The bark was light and almost transparent. Isabella held the first strip in her hand.
She began wrapping it around Shelia's body. Starting from the feet, then moving upward. Each strip tightened slightly around Shelia, sealing in all the previous steps. Isabella worked slowly, making sure the wrap was even.
When Shelia was fully wrapped like a cocoon, Isabella stepped back and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
The hardest part was done.
She carried Shelia's cocoon-like form to the far side of the room where a large window opening let the night breeze in. A flat stone slab sat beneath the opening, smooth from years of use. Isabella placed her gently on the cool surface. The faint starlight filtered through the window, falling softly over the Ghostshade Bark and making it shimmer like pale silver.
