“It hurts, Mama. The water hurts.”
Unable to bear it any longer, I opened my eyes, and the brightness I had imagined was gone. The hall was still shadowed, though a curving rectangle of weak moonlight shone down from the dome and onto the wall beyond J.C.
Everyone else’s eyes were open and they were staring at me. Waiting. What were they waiting for?
“Talk to her.” J.C.’s voice was kind, but urgent. “They don’t stay long.”
“Mama.” Now Eva began to whimper.
The sound was coming from above us. Up on the second-floor balcony, I saw her. My baby. She stood on tiptoe looking over the railing, just outside Olivia’s room. That made sense, didn’t it? There was a faint light behind her, flickering, brighter than candlelight. Her curls, thicker than I remembered, crowded her face, and she wore the long white nightgown that I had sent to the funeral home with Nonie. But even in the strange light, I could see that her face was as pale as a mask.
Press squeezed my hand. “Can you see her?”
“I’m here, baby.” My voice was weak. Somehow it didn’t feel right. What had I expected? God, I wanted to believe that it was her! There were all these people surrounding us, and she was so sad. So upset. If it was Eva, I could do nothing for her.
“Should I go to her?” Was I waiting for permission from someone? She had come to me, first, in the morning room. She had touched me.
“Ask her what she wants.”
“She’s told us what she wants. She wants me. She wants to know why I let this happen to her. What else could she want? She’s not even five years old.” I dug my fingernails into my palms in frustration.
“Eva, I’m sorry. Mama is so sorry. Mama loves you.”
“That’s good.” J.C.’s voice was soothing. “Your mama loves you, Eva, darling. Can you rest now? We’re all here for you, Eva.”
“I’m scared, Mama. Help me.”
The sulfurous smell had finally dispersed. Perhaps Zion had gone, or he had never been there at all. Maybe it was the smell of death. I prayed that it wasn’t the smell of Hell, that my innocent Eva wasn’t in torment.
Pushing back my chair, I rose. When I’d seen Eva in Olivia’s room, she’d been so pitiful. Now she was my little girl again. Just sad. I didn’t know what had changed, but I was hopeful. That I might be with her had occurred to me, but how would it happen? Certainly I would have to die to be with her. Perhaps just to touch her, to give her my life. It wouldn’t bring her back, yet we would be together. My father had Nonie now. Michael would still have Press.
Press put a hand on my arm. “You shouldn’t, my love. You can’t really touch her.”
“Don’t be an ass,” Rachel said. “Let her go. That’s what we’re here for.”
I heard them, but I was focused on Eva. The light behind her had intensified and I couldn’t see her face clearly.
As I passed him, Hugh also put out a hand to stop me, but I brushed him off.
“I’m coming, baby.”
Eva turned her head so that I saw her in profile, though she was still so far away. It was such an easy, natural movement that my heart jumped in my chest. If only I could reach her, know that she was close to me! Then I would know what to do.
Behind me, the others were silent. I could feel them watching.
The light around Eva started to fade, and her outline with it.
“Wait for me, Eva! Wait!” I ran to the stairs through the shaft of moonlight, but the light around Eva continued to fade.
Taking my eyes from her for just a moment to steady myself on the stairs, I saw something pale and shining on the opposite side of the hall, at the railing of the third floor. Yes, I was losing Eva, but I couldn’t look away. Taking a few more steps, I saw that it was a person. A man? I wasn’t sure. The figure was slight, not very robust. Even in the faint light, I could see they were naked as they moved quickly, silently.
There was something fastened around the bottom of one of the railing’s spindles, and as I watched, whoever it was climbed awkwardly—yes, naked—onto the railing.