A Kiss at Midnight

Chapter Forty-Three

"Let me make sure I have this correct, yes?" Wilhelmina asked as she and Ilona reached the iron wrought gates of Grant Park three days later, their arms linked.
"The old crone whose name I did not know at the time is in fact Sarah, your friend and her wizened features is one of three forms a banshee may take on. A young woman. A weeping widow in black lace and an old crone," Willa said, listing each off her fingers.

"Right," Ilona replied, her own fingers plucking a loose thread of heather purple from her coat. Her skirts of jaconet muslin swirling at her feet while Willa was in emerald green, a shawl of canary yellow dangling from the crook of her elbows.

"A creature who under the silver chandelier of moonlight should you hear her wails while walking along a dark street means you'll be next to die," Willa said.
She waited for Ilona to make a sound of acknowledgment then continued, "And after she has told you all of this in a letter she wrote, you still wish to remain friends with someone capable of ripping you limb from limb should you ever think to steal that valuable comb of hers." A shadow passed over her face.

"Right," Ilona said, repeating the word. Her gaze flickered to the young girl in blue walking ahead. "Should we really be discussing this in front of Mallory?"

Strands of chocolate brown were spun into Mallory's sable black curls which were drawn back from her face by a ribbon of fawn brown. Her head was lowered, her expression one of concentration. Her fingers scrambling to peel an orange. Sunlight to cast a light on the ring of silver that her dark brown eyes possessed. The soft roundness of her face, a mirror of her mother's but the angle of her nose and her inquisitive nature were all Hugh.

Speaking of Willa's husband, two days ago she had been all set to return home when she received a urgent correspondence from him. A serious matter had arisen at their country estate and all of the family were being summoned there. Ethan Dimitrescu usually caging with information pertaining to his profession wasn't this time since it affected his family. He suspected a blood hexing warlock was involved and may be searching for Wilhelmina and her daughter on behalf of a old foe of the family. As a result, Hugh wrote to Zane and Annalise asking if they would accommodate Mallory for a few days while he, his brother and two sisters worked to resolve things. Ilona's parents would not think to turn their backs to their great niece and agreed to host her.

Upon hearing her name, Mallory turned to wave at her mother who waved back.
"Mallory knows about creatures like the banshee because she is a young dragon and I won't let her be endangered by not knowing of what prowls the lands once midnight strikes. Some things can wait until she is of age but her safety cannot be," Willa said.

There was a fierceness her tone and for a moment, Ilona saw not her cousin but the dragon. Then it vanished as Wilhelmina turned back to her, letting out a frustrated sigh. "I don't understand, why?"

"Yes, I know Sarah is capable of all you have said. However, I also have spent over a year in her company and not once has she thought to harm me or Carys, my friend and the very man she wishes to marry. That warrants me at least going to speak with her in person."

Wilhelmina raised a brow, her expression telling her that maybe it wasn't worth it. "I will burn her if she so much as raises a hand to you," she warned.

All paths even the ones that were little more than branches and the odd weather worn stone circled past a vast grassy square. Away from the couples strolling along and families gathering was Sarah. She was sitting on a blanket of indigo blue. The high neckline of her caped jacket of penny brown all but hid the expansive sleeves of her periwinkle blouse before falling away at her hips to reveal neatly folded skirts of mauve. Her gloves, the same shade of purple, a wilting bouquet of satin sitting in her beige bonnet next to her. One set of fingers brushed the frayed edge of her blanket while her other hand held the book in place on her lap. Reading, just as her letter said Sarah would be should Ilona wish to see her.