Annabella stepped slowly onto the podium and swished her black dress to the side. As they stood in front of each other, Helena was much smaller than Annabella.
“You feel that,” Annabella whispered. “You can’t take her soul because it belongs to someone else.”
“She gave it to me!” Helena roared, stomping her foot. “I can take it!”
“You’ve always been so greedy,” Annabella said. “No wonder mother liked you less.” Helena’s hands moved for Annabella’s throat. “I hate you!” 230
Annabella seized her hands, trapping her in place. “Her soul is connected to another. You can’t have it, even if you made a bargain with her. You have no right and if I have to, I’ll bring down mother to talk to you.”
Helena kicked and yanked, like a child. “We had a bargain! We had a bargain!” Annabella’s eyes fired ferociously. “I m going to take her now. She’s not staying.” Then she let Helena go.
Helena sank to the floor, her head falling into her hands as she wailed.
Annabella extended her hand. “Come with me, Gemma.”
Given the two choices, I took Annabella’s hand. “Where are we going?” She led me to the back of the throne and a light curtained around us. “To your mother.” She carried us away in a light full of essence and warmth and landed us underneath the cape of the willow tree. Then Annabella was no longer there. The branches danced around my mother and me as we faced each other, unblinking.
“Mom.” I threw my arms around her neck and sobbed. “I thought I’d never see you again.” She smoothed my hair. “Shhh… everything’s going to be okay.” She let me have a moment, let my tears soak her shirt. Then she pulled me away so she could look at me. “Do you know why you’re here?”
I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and sniffed. “Because I crossed over. I’m essence now.”
She shook her head, her dark hair twirling in the wind. “You’re here because of who you are.”
“Who am I?” I asked. “This is all so confusing.”
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“You’re my daughter, brave and loving. Both are wonderful gifts.”
“I think you’re wrong.” I frowned. “Those don’t sound like me at all.” She smiled delicately. “But they are, Gemma. They really are.”
“Is that why I was freed from Helena?” I tucked my hair behind my ears. “Because I sacrificed my life.”
She walked for the middle of the tree, her blue dress whipping behind her. “You’re here because everything happens for a reason. You’re here because both of you made the sacrifice.”
“I’m not sure I understand.” I followed her. “Both of us made the sacrifice. Did Alex die too?” She quickly shook her head. “You’re here because you carry the soul of another, which means Helena can’t make a bargain with just you. She’d also have to make one with Alex. No one can own either of your souls without the other.”
“So I’m an essence?” I turned over my arms, wondering if I was going to turn into an orb.
“Is that what you want?” Her blue eyes were pressing. “Do you want to be here?”
“Do I have another choice?”
She sat down on the grass. “If you choose to say here with me you can. But if you choose to leave, you can go back to your life.”
“My life,” I whispered, a gentle breeze kissing at my cheeks.
“If you want.”
I sat down on the ground beside her and plucked at the grass, thinking about my life. “But why is Annabella letting me go? Why doesn’t she keep me?”
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“Because she can let you go,” my mother said. “She could either let you go or take you both.
You and Alex are bonded take one, they have to take you both.” We’re bonded together forever. “But why not just take us both?”
“I know this is hard for you to understand, but not everything is evil.” She picked a violet flower from the ground and spun it in her fingers. “What you did to save the lives of everyone else that was the very essence of good. You need to understand that everything isn’t evil in the world. There is also good.”
“And Annabella’s good?” I let go of the pieces of grass and watched them blow into the garden full of lilies, roses, and vines twisting from the trees.
“Annabella is what she chooses to be,” she said. “Just like you can.” I swallowed hard, letting it sink in. “I didn’t expect this. I thought I became a Lost Soul.”
“I know. And that’s why you’re one of the good ones. You went into this blind.” She paused, handing me the violet flower. “So what will it be, Gemma? Do you choose life? Or death?” I stared at the flower as it rested in the palm of my hand. “What about you?”
“I’m right where I belong,” she said. “It’s you that needs a place.”
“I don’t think I can leave you,” I muttered. “Knowing I’ll never see you again. You took your own life to save me. Why don’t you get a choice?”
“We’ll see each other again.” She squeezed my hand. “This isn’t good-bye forever.” I thought about life, about the pain I’d been through. But the tiniest moments the stolen kisses, the whispered words, the possibilities helped me to choose. I released the flower and let the wind carry it away to the unknown. “I want to go back.”
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White and red flower petals blew through the air as she nodded and stood to her feet, brushing the grass off her dress. “One last good-bye before you go.” I hugged her with all I had in me, not wanting to let go, but knowing I had to. When I backed away, she was gone and Annabella stepped out from behind the tree.
“You choose life?” She asked. “Is that your final decision?” I nodded. “I choose life.”
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Chapter 47
(Alex)
The light was warm as it took me away. I could feel her pulse racing to the very end. She was terrified of her death and I wanted to tell her that it was okay that she wouldn’t die. But I couldn’t.
When I opened my eyes, I was lying on the floor of the burnt house in Iceland. The cry of the Banshee was nails to my ears. I pushed to my feet, searching for her, wanting to get this over with.
She was curled in the corner, in her hag form, her skin wrinkled and tattered. Her thin hair hung in her eyes and she showed me her yellow teeth as she smiled. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
I stuffed my hands in my pockets. “Have you? I’m so thrilled.” She crept to her feet. “I can’t believe I have you. I’ve waited forever to get my hands on a soul like yours. Not many humans like to throw theirs away so carelessly.”
“It wasn’t carelessly,” I replied, thinking of Gemma. Had she woken up and realized she was still alive?