said. "I always feel bad subjecting you to GM's—I don't even know what you'd call it. She just always seems to be in a bad mood whenever you're around."
"It's all right. She isn't entirely to blame for her attitude toward me."
"I know," I said. "I just wish things could be different."
William gave me a wry smile. "I learned long ago that there was no point in dwelling on wishes."
He turned toward his car.
"William, wait," I said. "Do you mind if we walk instead of driving?"
He looked surprised. "You want to walk? It'll be dark soon, and the way over there isn't exactly well lit."
"I know," I said. "I just don't feel as if I can sit still right now. And you can see in the dark, can't you?"
"Okay," William said. "If that's what you want, that's what we'll do."
As we walked down the street, William kept glancing over at me, but he said nothing.
Before long we had plunged into the neighboring woods on our way to Hywel's Plaza. In the winter months, the plaza was largely taken up by an outdoor skating rink. But in the warmer months, the plaza was used for public gatherings—concerts, farmers' markets, art fairs. Tonight, the plaza was hosting the Black Moon Carnival—which was actually a fundraiser for Elspeth's Grove High School. There would be food and games and music, and I'd heard a new statue was going to be dedicated. There would probably be quite a few people in costume, too. Black Moon Night—April 19—was also a local festival apart from the school fundraiser—it was like our own personal Halloween.
As William and I walked through the trees, I was reminded unpleasantly of the day back in November when we had met two unexpected—and unwelcome—visitors in these very woods. Those visitors had come with a warning for me.
Though I tried to suppress it, a shiver ran through me.
William reached out to take my hand, and I was comforted by the warmth and strength of his grasp. But even though William was by my side, I was still uneasy, and I was deeply relieved when we finally spotted the lights of the carnival up ahead.
We broke free of the trees.
As I looked out over the carnival, my mood was lightened by just how bright and cheerful everything was. Strings of lights crisscrossed the entire plaza, creating what looked like a canopy of stars. Under the canopy, a small maze of booths crowded up against a larger-than-life straw figure of a witch, a colorful carousel, and a stage. A large object sat by the stage under an enormous canvas tarp, and I figured that that was the new statue, ready for its unveiling. I could see a crowd of people milling around—some of them in masks and costumes—and music and laughter floated up to me.
I felt myself relax even further—this was just an ordinary Sunday night in a small town. I very genuinely had nothing to worry about.
"What's with all the witches?" William asked.
"Our town founder, Elspeth Quick, was unfairly accused of witchcraft up in New England," I said. "According to the story, she fled south, and guided by a thin, silver thread of moonlight on an otherwise dark night, she found her way to what is now the Old Grove. There she was able to wait out her pursuers in safety—the mysterious thread of moonlight being a sign of her goodness and purity. And even though Elspeth was innocent of witchcraft, Black Moon Night has come to be associated with witches in particular and the supernatural in general."
"It's a little like Walpurgis Night," William said.
"Walpurgis Night?"
"That's when the souls of the dead are released to wander the earth for one night. And it's also associated with witches—it's the night before May Day."
"It's a little early for that," I said. "Besides, don't the dead wander the earth on Halloween?"
"I always thought of Halloween more as a night to honor the departed," William replied. "Walpurgis Night is more like the night when the departed get to break free and revel a little themselves."
"I guess this does look a bit like that," I said.
As William and I walked into the maze of the carnival, I heard a splash, and I turned to look. One of the booths was actually a dunk tank, and the hapless man on the stool had just been dropped into the water by a good shot.
William gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "What do you want to do first?"