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“Like a soul mate?” she asked.
I shrugged, unsure since Zaide said we were the only ones that he knew of.
Now there were none again.
All the possibilities, what we could have done, what we could have been, were all gone now.
“What a mess,” Winnie muttered as she assessed the scene. “I’m sorry, Clawdia.”
I nodded and whispered, “I’m sorry, too.”
That surprised her, because she turned to face me fully, and I found it so strange to see her eyes level to mine. “What? Why?”
I shrugged and tried to blink back tears. “I’m sorry you’re dead. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you. You didn’t deserve what Mary did to you. You loved her, and she betrayed you.”
“Oh, Clawds. You don’t need to apologize for any of that.” She opened her arms and pulled me into her embrace. The tears I had been holding back flowed quietly out of me. She pulled back and held my face so she could stare earnestly into my eyes, wiping away tears with her thumbs. “It wasn’t your responsibility to save me when I didn’t want to be saved. I should have been looking after you. You were a gift. You had your own power and strength, and I didn’t cherish you like I should have. I used you. And I’ve killed you. I’m so sorry.”
It was everything I wanted to hear from her since this mess began, but I didn’t want to hear it when we were ghosts standing over our bodies. It was too late to change anything. Another tear fell, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
“Do you think all ghosts cry when they die, or is it just us?” She gave a watery chuckle, trying to lighten the mood, and I flashed a small smile.
“I wasn’t a ghost last time.” I told her and looked away at the trees. “Something about this feels more final.”
We were both quiet for a little while, just taking in the scenery, until I said, “I forgive you.”
“For everything?” I could feel her gaze on me, but I didn’t look at her.
“For everything,” I agreed.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice quivering.
I turned to her and took her hand. “You shouted for Charlie to run. You wanted to protect him, knowing he would try to stop the ceremony. You didn’t do that for him. You did it for me. Because you know I care about him.”
“I knew I was dead when Mary captured me.” Her face collapsed, and tears welled in her eyes. “She hoped to distract you all long enough to have the ceremony happen before you could get there, but I wanted to spite her, even if it meant we didn’t save the world. Why would I care about that when I was going to die?”
“Well, thank you. I know you thought you were saving the world, but the world isn’t worth saving if we are killing innocent beings for it.” She shrugged and gave me a smile. “Why did Mary do that to you?”
Her face fell. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Aren’t you angry?”
“Angry?”
“Mary killed you. Your girlfriend murdered you in cold blood. You aren’t upset?”
Her lips tightened, and her eyes narrowed. “I’m not angry. I’m livid.” She huffed out a big breath and shook her head. “But she’ll get what’s coming to her.”
I nodded. Karma would come for her. It could be at any time, this life or the next, but it disappointed me that I wouldn’t be there to see the end of her. “I always hated her.”
“You did?” Winnie seemed surprised. Maybe I’d done a better job of being impartial than I believed.
“She wasn’t kind to you.”
“You didn’t say anything.”
I shrugged. “You loved her. I wanted what you wanted.”
“I would like to say that I would have listened if you had told me how you felt about her, but I don’t think I would have. I was so in love with her I didn’t see the signs.” A tear leaked from her eye, and my heart clenched.
