“Because it was,” she replied. “Just like when you will save the world. Your mother’s life ended when she took her own life to save you. It was her time to go.”
“But how did it save me? I smacked a ribbon out of the way. “She didn’t know if she’d lead Stephan to me. She just feared she would.”
“No, she knew.” She stopped in an archway and I almost bumped into her.
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“I m sorry, but what?” I scooted back. “Are you talking about a vision?” She nodded. “Otherwise we wouldn’t be here.”
This had never occurred to me. That another vision existed. But it made sense. “And how does this one turn out?”
“I think you already know the answer to that.” She paused. “Gemma, unless the star is gone the world will end.” Then she walked away into the darkness and I followed, trying to shove out of my head the picture of Alex and me dead.
I watched her silhouette as I weaved my way to the mysterious. When my surroundings opened again, I saw a throne. We were in Queen Helena’s chambers. Of course there was a throne. This was always the case with someone in higher power, like it was their declaration.
This particular throne was twisted with thorny branches, and the blood red platform in front of it seemed fitting for someone who collected the Lost Souls of the dead. There were no mummies in the room, but I swore I could hear them whisper: Help me, free me, let us live again.
“She’s not here,” I noted.
“Oh, she’s here.” Alana pointed to the ceiling, where was a flat sheet of shining silver rippled with our voices.
The water warped down, a spiral of shimmer, connecting to the throne. It formed a body of a woman, silver and eyeless, with only lips. And the lips knew how to form words.
“Quomodo audent intra hic sponte. Ubi non est libertas.”
Latin. It was always Latin. Why hadn’t I learned to speak the language yet?
“I’ve come to turn myself in,” Alana called out. “And she… well, she would like to make a bargain with you.”
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“I do not make bargains,” the queen said, either switching to English or I suddenly understood Latin. “There are no bargains here, only souls.”
“And feel her soul Helena,” Alana said. “Feel it and you’ll see.” I was so lost.
“She’s broken,” Helena declared, her mouth a pool of thick liquid. “Why do you bring her to me? Your first time in the Afterlife and this is it? A soul, broken and torn. This soul belongs to another. Take her away. No, better yet, stay now that you’re here.”
“I’ve come to bargain for the Lost Souls,” I said in a small voice. “Well, some of them, anyway.” Alana nudged my hand, warning me to keep quiet. “She’s the one responsible for your heavy amount of traffic lately.”
“Well, too bad for her, I don’t just give over my souls!” Helena cried, with a slam of her fist, spurting silver liquid onto the red platform.
“Show her the ring,” Alana hissed. “Show her now.”
I swiftly raised my hand, showing the queen the purple-gemmed ring.
Helena gasped, shocked. “Where did you get that?”
“Um… I found it,” I said stupidly.
With a swish, the liquid body slithered in front of me. She smelled me, like a dog smells a track. “Who are you? And why does your soul feel unnatural, like venom in my lungs.” At first I thought this was a good thing, that maybe, finally, the soul detachment had saved me instead of ruining me.
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“It’s invigorating. And I want it.” Then, with a dive, she swooped up and sucked me into her body.
I could feel her, dead and lethal, and I wanted out of her. Her skin was like warm water, only polluted and revolting.
“Let me out!” I yelled my voice a thin bubble.
She slinked back to the throne and I could see the desire in her eyes. She wanted to keep me.
And there was nothing I could do to change her mind.
“You can’t hold onto her forever,” Alana said after hours had gone by. “You know you can’t.
She’s not one of your Lost Souls.”
“I can if she offers herself to me.” She roared, but she was weakening. “And you know the souls that offer themselves to me are the best kind.” She pounded her fist, an unstable queen throwing a tantrum like a child over a piece of candy. And I was the candy. “She can offer herself up! She can offer herself up!”
“Helena,” Alana said tired, but patient. “You can’t have her and you know it. So let her go and hear what she has to say.”
There was a pause, then a rumble. The walls shook and the liquid swelled as she undid her mouth and spat me onto the floor.
I scrambled to my feet. “Really?” I wiped the silver spit, or whatever it was, off my arms, shoulders, and hair. “You couldn’t just let me go?”
“You’re lucky I let you go.” She smeared her lips with the back of her hand. “Now what is it you wanted to offer me? My own ring back? Is that what you’re offering? Just that and then I let you go and free all your Lost Souls.”
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“They need to go back,” I told her, standing straight and confident, even though I was a nervous wreck on the inside. “You’re not supposed to have them and you know it.” She leaned forward in her thrown. “You don’t tell me what I m supposed to have. This is the Afterlife and I rule it however I want.”
Raising my hand, I gave her another glimpse of the ring that contained her own soul. “Not even for this? Are you sure?”
She licked her lips. “If I free them, then you’ll hand it over?”
“If you free them and give the life back to a faerie named Nicholas.”
“Give back a life.” She mimicked, the erupted in laughter. “I have no control over such things.”
“Yes, you do.” Alana stepped onto the podium. “Through your sister, Annabella.”
“I don’t have any connection with Annabella or her decisions,” she snapped. “And how dare you suggest otherwise.”
“Oh, I think you do.” Alana strolled to the throne, each step cautious like a soldier approaching an enemy. “I know you want your soul back. You’ve been stuck in that body ever since you lost it, melting away into a helpless being. And you can’t take it from Gemma’s hand, I know how it works. Whoever holds that ring owns your soul and can only give it back to you.” Helena snarled, but then simmered down. “If I were to talk to Annabella and free this faerie’s essence, I’d want to talk to Gemma alone before giving her the Lost Souls and letting her back into the mortal world.”
I flashed a panicked look at Alana, shaking my head.
“That is my final offer,” Helena said. “Take it or take my soul and leave.” 170