The women had only been standing in the entryway of the city house for a few minutes, looking out at the rain and shivering a bit, when they heard the sound of galloping. Almost right away, a pair of horses appeared on the dark cobbled street in front of them.
The riders ignored the gravel drive, cutting straight through the grassy lawn and bringing their mounts to a stop right in front of the steps of the city house. They both wore long black cloaks with hoods pulled low over their faces so no one could see who they were.
The tall, hooded figures swung down from their horses and hurried up the stairs to the waiting women. The first one to reach them pulled back his hood, and Ilona was relieved to see it was her brother. He stepped out of the way then so the second figure could join them out of the rain.
