Morrigan

7:00 p.m.

Half an hour later, Danny found himself leaning against the kitchen counter, chatting with Emma.

She looked spectacular. Her succubus costume consisted of a tight crimson corset, a red microskirt and sheer black stockings. Small red horns nestled in her black hair, while a pair of tiny bat wings were attached to her back.

Danny’s gaze wandered over her figure.

Emma grinned. "You like it?"

"Definitely."

She laughed and took a sip of her drink.

"So, you're single again?" Danny asked tentatively.

"Don't sound so surprised. Some of us actually enjoy being single."

Danny bit his lip. He didn’t dare ask the one question that was on the tip of his tongue. Emma had already turned him down once, and he wasn't keen on repeating that experience.

She studied him over the rim of her glass, as if trying to read his mind.

Before Danny could come up with a new line, a woman appeared beside them.

Something changed.

At first, Danny couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was. The music seemed to fade into the background. The conversations around them became indistinct. The lights above the kitchen counter dimmed.

The stranger looked entirely different from the other guests. This woman wore something that seemed to have stepped out of an ancient legend. A long, dark-green dress fell from her waist in several flowing layers. A black cloak rested on her shoulders, its edges adorned with raven feathers. A heavy bronze torc encircled her neck, and intricate Celtic ornaments decorated her upper arms. Her long copper-red hair framed a strikingly pale face. Dark makeup accentuated her green eyes.

"Emma," she said. Her voice was soft and strangely clear. "Go dance."

"Oh, right!" Emma turned toward the living room. "Please excuse me."

“Hello, my name is Morrigan,” the woman said.

Danny raised his eyebrows. He had heard that name in the old tales his grandmother used to share.

The woman smiled faintly.

"Does my name amuse you?"

"No, sorry. It's just quite a name for Halloween."

"Is that so?" She looked at him. "I've had it for a very long time."

For a moment, the room seemed to darken around the red-haired woman.

Danny glanced towards the ceiling.

"Something wrong with the lighting?"

Morrigan’s green eyes remained fixed on Danny.

"Good to meet you, Daniel Mercer," she said quietly.

He looked back at her.

"Just Danny. How do you know my full name?"

"I know more about you than you might imagine."

"Okay, that's cryptic. Anyway, nice to meet you."

Danny extended his hand.

Morrigan accepted it.

Her fingers were cold.

The instant their hands touched, Danny felt a peculiar shiver travel up his arm. It wasn't unpleasant, exactly. More like a sudden awareness of something waking beneath his skin.

"Tell me something, Danny," she said. "Did your parents know you were coming here tonight?"

He frowned.

"They weren't particularly happy about it."

"Of course they weren't. Maybe you should have taken their advice."

There was something in her voice that made him look at her again.

She was still holding his hand.

"Come. I want to introduce you to some people."

Danny followed her into the living room, still trying to figure out who this woman was.

Outside, a raven settled on the garden fence.

It watched the illuminated windows for a moment before spreading its wings.