*On Hiatus* A Midnight Dance

Lucky Ones

Despite my countless prayers, they weren't answered. In the five days since Lt. Bretman had left, all his messages consisted of one thing - he hadn't found Lord Nightingale. Lord Ross also sent me messages, but they didn't bear any good news either.

"Any news yet?" Lady Owen asked.

Sighing, I released the papers and sat back into the cushions of the couch. We had agreed to have tea in Lord Nightingale's office. We had dubbed it official business to keep Delilah from attending. Tori had her hands full keeping herself occupied.

"None," I answered. "They haven't found him."

"At this rate, the coven's escort will arrive before we have any news."

My hands trembled. What else could I do? Was Sebastian... really gone? I pressed my palms against my eyes. If I broke down now, I didn't think I'd be able to stop.

A lump formed in my throat. "When do they arrive?"

"Two days," Lady Owen answered. She held up the most recent letter. "They've just sent it. Basically, they want to arrive and take Delilah away almost immediately."

The only way to prevent that from happening was in my hands. I had a choice. Perhaps my family would hate me for it. Perhaps I was being foolish. Vivian had said it was only a crush.

Maybe she was right. Maybe it was my guilt that blinded me to the truth. I should walk away. I didn't owe Sebastian and Delilah anything. I should walk away and let Delilah be with her family. That was what was best for her.

A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. It opened, and Delilah walked in, followed by Tori. Despite the lack of manners, I smiled. Delilah ran up to me. The paper in her hand fluttered with every step. The large, bright smile on her face made my worry evaporate.

Delilah raised the picture proudly with both hands.

"I drew us," she said. "There's Brian and Anna. You're on the couch and I'm sitting next to you."

With all the lines, shapes, and colors, if I squinted hard enough, I could see what she had envisioned. To think she had drawn this first thing upon waking up.

"It's lovely," I said. "Go show it to Lady Owen."

As I watched her, my smile vanished. How did it feel to have her only brother missing? Not knowing where Charles had been or if he was safe had been excruciating. I could only imagine what she was going through.

If the roles were reversed and I were the only one caring for Brian and Anna, I'd want someone to care for them in case of my disappearance. That's what it boiled down to. Sebastian and Delilah had come here to have a life of their own.

When I left Nightingale Manor later that afternoon, I went to town instead. The early evening air ruffled my skirt as I stepped out of the carriage. After instructing Donovan to wait, I walked up the steps to the mayor's office.

Most of the workers would have gone home by now, but I wasn't looking for them. I walked up to the only clerk at the counter. He had a bow tie and suspenders. He smiled as I approached.

"Good evening," he said. "My name is Carter. How can I be of service?"

"Hello. I'm Avaline Stark. I'm here to apply for guardianship of one, Delilah Nightingale."

He looked at me. Though his smile remained, it wasn't without effort.

"I'll need your civilian identification cards and documentation of approval from the Nightingale family."

From my pocket, I pulled out the documents. Lady Owen had done her part. She had written a letter of recommendation. She had also notarized another document where Delilah had written her approval and included her signature.

As the clerk took the documents, his eyebrow shot up.

"Do you need anything else?" I asked.

Clearing his throat, Carter reached underneath the counter and handed me an application.

"Everything seems to be in order," he said. "Please fill this out. You can return it once you're ready. I'll be back with your documents."

As he stepped away, I reached across the counter for the ink and quill. The application was straightforward. Most of it required my information. The other pages had questions, and I did my best to fit my answers in the spaces provided. Most of it was about where we would live if approved. Income. Security. Subsistence. Lady Owen had told me how to reply to most of them. However, it wasn't up to the mayor to approve my application. He was just the middleman.

Carter returned with my documents. He handed them to me. "You're more than welcome to take the application home," he began.

"I'm almost done."

I scribbled the last sentence and passed it to him. "Do you know how long it will take for approval or denial?"

"No."

"Thanks for your time," I muttered.

I quickly gathered my documents and walked away. My heart thumped like a drum. I'd done it. After so much hesitation, I'd finally gone through with it. What would my family say when they found out? I'm sure they would be upset, but it's not like I could bring Delilah to our family. With the bank breathing down our necks, the application would never be approved. Plus, it wasn't like they weren't going to be my family anymore. I would still be around, visiting. Besides, it was no different than what Charles had wanted for me. He'd happily marry me off, and I'd be in a worse situation than now.

Donovan dropped me off at my house. Tiredly, I walked in.

"Ava, you're back?" Elaine called from the foyer.

"Yes," I said.

"You're just in time for dinner."

I followed her to the dining room. Everyone waited for us.

"Ava!" Anna cried. "You're back. How's Delilah?"

I managed to smile. "She's hanging in there. It's not easy, missing a brother."

Charles cleared his throat but didn't comment.

"Tell her we're praying for her," Brian said.

I'm sure she wanted her brother, not prayers.

As the twins chatted about their day, the rest of us just listened. Vivian kept giving me looks, but I pretended not to see them. Here, surrounded by my family, made my chin tremble. We were lucky to have our family. It could have well been Charles who had gone missing. We were the lucky ones. Delilah deserved to be happy too.