Jonathan took his time walking towards the cliff edge overlooking the tumultuous waves crashing on the rocks below him. There was no one else there, except a single female body dangling from a tree just above a fifty-metre drop.
Or so it would seem. Jonathan took a deep breath.
“Mistress Mylis Wright, why don’t you save us the antics and show yourself?” he called to the air. “It’s me you want, after all.”
The air beside Anya’s unconscious body shimmered in the moonlight, before taking the form of a translucent woman staring into the distance. It wasn’t the most obvious thing in the world, but the magicked branding on the side of her face confirmed her identity. She was never a victim of the brandings. She was the source.
Jonathan approached the ghost. She did not respond. So he stopped in his tracks, giving the grieving ghost a respectful berth.
“Fate has not been kind to you,” Jonathan began. “You were destined to be alone, separated from everyone you love between the realm of life and death.”
The ghost remained motionless.
“After Nicholaum’s death, you chased your husband through his reincarnations, didn’t you? But you were only condemned to see him fall in love with other women, no matter how many times you killed them. In hunting them down relentlessly, you became known as the Ghost Of Glasgow.”
Mylis Wright was staring straight at him now.
“Of course, no one would’ve guessed why you changed your killing methods. Not unless they noticed when you changed them,” Jonathan said. “Sixty years ago, you consulted Baba Yaga. Things didn’t go well and you left in a fury. But it didn’t stop there, did it? Her disciple, Natasha, came looking for revenge. Not only did she succeed in finding you, she actually managed to kill you.”
“And with such a heavy grudge in your soul, you remained in this world as a ghost to continue haunting your husband and taking away the souls of his new lovers,” he continued. “But how to account for Natasha’s capture by the local sheriff? My guess is that your sister came to your rescue, albeit too late. Unfortunately, the humans arrived before she could strike the finishing blow and they took her away.”
“Morevia…” Mylis’ voice was barely audible over the sea breeze.
“To keep Natasha from spilling the truth, Morevia hypnotised her every day to wipe her mind, eventually driving her into insanity. I saw that memory with my own eyes.” Jonathan ignored her. “That was, of course, until she met the lich, who kept her trapped in his house. The timing adds up perfectly.”
“That’s why the murders stopped, am I right? No matter how obsessed you were, you were unwilling to leave your sister’s side. And so was she. That’s why she buried your body in the backyard to keep your spirit close by. It worked for sixty years until you saw me when I touched your corpse. And so despite all your sister had done for you, you became the Ghost Of Glasgow yet again.”
Mylis sank to her knees.
“When Morevia found out that I had come into contact with Natasha, she killed her to draw attention to her instead,” Jonathan said. “When I was coming close to finding the truth, she took the fall for you. She loves you more than anything, but all you could think of was your deceased husband, Nicholaum. These are the crimes I lay at your feet. Do you confess?”
“You are completely correct, except for one thing. I am not after you anymore.”
Jonathan watched the ghost carefully.
“Let my sister go, or the love of your life dies.”
Anya’s body swayed dangerously with the intensifying wind. Mylis kept her cold gaze on the inspector, but Jonathan knew full well that all she needed was a single move to snap the rope and drop Anya onto the rocks below.
Mylis sobbed quietly, although no tears spilt from her ghostly eyes. “I’ve accepted my fate. The heavens have made you immortal, never to cross over into the realm of the dead. I have accepted that my husband will never be with me again. All I ask is for my sister to go free.”
“And then what happens? You continue wandering the earth as an apparition forever?” Jonathan’s lips moved, almost on their own. “You must need move on, Mylis.”
He scarcely had time to wonder what possessed him to speak like that when the ground slammed into his face. Jonathan spat out the soil before his back crashed into a tree and split it in half. The upper half fell onto him, pinning him on the ground.
“You don’t understand! You’ll never understand how it feels!” The Ghost Of Glasgow appeared in front of him, screaming in his face. “I loved him! We were in love until they tore us apart! I… I didn’t even get to say my farewells…”
Jonathan struggled for a brief moment, before noticing the tombstone beside him. Realisation struck him as Mylis knelt before her husband’s empty grave.
“The afterlife isn’t worth going to without you,” she sobbed again. “I’ll stay on Earth for all of eternity to be with you, my love.”
Jonathan stretched his fingers, surreptitiously grabbing a fistful of soil from the grave. There was only one person who could help the ghost now. He racked his brain, trying to recall the spell he read about, but to no avail. Damn it, why was he never the studious type?
“Mylis!”
Both Jonathan and the ghost turned back to the familiar voice. His mouth hung open in surprise as Morevia Wright rushed to her sister. Angus followed close behind.
“S— Sister, they let you go?” Mylis cried out as the sisters reunited tearfully.
The tree rolled off his body with a thud. Jonathan stood up nonchalantly, brushing off the small twigs clinging to his shirt. The fae stood beside him as well, looking grimly at the Wright sisters.
“You sure this is the right thing to do?” Jonathan muttered to him.
Angus nodded. “I found out everything after Morevia’s confession. We paranormal creatures want nothing more than to be free to live on our own. Our laws are a lot less strict than the human world. As a mere member of the Immortal Association, I see no need to lock up Morevia Wright as long as all concerned parties agree with that decision.”
“Concerned… parties?” the inspector asked. His question was answered quickly by the small shadow stepping into the light.
“Forgiveness is a difficult thing to accept, and yet it is something all of us sorely need,” Baba Yaga said. “I mourn the death of my disciple, but only forgiveness will set our souls free. Morevia Wright only killed her out of love for her own sister. It is a mistake, yes. But not an unforgivable one.”
“You decided to come back to the mortal world?” Jonathan asked incredulously. “How? Why?”
“Our friend here is many things, persuasive most of all.” The old witch cracked a terrifying-looking but warm smile. “And besides, it’s high time I stop hiding from my mistakes and face the light. Your soulmate taught me that, Stonekeeper. Now, go on and save her.”
“I can’t…” Jonathan clenched his fist, feeling the prick of the soil against his palm. “I know only her husband can talk her down from this, but I forgot the spell to bring his memories out from my soul.”
Baba Yaga gave him what he could only assume was a smirk, as white magic danced around her fingers. Jonathan gave her a firm nod of understanding. He clutched the soil tightly, closing his eyes.
And when he opened them again, it was no longer Jonathan Warner who walked up to the Ghost of Glasgow.
“Tis I, my love.” A distinct old Scottish accent emanated from Jonathan’s mouth, catching Mylis’ attention immediately.
The ghost gasped, reaching for his face.
“Do not despair, my dearest.” Nicholaum smiled warmly. “God has been merciful to us, for he has granted us our wish to meet in another life.”
“Merciful?” Mylis said. “He separated us! I was in pain for seven hundred years! There is nothing merciful about that!”
“And yet here we are, reunited once more.” The man kissed her gently on her forehead. “I am sorry, my love. I am sorry to have left you to suffer this world for so long by yourself.”
The ghost threw her arms around him, bawling loudly this time. Nicholaum patted her gently.
“For better and for worse, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish always. As a sanctuary of warmth and peace, I pledge my love, devotion, faith and honour as I join my life to yours…”
There was a moment of silence as Nicholaum waited patiently for his wife to finish the sentence.
“...Till death do us part,” Mylis whispered.
“Till death do us part.” Nicholaum’s voice floated along with the wind. “Let go, my dearest. You have suffered long enough. It’s time you find your peace, as I have.”
Jonathan watched from behind Nicholaum’s eyes as the Ghost Of Glasgow finally broke into a smile. Silver shimmered in the wind as Mylis Wright dispersed into billions of tiny light pockets, fading into the yellow moonlight and soaring away.
A wave of exhaustion hit him without warning, and he fell to his knees as Nicholaum retreated into the recesses of his soul once more.
“Anya!” His legs carried him to his own lover without thinking. Jonathan fell to his knees, clutching her hand as Anya’s body began to stir.
“W— What happened?” Anya groaned, rubbing her eyes as though she had merely woken up from a short nap. “Jonathan! Are you alright? The Ghost of Glasgow attacked us! She—”
“She is no more.” A light chuckle of relief escaped Jonathan’s lips. Anya looked around in confusion, before throwing her hands up.
“Bugger, can’t believe I missed all the action…” she whined.
“Thank you, Jonathan Warner and Anya Sechina.” Baba Yaga walked up to them. “If it were not for the both of you, I would have never given myself the chance to make amends for what I could not do for Mylis Wright. The stones have chosen their keeper well. Blessings be on both of you.”
The witch waved her hands elegantly, sprinkling some sort of magic dust on the both of them before stepping into an invisible door.
Jonathan cast his gaze to Morevia Wright, who was now kneeling at the edge of the cliff.
“Since Baba Yaga has forgiven you for the murder of Natasha, I see no reason to detain you any further,” Angus stated. “You are free to go.”
The vampire turned around. Although tears still stained her face, relief was painted all over it. She nodded stoically at them before transforming into a bat and flying towards the moon. Gentle wind brushed Jonathan’s ears. He could’ve sworn he heard a ‘Thank you’, but he was too tired to figure it out.
He hugged Anya tightly again. She was safe with him now, and that’s all that mattered.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFRj59K3J4
