggested with a sly smile towards Rose. The body that Rose inhabited pulled the cloak around her shoulders and stood straight staring at the wild-eyed monk. One eye was looking at her while the other seemed to look at Coenrad. She saw Aethelred look to his sword, rested against the wall near the head of the sleeping pallet. She knew her man would do everything in his power to stop the monk or his nephew from harming her, but that would bring down the wrath of the Ealdormen and the men oathed to them, who waited for Aethelred to return and lead them against her people. She muttered a prayer to the Morrighan to intercede and stop these men. Rose felt the woman¡¯s connection with the land, and through it knew she was a member of the sisterhood of the Morrighan. She felt through her feet that the demon was in attendance, his presence overshadowing this room, hard at work to win his freedom. ¡°Look my king!¡± Cried the monk. ¡°Even now she calls to her foul lord to protect her and curse us all! We must take her now and burn her! Burn the witch before she kills us all!¡± ¡°Dare you not, Monk, or you will be the first I slay!¡± yelled Aethelred lunging for his sword. While Coenrad¡¯s sword was to hand, Aethelred was the more experienced and in the moment of his nephew¡¯s indecisiveness, he seized the seconds he needed to grasp the handle of his sword and unsheathe it in one sweeping motion, placing himself between Rose and his nephew and the wall-eyed monk. ¡°My Lord, do you not see how she is twisting your minds to make you to fight each other? You should be riding side by side to take Gods¡¯ word to the Pagans and strike their heresies from them,¡± urged Ostric. ¡°Silence treacherous monk! I have made peace with the Ordovice clans and that accord will be honoured,¡± Aethelred¡¯s voice was full of scorn. Ostric pleaded with Coenrad, ¡°My Lord, he is truly under the witch¡¯s spell, I fear me it is too late. He is prepared to kill you and me for that woman and to stop us from bringing the true word to the Pagans!¡± Coenrad looked at his uncle and then the monk biting his lip in indecision. ¡°Uncle, you confirm that I am now the King of Mercia?¡± ¡°I do, my Lord,¡± agreed Aethelred. Coenrad sighed and straightened. His voice was firm. ¡°Then you are to ride with us to battle and leave this witch for a tribunal by the Church,¡± ordered the young King of Mercia. ¡°I swear I am no witch! Take me into your fold. Baptise me, make me Christian. I will give up the gods of my fathers and become one of you to prove that I am not a witch,¡± Garwen¡¯s voice trembled as she spoke. Much was at stake here, not just her life but the lives of her people. Aethelred laughed, ¡°There monk, there is your answer! baptise Garwen of the Ordovices. Baptise the chief¡¯s daughter before the armies of Mercia and the King¡¯s council.¡± His voice dripped with contempt. Garwen adjusted the cloak around her shoulders, ¡°I ask to be cleansed of sin, Priest.¡± The monk looked between the new King and the old then went to his knees before Coenrad. ¡°I beseech thee my Lord, do you not see how devious the Prince of Darkness is. His servant would become a Christian to fool you into believing she is not a succubus; using her wickedness to take the Kingdom back to Pagan ways. My King, it is too late for these two, they consort with Satan himself to take Mercia on a path to the apocalypse¡± implored the monk. King Coenrad drew his sword, ¡°Your King has commanded you, Aethelred of Mercia.¡± ¡°If it was the king that truly commanded me then I would obey, but I will never obey because of the words of a foul lying hedge priest! Tell me monk, how does she take the kingdom back to pagan ways? I am no longer king your words make no sense!¡± ¡°How is it that the devil can accept baptism? Is it not meant to drive out sin? Does not the exorcism rite use similar methods! Does not holy water drive out devils?¡± ¡°Bah! Get out of my way before I deprive my nephew of his confessor!¡± Garwen and through her Rose felt the presence of evil at work in the room, growing with each passing moment. She looked at the monk and saw the hatred burning in his eyes. Aethelred¡¯s arguments had made their mark with Coenrad and he lowered his sword. She stepped up next to Aethelred, chin lifted. He took her hand and squeezed it before leading her past his nephew and the monk. She walked at his side to the hide door of the hut. Aethlred lifted it aside and the two of them stepped out into the dawn light. Behind them the sun was clearing the horizon, golden and promising a clear warm day. Outside, the Ealdormen of the King¡¯s Council awaited, listening in on the argument between the past and current king. Beyond them were their men, formed up in ranks, the army of Mercia. She scanned the front rows of the assembled boys and men, garbed for war on the orders of just one of the men in that hut, but she could see they would rather be at home working their fields than stood here in the dawn light. Her people were a scant few miles away from this place. If they learnt of this host, they would declare war just on the principle of Mercian feet on their soil. Battle would be further justified by the grudges held by her father and uncles that would reawaken and the fight would be bloody. She stepped forward in front of the half circle of leaders and spoke proudly. ¡°I am Garwen verch Madoc of the Ordovices.I stand here accused of being a witch by this man!¡± She turned and pointed at the monk who had just stepped from the hut. ¡°I have told him and your King that I accept your God and have asked your holy man to baptize me to prove I am no witch.¡± Her voice grew stronger in her anger. ¡°He does not believe me! He says I am a devil, that baptism will not work!¡± her voice was a shout now aimed at the men beyond the circle of Ealdormen. ¡°He does not believe in his own religion and teachings! Are there any here who will bless me and make me of your faith?¡± She stood tall before them in the dawn light, the trim of her cloak catching the light. An Ealdorman in chain-mail and leather answered, "Is this true my King?¡± he addressed Aethelred. ¡°I am no longer your king, Hamfest. But it is true.¡± ¡°Then if the girl wants to accept Christ who are we to stop her?" asked Hamfest bewildered. ¡°Ealdormen, did you bring your priests with you to battle!¡± called Aethelred. ¡°Aye I did my Lord,¡± replied Hamfest and others also responded. ¡°All of you, to whom I was once your liege lord, hear me! There stands your new king my nephew, to who you now own fealty. I was once your king and led you to many a victory but now this I do ask of you all.¡± ¡°Do not take this course, there is no need for us to fight today, we have peace, the first for many years. I have grown weary of fighting. We have grown into old men fighting.¡± He pointed at the ring of councilors. ¡°We are here today because that man!¡± He turned and pointed at Ostric. ¡°That man wants strife! No one else! There is no witchcraft here! If there is then all of your wives are guilty too!¡± there was a rumble of laughter from the men in front of him. ¡°I ask that you continue to support my nephew and help him be a good and just ruler. Those of you who brought your clergymen to this place, I ask them in the name of our Lord Christ to let them come forward and baptise this woman into our faith,¡± pleaded Aethelred. ¡°So, she can marry you and sire an heir to contend with King Coenrad,¡± voiced Ostric from the edge of the circle. The Ealdorman paused at this statement. ¡°Hold thy tongue monk, lest I cut it from your lying mouth!¡± Aethelred snarled at Ostric. ¡°If it means peace between our people I will become one of your brides of Christ!¡± cried Garwen. Rose could see the stunned look on Aethelred as he absorbed Garwen¡¯s words. ¡°and I will retire to the monastery at Bardney after a pilgrimage to Rome,¡± said Aethelred. Several priests pushed through the throng of men to kneel before the Kings Coenrad stepped forward. ¡°Before all of this company, the woman Garwen will be baptised. If it be true, as the monk claims, that she is a witch and has beguiled my uncle by foul magics then the holy water will burn and shrivel her. If he lies, then she will be unharmed and will enter the church of Christ as our sister in God!¡± He motioned for the men to stand. ¡°Come forward girl¡± Coenred commanded. Garwen went to her knees before the priests. They stood in a half circle around her, the most senior of them recited the sacrament in Latin and she closed her eyes and held hers hands up as in prayer. Rose felt the warm hands of the priest on her head then the icy cold-water splash upon her head. As the priest made the sign of the cross on her forehead she opened her eyes. She was no longer in the body of Garwen but stood in a place of grey flat light, where even the surface on which she stood was grey and featureless. She realised with a start that there was a woman next to her and that the woman was Garwen. Garwen looked at her and nodded in greeting, ¡°Sister¡± Rose knew that she did not refer to her being a nun but to a coterie of women that belonged to more than one faith or religion, more than one age, a sisterhood that spanned time and space in a way that she did not yet fully understand. She returned the nod and title, ¡°Sister¡±. She watched as a figure appeared out of the grey and walked towards them. The two women watched as the figure approached until the form of Ostric was revealed. ¡°Well, now this is surprising! I was expecting just you,¡± he said to Garwen. ¡°Now who might you be?¡± he turned to Rose. Rose made no response and the monk shrugged. ¡°It is of no importance, you will tell me eventually,¡± he smiled. ¡°What bargain have you made with the Beast?¡± Garwen demanded. Ostric¡¯s smile widened and when he next spoke his voice was far deeper than the monks. ¡°There was no bargain! I consumed his soul long ago,¡± the body of the monk responded. ¡°This one thought to defeat me and stop my influence in this realm. He thought to achieve power in the church and amongst men. Instead he opened a doorway for me, now I can through him and others touch the world of men directly and prepare the path for my corporeal entry to your realm and its rule. In the end he gave himself willingly for my service. The fool came to think that I was the Holy Spirit. He learnt otherwise when his soul fed my hunger!¡± Rose spoke for the first time. ¡°You tricked him into allowing you entry to our world Marbas?¡± Ostric laughed. ¡°Ah no, young stranger. My freedom comes from her lover¡¯s ambition. Aethelred¡¯s desire to expand Mercia and to have your people give up the old ways of their religion weakened my bonds. With that that softening of my chains when this fool thought he would better me he soon learnt the error of his ways. Now his form allows me to walk freely amongst men, sowing discord.¡± The monk¡¯s face and skull began to crack and split. Before their stunned gaze, the outward shell of the monk fell apart and, in its place, stood a man shaped figure with the head of a lion. The creature stood a full rod tall; more than twice the height of even the tallest of men. His skin was the color of pewter and had a leathery sheen that as he moved reflected light in small iridescent sparkles like the scales of a monstrous snake. The creature peered down at the two women who had moved closer together for support. ¡°Tell me little stranger, how did you see beyond the form of the man? How know you my name?¡± Rose stared at the creature her lips firmly pressed together he could not know she was from the future or that she knew of his long captivity. ¡°No answer? How disappointing, still it is of no matter, you will not have that knowledge for long in any case.¡± He turned his attention to Garwen, bending down from the waist to peer into her eyes. She stood firm before him and spoke proudly. ¡°I am of this land demon, a Sister of the Earth Mother, of the Morrighan whose trinity of sisters guide me.¡± ¡°Why you would care what happens to these Christians? They are your enemy, like the Romans before them. They come here to take your lands and kill your kin!¡± The creature seemed perplexed as it paced around them. In the endless nothingness of grey that surrounded them, floor, sky, horizon was all a monotonous grey blank. Only the Demon¡¯s burning footprints marred the nothingness, as if his footfall was as hot as the earth¡¯s core.He stepped closer to them. ¡°I have a bargain for you Garwen. Help me sow conflict between Aethelred and the new king! Help me cause the Mercian throne to fall.You will have a long life with your man. Or I will have your life on our return. Decide now, before we return to your reality.¡± ¡°I have made my covenant, I have given myself to the Christian God, but my oaths to the three sisters of the Morrighan still remain true, they are not jealous of the Christian God. With them in my heart I have no need for your lies, or false promises, and tricks. I will be the portal that will reveal your true visage to the Mercians and Celts,¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Garwen stood firm and proud in front of Marbas. A shadow brushed across them, Rose looked up and there circling above them in the gloom, was the largest raven she had ever seen. As it flew over them its circling blocked out the sun, that only a moment before had not been there. Rose looked around, the grey limbo had gone. They were back, back in their own realm. She was back within Garwen.The lion headed creature was once more encased in the shape of the monk. It stood still, looking around, its prideful pacing had ceased, replaced by stillness and a hunched posture as if waiting for a blow to fall. The space Rose, Garwen and the creature that had loomed had occupied, was no longer a grey nothingness, but the area in front of the hut. As she watched the sun disappeared, replaced by a roiling fog which slowly closed in on them. At the edge of the fog, from the East and the West the silhouette of a wolf and a horse walked slowly forward, closing in on the monk and Garewn/Rose while from above the raven swooped down. The fog thickened leaving a small clearing and the shadows of the animals flickered and flowed away; in their place were the forms of three women. Rose could not make out their features; veils shielded their faces from view even as they reached the edge of the fog bank. From behind Rose a bright intense light broke through the fog, brighter than the midday sun and shone on Ostric causing him to cower, shielding his eyes from the light. She herself was bathed in the white brilliance and took joy in its strange, vaporous quality. She struggled to turn around but found she was immobile, fixed in place, as the light changed its form to the flowing ethereal fabric she had seen in her vision. Rose was just a spectator as this dreamlike event played out. A chill passed through her, as a being of light walked past her transfixed body towards Marbas.From the corner of her eye she watched as a shape of utter beauty, twice the size of a man with an aura that moved and flowed like smoke move forward. Rose knew this being; it was Ariel, Ariel the archangel, from her vision, full of strength and love.The angel was substantial, then intangible but awe-inspiring all at once. Rose tried to understand where the angel started and stopped. She saw the muscular frame, dressed in brilliant silver plate armour, yet an energy or smoke emanated from him that billowed about him and took the form of floating silk.Wings protruded above the angel¡¯s back reaching into the grey fog that surrounded the beast within the body of the monk. The angel spoke, its voice melodious yet ear splittingly loud. Once again she could not understand the words of its strange language. The form of Ostric which she knew contained the demon Marbas replied in the same tongue. While the conversation was indecipherable; the tone and body language made it clear to Rose a confrontation was imminent. The demon''s human casing dissolved and Marbas was again revealed in his true form. Of equal size to the angel they confronted one another almost touching. Marbas snarled and suddenly pounced on Ariel. The archangel and fallen angel grappled one another. Marbas¡¯s fangs clashed uselessly on the helm worn by the angel, whose fists pummeled the demon. The fog swirled and out of its depths the three shadowy forms of the women appeared shrieking their hatred of the demon. Their shapes grew until they were of equal size to the battling figures. They joined in the battle swinging rods of fire that rained down blows on the demon¡¯s head and shoulders. Their attack gave the demon pause and it fell back a step giving Ariel a chance to draw his sword which flamed with a cold blue light. Ariel pointed his sword at the ground and voiced a command. The ground groaned and heaved then split open revealing its fiery depths. All the combatants seemed to be standing in the air above the fissure as Ariel joined the sisters in hitting Marbas. The demon cringed and wailed as the angel¡¯s sword fell on his head and shoulders, the blue flame flickering to red as it struck. With each blow of the sword and the women¡¯s rods, the demon seemed to shrink to fall in on himself. With a wail the demon began to sink into the ground dropping into the gaping fissure. As he descended so gouts of the crimson energies Rose had seen when she used her scrying mirror arose from the tortured ground. As Marbas was pushed into the fissure his cries grew louder and more fearful his attempts to flee more obvious, but the four creatures of light encircled him, and their weapons drove him ever downwards. As he dropped below the rim of the fissure, the edges began to close inwards. His shrieks became muffled as he was entombed in the rock and soil of the field. The three women¡¯s forms coalesced into a single human sized woman stood on the opposite side of the fissure from the angel. The woman spoke. ¡°Come human, seal the beast away and pickup thy burden of the ages.¡± Garwen stepped forward and the woman handed her a carved stone covered in blue. ¡°Do you take this burden willingly?¡±Garwen spoke firmly. ¡°I so confirm¡± ¡°Then take this human, set it down on this space and the demon will be sealed in the earth of this realm as long as you and your heirs keep it bound with these glyphs.¡± Garwen took the petroglyph and placed it on the glowing red spot where the Morrighan and Ariel had driven Marbas below ground. ¡°It is done, only the shell remains to be disposed of.¡± The woman said to Ariel. The angel nodded then turned and walked into the light disappearing from view. The fog swirled once more and then was gone. In its place were the gathered forces of Mercia and the scene she had left. It seemed a lifetime ago, yet here no time seemed to have passed. Each person still stood in the same spot as before save one. Now before her stood Ostric his form outlined in shimmering, blue green flame. He was close to her yet she felt no heat or pain caused by the flames which covered him. His mouth was open in a silent scream and his eyes were rolled back in his head. She took a step backwards then another and another until she felt her body hit that of another. Hands gripped her arms and she felt fear, then a well-loved voice whispered in her ear. ¡°Stand steady, my love, stand steady and show no fear or joy at this sight.¡± She nodded slightly and face impassive watched with the gathered nobles and men of Mercia as the body of Ostric was consumed by the flames. As the cleric¡¯s body was reduced to bones and ashes by the arcane fire, the onlookers backed away, many of them making the sign of the cross. Rose could see the shock, fear and awe on the faces of the other priests who had taken part in her baptism. The flames spluttered and died. Aethelred renewed his grip on Garwen, pulling her in close. ¡°Were you burned, my love?¡± asked Aethelred. ¡°Nay lord of my heart the flames did not touch me. These are the flames of the earth Mother from which I am protected.¡± ¡°Why did the monk burn then?¡± Garwen leaned back against him and whispered, fearing others hearing, ¡°The monk was possessed by a fell demon called Marbas. He intention was to cause strife between you and your nephew and so destroy the kingdom and my people in one go. With my people destroyed, he would be able to walk freely amongst us in any guise as the magic they weave to hold him would weaken and fail.¡± Aethelred continued to hold her, ¡°For now, say nothing! Else they will think you to be a witch, my love. Please say nothing; I will give them an answer that will satisfy them and protect you.¡± Aethelred let go and walked past her to the collapsed pile of bones and ashes that was once a man. He stirred the ashes with his foot then bent and picked up the skull of the dead monk. He held it up high for the crowd to see. ¡°Behold, here are the remains of Ostric. He has been taken to heaven by the Holy Angel, after defeating Marbas an officer of Lucifer, himself.¡± ¡°Did you not see how the flames consumed his flesh, yet there is not a blade of grass burnt where his bones lie. Surely this is a miracle, for just as the woman Garwen has been shriven of any evil by her baptism, so did the monk fight the demon afflicting her. The demon is defeated, and the monk has been taken by God into his holy embrace!¡± The other monks and holy men dropped to their knees and prayed, many of the gathered army followed suit. ¡°Your king commands your loyalty and God smiles on us. There is no need for further death this day.¡± He turned to Coenred. ¡°Tell them nephew, tell them to return home and let the peace stand.¡± Coenred stepped forward and addressed the army in a ringing tone. ¡°We have been saved this day from evil. My mind and that of my uncle are clear on this matter. Return to your homes, we shall not fight this day.¡± The men cheered and began to stand slapping each other on the back, relieved that death would not visit them today. ¡°What now Uncle?¡± ¡°I will lead a pilgrimage. I will take this holy relic to Rome for the Pope to bless. On my return I shall take Christ¡¯s newest convert to the convent in Bardney and then I too shall enter a life of contemplation.¡± ¡°As you wish Uncle.¡± Aethelred turned Garwen. ¡°This is for the best my love, we keep the peace and save many lives.¡± He smiled ruefully, ¡°Of course a pilgrimage may take many months, even years in these uncertain times!¡± Garwen smiled at him. ¡°That is true my love.¡± Coenred snorted in amusement at the subterfuge. ¡°I have one last request nephew. I ask that you buy this piece of land from the Britons and with their permission raise a chapel here in honor of the events here today. Dedicate it to Saint John the Baptist, the first to show redemption through baptism.¡± Rose came awake with a shuddering gasp. Her chest heaved. She could finally move, awakened from out of the dream by the bell for prayers. She lay there trying to gather her thoughts to recollect all the details of the dream. It was a dream wasn¡¯t it? Her thoughts tumbled. Was it a dream? * * * 5:25 AM, Sister Rose Caldwell¡¯s Cell Rose awoke with an aching head and heart. Her dream conflicted with all that she had read and found out about St Ostric. How could it be that the heroic figure painted in the books could in fact be a tool of the demon? Was this a true visitation of past events in which an angel of God did in fact appear and defeat the demon or was it all part of fevered imaginings? She felt unwell, was she perhaps suffering a chill from last night¡¯s adventure, was this the cause of her dream? Rose went through her usual morning process of changing from night clothes into her habit with her movements jerky and stiff like a fairground automaton. Putting up her hair and covering it with her wimple ready to start another day in the chapel with morning prayers, Rose noticed her right palm was stained with the blue dye the Druids used to sanctify the rocks. She dimly recalled reading about Woad and how it was used by many tribes of the land now called Briton, for decoration in times of war. She went to the wash bowl in her room and scrubbed her hands, her washing did fade the colorful dye but her hand still looked like the crushed berries of the nightshade plant. She supposed that she and the women she had met last night were at war. Not with each other as she had thought but with the demon. Rose dried her hands and then rushed to the chapel for prayer hoping that no one would notice her hand before the dye rubbed off. Perhaps she could say she had been crushing the berries for a potion? She sat in the choir and mouthed the words while around her the Sisters and novitiates of the order recited the morning psalm.Her mind was filled with the dream and her meeting with Mrs. Culpepper.She felt bereft of purpose, she had felt sure that she was on Gods work, guided by one of his saints and that she would find the witches that were causing the ills of late. Now her beliefs had been challenged and her dream or vision of last night cast doubt on all she had read and learnt in the last year. If her dream was true then Ostric had been no saint but the cause of much evil. The words of Mrs. Culpepper seemed to agree with the dream, that they were not the minions of the demon but guardians against its return.Yet the books and stories of Ostric, all agreed he was a saint who saved the land. She was torn by what to believe. She barely spoke during breakfast and after a while her friends gave up trying to break her out of her preoccupation. After breakfast, Judith and Katherine left to perform their chores for the day and she slowly made her way to the Library to begin her day organizing and dusting.She suddenly stopped as she realized something. The monk she had seen in her first vision of Ariel had not been the wall eyed Ostric of last night, but an entirely different man. With a feeling of hope in her heart she realized that the monk who had stood with her when Ariel had spoken to her had looked just like King Aethelred! If it had been him and not Ostric, then¡­¡­. Her dream of last night had been true! Ostric was not a saint after all. She resumed her way to the reliquary with a lighter step. She still did not know her way forward at this time and she knew she could tell no one of what she had learned of Ostric, but she felt better knowing that Mrs. Culpepper was probably true to her word. She would find out soon what Culpepper knew. As she entered the reliquary she found Sister Madeline sprawled on the floor and the chair she usually sat noddingin, toppled over. ¡°Sister Madeline, are you all right?¡± she hurried over and dropped to her knees. Sister Madeline did not answer, and Rose leant forward and put her hand on the older nun¡¯s cheek. It was cold, so very cold. Then Rose noticed the small pool of blood under her head. There was no rise and fall of Madeline¡¯s chest, Madeline was clearly dead. Rose sat back on her heels and offered a small prayer for Madeline¡¯s soul She saw a look of pure horror on Madeline¡¯s face, her eyes wide open and staring, her mouth frozen in an O of surprise. Rose considered the body for a moment and then looked around the room, from here nothing seemed amiss. What could have caused the look on the old nun¡¯s face? Surely not just the chair tipping over. Why would it fall, Madeline had often fallen asleep in it? She looked at the chair to see if a leg had snapped causing the tumble. No, the legs were all whole. Could this been caused by her snapping out of her sleep? The angle of Madeline¡¯s neck was strange Rose gently moved Madeline¡¯s head from side to side. It moved too freely. Rose knew that feeling from wringing the necks of chickens at home. Madeline¡¯s neck was broken. It seemed that bad luck had turned a simple fall into death. It was as she let the head fall back into its original place that she saw them. Small rents in the wimple Madeline wore, from which trickles of blood had congealed. They were on both sides of the nun¡¯s neck, small tears in the cloth and neck of the woman. Rose hissed with understanding, the marks had been made by claws. She froze her eyes filling with tears. Poor Madeline had been murdered and she had an idea of her murderer. She sighed, made the sign of the cross then got to her feet. She looked around the room again searching for the ingress for the creatures she was sure had killed Madeline. She could see no obvious opening, no window was broken, no stones missing from the walls that she could see, no books on the floor where they had been pushed off the shelves. She turned around slowly, and her gaze fell on the trapdoor to the cellar. Was it possible? She bent and grasped the recessed handle and pulled. It was unlocked! She lifted the hatch and the lock was exposed, what was left of it, it had been gouged from the wood of the hatch and she could see its remains lying on the stairs. There was a thin trail of soil on the stairs she could see. Rose closed the hatch and stood up, this was clearly how the creatures had gained entrance to the room, she was sure she would find a hole somewhere in the cellar. Rose got up and made her way to the door to fetch the Mother Superior when she stopped, and her heart sank. The glass case was empty, the relic, the relic was gone! Rose felt a chill run up her spine, the hairs on the back of her neck rising under her wimple. Just a few scant hours past, she was Garwen, the lover of Aethelred and a member of the Morghanin; confronting Ostric and his demon master. Now the holy relic that claimed to be the skull of a saint but was possibly the remains of a man possessed by a demon was gone. Maybe Madeline had put it somewhere? No that is silly. Why should she? She went back to the body and searched and found the keys to the room. Locking the door behind her she went to give the Mother Superior the bad news. * * * 1:20 PM, The Office of Sister Maria, Mother Superior Sister Maria came out of her office. Rose had been outside sitting on a bench looking up at a crucifix on the wall. She had been called to the office some time ago by Sister Beatrix, the Mother Superior¡¯s lieutenant. She stood when she heard the door open. ¡°Sister, please come with me,¡± said the Mother Superior. The Mother Superior made her way to the parlour at the front of the building. She paused and turned to Rose. ¡°Sister Rose, you are used to dealing with people from outside these walls.You also found poor Madeline and so can explain what you found this morning. For the moment you are the representative of our house. Please speak carefully and think about the consequences to us all of what you say.¡± ¡°Yes Mother, I understand,¡± said Rose quietly. The Mother Superior opened the door and led the way into the parlour. Rose was surprised to see that the grated door was opened, and that the Sheriff was sat in the parlour waiting. He stood as the women entered. ¡°Good afternoon Mother Superior and Sister Rose isn¡¯t it?¡± The Mother Superior gave Rose an inquiring look. ¡°We met at the Masons, the day of the accident!¡± Rose quickly explained. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Sheriff Alderton, thank you for coming at short notice. I believe you know that we have had a theft of a relic and an unfortunate death?¡± The Mother Superior said quietly. Rose noted that she had put the theft above the death of one of the order. ¡°Correct Mother Superior, was it Sister Judith I believe?¡± the Mother Superior nodded. ¡°Yes, well she brought the news to my office this morning. I was at the time engaged on other matters away from the city, but my Seargent told me as soon as I got back. I of course came straight here.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sheriff. Sister Rose is here as she found both the body of Sister Madeline and the theft, she will answer your questions truly.¡± ¡°Ah yes, well I have sent for Doctor Belkin, to examine the body and I need to see the scene of the crime¡­¡± The Mother Superior interrupted him. ¡°Impossible! We are a contemplative order and no outsiders may enter beyond this room. To allow anyone let alone a man not a confessor or my superior would mean instant excommunication! I will not allow it!¡± The Sheriff¡¯s eyes narrowed at this outburst. ¡°Then I see little chance of our recovering the relic or capturing the thief.¡± ¡°I have sent for the Bishop, he will be here tomorrow. If he decides that you need to see Sister Madeline¡¯s body, then he may order it brought to you. That is his choice to make.¡± ¡°When he comes I expect him to bring a Jesuit investigator to look for clues and a reason for the theft.¡± Rose bit her lip but kept quiet. A Jesuit investigator! It was not that long ago that they were known by a different name, Inquisitor! ¡°Very well Mother Superior, in that case I will await their arrival and their findings. At that point we may take the investigation forward! In the meantime, perhaps Sister Rose could describe the scene for me while the memory is fresh in her mind?¡± ¡°Very well, ask your questions of her.¡± ¡°Sister Rose, I know this must have been a great shock for you, finding the body of one of you order and then the missing relic. It would help us if you could tell me what time you found the body?¡± ¡°It was not long after breakfast, I am not sure of the exact time I was thinking of other matters.¡± She gave the Mother Superior a guilty glance. ¡°Please describe the scene you found, what actions you took, for example did you touch the body?¡± ¡°I found the door to the room open, that was not unusual, when it is not locked it is open to all in the convent. I knew that Sister Madeline would be in the room. As I entered I found her lying on the floor, her usual chair toppled over next to her.There was a small pool of blood under head, and I thought that she had hit her head when she fell. I went straight to her and touched her cheek, but she was cold and not breathing. It was clear that she had died.¡± She took a deep breath and continued. ¡°I looked around the room but saw no reason for here fall or evidence that anyone else had been there, I surmised that perhaps her heart had given out and was the reason for the fall. I turned to go for the Mother Superior and I saw then that the Relic had gone. I locked the room and went for the Mother Superior.¡± The Mother Superior nodded in approval. She like Rose knew that Madeline¡¯s death was unlikely to be an accident but was content to wait for the investigator. ¡°Thank you, Sister, from your description it appears that the thief may have surprised Sister Madeline and she did indeed have a heart attack because of it. As to the Relic, we will have to wait for the Bishop¡¯s man to give us more.¡± He nodded to himself and the women. ¡°If you can think of anything else that might help Sister Rose, please let me know. I want to find the culprit and make an example of them. Until then might I ask that you keep this quiet, it won¡¯t help the town if rumors of a murdered nun and stolen artifacts begin to circulate.¡± ¡°We too are not interested in it being made public that our convent is not a sacred and secure place. There are anti-papists that want us to fail and would look for any opportunity to bring about that failure, but we will remain steadfast in our mission,¡± agreed the Mother Superior. ¡°Well I think for the moment I can do no more, so I will leave you to mourn your loss. Good day Mother Superior, Sister!¡± The Sheriff left the room and the Mother Superior close and bolted the doorway into the outer parlour. ¡°Well done Rose, now I have another matter to discuss with you. In my office!¡± * * * 2:30 PM,The Office of Sister Maria, Mother Superior The Mother Superior took her seat behind her desk and gestured for Rose to sit. ¡°I have received a request from the Culpepper house for you to visit on the evening of the twenty-ninth.¡± Rose nodded politely but refrained from speaking. ¡°Glynnis Culpepper is a benevolent influence on this community. Her family is one of the largest landowners in the county and while her interest in our order is heartening, I wonder why she would call upon you to dine with her?¡± The Mother Superior¡¯s voice was full of questions. How was Rose to answer? Her mind raced from response to response; ¡®I met her in a field after the curfew performing ancient rites to defend us against a demon? She was very nice! No that wouldn¡¯t do.How about, ¡®I have been practicing magical rituals outlined by two sixteenth-century occultists and have been seeing ghosts of dead saints and little grey men stealing rocks!¡¯ Rose finally spoke, ¡°I have met her when she came to my father¡¯s mill but that was some time ago and I was quite young the last time I saw her there. Perhaps it is not a good idea for me to accept.¡± ¡°Please explain why not!¡± The Mother Superior was surprised by her answer. Rose sighed and looked down at her hands, one still showing blue from the night before. ¡°Mother you know I came to the convent because I have a strong belief in what might be found beyond this mortal realm. For the past four years, I have followed instruction from you and the other sisters and through your guidance, I have come to believe that this world is one of many and that at times there are messages from these spiritual worlds and that they are speaking to me. I have not heard voices, I am not claiming that God is speaking to me but I have had such dreams and now visions, Mother, of Saint Ostric and¡­¡± ¡°Go on,¡± the Mother Superior encouraged. ¡°I fear I have been disobedient and have gone beyond the traditional teachings of the church in trying to understand these messages and the mysteries they hint at and now I believe that this search has had an effect upon me and that my very sanity is threatened.¡± Rose hesitated to divulge her secrets. ¡°How so, just speak your mind,¡± the older nun asked, supportively. ¡°I believe I may have attracted an evil force to me, that this force is who took Saint Ostric¡¯s Relic; that there is a malevolence intending to poison my mind and make me lose my faith in the blessed Saint,¡± Rose was surprised at her own candor. ¡°I beg for guidance in this matter, I know for a certainty that I am not in a place mentally and spiritually where I should go to someone''s home as a representative of our order,¡± explained Rose. ¡°Is there something specific about Mrs. Culpepper that you take issue with?¡± Rose wasn¡¯t going to say that the woman led a sisterhood of Druids. What many would call witches, ¡°No, Mother I am just at my wit''s end and can¡¯t think about being outside the convent. I am fearful that if I am unable to receive clear direction soon, I will lose my mind.¡± ¡°I see, so, there is no personal issue between you and the Culpeppers?No local feud I need to be aware of?¡± asked the Mother Superior. ¡°No, Mother she is a pillar of the community and while at times she may appear to be a little eccentric, she has always been good to me and those I know,¡± confirmed Rose. ¡°Then let me help then, as you ask. Rose, I am surprised by you. You have sat here in my office and offered no coherent or logical reason for not going to visit Mrs. Culpepper as she has requested. Instead you have told me girlish nonsense about evil influences acting upon you and visions of saints. You are no Joan of Arc I can assure you. You are self-centered and disobedient and to accuse Mrs. Culpepper of being eccentric after what you have just told me? I can only assume that the shock of Sister Madeline¡¯s death has caused this aberration. The theft of the relic will be investigated by the Jesuits, and how it was stolen will be discovered I am sure. I am also sure that the last thing you will want, or need is to come to the attention of the investigators any more than you are likely to in the course of the investigation. You would not enjoy their attentions. No! Instead you will honor your vows of obedience to this order and God and stop this silly prattle of visions and saints!¡± ¡°Mother! I am not¡­..¡± The Mother Superior interrupted her, ¡°Enough! You are becoming quite tiresome with this, Rose! You want to hear the word of God? Then my instructions to you are just that and your vows were to obey me in all things were they not?, I say pick yourself up forget this nonsense and help the order by being a good steward of the faith to Mrs. Culpepper. You will go and see her and you will discover how we may minister to her needs whatever they are. That is what I need from you, what I expect from you.I need to focus on the death of our sister and the loss of the holy object we were charged to protect. I do not need your vaporous feelings and imaginations at this time! Do you understand me?¡± ¡°Yes Mother,¡± replied Rose meekly. ¡°Mother, may I ask a question about the theft?¡± The Mother Superior took a deep breath before answering. ¡°You may if it relates to earthly matters.¡± ¡°Mother, don¡¯t you think it strange how the relic was stolen?¡± asked Rose. ¡°I mean, who could come into the convent, into the heart of it and get out again without being seen by one of us? Other than poor Sister Madeline?¡± The Mother Superior paused in thought for a moment before replying. ¡°Clearly someone did Sister Rose that is one of the questions to which I am sure the investigator will find an answer. It will be a simple one I am sure once it is looked at with trained eyes. As for you, Sister, I will let Mrs. Culpepper know that you will attend her as requested. For now, you can go to your cell and contemplate on how you can be the best representative of your church to the community. You will remain there until evening prayers.¡± ¡°Yes Mother¡± Rose stood and made a curtsey to her superior before departing the room head down and disconsolate. The Mother Superior sat at her desk hands steepled as she thought on Rose¡¯s question. How had the theft occurred? Who could penetrate to the heart of the convent and leave no trace?The obvious conclusion was no one could, which left just those already within. She could not bring herself to think that one of her order could resort to theft and murder. Oh she knew it was murder, Sister Antoinette had confirmed that Madeline¡¯s neck had been broken when her body was taken to the infirmary. Antoinette was the convent¡¯s infirmerer and herbalist and had many years of dealing with injuries including broken bones. She had also pointed out the cuts on the neck for which there was no explanation. The Mother Superior¡¯s eyes were troubled as she went to make arrangements for the forthcoming visit of the Bishop. Chapter Twelve: Tuesday the 28th of September 1852 10:30 AM, Sister Rose Caldwell¡¯s Cell Rose had spent the previous afternoon, evening and night alone in her cell. She had spent the first hour after leaving the Mother Superior, sitting on her bed staring blankly at the floor of her cell. She had failed to make the Mother Superior believe her or to understand. The words of the Mother Superior had hit home hard. Was she so caught up in her own goals that she had forgotten she was dedicated to Christ, that she was a nun? Her guilt at the death of Sister Madeline and the theft of the relic was overpowering, blanking thoughts of anything else from her mind. She had spent the night lying fully clothed on her bed staring into the darkness, unable to sleep. The words of the Mother Superior, Mrs. Culpepper and Mr. Cooper churned in her mind along with the visions of the angel Ariel, and Garwen. The bell for breakfast roused her from here reverie, but she felt no urge to join her sisters in the refectory for the morning meal. The thought of eating made her feel ill. She had come to the conclusion that her investigations must come to a stop. She would return all of the books to Mr. Cooper once she had access to the Reliquary and the town again. She would visit the sick children and pray for their souls and that they would recover. She would forget about searching for a reason for their illness that was not of the mortal realm. She picked up the bible sitting on the stool by her bed and tried to lose herself in its pages. She opened it at random. Her eyes fell on the words at the top of the page. Revelation 16:14 ¡°For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.¡± She shut the book and closed her eyes before opening it again. Psalm 106:37-38 ¡°They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.¡± As she read her heart filled with dread, something was trying to get a message to her, she was sure of it. She tried again, closing her eyes and the bible and then let it fall open at random. When she opened her eyes this time she gave a small cry. Revelation 20:1-3 1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. The Revelation of St John again! Something surely was trying to talk to her, but was it God or the Devil? She repeated her actions and this time when she opened her eyes she read with growing certainty. Hebrews 6:10 ¡°For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.¡± Again she opened the bible at random. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Rose held the bible to her chest and gave a prayer of thanks. The messages were not from the devil or the demon, they were from God! It was not her who had brought the troubles on the town, she was not responsible for Sister Madeline¡¯s death because she had used occult methods to see the imps and the demon. What then of her visions? She thought of her vision in the reliquary, and the monk who had translated for her when the angel had spoken. She knew that she had seen him before. She thought on the vision of the night before and it came to her. The monk who had translated the words of the angel was not Ostric, it had been Aethelred, King Aethelred. Of course, how could she not have seen it before? If it had been Aethelred who was there when she met Ariel, then ¡­. then that meant her vision of the imprisonment of Marbas was a true vision, she had been there when Ostric was revealed as the demon¡¯s puppet. It was not Garwen who was evil it had been Ostric. But then why was he now revered as a saint? She pondered the matter, Aethelred had said he was taking the skull to Rome. Somewhere along the way from then to now, the truth of things had been altered. The truth had become changed and now Ostric was a saint and Aethelred and Garwen were forgotten. Her spirits sank again as she realized that there was no one who would believe her. The skull of Ostric had been revered as a holy relic belonging to a saintly man for almost a thousand years. How could she, a simple nun, prove that he was in fact no saint but the opposite, the pawn of a demonical force.Aethelred¡¯s propaganda had worked too well to hide the truth. She sighed and put the bible back on the stool. She felt she could now meet with Mrs. Culpepper without fear that she and the other ladies she had met were behind the recent events. She still had the problem of making anyone understand and believe her but at least she could obey the Mother Superior with a clear conscience. She stood up, perhaps she might still be able to get a little breakfast, she was feeling hungry after all. * * * 1:30 PM, Sister Rose¡¯s cell. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Rose had returned to her cell after supper and had sat on her bed thinking through all she had learnt trying to understand why the relic had been stolen and Sister Madeline killed. None of it made sense. She had not responded to the inquiries of Judith and Katherine at breakfast and found that the idea of going through all the questions at lunch had no appeal. As a result, the summons to the Mother Superiors office found her sat on her bed in apparent contemplation. When the preemptory knock on her cell door came she was almost asleep sitting up. She got up and went to the door in a daze, trying to clear her thoughts and come awake from her trance. When she opened the door, sister Beatrix was waiting, her mouth pursed as if she had been sucking on a lemon. ¡°You are required in the Mother Superiors office at once!¡± ¡°Yes Sister, do I have time to¡­¡± ¡°At once Sister Rose.¡± Sister Beatrix stalked off, clearly expecting immediate acceptance of her command. Rose followed, her head bowed. ¡°What did the Mother Superior want with her now?¡± * * * 1:35 PM, Sister Maria, Mother Superior¡¯s office. Sister Beatrix ushered her into the office of the Mother Superior without speaking, her contempt was clear. Rose took little heed of her she was too concerned about why she had been summoned. The Mother Superior was not alone in fact she stood at the right of her desk. Seated behind it in her chair was Bishop Albright, his face calm but eyes hard. To the left of the desk was a tall thin man in the black vestments of the Jesuit order, the investigator! Rose made her obeisance to the Bishop and the Mother Superior, then stood as calmly as she could in front of them, hands clasped to stop them shaking. ¡°Sister Rose, The Mother Superior has informed us that you found poor Sister Madeline yesterday and also reported the disappearance of the Relic.¡± The Bishop¡¯s voice was cool but not accusatory.¡°It is our wish that you talk us through what happened and for you to then accompany Father Barnard to the Reliquary and show him exactly where the body lay and assist him if he so requires.¡± ¡°Yes, your reverence¡± Rose stole a glance at Father Barnard. His face was impassive and cold grey eyes stared at her. She couldn¡¯t help but give a little shiver. It wasn¡¯t so very long ago that his order were burning heretics at the stake. If he realized what her investigations had involved she might be in serious trouble.She determined to tell him anything he asked about finding Madeline but not to offer any information about what she thought had occurred. * * * 1:55 PM, The Reliquary, Convent of the Carmelite Order Chester, England ¡°So, tell me Sister Rose, you spent much time with Sister Madeline in this room. Were you aware of any reasons for someone in the convent to have wanted her dead? ¡° ¡°No Father, all of the Sisters who came from France had been together for some time. There are only myself, Sister Judith and Sister Katherine and five novitiates who have joined the order since they got here.¡± ¡°You know these others well?¡± ¡°Sister Judith and Sister Katherine and I joined the order together, I do not know the novitiates that well, but they are all local girls.¡± ¡°Please show me where you found Sister Madeline, walk me through what you did.¡± Rose went through where she had found the body, what she did and how she found that the relic had gone missing. She volunteered no information other than what she was asked directly. As she got to the point in her explanation of leaving the room, the investigator stopped her. ¡°Thank you, Sister Rose, most complete. Tell me, what do you, think happened?¡± Rose hesitated before answering she needed to be careful here. If she told him what she thought had happened¡­. She didn¡¯t know what would happen to her. If the investigator noticed her hesitation he said nothing. ¡°I don¡¯t know Father; how someone could get into the convent and out again without leaving a trace?¡± she turned her response into a question of her own. She couldn¡¯t help a small glance to the corner where the trapdoor lay. The investigator looked in the same direction then walked over to stand looking down at it. ¡°What lies below Sister?¡± ¡°There is a cellar Father, we have more books stored down there as the room is a little cramped.¡± She gestured to the shelving around them. ¡°Do you have the key?¡± ¡°No Father, the Mother Superior has them at the moment I believe, but¡­.¡± she stopped realizing her mistake. ¡°But?¡± Rose sighed deeply, then confessed a little of the knowledge she had held back. ¡°On the morning of the theft and Sister Madeline,¡± she gestured to where the chair still lay overturned. ¡°I found the lock had been broken,¡± she finished in a rush. ¡°Why have you not mentioned this before?¡± ¡°I would have Father, but after speaking to the Mother Superior I was confined to my cell for the rest of the day.¡± ¡°Why was that Sister?¡± Rose stared at him, her thoughts racing, what could she say, had the Mother Superior already reported their conversation? ¡°Come Sister, there must have been some reason for the Mother Superior to order that. I can just as easily ask her.¡± ¡°I ¡­ I believe that Sister Madeline¡¯s death and the theft were not from natural means!¡± The words came tumbling out, She knew she was opening a door which might close behind her with a large clang. The rest of her days might be spent in a padded cell after all. The investigator studied her for a moment, his grey eyes calm but questioning. ¡°Thank you for being honest with me Sister, The Mother Superior has already told us of your fears. Why do you feel that there is some exterior evil force behind this? How could she explain without sounding mad or heretical? Father Barnard gestured to a chair as he went to the door and closed it. ¡°Sit down Rose, tell me about your fears, and I assure you this will remain between us.¡± His voice was kindly, but clearly commanding. Rose sat down, smoothing her habit over her knees nervously. Father Barnard pulled out another chair and sat opposite her. Rose wondered if her confessor would honor the sanctity of her confession or use her own words against her. She told her tale, the dreams she had had from childhood, her reasons for joining the order, how a vision had come to her when she cut her finger on the skull and then her vision of the imprisonment of the demon. She told of how she had learnt to read the books in this room and also of her dalliance with the works of Dee and Kelly amongst others. She told him of her suspicions and how she had made her scrying mirror and what she believed she had seen in it. Rose ended her confession with the discoveries of the previous night and that while she thought Mrs. Culpepper meant no harm she was still unsure enough to be concerned about seeing her tomorrow. Father Barnard listened in silence and when she had finished sat there looking at her without speaking. She felt nervous under his gaze and squirmed in her seat. Sensing her discomfort, the priest seemed to come back to himself. ¡°An interesting tale Rose, your achievements in reading are considerable. I have read the books of which you spoke, I am intrigued that you not only read them but what you were able to do with that knowledge.¡± Rose was surprised that the priest had read the same books. ¡°You realize of course that you are close to the edge of activity that would have you not only removed from the order but excommunicated as well?¡± Rose nodded miserably. ¡°I promised you that all you had to tell me would remain between us and I have no intention of breaking that promise!¡± He suddenly smiled at Rose. ¡°You would have made a fine Jesuit Rose if you had been born a man!¡± ¡°Now tell me, have you looked in the cellar since yesterday morning?¡± ¡°No Father, the Mother Superior locked the door after I went to her with the news.¡± ¡°Then I suggest we check your hypothesis and look in the cellar for further clues. Bring a candle ad let us see what is to be seen!¡± They lifted the trap door and with a candle each descended into the cool cellar. It did not take long to find how the creatures had come and gone. A thin trail of dirt led them to the far end of the cellar and a hole close to the floor where a stone about two feet square had been pushed into the cellar.A small pile of dirt led up to the hole that had been left by the tunneling into the cellar. They crouched and saw that the tunnel extended far enough that their candles no longer lit it. Father Barnard stood and spoke firmly. ¡°Well Rose, certainly something has recently burrowed its way in here. Was it capable of murdering Sister Madeline and making off with the relic?I cannot say, I have not seen these creatures as you have claimed to. For the moment we will keep this discovery to ourselves, while I make further inquiries. May I suggest strongly that you keep the appointment with Mrs. Culpepper and learn all that you can.¡± Chapter Thirteen: Wednesday the 29th of September 1852 6:00 PM, The Culpepper Estate, England Riding in the back of the carriage she listened to the hoof clops of the horses as they came up the drive of the manor house. Rose had been picked up and brought to the Culpepper estate. Glynnis Culpepper was one of the last members of a previously large landowning family. She was in her late forties and had been widowed for 20 years. Her late husband Aubrey had increased the family fortunes by his ventures in shipping before his untimely death. Not one to carry out his enterprise at arm''s length, he had perished in a shipwreck off of the island of Jamaica. She had never taken her husband¡¯s name an unusual occurrence that ensured the family name continued. Rather than remarry, despite many suitors attracted by her wealth and holdings, she had taken control of the estate and had learned to run it successfully for many years. She had acquired loyalty from her tenants and managers by going to them to learn how to manage their part of the estate¡¯s undertakings and consulted them when necessary, all contributing to the ongoing success of the estate. Rose was acquainted with her from when she would visit her father at the mill to negotiate storage and milling. The Culpepper land was diversified; she grew grain amongst other crops and had a large flock of sheep as well as fine herds of dairy and beef cows. The carriage pulled up to the front of the house, where a footman waited to attend her descent from the vehicle. The sandstone manor house was bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun and looked like honey in the warm light. The grey haired, stiffly upright butler led Rose across the marble floored foyer where a magnificent staircase led to the upper levels to the study where Glynnis stood expectantly, dressed in a pale lemon silk blouse, black velvet smoking jacket, jodhpurs and burnished black riding boots. Rose was slightly shocked on one hand, but also intrigued by the woman¡¯s panache. She was known for challenges to the traditional garments worn by a woman of her stature or for that matter any woman of the current age. ¡°Mrs. Culpepper, it''s a pleasure to see you again,¡± greeted Rose. ¡°Somewhat different circumstances to our last encounter eh? We will be having dinner in a few moments, but in the meantime can I offer you something to drink?¡± Glynnis asked. She motioned Rose to a wing-backed armchair in front of the fireplace as she sat in her own armchair. She herself was clearly enjoying a tumbler of scotch and smoking a strange smelling cigarette. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Culpepper, might I have a small sherry?¡± ¡°Of course, my dear! Haines, a sherry for Sister Rose if you please!¡± Certainly Madam, sweet or dry? Replied the butler. ¡°Sweet please.¡± The butler went to the drinks trolley and poured sherry into a schooner and placed it on a silver tray which he brought to Rose. ¡°Your sherry Sister¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Rose smiled at the butler who nodded and returned the tray to the trolley before leaving the room. ¡°Dammed good sort old Haines, was here for my father and then for me and my husband, god rest his soul. Now he keeps me on the straight and narrow.¡± Her tone and manner was gruff and obviously contained more than a little affection. ¡°Cheers!¡± Glynnis raised her glass and Rose echoed her sentiments. ¡°You seem distant tonight, far different from your frolic the other night,¡± stated Glynnis. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mrs. Culpepper, I did not mean to be so.¡± ¡°Please, call me Glynnis. I feel we are going to be friends Sister Rose.¡± She smiled at Rose. ¡°Thank you Glynnis and please, just Rose for tonight.¡± ¡°Now why so quiet and shy? You didn¡¯t strike me as the retiring type!¡± ¡°I am afraid that much has changed in the short time since we met at Potters End. We have sadly had a death at the monastery and to some more importantly a theft. The Relic of Saint Ostric was stolen and I believe not by mortal means.¡± ¡°When was this?¡± As Rose was about to reply she came to a sudden understanding. When Sister Madeline was murdered, and the relic stolen she had been with Glynnis and her sisterhood in the field at Potters End. They were not performing any rituals that might call forth the imps! Her last doubts about the woman faded. ¡°The night we met.¡± Glynnis nearly choked on the mouthful of scotch she was drinking. When she had recovered her equilibrium, she stood and flicked her cigarette into the hearth with force. ¡°Rose, I spent a fortune in time, effort and treasure to get that skull back here. I believe your Saint Ostric was instrumental in creating the partnership between the Christian and the Celtic, that has kept the beast of evil quiet for a very long time. That is why I worked so hard to get it returned to our community.¡± ¡°You were the one who petitioned for the Carmelites to return?¡± asked Rose, surprised. ¡°I was. The Mother Superior who led the convent to France after the dissolution was an ancestor of mine, a great ¨C great oh any number of greats, aunt of some sort and she was also one of us, a member of the sisterhood of the Morrighan¡± said Mrs. Culpepper, ¡°Come, I would like to show you the story of the Morighan. Bring your drink we may as well go through to the dining room anyway, dinner should be ready soon.¡± Glynnis led the way across the beautiful foyer and to a set of double doors of dark polished wood. ¡°Ebony, you know! Aubrey brought the wood back on one of his trips. Dammed heavy don¡¯t you know!¡± Inside the room the wood continued as half height paneling. Above it pastel colored walls covered three sides while the fourth had a number of French windows opening onto a generous sized terrace. The ceiling that soared above them was a high boat vaulted collection of timbers interlocked to provide support. The workmanship was stunning. The center of the room was filled by a beautiful mahogany table that could easily seat two dozen people. They went to the terrace side of the room and Glynnis turned and directed Rose¡¯s attention to the opposite wall. A fifteen-foot-long tapestry was suspended from brackets close to the vaulted ceiling. Intricate and quite beautiful in its workmanship, the pattern and pictures were worked with gold and silver thread that caught the lamplight and brought the pictures to life. ¡°The tapestry depicts a number of critical points in the history of what is now Chester and the land around the city. Long ago, when Britain was still connected to the rest of Europe by a land bridge where now the North Sea presides, this was a rich land, the river was wide and deep, and it was easy to get to and from the sea.¡± ¡°Our Celtic ancestors had made their way here following the wooly mammoth and other animals that are now gone. They found this land rich in animals and fruit and nuts and made their home here. They dwelt in peace, until a race of men to the west awoke an evil. That evil came from a realm separate from ours and it had one aim, to subjugate man and treat us as slaves.¡± ¡°The story of those times has been handed down by those who were taught how to battle the evil. A group of men and women we now call druids. The story stated that Seithfed Mab, a seventh son, sought this particular parcel of his fathers¡¯ lands. His father was fair and had provided all of his sons with an equal share upon his death, but Seithfed Mab wanted more.¡± ¡°He coveted the land but the brother who owned it would not give or sell it to him. In his anger he made a bargain with an evil from beyond our realm.¡± ¡°They say he might have been from Atlantis or at least a descendant and had means by which he could observe and walk in realms other than this one. The land would be his along with all other estates he desired, great wealth and power would be his, the bargain was made. His brother died and in time the land became his. It was then that the reality of the bargain struck. Whatever he coveted and acquired, then rotted and decayed. Land would grow nothing, animals died when they were quartered on it men women and children sickened and died. Seithfed Mab did not care because his soul was already corrupted and consumed by the demon. The corruption was spreading when the rulers of this land called together the heads of their religions and set them the task of ridding the land of this plague. Seithfed Mab fled from the land before they could contain him and made his way by ship to our shores. His ship brought him to the banks of the river Dee here in what is now Chester. The tapestry on the left shows how priests from Atlantis that hunted Seithfed Mab came from far to the west and taught our ancestors how to protect themselves and the land against the evil. They called upon the Morghanin the Earth Mother and she came to their aid and bound the evil in chains. The chains were not made of metal but were forged from the interaction of carved runes and shapes in stone and the power of the earth found in the ley lines. Seithfed Mab, was torn apart by the demon inside him when the priests bound him in chains of power.¡± ¡°When Atlantis disappeared, the evil stirred from its slumber but was bound again.¡± ¡°When the Romans came they brought a new order; stone roads where grass paths prevailed. Fortresses of stone and wood, and with their construction they interfered with the forces and stones that kept the evil in check. They harried and killed the priests and priestesses who kept watch on the evil and once again the evil awoke. In its attempts to win its freedom it slipped into the dreams and minds, of those who it could tempt with promises and lies.¡± ¡°There was a legionnaire¡­¡± ¡°Praefectus Castrorum Septimius,¡± interrupted Rose. ¡°Yes, he was the chief engineer for the legion and responsible for the major works created here. He was beguiled by the whisperings of the evil and set himself up as a king. When the legions of the Empire returned, conflict was inevitable. Septimius had persuaded some of the clan chiefs to aid him against the might of the legions. While the legions besieged the fort, the clans prepared to attack only to find legions behind as well as in front of them and they were crushed between the two forces and destroyed. Spetimius¡¯s forces soon surrendered after that and he was executed. The tapestry shows the forces arrayed against each other, but it also shows the truth. That in order for the legions from Rome to win, the sisterhood of the time had to call again on the power of the Morghanin, you can see their depiction to the right of the battle scene.¡± Rose looked where Glynnis pointed and could see that woven in gold thread were the shapes of a raven a horse and a wolf. ¡°The beast stirred again many years later, when the right to rule Britain was disputed by a number of men. It was a time of battle and warfare of kingdoms rising and falling. Christianity was supplanting the old religion and the power of the sisterhood was waning. A great quake had shaken Stonehenge which is central to the ley lines and that too had disrupted the bonds laid on the evil.¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°It was at this time when the evil was close to breaking its bonds and entering our realm fully that your Saint Ostric defeated him again¡±. Glynnis pointed to the next series of images, ¡°The Kingdom of Mercia was in crisis, the King had abdicated in favour of his nephew and the Ealderman of the Kingdom were uneasy over the succession, for many years they had followed Aethelred and could not understand his abdication. It was a daughter of a chieftain from the Ordovices and a member of the sisterhood named Garwen who along with Ostric, returned the evil to its prison. Ostric ascended into heaven and Garwen was overcome by the power of the Christian God and became a nun and thereby linked the sisterhood of the Morganhin and the brides of Christ as one. My sisterhood has been working to rejoin Ostric to this land and assure that the evil is kept in check. Whoever has been guiding the removal of our wards also knows of the skull¡¯s potential and has stolen it in order to gain control of that power.¡± finished Glynnis. ¡°Madam, dinner is served,¡± the butler announced, entering the room, behind him came a footman carrying a soup tureen. ¡°Let us have dinner and promise each other to the only gossip about the village,¡± said Glynnis leading Rose to one end of the table where it had been set for two. The two enjoyed the meal together. Rose followed Glynnis¡¯s lead in which utensil to use from the many knives, forks and spoons arrayed by her plate. The soup had been followed by a fine venison pate with salad, Rose particularly enjoyed the spatchcocked pheasant and savory side dishes served with it. The iced fruit with an iced cream that was served as dessert sent her into bliss, she had never tasted anything like it. While they always had a full plate at the convent, it was nothing like the food that had been served to her this night. She ruefully wondered how she would face the bland food from now on. She thought of poor Sister Madeline who would never get to return to being the cook as she had wanted. The talk over dinner was light and stayed with matters involving the people they both knew from the vicinity. Glynnis asked after her father and mother and how the mill was doing.She told Rose of the many other properties and businesses which she owned, and Rose knew many of those involved with them. Chester might be a city because of the presence of the cathedral, but it was a small city by many standards. There were other towns in the North that were larger as a result of the industrialization sweeping the country. Rose had been circumspect with the wine that went with dinner and refused a brandy. She did accept a coffee and found the taste strange and different from the tea that she normally drank. In the convent the tea was made from easily grown or gathered herbs and flowers. She was very fond of chamomile and rosehip. While responding to Glynnis¡¯s questions or descriptions of her businesses, Roses thoughts kept going to the tapestry, she could see it from where she sat. The tale that Glynnis had said was embodied in the weaving was at odds with her last vision. Should she tell Glynnis of it, what would be the impact of telling her that Ostric might not be the savior long thought? Glynnis stood and told her to bring her cup and saucer with her, she nodded to Haines and he picked up the tray on which the silver coffee set sat and followed after them as they left the dining room by a different set of doors to those they had used when they entered. The doors opened into a magnificent galleried library, with floor to ceiling shelves it seemed. Rose was awe struck she had never seen so many books, what wonders were there in this room! It took a moment for her to realize that Glynnis was calling her from across the room where she had opened another door, this once concealed in the paneling. She followed the older woman and was in turn followed by Haines down a stone spiral staircase into a room as wide and as long as the room above but with a ceiling not far above their heads. This room was chilly but not cold enough to be uncomfortable. Haines placed the tray bearing the coffee on a desk in the middle of the room and then went around the room lighting lamps stood in niches in the walls. In a few minutes, the room was fully lit by warm golden light. ¡°Thank you, Haines, that will be all for the moment, please tell the staff they may finish for the night, I will ring for you if I do need anything¡± ¡°Very good Madam!¡± Rose was stood not far into the room looking around in wonder. Around the outer perimeter of the room were benches and shelves with all sorts of strange and familiar objects on them. In one corner herbs were hung to dry while on the bench near them a large pestle and mortar sat along with jars full and empty. Other shelves held large books and on the desk was an opened portfolio with pictures of plants. On one wall there hung a large ornately mounted round mirror and below it on a pedestal a stone bowl of similar size. ¡°Come Rose, sit down and finish your coffee and I will explain all of this¡± Glynnis waved her hand at their surroundings. ¡°This is where I study herbology and use of the flora of this and other lands to help me with my sight. Like you, I was born with a natural talent, but I wasn¡¯t proficient or understanding until I was taught how to augment my inner eye with potions and elixirs as well as objects imbued with certain properties. Now, before you get your back up and accuse me of practicing witchcraft, I ask you to keep an open mind. ¡°Please, tell me what you see in the mirror?¡± ¡°Just a reflection of this room and us.¡± Glynnis indicated a set of different coloured glasses on the table, they resembled magnifying glasses. ¡°Look again, but this time through one of these. I would suggest the green one would be best for the first time.¡± Rose picked up the round glass object by its handle, she was surprised by the weight of it, she supposed it was the brass circle holding the glass and its wooden handle as well as the thickness of the glass itself. She held the glass up in front of her right eye and peered at the mirror. She gasped and almost dropped the glass. She held it to her eye again. This time when she looked at the mirror through it she could see not just the reflected room but twisting lines of colors that seemed to snake around and through the objects she could see. They were strongest where the herbs were drying, the colors brighter somehow. Rose gazed deeper into the mirror also she was certain she saw the silhouette of another figure beyond the mirror. ¡°What you can see are the aetheric energies that bind us and all living things, not just to this world but to the worlds beyond the mortal and other realms. The world is much more than you know at the moment Rose. That isn¡¯t a magnifying glass, but a spectral lens that I crafted in order to see the life forces that surround us¡± she indicated the other lenses on the desk. ¡°Each of these allows you to see slightly different aetherics and lines of power. I can teach you how to use these and herbs to enhance your natural abilities. Join our sisterhood Rose become a link between the old ways and Christianity. Use the power in both for good!¡± Glynnis¡¯s eyes were gleaming in the lamplight and enthusiasm was writ large across her face. Rose looked around the room at the drying plants and jars, the benches with other curious items on them. It pulled at her natural curiosity to know what purpose they had, but at the same time, she was unsure that joining with the woman in front of her and partaking of her methods would not be in direct conflict with the teachings of the church and her vows to the order. Glynnis could see the doubt in Roses face as she looked around the room. ¡°I also once thought of these methods akin to sorcery, but now I know from my research that what we perceive or name as magic is in essence, scientific principles that we do not understand fully. As the sciences of alchemy, biology and physics delves deeper into the elements of nature and our world, they have gone from the archaic concepts that everything was made simply from earth, air, fire and water, to the knowledge that; those substances themselves are created from smaller building blocks that make up the whole. One small change in just one of those blocks creates a different element or creature. Did you know that many of our greatest thinkers and scientists were alchemists? Bacon, Dee, even Isaac Newton were alchemists. I would argue James Watt and Robert Stephenson and the Mechanists are just using devices to hrness alchemical forces. I create tinctures and potions, from alchemical compounds that naturally occur, how is this different from those that the Alchemist synthesizes and distills in the alchemical forges of their werks?¡± Rose clasped her hands in her lap and took a deep breath. ¡°Glynnis, I have something to tell you. No, more than one thing. I think they may have a bearing on this evening as well as other matters. Firstly, I have told the investigator, Father Barnard all I am about to tell you.¡± Glynnis sat back in surprise ¡°you made no mention of an investigator, who is he?¡± ¡°He is an investigator of the papal See, a Jesuit priest.¡± ¡°An inquisitor!¡± hissed Glynnis. ¡°Why did you not mention this earlier! What have you told him of me?¡± ¡°Little if anything Glynnis¡± ¡°I should hope not! An inquisitor is never good news. They may not burn witches anymore, but they have other unpleasant methods of hunting down and destroying those they call witches. The Necronists have escaped their attention only because of the power of the Emperor Napoleon who protects and nurtures them.¡± ¡°Please let me explain, there are other things I have to tell you. With Father Barnard I examined the cellar under the reliquary and there was a small tunnel, similar to those in the old church. I told the Father about the creatures I had seen using my mirror. I also told him about my dreams and visions. He seemed quite understanding and had even read some of the books I have been reading.¡± ¡°The Jesuits are nothing if not well educated!¡± Glynnis murmured. ¡°It is the vision I had the night we met that I must tell you about.¡± Rose took a deep breath then continued. ¡°Glynnis, my vision that night told me a different story to the one in your tapestry. I found myself in the body of Garwen as she lay with Aelthered early in the morning. I saw the events unfold that morning. Garwen was not the demon¡¯s spawn she has been made out to be, it was she who imprisoned the demon, with the aid of the Morghanin and the Angel Ariel!¡± she paused waiting for Glynnis to comment. The other woman just sat face impassive, but her lips were clamped tight. ¡°Garwen offered to be baptized in the church to prove she was no demon, Ostric objected, but the other priests there did perform the ceremony and she was baptized without harm. It was then that we found ourselves in a strange place.¡± She continued to describe the dream, ¡°Garwen calling her sisters and along with the angel the demon was entombed.¡± As she spoke of the imprisonment of the demon Glynnis leant forward and put her arms on her desk as she stared intently at Rose. ¡°it was Aethelred¡¯s plan to have Ostric venerated and disguise the truth,¡± Rose came to a stop and waited for Glynnis to laugh or berate her. ¡°The return of the relic has been instrumental in completing the bridge between your church and the old ways, but I fear I did not see the truth after all. Instead of strengthening our ability to ward against the demon, I have brought about the means to free him.¡± Glynis looked intently at Rose. ¡°Tonight, is more important than I knew. I asked you here tonight to ask you to become one with us, to join our sisterhood, to become the one who is the bridge just as Garwen was. The theft of the relic makes me fear that time is growing short that we face the greatest challenge of our lives. We must not allow the demon his freedom. Please join with us, lend us your power,¡± beseeched Glynnis. ¡°Oh no, I have had enough of all of this. I have made up my mind to forget all about matters outside the teachings of the church and to concentrate on being a good and devoted nun. If Ostric could be corrupted, the same could happen to me. Madeline is dead and I fear I may join her. ¡°Rose, you saw those rifts in the field. Can you doubt the mystical force you saw with your own eyes? Not just the demon trying to escape but the power from the ley lines! Lines of force that circle the globe and join us all! You know you will never be able to turn your back on the world of the unseen. You have the sight! ¡°I know the doubts and fear that course through your mind!I have lived that life. A life of knowledge and fear and doubt, that what I have seen will come to pass or worse has already occurred and I cannot change matters! It has brought me sorrow and joy, so much so that each day that comes, I cannot decide if this is a gift or a curse.¡± Glynnis said with heart wrenching passion. Rose could see the tears standing in her eyes.¡± ¡°Rose, you have the power to be the strongest of us all, I can feel it in you, it is a light burning bright!¡± ¡°Let me ask you this, Rose, when you use your gift, when you look in the mirror, when you try to see the reason why bad things are happening, do you feel that what you do is bad or wrong or do you finally feel free and able to be yourself?¡± Rose thought on the question, ¡°I¡­. I feel that finally I was able to make sense of things.¡± ¡°Yes! It is as if you have been going through life in need of spectacles. Without the right prescription you are nearly blind, but with the right glasses...¡± Glynnis held up one of the crystal lenses, ¡°The world comes into focus and you can see and be comfortable with the environment around you. Until your sight is corrected you are plagued and confused by shadows and forms that you just can¡¯t quite discern¡± Glynnis picked up a green stone from her desk and held it up to the light. It caught the light and refracted it so that the outlines of the stone were blurred. ¡°This is Peridotite, this is its green aspect, it can be found in other colors such as you see here,¡± she gestured to the crystal lenses on the desk. ¡°It is one of the most ancient rocks on earth. It has come from deep in the earth. As it has travelled through the earth and its history, fragments of that history have become embedded in the stone like a memory. When it is made into a lens, then that memory can be released. More importantly, it can draw other memories of events to it. Those events must be local to where the lens is employed, they cannot ¡®far see¡¯, that requires other tools.¡± Rose sat deep in thought, looking at the lenses on the desk before her. ¡°Glynnis are these difficult to reproduce?¡± ¡°No Rose they are not. If you have access to the stones, then they may be ground to your specification. How you use them after they have been ground is up to you. Take this one with you I feel you may have need of it before too long for some reason!¡± Rose took the proffered lens and carefully put it in her pocket she could feel the weight of it there. Glynnis went to the wall where she pulled on a bell rope before heading to the stairs. ¡°Come, it grows late, and you have much to think about, I will ask Haines to have the carriage brought round to take you home, please give the Mother Superior my thanks for allowing this meeting.¡± Rose made her way upstairs with more questions than when she had descended. At the top Haines waited in the foyer for her. She bid her host a goodnight and with Haines in attendance left the house and stood on the steps outside. The night was cool, and the sky was clear, filled with stars. Haines spoke to her, ¡°It would seem we may have a frost by morning Sister,¡± he observed. ¡°You may well be right Mr. Haines winter seems to be galloping towards us.¡± She waited only a few moments before the carriage to take her back to the convent pulled up in front of the house and not long after she was seated in the carriage as it made its way down the long drive way and headed toward Chester. Her hand strayed to the pocket of her habit and felt the outline of the crystal. She did indeed have much to think on. Chapter Fourteen: Thursday the 30th of September 1852 2:20 PM, The Office of Sister Maria, Mother Superior Rose''s fingers trailed over the leather-bound spines of the ancient tomes she had just retrieved from the cellar. The musty scent of old parchment clung to her habit, a comforting smell that usually brought her peace. But today, her mind was far from tranquil. Father Barnard''s investigation had concluded, allowing her back into the Reliquary, but the mysteries surrounding recent events still gnawed at her conscience. The soft padding of footsteps drew her attention. Sister Judith approached, her brow furrowed with concern. "Rose, the Mother Superior wants to see you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Rose''s heart skipped a beat. "Did she say why?" Judith shook her head. "No, but she seemed... troubled." As they made their way through the convent''s cool, stone corridors, Rose''s mind raced. Had Father Barnard discovered something? Or worse, had there been another incident? The familiar wooden door of the Mother Superior''s office loomed before them. Sister Beatrix stood guard, her perpetual frown deepening as she saw Rose. "Go in," she said curtly, "they''re waiting for you." Rose''s confusion grew. They? She stepped into the office, the floorboards creaking beneath her feet. To her surprise, she found herself ushered not into the office proper, but towards the visitor''s parlour. The Mother Superior stood there, along with Father Barnard. Their faces were inscrutable masks, revealing nothing of what was to come. Once Rose had made her customary obeisance, the Mother Superior wordlessly unlocked the door separating the outer and inner parlours. The hinges groaned, the sound unnaturally loud in the tense silence. In the inner parlour, Rose was met with an unexpected sight. The Sheriff paced back and forth like a caged animal, his boots scuffing against the floor with each turn. One of his sergeants stood stoically by the outer door, his presence a silent reminder of the gravity of the situation. The Sheriff barely acknowledged the Mother Superior and Father Barnard before rounding on Rose. His eyes, normally warm and paternal, now blazed with an intensity that made her take a step back. "I understand you were at the Culpepper house last night?" he demanded, his voice sharp. Rose''s mind whirled. Why was the Sheriff questioning her? And why here, in the convent? She glanced at the Mother Superior, seeking guidance, but found only a slight nod. The message was clear: answer truthfully, but Rose knew instinctively that the whole truth might be more dangerous than a carefully crafted response. "Yes, Sir," she replied, striving to keep her voice steady. "Mrs. Culpepper invited me to dinner." The Sheriff''s eyes narrowed. "And what, pray tell, did you discuss during this... dinner?" Rose took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully. "We talked about local history, Sir. Mrs. Culpepper has a fascinating tapestry depicting events from pre-Christian times through to the early Christian kings." She allowed a note of girlish enthusiasm to creep into her voice. "Oh, and the food was simply wonderful! She saw a flicker of impatience cross the Sheriff''s face. Good, she thought. Let him think me a simple, easily distracted girl. "Did you notice anything... unusual about Mrs. Culpepper or her household?" he pressed. A chill ran down Rose''s spine. "Unusual, Sir? I''m not sure I understand. I was the only guest, if that''s what you mean." She turned to the Mother Superior, allowing confusion to show on her face. "What''s this about?" The Mother Superior''s normally stern countenance softened slightly. "I''m afraid there''s been an incident, Rose. Mrs. Culpepper was attacked last night." Rose felt the blood drain from her face. Her shock was genuine as she gasped, "Attacked? Is she alright? When did this happen?" "She was found near the grove in Potter''s End," the Sheriff interjected. "She''s suffered severe head injuries and is now in a coma at the hospital." Rose''s mind raced. Potter''s End - where she had first met Glynnis and the other members of the sisterhood. She struggled to keep her expression neutral as she asked, "Where exactly did this happen?" The Sheriff, caught off guard by the authority in her voice, answered almost reflexively. "By the stile at the edge of the field. Part of the upright was broken off - we believe it was the weapon used in the attack." Rose''s gaze flicked between the Mother Superior and Father Barnard. The priest gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. Message received. Say nothing of the sisterhood or their activities. "That''s... that''s terrible," Rose managed, her voice thick with genuine concern for Glynnis. "But I''m afraid I can''t be of much help. I left well before then - around half past ten, I believe. Perhaps Mr. Haines, the butler, might know more? Mrs. Culpepper mentioned she often took late-night walks to help her sleep." The Sheriff''s shoulders slumped slightly. "Yes, we''ve spoken to Haines. He confirmed she left the house around eleven." Rose could see the frustration etched on the Sheriff''s face. She felt a pang of guilt for her deception, but knew she couldn''t reveal the truth without endangering Glynnis and the others. "I''m sorry I couldn''t be of more help, Sheriff," she said softly. The man nodded, the fight seeming to go out of him. "Thank you for your time, Sister. Mother Superior, Father, if you''ll excuse me, I should return to the hospital." As the Mother Superior showed the Sheriff out, Father Barnard fixed Rose with a penetrating gaze. When they were alone, he spoke in a low voice. "What did you really learn last night, Rose?" Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Rose hesitated, torn between her loyalty to Glynnis and her respect for Father Barnard. Finally, she opted for a half-truth. "Only that there are forces at work in this town that go beyond what most people understand, Father. Forces that some are trying to control, for good or ill." Father Barnard studied her for a long moment, his brow furrowed in thought. Then, to Rose''s surprise, he smiled and nodded. "I understand, Rose. More than you might think." * * * 11:20 PM, The Cell of Sister Rose, Carmelite Convent The small cell felt more confining than ever as Rose paced its length for what felt like the hundredth time. The nightly contemplation bell had rung over an hour ago, but her mind was far too active for prayer or sleep. She ran her fingers over the rough stone walls, feeling the coolness seep into her skin. The dichotomy of her situation wasn''t lost on her - here she was, a nun sworn to a life of contemplation and service to God, yet she found herself embroiled in matters that many would consider heretical. With a sigh, Rose made her decision. She couldn''t sit idly by while Glynnis lay injured and malevolent forces worked in the shadows. She slipped out of her habit, the familiar fabric falling away to reveal the simple dress her mother had made. It felt like shedding a skin, stepping out of one life and into another. She retrieved her satchel from its hiding place beneath a loose floorboard, checking its contents with trembling hands. The copper mirror caught the faint moonlight filtering through her narrow window, its surface seeming to ripple with unseen energies. Next to it lay the candles and the crystal lens Glynnis had given her. Rose''s fingers lingered on the lens, remembering the older woman''s words about her gift. As she prepared to leave, Rose''s mind wandered back to the carriage ride home from the Culpepper estate. She had spent the journey staring blindly out the window, her thoughts a maelstrom of confusion and possibility. Part of her had wanted to embrace this new world that Glynnis had shown her, to fully explore the gifts she had long tried to suppress. But another part, the obedient nun she had strived to be for years, recoiled from the idea. Now, with Glynnis attacked and the threat to the town growing, Rose knew she could no longer remain passive. Whether her abilities were a gift from God or something else entirely, she had to use them. Holding her breath, Rose eased open the door of her cell. The hinges, usually silent, seemed to shriek in the quiet of the night. She froze, heart pounding, certain that at any moment she would hear the alarmed voices of her sisters. But the corridor remained silent. Moving like a shadow, Rose made her way through the familiar paths of the convent. Every creak of a floorboard, every whisper of her skirts against stone, sounded thunderous to her ears. As she passed through the cloisters, the moonlight cast eerie shadows across the courtyard, and for a moment, Rose thought she saw movement in the darkness. She pressed herself against a column, hardly daring to breathe, but nothing materialized. Finally, she reached the door of the Reliquary. To her surprise, a faint light seeped from beneath it. Rose''s heart raced. Had the thief returned? Or was it something worse - one of the imp-like creatures she had seen before? Her hand hovered over the door handle. Every instinct told her to run, to return to the safety of her cell. But the image of Glynnis, lying hurt and alone in a hospital bed, steeled her resolve. With a silent prayer for courage, Rose grasped the handle and turned it. The door swung open with a soft creak, revealing a sight that stopped Rose in her tracks. Father Barnard sat at a small desk, a single candle illuminating the book before him. He looked up, his expression unsurprised. "Come in, Rose," he said quietly, "and close the door." Stunned, Rose complied. Before she could speak, Father Barnard rose and approached her. His eyes fell on the satchel she carried, and he held out his hand. Wordlessly, Rose passed it to him. The priest peered inside, his expression unreadable in the flickering candlelight. After a moment, he returned the bag and resumed his seat. "I expected you earlier," he said, his tone conversational, as if finding a nun sneaking out in the middle of the night was a common occurrence. "I assume, given the contents of your bag, that you intend to investigate Mrs. Culpepper''s attack?" Rose swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry. "Yes, Father," she admitted. "I thought... with the crystal Mrs. Culpepper gave me, I might be able to see more about what happened to her. And perhaps... perhaps I could learn more about Sister Madeline''s death as well." Father Barnard nodded slowly. "Very well," he said, gesturing to the space before him. "Proceed. I''m most interested to see your methods." Rose stared at him, certain she had misheard. Surely he wasn''t encouraging her to use what many would consider occult practices? Seeing her hesitation, Father Barnard''s expression softened. "It''s alright, Rose. You have nothing to fear from me. I''ve seen much in my years with the Jesuits, and I''ve learned that the world is far more complex than many would have us believe." Still uncertain, but bolstered by his words, Rose began to set up her implements. She arranged the candles in a semicircle, their flames casting dancing shadows on the walls. With reverent care, she placed the copper mirror before her, angling it to catch the candlelight. Taking a deep breath, Rose began the incantation she had learned, the words feeling both foreign and familiar on her tongue. She held the green crystal lens up to her eye, peering through it into the mirror''s depths. At first, she saw only her own reflection, distorted by the lens. But as she focused, the image began to shift and blur. Slowly, a scene began to form in the mirror''s surface. Rose gasped as she saw Sister Madeline materialize, dozing in her chair as she so often had in life. Father Barnard leaned forward, his eyes searching the mirror''s surface. "What do you see?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "It''s Sister Madeline," Rose breathed. "She''s sleeping, just as she always did. But... oh!" Rose''s hand flew to her mouth as she watched the trapdoor to the cellar begin to rise. Three pairs of glowing red eyes peered out from the darkness below, sending a chill down her spine. She described the scene to Father Barnard as it unfolded - the emergence of the imp-like creatures, their stealthy approach to the sleeping nun. Her voice faltered as she witnessed Sister Madeline''s final moments, the sickening twist as the creature snapped her neck. But it was the next moment that truly shook Rose to her core. As she watched, the face of the creature blurred and shifted, taking on the features of the younger Watts girl. "How is this possible?" she whispered, more to herself than to Father Barnard. The priest leaned closer, his brow furrowed. "What do you see now, Rose?" Rose described how the creatures retrieved the skull relic, their movements quick and purposeful as they disappeared back into the cellar. As the vision faded, she lowered the lens, her hand trembling. "What now, Father?" she asked, turning to the priest. Her mind was reeling from what she had witnessed, the implications of the creature''s transformation sending waves of dread through her. Father Barnard''s expression was grave as he considered her words. "The evidence seems clear, Rose. There is indeed a malevolent force at work here, one that goes beyond simple human wickedness." He paused, fixing her with an intense gaze. "The question now is: what do you propose we do next?" Rose took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. The path ahead was uncertain and fraught with danger, but she knew she could no longer stand idly by. "We need to find out where these creatures came from, Father, and who''s controlling them. And we need to do it quickly, before anyone else gets hurt." Father Barnard nodded, a glimmer of approval in his eyes. "Then we''d best get to work. The night is young, and we have much to do." As they began to plan their next move, Rose felt a mixture of fear and exhilaration course through her. She was stepping into a world she barely understood, guided by abilities she was only beginning to grasp. But with Father Barnard''s unexpected support and her own growing resolve, she felt ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. Chapter Sixteen: Friday the 1st of October 1852 1:20 AM, Carmelite Convent, Chester England Rose stood outside the eastern wall of the convent with Father Barnard. Between them, they had worked out the most likely spot for the tunnel dug by the creatures to reach the surface beyond the walls. It did not take them long to discover the hole; though hidden partly by long grass, there was a scattered mound of soil, roughly where they expected. Father Barnard had brought a lamp with them, and using its light, Rose moved the mirror and lens in tandem and was soon rewarded with the image of the creatures emerging from the tunnel, the skull with them. The imps picked up the skull between them and scuttled off toward the town center. Rose turned to Father Barnard who simply said, "Follow." They followed the trail of the creatures, using the lamp, mirror, and lens combination, and only once had to backtrack a short way. Rose used the combination at each junction of the trail where the creatures might have changed course, but for the most part, it ran straight into the area of the town where the shops were situated. Rose was startled when, as she checked the mirror at a junction, she saw the creatures pause and look around them. As she watched, the creature''s features flickered, and the faces of the sick children she had visited were imposed on the familiar grey visage. She looked around and saw that she was near the Watts girls'' home. Was this the answer to the children''s unknown illness? The imps were involved in some way. Rose followed the creature''s path as they moved off again, down an alley at the back of a row of shops she knew well. Towards the end of the row were Mr. Cooper''s premises. She felt a rising anxiety for her friend. Was he also to be attacked? As she and the priest reached the shop''s back door, she checked again with the mirror and lens and they watched as the creatures climbed the steps to the door, pushed it open and entered the building. * * * 2:00 AM, Chester Book and Print Chester, England Rose paused with Father Barnard beside her outside the back door to Mr. Cooper''s shop and watched the creatures'' progress replay in the mirror. "Whose door is this, Rose?" whispered the priest, sensing her alarm. "It is the back entrance to Mr. Cooper''s bookshop," she whispered. "He helped me to learn to read the manuscripts and lent me the books by Dee and Kelly." Father Barnard did not comment on this piece of information but just carefully stepped up to the door. He gave it a gentle push, and it swung open. Rose joined him, and they peered into the interior together. A faint glow could be seen at the end of the corridor before them. Rose wondered where it would be in the shop and realized it came from the basement area. "It''s coming from the basement," she whispered. "What''s down there?" "I don''t know. I have never been down to it." They crept down the hall, the light growing stronger as they neared the end. The door to the basement stood ajar, and from there, the light spilled into the hall. She followed Father Barnard down the steps, which creaked slightly as they descended. Anyone below would know they were coming. The priest came to a sudden stop, and Rose bumped into him. She peered over his shoulder and cried out in horror at the scene before her. The basement room was lit by oil lamps casting a warm glow over a bizarre sight. Mr. Cooper was stretched out on an old sofa, his shirt unbuttoned. The three grey imps were arranged around him, with one sat on him. The imps looked up at them as Rose''s cry alerted them to her presence, then returned to their previous activity. "No!" Rose''s voice arose in anguish, "Get off him!" she tried to push past Father Barnard, who held her back. The creatures seemed to be feeding on Cooper. Their mouths were against the skin of his stomach and seemed to be sucking on him. Cooper stirred and opened his eyes, and peered at them blearily. "What? Who''s there?" his eyes focused, and he saw Rose and Father Barnard standing on the stairs. "Oh, this is a little embarrassing. You found me receiving one of my treatments." He brushed at the creatures, and they stopped their sucking and jumped to the back of the sofa, where they glared malevolently at the intruders. Their obsidian black eyes fixed on the intruders who had interrupted their meal. Cooper sat up and began to button his shirt. "Mr. Cooper, are you alright? Please get away from them. Let us help you!" "Ah, Rose, there is nothing to fear. I have not come to any harm! No, quite the opposite, my friends here have made me well again." He smiled at the creatures and then at his visitors. "Please introduce me to your companion, Rose." The priest''s mellow voice answered Cooper, "I am Father Barnard of the Jesuits and the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office. You may know us better as the Curia." "Ah, the Inquisition! Yes, I see, you have powerful friends, Rose!" the last was said with venom in Cooper''s voice. "What brings you here at this hour, Rose, and with such august company?" "Mr. Cooper, please, come away from those things!" Rose pleaded. "These?" Cooper gestured at the three creatures lined up on the back of the sofa. "They mean no harm to me, they have helped me, they have reduced the growths in my belly a little longer, and they will be gone completely!" Rose felt her senses reeling. She felt sick. The combination of Cooper''s gleeful look as he talked about the little monsters eating off of him brought her near to tears. "Dear God in Heaven, Mr. Cooper, what are you talking about? These are the evil little beings I have seen doing such foul work about the town!" declared Rose. "Oh, you must be mistaken, Sister Rose. These are my friends. Not that we have much of a relationship, but they have been the source of my renewed health and vitality. When Dr. Belkin could not provide a solution through medicine, I followed your lead and sought a spiritual solution." He finished buttoning his shirt. "When I found out I had cancer, I knew conventional means offered little promise. I had seen the ravages of this affliction on my brothers and father. I chose to take another course, and like you, I also pursued the unconventional." "On the desk, there is an old scroll. It is a transcription of a scroll dating from the time of the Romans, an account of a verbal history from centuries before. It tells of a time when a great evil was awakened in the west, beyond the Pillars of Hercules. The man who awakened this evil fled in fear from the anger of his people and arrived here when our ancestors were first arriving from the east when we were still connected to the mainland of Europe. The scroll tells how he set himself up as a ruler and was aided in his rule by three spirits of a small man-like appearance," he gestured at the three imps. "I came across this scroll in a box of books and other ephemera from a house sale over the border. When I read its contents, I knew that there was a possible solution to my problem. The scroll tells how the man from the West could extend his life and cure ills with the aid of his spirits. He was known as Seithfed Mab. I don''t know if that was his name or a title. More importantly, it gave me the incantation that he used to call the spirits. At the summer equinox last year, I spoke the words of the ritual, and the spirits appeared to me. Since then, I have learned to call them to me." Rose did not know whether to be afraid of or angry at the man and the imps. "James, please, those creatures are not helpful spirits. They are evil. They are not under your control. You and they are doing the work of the great evil you found in the scroll. It is a great demon prince who gained entry into our world and sought to rule all of us but was kept bound by magical and mystical means." "You disappoint me, Rose; I had hoped better from you, I thought we were friends, but I see you have learned little in the last year." Cooper gave her a wry smile, moved closer and whispered as if he didn''t want the creatures to hear him, "These little beings are completely within my control. I can summon and dispense with them as I see fit and all they desire is to dine on my affliction," he concluded. "Those things belong to the demon Marbas! I have seen their work at the Cathedral, where they killed the Masons, I have seen them at the temple and then in the reliquary, they killed Sister Madeline!" Rose''s voice was anguished. As she spoke her eyes filled with tears. "Oh James, you have been beguiled and tricked by the promises of the demon just as others before you. I know that story Mr. Cooper, Seithfed Mab made a pact with Marbas for his brother''s land, and he was given immense power; whatever he coveted would become his, only to have it later blighted and ruined. Along with the land, Seithfed Mab''s soul and body were consumed by Marbas, just as Septimius the Roman and then Ostric were tricked by the demon and were consumed, why would you be any different?" pleaded Rose. "You have never been in control; these creatures have been busy at the tasks set them by Marbas. They are taking lives, they killed the Masons, they killed Sister Madeline! Their purpose is to destroy the wards that keep Marbas in check, they are evil James! Evil!" "Rose, why can you not understand, these little men have almost healed me. I may have used powers that the church may not approve of, but I am not alone in that am I?" he shot a sly look at Father Barnard. "Mr. Cooper, we all have this so wrong; I shouldn''t have tampered with these forces, nor should you and now we are the cause of the trouble in our beloved town," Rose sobbed. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. "I really don''t see how? I think it''s best you leave now," said Cooper. Father Barnard spoke then, "I am afraid Mr. Cooper that we will not be able to, just forget this. People have died and more may follow. Was it you who attacked Mrs. Culpepper?" Cooper looked at him for a moment then giggled, "the old bitch kept getting in the way of my little friends, so I had a friend of mine visit her to make the problem go away." Rose was horrified at his words but still wanted to help him if she could, and she knew how her curiosity had drawn her to take more and more risks with the arcane. He was probably caught up in a similar circumstance. "You agree that there are metaphysical forces to draw on, and that like me, you have learned some control of it?" "Obviously! I know that my study and work has produced healing results that medicine could not" argued Cooper. "Mr. Cooper, James, you have been beside me as I journeyed to understanding my dreams; you have helped and encouraged me! You know most of what I have seen or suffered. You know I would not lie to you. Believe me when I say that you have been drawn into a trap that the demon uses to further its goal of freedom from the chains set upon it. I understand how important regaining your health and being free from pain is to you, but James, do you realize these beings you summoned are somehow tied to the lives of the children who are sick? That they somehow feed on them to live?" Cooper laughed at her. "Oh Rose, you really have learned little, and you are far too trusting and na?ve!" He turned and waved at the imps who had left the back of the sofa and were now clustered on the seat cushion behind Cooper. "They do not feed on the children! No! They feed on me! They feed on the tumors within me. Once they have drawn off these dark cells and humours they need to get rid of them, to pass them on to others. Those children are strong, and this time, I have three recipients available rather than just two, so they will easily dissipate the illness of one old man," said Cooper. Rose felt her knees go weak at the words of the man she thought was her mentor and friend. She felt the firm grip of Father Barnard on her elbow, holding her upright and supporting her. She could not comprehend how far into the grip of Marbas, her friend, had fallen. "James, they are children, just children. How could you do this to them?" A memory rose to the surface of her mind. "The Pierce children; that was you?" "Erm, yes, it would seem so; I think that my illness was not as bad then, but of late, it has grown worse, and I needed more of my little friends to spread out the affliction. As you see this has been working much better. I am as fit as I have ever been, and only two of the children have died," boasted Cooper. Oh, he is truly lost. "How did you learn how to do this?" asked Rose. "The scroll, it explained how Seithfed Mab achieved his long life. It was simple to work out the required incantation to summon the spirits." Rose stepped over to the desk. The scroll was partly unrolled. It was covered in hieroglyphics. From what Rose could see they were similar to Egyptian hieroglyphs. "Yes, that''s it and just like you set out to learn from the Exaltation of Ostric, I did the same with that scroll. It really is providential Rose, to have these teachings given to us and their secrets revealed," said Cooper. "May I?" Rose gestured to the scroll with her hand. Cooper came over to stand next to her. His presence made her skin crawl. "You won''t be able to read it, but certainly," said Cooper as he picked up the scroll and began to turn both ends. "Did you know? Seithfed Mab was a seventh son, just as I am a seventh son; providential, I would say!" His smile bordered on maniacal. He put the scroll back down on the desk, and then Rose saw a skull of Ostric. "Mr. Cooper, how did that get here?" Rose pointed to the skull. "What? I have never seen that before. I have no idea how it got into my shop." Cooper blurted, genuinely surprised. He turned to Rose with a confused look. Rose''s eyes darted from him to the creatures, for the moment still on the sofa. As Cooper lifted the skull, they leaped down from the sofa and began to close in on him and Rose. "Your creatures, Mr. Cooper," Rose could sense his lack of understanding. Like others before him, he had been beguiled by the one who was in true control, Marbas. The three imps made a low, throaty growl as they moved closer to Rose and Cooper. "James!" Rose''s voice was full of alarm at the creature''s advance. Cooper said nothing, his expression vague and lost. "Rose!" called Father Barnard, "We must leave. It''s too dangerous!" The imps advanced, and their whole attitude was one of aggression. Rose picked up the scroll from the desk and snatched the skull from Cooper''s hands. She dashed the stairs. Father Barnard was already halfway up them. She heard a growl behind her and knew the imps were in pursuit. "No!" yelled Cooper. She had almost cleared the stairs when the imps tackled her. Rose went down hard at the top of the stairs, and the scroll and the skull flew out of her hands. She landed painfully on the top riser and step. She felt the claws of the little grey men clawing at her skirt, seeking the flesh beneath. She screamed as the digging claws hit the back of her thighs and then her lower back. Father Barnard appeared above her, his arm outstretched to help her to her feet. He was suddenly pushed aside and, in his place, a small woman armed with a stout yew stick swung at the foremost creature on Rose''s back. Rose heard the solid smack of the wood on the imp and the weight of it on her back lift off her, followed by the imp''s scream of anger as it flew back down the stairs. The two remaining creatures clawing at Rose launched themselves at the woman at the top of the stairs. As Rose stumbled to her feet the first woman was joined by another and the imps flew at them snarling. Fierce, solid and muscular, it took all the women''s attention to keep the creatures from sinking their claws and teeth into them. The women moved back from the doorway, their hands grasping the imps at arm''s length to keep their teeth and claws from their throats. Father Barnard returned to the opening and offered Rose his hand. Rose grasped it and held tight as he pulled her up into the hallway. Behind her she heard an outraged shriek and knew the last imp was battling its way out of the cellar. Rose picked up the scroll and skull that had skittered to the far wall of the hallway. Behind her she could hear the scratch of the last creature''s claws on the wooden steps. To her left the unknown women were battling with the two imps while to her right Father Barnard was trying to urge her to flee. She followed him into the small room at the back of the shop where she had spent many an hour talking with Certainly. I''ll continue from where I left off, fixing spelling and grammar: James Cooper. In the small hearth, a dismal fire smoldered. I may not be able to get away from these things, but Cooper is done with his dark magic, Rose thought as she threw the scroll into the embers. Small tendrils of smoke began to arise from the scroll as the embers heated the papyrus to burning point. She felt torn between destroying the scroll and the pull of satisfying her curiosity to read its entirety. This scroll was the one that had corrupted her friend and mentor; it went into the hearth with the hope that its destruction might save him. The edges of the scroll caught faster, and flickered with flame. Maybe it was the age or the material, but the scroll produced an inordinate amount of smoke as it burned. Rose was still holding the skull of Ostric when the third imp appeared in the room. It screeched at her as it raced toward the hearth only to be swept up by Father Barnard. He held it away from him, its arms trapped by his grasp. It squirmed and struggled, trying to reach him with its teeth and claws. "Throw it into the fire," Rose said to the priest. He moved towards the fire, the creature struggling harder as it realized his intent. Rose stepped forward and grasped its kicking, squirming legs and together with the priest threw the imp into the slowly growing fire. The moment the imp landed on top of the scroll, from which small flames were now licking upwards, it screamed in pain and anguish. Green flame shot up and the creature dissolved; it was simply no longer there. The flames that had been hesitant and sputtering were now burning with a ferocity to equal a blacksmith''s forge as they fed on the substance of the imp. Smoke billowed beyond the capacity of the chimney to cope with it and began to fill the room. Rose and Father Barnard retreated before the smoke, which had a faint smell of rotting eggs, and into the hallway. The women Rose had seen earlier were still battling the other two imps, each trying to find an opening to subdue the other. Rose went to the aid of the nearest woman whose hands were around the neck of the imp. Even though she was clearly squeezing tightly, the imp was still trying to gouge her with its hind claws. The claws on the creature''s hands were dug into the meat of the woman''s upper arms, and she was having difficulty keeping the creature at bay. Rose grabbed for its legs as the woman''s arms grew weaker and the creature''s jaws moved closer to her throat. As Rose grasped its ankles, the creature sunk its teeth into the woman''s collarbone. She let out a shriek of pain and relaxed her grip on the creature. Rose pulled on the creature, but it only made the creature clench its teeth harder. Rose was aware of Father Barnard passing her and his shout as he struck the creature struggling with the other woman with his fist in which was clasped a silver crucifix. That creature released its grip on the woman''s right arm in which its teeth were firmly fixed and screeched as it flew down the hallway with the force of not just the blow but of the holy object in the priest''s hand. Rose could not make the imp she held let go of the woman and was having a hard time stopping its squirming form from escaping her grasp. She turned to Barnard and called for his help. He was quickly at her side and struck the creature between the eyes with the cross he held. It shrieked in agony and as its teeth and claws relaxed their grip on the woman, Rose pulled it clear and flung it into the smoke-filled room. The two women had sunk to the floor, their wounds trickling blood, their pain obvious. The creature returned to view from the room, its eyes now glowing red with an inner fire. From behind them came a growl as the imp Barnard had first struck moved towards them. The door to the alleyway opened wider and Mrs. Weber stepped into the hall. She was speaking in a language that Rose did not fully understand; some words she recognized, but for the most part, the language was new to her. Mrs. Weber threw out her hands wide as she finished speaking and both imps turned to look at her. From out of the smoke that had begun to fill the hallway but was now being pushed back by the draught from the open back door, emerged the wolf of Rose''s dreams. The animal was enormous, as tall as a pony, and around its black-furred form a faint blue nimbus shimmered. Its jaws closed on the head of the first imp and with a quick flick of its head, the imp fell limp as its neck broke. It dropped the imp and brushed past Rose and the priest, and its jaws closed on the head of the second imp as it made for the cellar steps in an attempt to flee. There was a loud crunch and that imp too hung limp in its jaws. It turned to look at them, its golden-eyed gaze steady and knowing. It padded past them back to the room from which it had emerged and dropped its burden next to the first body. It then closed its mouth around the two imps and stepped into the smoke. The smoke was drawn after it and the air cleared. Rose and Father Barnard got to the doorway just in time to see the wolf step into the flames in the fireplace and fade from view. The smoke, flames, scroll, and imps disappeared along with the wolf as if they had never been. Mrs. Weber spoke from behind them. "You have been privileged to see the Mother." They turned to her and Rose opened her mouth to question her when a shriek of despair came from the cellar. Mr. Cooper, she had forgotten him. She pushed past Mrs. Weber and hurried down the steps to the room below. She could not help the cry of shock that escaped her lips at the sight of Mr. Cooper. Her friend and mentor was sprawled on the couch, mouth twisted in a rictus of pain, eyes staring and unseeing. His shirt had torn open as his stomach had expanded and was now bloated with knobs of growths beneath the taut skin as if he was nine months pregnant. Rose turned away then sadly made her way up the steps. In the hallway, Mrs. Weber and Father Barnard were attending to the wounds of the two injured women. The bleeding was slowing but they were both clearly in pain and in need of medical assistance. Rose''s mind was full of questions for Mrs. Weber, but it was she who spoke first. "Rose, be a dear and go to the corner of the street. You should find Mrs. Belkin there. We have need of her skills and knowledge." Rose was not surprised to find out that the doctor''s wife also had the necessary understanding of medicine to be able to help the injured women. Mrs. Belkin was indeed concealed in the shadows at the corner of the street, and they swiftly returned to the bookshop where the doctor''s wife immediately began treating the worst of the wounds with salves and bandages she took from the satchel with her. Father Barnard came and stood next to Rose, his aid no longer needed. "I assume that is the relic?" he nodded to the skull clasped tightly in Rose''s arms. "What of Cooper?" Rose grimaced as she replied. "He is dead. His cancer returned to his body as those creatures died. I think we shall find the children returned to good health again in the morning." Mrs. Weber joined them, and Rose asked the question foremost in her mind. "I am most grateful for your help, Mrs. Weber, but how did you and the others know where to come?" Mrs. Weber gave a little laugh. "Rose, the entire sisterhood has been on the lookout for you since the attack on Glynnis. We were unsure if you were behind it; you were the last person to speak to her. We know that much from Haines. When you left the convent tonight, we followed you. I must say you led us on a merry dance through town. We had a difficult time remaining unseen. We were fortunate that the Morrighan responded so quickly to my prayer. She must have been close to our world already." "The Morrighan?" queried Father Barnard. "The wolf. It was that aspect the Mother chose to use," Mrs. Weber said. The priest nodded but said no more. "How is Mrs. Culpepper?" asked Rose. "She will recover in time. I fear she may never be her true self again, and we will need to choose a new leader, but she will live!" "Now, you should get away from here, both of you. We have things under control." "What about Mr. Cooper?" "He was an ailing old man; his time had come!"