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Nadine chuckled, and all eyes turned to look at us in the doorway.
“Nadine! Lucas!” Talia shoved the music box into Grant’s hands and leapt from her chair. “It’s so great to see you up and about!”
She threw her arms around Nadine, and they both winced. “Sorry,” Talia said as she drew away.
“It’s fine,” Nadine assured her. “I need all the hugs I can get.”
“In that case, come here,” Helena said. She wrapped Nadine in a gentle hug, and I thought Nadine looked like she was about to cry. I didn’t think she was sad, or even in pain. She looked happy to see all her friends laughing after everything we’d been through.
“Where’s Headmistress Verla and Professor Warren?” Nadine asked as she drew away.
“They’re on a call with one of our contacts inside the coven,” Helena said. “They should be out soon with an update. Why don’t you two have a seat? There’s still some breakfast.”
She gestured to the patio table, where there was still a pile of pancakes, along with freshly baked cookies beside the map.
“Thank you,” I said, but I didn’t move to grab food right away. Instead, I turned to Adrik and the other ghosts. “Why are you all still here? The demon’s dead. You can all move on. I thought your reapers would’ve come for you by now.”
Cynthia stepped forward, and Leroy joined her. “Our reaper is right here,” she said gently.
A tingle of magic spread through my form, and I realized she meant me. “I can’t help all of you at once,” I said. There were so many of them. “I’ve never done it.”
“Then you don’t know it’s impossible,” she pointed out. “Miles had enough power to pull us all onto this plane. Perhaps you can lead us to the next.”
I took a deep, calming breath, and magic surged through me. A portal bloomed at the end of the patio, shining a beautiful white light down upon us brighter than the sun. All the ghosts turned to look. They were the only ones that could see it besides me.
Cynthia drew a sharp breath and clutched her husband tighter. “Oh, Leroy! We’ve been waiting for this for so long.”
Leroy smiled. It was so strange to see on a man who was supposed to be a killer. He turned to me. “Thank you all for freeing us. If there’s anything we can do…”
“You can move on,” I said. “We’ll rest easier knowing you made it to the other side.”
“And put in a good word with Mother Miriam for us!” Miles piped up.
Chloe nudged his shoulder playfully, but then added, “Actually, it couldn’t hurt.”
I hobbled to the edge of the portal and reached out for the ghosts. “Come. It’s time to go home.”
The ghosts took my hand one by one, then stepped through the portal into Alora. A weight seemed to lift off my shoulders with each one, like reaping their souls somehow freed my own.
The last ghost passed through, and a gust of wind swept across the patio as the portal closed. Talia’s music box began playing a lovely tune, and Grant sat up straighter. “Hey! It’s working again.”
The patio doors opened, and Headmistress Verla and Professor Warren stepped outside to join us.
Chloe sat up straighter in her chair. “Professor, Headmistress, what did you learn?”
“You can call us by our first names, seeing as neither of us will be returning to the school,” Verla suggested.
Miles scrunched up his nose. “Jonathan and Clarice? That’s too formal. I think I’ll stick with calling you by your last names.”
Verla nodded. “All right. Verla and Warren it is.”
We all gathered around the table again. Nadine kept close to my side.
“We were able to get in touch with Hattie, who has agreed to keep us informed on developments within the coven,” Verla told us. “What we know is that a coven-wide memorial took place this morning, and the school’s been shut down for repairs. The school board isn’t sure they’re going to use spellwork again to expand. It’s too dangerous. As for the priestesses, they are working to find a new Mortana priestess as soon as possible, and it sounds like they may be moving up the induction ceremonies, in order to restore a five-Cast Imperium Council.”
“They can’t do that,” Nadine said. “Mira’s not even a real Curse Breaker.”
“The coven doesn’t know that, though,” Professor Warren reminded her.
