Midnight Petals | Halloweentown

Prologue

prologue | stay safe

Levana Sylver leant against the railing of her bedroom balcony, looking out at the town with tears blurring her vision; her bedroom door had opened, but she hadn't even twitched at the sound, too focused on wallowing in grief to care about who had chosen to bother her.

She still couldn't believe that her father was dead, murdered in the human world by a suspected Knight. It just didn't feel real, it felt like she was trapped in a nightmare, with no father there to comfort her.

Ethan Dalloway's heart clenched at the state of his best friend; it was obvious that she hadn't left her bedroom in days. Her wavy midnight hair was unbrushed, thrown into a sloppy bun on the back of her head. Dark purple bags hung from her eyes like spiders from their webs, and her once fiery eyes had lost almost all trace of saturation. She was wearing a pale orange hoodie that she'd stolen from him a few months after the Cromwell family had reversed the grayspell; he remembered the day like it had happened yesterday.

...

"Why don't you wear your own clothes, for once?" He chuckled, kicking his feet up on his charcoal colored desk, watching in amusement as the 4'11 witch pillaged his closet.

Levana spun around, looking at him with wide eyes, "How many brain cells did you lose in order to even think about asking that question?" She asked, mocking annoyance as she turned back to the closet. "If you must know, Luke has been bugging me ever since Marnie left. He's like a stranded puppy."

"What does this have to do with my favorite hoodie?" The blond asked, his arms crossed over his chest as he flickered his eyes to the jacket in her hands, then back to her face.

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. The girl released a laugh, looking back up to her friend, "If he sees me in your hoodie, I'm thinking he'll back off a little bit. I don't have any other friends to turn to."

"Just ask the Cromwells to come visit? Or for Aggie to bring Luke with her next time she heads to the human world?"

"Marnie's starting school soon, E. That'd be so much stress thrown on her just because a ginger goblin misses her. Besides, a goblin in the human world? He'd be discovered for sure; you know how reckless he is."

The front door of Dalloway Manor opened and shut, causing the pair to widen their eyes and magically clean up Ethan's bedroom. Levana hid the hoodie in her backpack, before throwing herself onto Ethan's bed and opening her book to a random page. Ethan just spun in his chair, listening intently as his father's footsteps echoed up the stairs.

Edgar Dalloway knocked lightly on the door, smiling softly as he opened it to reveal the duo. "Hey there, kids. Have you eaten?"

"Not yet, Mr. Dalloway," the inky haired teen sent him a tight-lipped smile. "I asked Ethan to let me finish this chapter before we went downstairs for him to eat."

Edgar looked to his son, nodding in approval with a slightly shocked smile. "I'm surprised you had the patience to agree."

"I was kind of-"

"Relieved to hear the idea," Levana interrupted him, laughing slightly. "Ethan, here, didn't wanna get up just yet."

He was bound to the chair with magic, but sure, relief was a better excuse.

Edgar chuckled alongside the girl, checking his watch briefly, before looking back into the room. "Well, we can have dinner as a family, then."

Levana began packing her bag with a smile, but the man's voice stopped her.

"Levana, please. Stay. You're like an extra member."

...

"What do you want, E?" She asked, her hoarse voice drawing him from the memory. She hadn't turned to face him, not even when he'd leant against the railing right next to her. "How'd you even get in?"

"Miss Josie let me in." He sighed, crystal blue eyes drifting to the darkened landscape in front of them; the giant pumpkin was still glowing, illuminating the town for three or four blocks before branching out into the strings of light that echoed from the windows of the houses. The moon and stars shone a haunting shade of white, the full moon on vast display - just as it had been almost every night.

He took a deep breath, turning toward his friend once more; without words, Levana allowed Ethan to pry her from the railing and engulf her into a wickedly tight hug. Silently, she allowed tears to creep from her eyes, the moon and stars blurring together like an oil painting in her vision as the blond swayed her side to side.

With the possible return of the Knights of the Iron Dagger, he vowed to never leave her side. Even if he had to change his entire schedule when they transferred schools, he would not leave her alone.

He and her insensitive mother were all she had left.

Josie Sylver didn't view the death of a loved one as a negative thing, she viewed it as the circle of life; what didn't make sense about her belief, though, was that only humans and mortal animals ever died naturally in their twisted circle of life.

Levana was sure that her mother was just in denial, having laughed in the face of Edgar Dalloway when he revealed that her father had been murdered by a suspected Knight of the Iron Dagger. The only evidence that truly backed this claim, was the fact that the fatal incision was almost identical to those that have been murdered by them in the past, but Josie refused to believe that they could have possibly returned.

Even though Marnie Cromwell opening the portal year-round was definitely an event large enough to attract them. She had no hatred for the Cromwell witch, or her family, but she couldn't deny that opening the portal was dangerous enough to get people - her father - killed.

...

"That's preposterous." Josie laughed, looking at the blue eyed man with a humored smile and a disbelieving glint in her eyes. "They've been gone for centuries, Edgar. Even if they were back, why would they attack Sebastian, of all warlocks?"

The pale teen was listening from the top of the staircase, weeping silently as her mother debated with Ethan's father.

"I'm not saying that they've returned, Josie. I'm just saying that it's a possibility. His wounds match up perfectly with those from centuries ago, the same serrated tip and bruise at the entry wound."

Josie remained silent, the smile never exiting her face as she contemplated her next words carefully. She took a deep breath, wiping her sweaty palms on the front of her dress, "Ed, I know you mean well, and I thank you for everything you have done for my family - for Levana - but this is absurd!"

Edgar sighed, removing his hands from the marble island in their kitchen. He turned toward the door, beginning to walk through the family room, before stopping in front of a picture of the Sylver family. His heart pinged at the thought of what could possibly be running through Levana's mind, wondering when her father would come home - if he would come home.

"Marnie Cromwell would like to start a program where the juveniles of Halloweentown spend a year in human high school, in hopes to return things to how they once were. If the council approves of this program, I will be sending Ethan... I recommend you send Levana, too, so she won't be lonesome while he's gone."

"You know I'd never separate them, Ed."

"I know." He looked over his shoulder, smiling lightly at the honey blonde witch, "Take care, Josie. And stay safe."