Epilogue
Crowley stood outside the cottage, hands in his trouser pockets as the wind carried the black smoke curling and fanning out into the twilight. Growley sat beside him, head thrown back in a baleful howl.
It had been Crowley's decision to burn the house. Upstairs, lain out on the bed in a replica of the summer dress she'd met him in, Murron's body burned along with it. Her soul was safely in Hell, secreted away apart from the rest. He knew she wouldn't have wanted to become a demon and he didn't want to lose her to the masses. The funeral pyre served two purposes: a send-off and to ensure she could never return to earth.
By dawn, the fire died down, leaving ash and the brick fireplace in its wake. Crowley made to turn away from the scene when the familiar scent of incense passed over him. Turning, he spied the goddess, Kali, clad in what he perceived as ceremonial robes, staring into the smouldering remains. She looked back at Crowley, her dark eyes solemn. They exchanged a look in silence for a few moments, then Crowley lowered his gaze and blinked from sight.
In the pink and gold light of the sunrise, Kali stepped out onto the ash and, raising her arms to the sky, began to dance.
- The End