July 5th

Prompt: Street

  The uneven clicking of her heels on the cobblestones gives her away immediately. She will insist on wearing those ridiculous boots. She’ll wake up half the street before we can even begin the bloody tithing.

   “Well met, Sister.” Cicely emerges from the shadows in a manner I imagine she considers sultry. If only her face weren’t so sinister.

   “Well met.” I can’t quite bring myself to return the title. She smirks in response.

   “I have to give it to you, Josephine. Of all the places you could have arranged for us to convene, I wouldn’t have suspected this.” She surveys the street quickly, a single eyebrow raised in contempt.

   “One can take only so many country house drawing rooms, Cicely,” I reply tartly. “Where are you this month?”

   “Gorgeous place in the Cotswolds,” she grins. “I’m thinking of hanging around a bit this time. Family aren’t due back for a fortnight, according to their kitchen calendar.”

   “Like that’s ever stopped you before.”

   “Oh, I know, but blood curses make such a terrible mess, and I just don’t know if I can be bothered with the clean-up anymore.”

   “Don’t tell me you’re thinking of going straight?”

   “Did I say that?” she snorts. “No, I thought I might try some sort of stasis charm – give them a nice deep sleep or something, you know.”

   I roll my eyes. The last time Cicely picked up a book, she was still in a school uniform. Even then it was a rare occurrence.

   “Now, tell me,” Cicely drawls, “what am I doing out here on this dead-end street in the middle of the night?”

   “It’s the blood moon.”

   Her face shifts and for a moment I think I detect a hint of trepidation, but she covers it well.

   “My goodness,” she smiles. “So soon?”

   “I warned you last time -” I begin, but she waves a dismissive hand at me.

   “Yes, yes, I’m sure you did.” I did. “And where are the others? Or did you neglect to tell them too?”

   “They’ll be here at midnight,” I reply.

   “Midnight? But it’s only eleven-thirty.”

   “I know. And I also knew that you’d be late. That’s why I asked you to be here at eleven.” Her mouth drops open in a fish-like gape. Now it is my turn to smirk.