CHAPTER 118

She shook her head. "I never saw it, but there's something in there, something big. It wasn't supposed to be able to see me, but it can, and I barely got out in time."

"Okay, then. Death, any clues?"

"Mike Radley, I'm afraid my knowledge of the afterlife stops at a gate much like this one. I am blissfully unaware of what lies beyond the veil." He sipped his tea. "However, I know that a gateway such as this will allow your body to cross over with you. Such a thing is extremely rare, and I haven't decided if I am surprised that you have access to such a thing."

"Kisa." Mike was looking at her now, and there was nothing but kindness in his eyes. "If you remember anything else, please let me know. Thank you for telling me about the gate. Even knowing something is waiting on the other side is very helpful, even if it's unsettling."

"I...well...you're welcome." She bit her lip, unsure of what to say next. Her mind was a storm of memories and emotions, and she needed to get away from everyone. Without another word, she backed away from the group and then ran up to the house and inside, hoping to find somewhere she could be alone.

Deciding that her room was the best option, she ran inside and picked a corner of the room to lie down in. There was no furniture yet, only the boxes that had belonged to her that were full of her clothes and various linens. Wrapping herself in a blanket, she shivered at the distant memory of a throaty growl, just on the other side of the bars.

Should she leave? Whatever Emily had been caught up in, maybe Mike was caught up in it, too. It was impossible to know, not without being able to read his mind.

However, he didn't seem interested in bossing her around. If the stories were true, he had given the others plenty of chances to fit in, and didn't seem interested in pursuing anything other than helping his friend, Cecilia.

Emily had made Kisa fit, had made her wear that collar until most of her humanity was gone. More memories flooded in, dark ones of her final days in the house, and she shivered. It was the opposite of the warmth and light she felt now in the house, and she was conflicted. If Mike opened that gate, would the darkness come back?

There was no way to know.

"Second chances," she muttered to herself, wondering if the house was still worth it. Maybe she would be better on the streets, or try to carve a niche out for herself elsewhere. Through the haze of broken thoughts, she remembered how people's eyes would move across her as if she wasn't there.

Out in the hallway, she heard a loud bang, followed by the guttural mumblings of an angry goblin. The door of Kisa's room was shoved open by a pair of rats, and Tink backed in, another rat helping her carry something.

"Get the fuck out!" Kisa shrieked, standing up and baring her fangs.

The rats bolted, including the one who had been helping Tink.

Undeterred, Tink dragged the object through the door and then got on the other side and pushed.

"Are you fucking deaf?" Kisa cried out. "I want to be left alone!"

"Oh, Tink know." She stepped to the other side of the object and pushed it across the floor until it was up against the wall. "But now Tink carry everything, so stupid cat face wait even longer."

"Why won't you..." Kisa's protest died off when Tink walked back into the hall and came back in carrying a large horn. It was the top of the phonograph from the sitting room.

"Tink hear cat face talking," the goblin explained. "Make Tink think. When Tink sad, Tink can fix. When cat face sad, need dance."

Kisa growled, but kept watching as Tink installed the horn on top of the phonograph. She fiddled with some screws that she pulled out of a pocket in her dress, then flipped her goggles down to inspect the device. With a satisfied nod, Tink plugged it in.

"Old phonograph big fun, but break easy," she explained. "Tink planning to take apart, but cat face more important. Tink move fuse to second floor for power, but only until tonight, then move back to third floor." She pulled a record from a drawer beneath the phonograph, then set it down on the turntable.

"I don't need a musty old..." Kisa's protest died when the sounds of Die Puppenfee filled her room. The song was bright and cheerful, the exact opposite of how she currently felt.

Yet...something about the light-hearted tune carried by the flutes reached deep into her heart and pulled. She blinked, stunned by the playful progression that signified the toymaker's shop.

"Tink leave, but first help." The goblin pushed the boxes up against the wall. "Plenty of space for dance now. Maybe cat face feel better."

Kisa looked at the goblin. Had she really done all this for her?

"Thanks," she said, her attention focused on the phonograph.

"Tink help cat face, maybe help fix head, or even heart." Tink slid her goggles up to her forehead, then scrunched up her face. "Maybe never fix taste in music, though. Tink prefer Puccini." With that, she walked out of the door and closed it behind her.

Kisa focused on the music flowing from out of the phonograph. It was easy to let the world slide away and allow the music to flow through her. Her movements were second nature, her steps light, and she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she moved. She was rusty, but her own natural grace took over as she let the music carry her away.

She danced. The movements came back to her, and she spun about the room, twisting and dipping, The song was playful, and she caught herself smiling in the wall mounted mirrors on the other side of the room.

She didn't know who she was, or what the future held. But for now, in this moment, Kisa was able to lose herself in the music, to become somebody else. To allow the grace of the orchestra to move her limbs, to express herself with her body.