The last few members of the Tricksters’ army were still fighting the students. Everything had slowed down, though, growing less intense without the Tricksters’ influence.
“We made it,” Rima said, beaming at the others. “We did it!”
KASPER
Kasper staggered over to where Felix had been sitting since the ritual ended, too exhausted to move. Kasper ached all over. It was possible that he had broken a rib at some point.
He knelt at Felix’s side, terrified he was hurt.
“Felix?” he whispered. He hadn’t turned into a Shell. That was good, at least. This couldn’t be the end, not yet. Kasper’s chest seized up in fear.
Felix opened his eyes, in degrees. “… Kasper?”
Something inside Kasper relaxed. His fear dropped away. Felix was OK. The ritual hadn’t destroyed him.
With a shock, Kasper realized that he’d actually been scared. He should have felt numb, shouldn’t he? Rufus had taken his fear. But now that Rufus was gone, maybe Kasper’s fear had come back to him.
He was relieved for a moment, and then instantly crippled by the realization of how much danger they were all in, surrounded by ghosts intent on killing everyone in the building.
He managed to smile down at Felix, tears pooling in his eyes. “Are you OK?” he asked, in a thick voice.
Everything made sense to Kasper now. He’d been right. He did love Felix, really and truly, even with his fear. Yes, he was scared of the consequences. But it was worth it, to be the person he really was.
Felix’s eyes locked with Kasper’s. He was too close; not close enough. “I’m fine. Are you?”
Kasper considered the pain in his chest, the ache in his ribs. He nodded. “I thought you were gone. That I’d lost you.”
Felix pressed a thumb to the corner of Kasper’s mouth, pushing the frown into a smile. “I’m right here. I told you, I’m not going anywhere.”
“I got my fear back when Rufus died,” Kasper admitted.
Felix’s expression changed slowly, until he was smiling radiantly at Kasper. He couldn’t look away.
Rima and Leah walked over to them, both beaming.
“I got something back when Rufus died, too,” Leah said. “I didn’t realize I’d even lost it. He must have taken it from me centuries ago.”
Kasper frowned. Leah could already feel fear. What else could he have taken?
Leah grinned. “My joy. I got my joy back!” She laughed giddily. “I’d forgotten! I’d forgotten how happy I used to be!” She kissed Claudia’s nose, who giggled. “I know, darling!”
Rima gaped at her. “Oh, Leah, you’re glowing!”
She hugged her, but Leah turned the hug into a dance, dipping Rima over her arm.
“I’m back, baby!” she sang, trilling in delight.
RIMA
“What are we going to do about Harriet?” Rima asked. Harriet looked so small, curled in on herself like a tiny child. Her neck was broken; she was covered in open wounds and she didn’t look like she’d be able to hurt a fly.
“Did Harriet say that Norma killed her parents?” Kasper asked.
“Yeah,” Rima said, tiredly.
“That’s… It’s no wonder she’s the way she is. If that’s who raised her.” He frowned down at her. Harriet was stirring, wincing as she moved.
Rima knelt down beside her. “Hey. Are you OK?”
Harriet sat up, hand pressed against her lower back. “Are you going to send me down to the basement?”
Rima was surprised by the question. Though, helping them defeat Norma didn’t really redeem all of the bad things Harriet had done, did it? She had still destroyed lives.
Rima looked at Leah, who shrugged. Neither of the boys seemed to know what to do, either.
Eventually, Rima said, “The lightning barrier is gone, isn’t it? We’d have to find Qi to remake it.”
Harriet hung her head. “Qi is gone. I’m sorry. It’s my fault.”
They all stared at her in silence. Rima had thought she’d reached the peak of her sadness, but knowing that Qi was gone too made the pit inside her stomach drop even further. Could this day get any worse?
Though, if Norma’s arrival had done anything good, it had taught them one thing they hadn’t known. Ghosts’ souls were reincarnated when they disintegrated. Qi, Greg and the other lost ghosts were probably reforming as unborn babies right at this very moment. They were starting new lives. Maybe some of them might even remember their lives here, like Norma had done.
Harriet swallowed. “I’ll stay in the basement anyway. I won’t come out even without the barrier, I promise. It’s what I deserve.”
“It is,” Rima said. Harriet looked so pathetic, but she was right to feel guilty. So much of what had happened was because of her.
“I’m sorry for everything I did,” Harriet said. “It’s no excuse, but my gran spent her whole life treating me like I treated you all. I thought it was normal. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but…”
“We can see your point of view,” Felix said. “That doesn’t mean we have to forgive you.”
“Harriet did save Leah’s life,” Rima pointed out. “She didn’t have to do that.”
Leah sighed. “I feel like the more urgent question is: what are we going to do about this lot?” she gestured at the ghosts fighting around them. “We have to end this, before they tear themselves apart.”
HARRIET
There were only a few weak ghosts still fighting. The majority were lying on the roof, stoned on the rich energy they’d taken. Harriet recognized most of them from the basement. None of them would even be out here if it wasn’t for her.
There had to be a way the ghosts could be locked in the basement again, even without Qi’s lightning power. Harriet’s power had shielded Leah and Claudia from Norma. That was a kind of barrier, wasn’t it? If her power could shield people, then it might be able to keep them imprisoned, too. It was a trap as much as a shield.
She could restore the basement to how it had been before she’d broken it open. She saw now that there was a reason those ghosts had been inside. They were out of control, in a way that could only be isolated and contained. Even at her most furious, Harriet had never been like them.
She shouted at the top of her voice, “LISTEN TO ME, NOW!”
The nearest ghosts fell silent, and the quiet travelled like a wave through the rooftop until everyone was staring at her, waiting to hear what she had to say.
Harriet gulped, and then summoned Norma’s confidence. She would use her gran’s advice to get what she wanted, one last time. Then she was going to pretend that Norma had never existed. That was all she deserved.
“The Tricksters are gone,” she said, voice raised. “I’m in charge now.”
Several ghosts reacted in shock. They must not have noticed that Rufus and Vini had been destroyed. There was a pause, as they all took in what this meant. Some of them looked at Leah, and then back at Harriet.
Harriet paused, not daring to do anything that might endanger this grab for power. She tried to convey that she was tough and strong, like her grandmother. Finally, one of the ghosts dipped her head in Harriet’s direction. One after another, they started bowing to her. A few even knelt.