Page 35 of Soul Keeper

“Isn’t this great? I haven’t had ectoplasm jelly in years!”

With a hearty cry, Spooks dived into a giant bowl of glowing jelly, while Cerberus raced around with a bone he’d no doubt plucked from one of the guests. Zoe watched in bewilderment as ghouls feasted on the delights and delicacies brought from Misty’s saloon, while others danced to the tunes of the Phantom Fiestadores beneath the light of the twinkling will-ó-wisps. Despite the joviality that surrounded her, she searched the crowd for Shadow, hoping to spot him among the revelers. But no matter where she looked, it was as if he’d simply disappeared.

“Oh, I haven’t been left this breathless since the Headless Horsemen visited town. Those gents might not have much of a face to look at, but trust me when I say they have bodies to die for…” Misty winked suggestively as she fanned herself, before another suitor approached for the next dance. “You should join us, sugar!”

“I think I’ll have to pass.” Zoe glanced uncertainly at the array of specters as they danced through the sky. “I have two left feet at the best of times, let alone when dancing in the air…”

“Hmm, perhaps you have a point.” But Misty broke into a knowing smile as she took the hand of a skeleton who ushered her to the dancefloor. “Just wait until the stroke of midnight. That’s when the real fun begins!”

With a hearty laugh, Misty took to the dancefloor, whirling through the skies until her skirts bloomed elegantly beneath her. As the ghosts and ghouls continued their revelry, Zoe wandered through the center of the maze, marveling at the quaint courtyard garden that sat behind the gates. The frost-covered ground was made from gnarled roots, while the air shimmered with light of dozens of will-ó-wisps. In the center, a gathering of vines twisted into the sky, like a cocoon, concealing something vast beneath their thorny tendrils. Zoe shook her head as she gazed at the sight. She’d thought that her visit to the center of the maze would reveal the source of the Underworld’s true power. But once again, she was left with more questions than answers.

As the ghosts continued to take to the dancefloor, Zoe approached the vines cautiously, drawn by the ethereal mists and the light of the will-ó-wisps that emanated from within. She reached towards them curiously, wondering what they concealed, before she paused and reprimanded herself. She had made her decision. No good would come from investigating the secret of the Underworld’s power. And no good would come from staying in a world in which she didn’t belong.

Zoe watched the spirits as they enjoyed the revelry of the ball. She smiled as undead suitors battled for Misty’s attention, as Cerberus chased the will-ó-wisps across the courtyard, and as Spooks bathed himself in a vat of jelly. Where once she had thought of them as nothing more than nightmarish nuisances, now, she realized, she thought of them as friends. And it was exactly why she had to leave.

She glanced at the motel in the distance, now deserted as the specters gathered for the ball, and knew this was her chance. Her chance to slip away unnoticed, and return to her life, before it was too late. With a sinking heart, she retraced her steps, back towards the gates…

“It’s happening! Come closer, fleshie!”

Zoe yelped as a jelly-splattered hand took hers, and she was propelled towards the center of the courtyard. As the chime of the clocks filled the air, all those gathered turned to the cocoon of vines gathered before them. The feeling of anticipation hung in the air as all eyes watched and waited, until even Spooks gazed at the sight with an unusual silence. Zoe glanced at the crowd in confusion, until she drew a sharp intake of breath at the sight before her.

With each chime of the clock, the vines slowly parted, unfurling like petals of a flower. A cloud of glowing mist drifted from within, while hundreds, if not thousands, of will-ó-wisps fluttered into the air, their glowing bodies illuminating the night sky like fairy lights. But as the mists cleared to reveal the secret contained within, Zoe’s eyes widened in surprise.

“That’s the treasure of the Underworld?” Zoe looked at the object of the ghost’s rapture in confusion. “A tree?”

“Not just any tree, sugar. Persephone’s Tree.“ Misty whistled in awe as she gazed at the vast pomegranate tree. “The original tree that gave life to everything here.”

Despite the crowd’s rapture, Zoe studied the bare branches of the tree uncertainly.

“But… it’s dead.”

“Not tonight, darlin’.” The buxom spirit broke into a knowing smile as the chimes of the clocks reverberated across the Underworld. “Tonight, the dead return to life.”

Zoe watched as the will-ó-wisps gathered along the bare branches of the tree, infusing it with their light. She gasped as the tree glowed with a magical aura, until a small bud emerged on its bough. As the air shimmered with magic, the bud grew in size, glittering in the light like a giant ruby. But as the will-ó-wisps took flight, Zoe realized it wasn’t a precious stone that gleamed before her, but something altogether different.

“Is that a… pomegranate?”

“It’s the most precious treasure of the Underworld.” Misty’s eyes sparkled at the sight, while the ghosts gazed at the fruit in awe. “It’s time for you to see the true magic of the Underworld, sugar.”

Misty carefully plucked the pomegranate from the branch, handling it like a priceless treasure. From the gasps of excitement that swept through the crowd, Zoe knew that there was more to this than met the eye. And yet, she couldn’t help but look at the sparkling fruit in surprise. Was this really the secret of the Underworld? A fruit that she could just as easily find at Whole Foods?

Just one pomegranate seed carried enough magic to help a lost soul experience the magic of life again. It was Persephone’s greatest gift to the underworld. The gift of life, in death.

Zoe drew a breath as she recalled Shadow’s tale, until the fruit parted in Misty’s hands. Each seed sparkled like a flawless gemstone, infused with the magic from which it had been born. She watched with bated breath as Misty took a seed, and carefully swallowed it whole. A shimmering mist enveloped the specter, while emerald lights flashed from within. But as the mists cleared, Zoe gasped in wonder at the sight before her.

“You’re… human!”

Where once, Misty’s body had been transparent and mist-like, now it was solid and bloomed with life. Mortal life. Misty released a gasp of delight as her feet touched the earth for the first time in years, before she looked at her appearance in wonder.

“Oh, I’d forgotten what it’s like to have a body again! To have lungs that breathe. To have skin that can feel. To have a cleavage that heaves!” Misty glanced at her impressive bust in wonder, before she passed the pomegranate to the guests. “Well, what are you all waiting for, darlin’s? This will be a ball to remember!”

Zoe watched in amazement as Spooks cartwheeled across the ground, leaving a trail of handprints behind him in the frost, while Cerberus delighted at having his ears truly scratched for the first time in centuries. One by one, each of the spirits returned to their mortal forms, until the clearing filled with their cries of delight and the sound of the snow crunching beneath their feet. Zoe couldn’t help but smile as the specters took to the dancefloor, stumbling over every step as they adjusted to their fleshie bodies.

But despite the joy and revelry that surrounded her, Zoe stood alone on the edge of the dancefloor once more. She plucked at her dress self-consciously, barely noticing as the shadows stirred nearby. But as a cold breeze slipped behind her, she drew a startled breath, sensing the presence of another.

“Would you care for this dance?”

Zoe felt Shadow’s hand next to hers, like winter’s breath cooling her skin. Slowly, a silver light burned through the darkness, until his hand grew solid and warm to the touch. She gasped as his fingers laced with hers, his touch solid and warm, until she turned to face him. Where once, his body had been made from the shadows, now he was a being of flesh and blood. His muscular body radiated with life, while the magic of his ancestors enhanced his godly looks. But what drew Zoe’s attention were his eyes, which burned with an inner light, like a window into his very soul.

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