Page 62 of Haunted Hearts

Holding the platter in front of her, Lillith stood with her back to the fire. “I wish to see my lover,” she said, looking at the reflection in the shiny platter. She saw herself, of course. But then, behind her in the reflection, she thought she saw what looked like a man with dark hair. It really worked! Spinning around, she looked at the bonfire, expecting to see a wispy vision of the baron. Instead, there, through the flames, she saw Blaze talking with his mother. She gasped.

“Who did you see, Sister?” asked Serena curiously. “Was it the baron?”

“I – I – it didn’t work,” she said, handing the brush and platter back to her sister. Now, after her sister expressed how excited she was to be marrying Blaze, how could Lillith tell her she saw Blaze in the reflection? And what did any of it really mean? This just proved that it was nothing but a stupid game.

It was nightfall now and the full moon shone down brightly overhead. Everyone seemed to be having a good time around the bonfire and the costume parade was a success. The musicians played a lively tune and some of the people even danced. Everyone drank heartily. The children chased each other around in circles, pretending they were animals, like their costumes depicted.

There was a chill in the air now as the hour approached midnight. The lanterns that were placed all around the courtyard burned with candles inside, some of them already having burned out and having to be relit. Scary faces carved into the turnips seemed to be watching her everywhere she went.

Lillith couldn’t stop thinking about her awful card reading and the card of death. That only made her think about the thinning veil between two worlds and spirits possibly coming through. She looked up to the sky, almost expecting to see a ghost, but there was nothing. She had almost convinced herself none of this was true when she felt something brush past her leg that made her jump and cry out.

“There’s the kitty,” said one of the children, chasing Sam right past her. It took her a minute to calm her racing heart, realizing it was no ghost touching her leg but just Minerva’s fat cat who liked to steal food.

This made her feel a little better, but it was almost midnight – the witching hour. This thought sent a shiver up her spine. She felt someone touch her on the shoulder, and jumped again, turning to see someone wearing a mask made of cloth and fur. She screamed.

“Lady Lillith, it’s just me,” laughed Milo, removing his mask. “My, you are jumpy tonight.”

“It’s just that it’s All Hallows’ Eve,” she told him.

“It’s because the spirits are about to rise from the dead, isn’t it?” Milo put his mask back on and raised his hands over his head making ghost noises.

“Stop it,” she scolded, feeling chilled, wrapping her cloak tighter around her. She walked away, noticing Blaze and his mother riding horses out of the stable toward the gate of Skull Manor. She hurriedly ran to the stables, wondering where they were going.

“My lady? Is there something you need?” It was Orvyn who always seemed to appear at the most inopportune times. He wore a costume, like everyone else. His depicted an executioner with a long black robe. He wore a mask over his eyes, and held a farmer’s scythe in his hand used for cutting wheat. It was a little scary.

“I need a horse saddled. Quickly,” she said, her eyes roaming back to the front gate. She wanted to be with Blaze right now. No matter where he was going, she wanted to be with him.

“I suppose you’ll be following Lord Blaze and his mother to the stone circle then?” Orvyn started to saddle a horse.

“What?” she gasped, wondering how he even knew about such a thing. “Stone circle?” She feigned ignorance. “Whatever do you mean?”

“Milo told me he saw it hidden deep in the woods.”

“Oh.” She groaned inwardly. Milo seemed to like to run at the mouth too.

“It’s the witch’s circle in the woods. It is where they do their chanting and dancing and sacrificing, especially on a night like this,” said Orvyn.“They call it Samhain, but you probably know all about that. It’s the pagan’s version of All Hallows’ Eve.”

“I might have heard of it,” she said, trying to find out what else Orvyn knew. “What do you know about all this?”

“Well, I believe Lord Blaze is a warlock and his mother is a witch. Just like the rumors say.”

“I’m sure you don’t know what you’re talking about.” She mounted the horse, preparing to leave.

“I’ll come with you, my lady. To protect you.”

“Nay, you won’t. I don’t need anyone to guard me. I’m in no danger.”

“How can you say that? Especially on a night when the dead come back to life?”

“If you’re trying to scare me, it won’t work.” It already had, but she wouldn’t admit it.

“I only meant, are you hoping to talk with your brother or your father tonight, my lady?”

That shook her up even more. All she could think of were those place settings at the table for the spirits of those who had passed on and how empty it made her feel. A shiver ran through her again.

“I don’t believe spirits can roam our world, Orvyn. That is naught but stories to scare the children on All Hallows’ Eve. Once a person is dead, they are gone. Forever.”

“If you insist,” said Orvyn with a shrug. “But I’ve seen ghosts in the past so I know they’re real.”