She didn’t reply.
Then Phoebe began to chant. “Good girls die, the bitches lie, the brides go straight to decay. This time round, the good girl dies and the bitch’s lies will let her win the day!”
“How do you see this as winning?” Jane cried out. “Emil is seriously in love with Scully. He’ll marry her and you’ll go to jail.”
“Not true. Scully is right here with me. And if you don’t show yourself now, she’s going over the cliff!” Phoebe cried.
“I don’t believe you. Scully was in the castle.”
“She’s here now. Wanna hear her scream?”
Jane heard a muffled cry.
Scully.
She winced, bracing against a gravestone.
“If you don’t come out, she goes over the cliff right now!”
Sloan was out there, too, she thought. He had to be.
She’d be all right.
Or would she?
Sloan kept silent and crept along the earth.
Another arrow flew past. That one, he was sure, had been sent blindly. He crept for what seemed like a lifetime but, looking at his watch, he saw that two minutes had passed. Another arrow flew by. This time he saw the arch and pattern.
He crept in the right direction.
Slow and silent.
At last he found himself behind the archer.
He waited and watched, forcing himself to be patient.
When the archer went to string another arrow, he pounced.
And together, they started rolling downhill.
Jane realized there was nothing to do but stand. Her Glock was tucked into the back of her jeans.
“I’m here,” she cried.
“Come out where I can see you!” Phoebe demanded.
“Where is that?”
“Come closer to my voice.”
She did as told and tripped once over a broken stone, but then she saw images appear before her. Phoebe had somehow taken Scully hostage. She stood with Scully, close to the edge of the cliff, and held a knife to her throat.
“Drop the gun,” Phoebe said.
“Let Scully go first,” she said.
“Drop the gun, or she goes over.”
“You’re going to die or go to prison,” Jane said.
Phoebe shook her head. “You’ll be dead. And the whole thing will look like the crazy Krewe of Hunters unit—the ghost unit—went off the deep end and killed everybody. Then Emil will come back to me. He’s young and sweet and pliable. He’ll love me again.”
“You were never anything but an affair to him, Phoebe. He loved Scully from the start.”
“Put the gun down. She’s already bleeding,” Phoebe warned.
Should she pretend to do as instructed, then shoot? She could aim for Phoebe’s head, but if either woman moved— Someone lightly touched her.
And she heard a whisper that seemed part of the fog.
“Your love is behind you. Duck down. I’ll do what I can.”
Jane reached for her gun, dropped to the ground, and told Phoebe, “She’s coming for you.”
“Who?”
“The ghost of Elizabeth Roth. She’s disgusted with what you’re doing, trying to use the past to make a mockery of the present. She’s there. At your side. Can’t you feel her? She’s touching you now.”
“You’re full of—” Phoebe began and broke off.
Elizabeth Roth was there, standing next to Phoebe, touching her hair.
Jane flew to her feet, sprinted forward, and caught Phoebe and Scully together, bringing them all down.
They landed hard, but Scully was free.
“Get up and run!” Jane ordered.
Thankfully, Scully had the sense to obey.
Phoebe still held her knife. She jumped to her feet in a fury, knife raised, ready to leap to where Jane had fallen.
But a shot rang out.
Phoebe paused midair. Then her body was propelled backward, disappearing into the fog. Jane heard her scream until a distant thud, flesh impacting rock, silenced everything.
An unearthly quiet returned.
Then shouts everywhere.
Logan and Kelsey. Forester and Flick. Chef and Harry and Devon and Lila and Sonia. All coming from the castle. Someone walked out of the fog toward her, gun in hand. Impossibly tall and broad and wonderful and always there for her. Her partner, in life, in work, and in breathing. Sloan didn’t speak as he drew her to her feet and into his arms.
He just held her.
And their hearts beat together.
“But, Mr. Green?”
It was Emil who seemed the most shocked. He’d trusted the man, thought he’d had a champion in him.
It was nearly morning again.
And, as the survivors gathered in the Great Hall while Forester’s crew worked to find the bodies down the cliff, Sloan knew they were all grateful to know that there wouldn’t be another one at the foot of the stairs that morning.
“Why Mr. Green?” Emil repeated.