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“Thank you,” Karl whispered as their movements slowed, his breath warm against her ear. “For letting me share this with you.”
“Thank you for joining me,” Bella replied. “I think I needed this more than I realized.”
“Maybe we both did,” Karl said softly, his fingers gently squeezing hers as they stood together, still swaying gently to the silent rhythm in their hearts.
As the night wore on, Bella felt something shift within her, a fragile trust beginning to take root once more.
Karl closed his eyes, letting the gentle touch of the moonlight wash over him. He felt a warmth spread through his body, filling him with a strength he hadn’t known since his days in the military. The sensation was both familiar and foreign, a reminder of the power that had once surged through his veins, tempered now by a newfound connection to the world around him.
“Karl,” Bella whispered, her voice tinged with awe. “Can you feel it?”
He opened his eyes and looked into hers, their blue depths filled with wonder. “Yes,” he replied, his voice barely audible. “The moon...it’s giving me strength.”
“Me too,” she said, smiling softly as they continued to sway beneath the pale glow. “I knew we could trust it.”
“Clarissa was wrong,” Karl mused, his thoughts turning to the enigmatic ghost who had tried to drive a wedge between them. “We’re stronger together than apart.”
Their dance came to a natural end as the sky began to lighten with the first hints of dawn. Hand in hand, they made their way back to Bella’s place, a new resolve settling within them.
“Today,” Karl declared as they stepped inside, “we’ll find out what happened to Charlotte Harrington.”
“Agreed,” Bella said, her determination matching his own. “Let’s get some rest and hit the library first thing in the morning.”
As they delved into the stacks of history books and newspaper archives, Bella couldn’t help but marvel at the way Karl seemed to devour information, his sharp mind making connections and filling in gaps where others might falter. They pored over every detail they could find about baby Charlotte Harrington, adopted by Clarissa in 1877.
“I found her marriage records. Charlotte married Joshua Stafford, a wealthy man from a nearby town, and she had six children. She kept her name as Harrington because they married after she became a doctor, who specialized in mental health.” Bella looked at Karl. “I think Clarissa is going to be very happy with our news.”
Karl nodded. “Just make sure you don’t let your feelings of empathy toward her keep you from banishing her. She’s an evil ghost, after all.”
Bella nodded, but she knew it would be hard to keep her word. As terrible as the things Clarissa had done were, she felt so much for her.
Chapter Seventeen
Bella stood with herfriends, her green eyes shimmering with determination as she gazed upon their final battleground. The wind whispered through the trees, rustling the leaves and carrying an eerie chill that caressed their skin.
“Are you ready?” Karl asked Bella, his strong hand finding hers for a brief squeeze of reassurance. The compassionate dance teacher took a deep breath, feeling the weight of their mission settle on her shoulders.
