She finally stopped singing.
Her throat was hoarse. Her face ached.
Ash kissed her lips.
She opened her eyes.
The revenant was suspended in the air. Its dark, soulless eyes were glassy-untethered to reality. It was silent-hand raised, matchbox in hand. A snarl curled her chapped lips.
Bella's heart thudded faster.
It didn't work.
I told you it wouldn't-
Its skin cracked. The black veins shrivelled. Fissures lined every single part of her greying skin.
A sudden stillness settled over the room again.
What-
Silver light broke through the cracks.
Her eyes stung. Her hair whipped behind her, hot air blowing against her face. Her injuries burnt. She hissed
Then the light receded.
Bella opened her eyes.
Silver sparks fluttered around the room-shimmering like falling stars.
Bella gasped.
The revenant was no more.
The black veins were gone. Her graying skin was now back to a healthy, milky tone. Her dark soulless eyes were replaced with light blue irises.
A dim blue glow surrounded her. Claire smiled at Bella. "Thank you for freeing me."
Her voice was soft. Musical-joy infused.
Her lips parted.
Another ghost appeared beside her. Side by side she could tell that they were both mother and daughter.
Her mother kissed her temple before smiling at Bella. "I'm so grateful for what you've both done for her. For both of us." The mother's eyes glossed with tears.
Bella blinked the mist in her eyes away.
Silver light circled around them. It hummed as it curled around them like twin ribbons.
Their bodies paled. They slowly faded out of sight as though slowly being erased from this world-second by second.
Claire waved at her one last time with a blinding smile.
Then they were gone-now transported to the ghost plane.
Bella blinked. She exhaled. Her hands trembled.
You did it.
You didn't die.
She could barely believe that she was still breathing. Barely believe that her limbs were still intact-that she wasn't a pile of ashes.
In this large room, she felt more joy than she had ever had. The joy to be alive. To feel pain. To watch someone reunite with a loved one.
To be part of the reason for someone's smile-human or revenant.
A laugh escaped her lips. Loud. Unpruned. Real.
The scent of ash still clung to her like a second skin. She pressed a hand to the injury in her arms.
Her palms were bloody.
With the thinning adrenaline, her vision blurred. The energy in her washed down the drain, leaving her teetering and using the wall as support.
"Thank heavens!" Seth's voice broke her out of her spiraling thoughts.
Bella looked up. Seth limped towards her, resting heavily against her cane.
"Are you okay?"
Seth nodded. His eyebrows scrunched in concern. "But are you? Your face got burnt up pretty bad."
Bella's heart clenched. She tried to touch her face. She hissed. The heat seemed to intensify now that she was focused on it, worsening her headache.
Seth stretched his hands. "Here let me-"
His body became rigid. His face went slack. Dark veins thundered underneath his skin. His eyeballs rolled up.
Then Seth collapsed.