Page 61 of Ghosted (The Ravenwood #1)

MANY, MANY YEARS LATER

Wren’s gnarled, arthritic hand curls against my own, our papery skin whispering together as we hold on as tightly as we can.

Labored breathing is the only audible sound in the room.

The doctor turned off the ventilator a while ago, so the incessant beeping that had blended into the background for me is finally gone.

Death should be coming anytime now, but I’m not afraid. I’ve seen what’s on the other side more than most. I know what awaits us all.

Sort of.

“I love you, you crazy old bat, you know that?” Wren’s voice shakes with the admission. She’s rarely sentimental, but she’s gotten soft in her old age.

I soak in the feel of her hand in mine, and those familiar blue eyes lined with a roadmap of a life well-lived. Even though I know I’ll love where I’m going, it’ll never feel quite like this again .

I take a breath in that feels like trying to breathe underwater and whisper, “I know.” Another painful breath in as the room starts to darken at the edges.

“I love you, too. See you later.” Two full sentences nearly deplete my energy reserve, but I have one more thing to say to my stubborn little sister who has always wanted to follow me everywhere and protect me from the world: “Take your time, though. Okay?”

I can feel myself slipping, every string holding me to this elderly, broken body snapping one by one. I wait for her agreement, holding tightly to the last few ties. When she nods, I release the last feeble breath in my lungs, allowing myself to fall into the enveloping dark.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” Dean says, his ever-present smile pulling at his cheeks. He reaches his hand out to mine, and when I take it, light seeps around us. It fills the dark like a warm bath. With Dean by my side, I sink slowly into it, swearing I can taste hot chocolate on my tongue.

“You ready?” I ask Dean, taking a full, painless breath for the first time in months.

“Always,” he replies, tugging me forward into the brilliant light of forever.