Chapter 21

Silence swells in the room.

It doesn't make sense. This can't be it. It just can't be.

I know the others are thinking the same thing because Tanner is bent double over his knees, rubbing his temples. Kole is so still it's like he"s barely there anymore, and Sam is standing by the window, shoulders shaking.

Silently, I beg him not to turn around because I can"t see the look on his face and stay upright. I'll fall to my knees, and scream, and beat the ground with my fists, and never want to get up.

There is no elixir. Mack is going to die. He is still talking, still sitting upright, but he is in pain, and the look on Tanner's face tells me we are out of time.

It's not a matter of days now.

With no elixir, and no other hope for a cure, we are approaching the end.

My head spins. My vision is blurred, and my entire body feels like it's going to splinter and crack and disintegrate under the weight of my rapidly approaching grief.

"Maybe my blood will help?" I lift my wrist, willing to split it open with my fingernails if it will help Mack. But he shakes his head. "Any effects would be temporary, Little Star."

"Then you'd just have to keep drinking." I cup his face in my hands and stare into his eyes.

"Besides," he says, "it was your beautiful blood that—" He stops. He realizes what he's said.

Guilt and shame wash over me like a tsunami. I hadn't even thought about the fact this is my fault. That I did this to him. That my blood poisoned him.

Mack grabs my hand forcefully. "Nova, no. I didn't mean…"

I am trembling. Hot and cold chills coil inside my veins. "I did this to you," I whisper. Tears start to roll down my cheeks, so forcefully I don't stand a chance of stopping them.

Tanner comes to me, and wraps his arms around my waist. He nestles in close and kisses my shoulder. "Nova, you didn't do this."

Kole is there too now, holding my hand. And then Sam.

We stay like that for a long time. Holding each other. Crying.

Mack is the only one who does not cry. He just stares at me as if he is trying to remember every inch of my face. I can barely stand to look at him. It hurts too much. But at the same time, I can't look away because it feels like the second I let him out of my sight I will lose him forever.

In the deafening silence, the tablet on the bedside table starts to buzz. Without making a sound, Tanner passes it to Mack and he accepts Luther's call.

When Luther's face fills the screen, my throat constricts. I bunch my fists at my sides. My body feels so hot I can hardly breathe. I'm going to explode. Rage and sadness swirl like a toxic whirlpool through my veins. A spark flies from my palm and into the air.

"What's going on?" Luther frowns. He looks exhausted, and the momentary brightness in his eyes when he saw us all has gone.

Rev moves into shot beside him and I look away.

I open my mouth to speak, but I can't. I need to explain what happened to her aunt. She needs to know that Miranda was lost weeks ago, and there was nothing we could have done. But I can't explain that to her. Not now.

Mack is all I can think about.

I slip my hand into his, squeezing tightly.

"We have news," he says, trying to sit up a little straighter, but grimacing with the pain. He's speaking as if he's about to tell Luther something banal and unimportant like the time of our flight back home.

Luther raises his eyebrows. He's looking past Mack at Kole and Tanner, who are refusing to even glance at the screen.

From the foot of the bed, Snow grumbles and stands up.

"Hey, buddy. You look good." Luther smiles. "You good? You're both on the mend?"

A choked sob breaks free from Sam"s lips, and makes me screw my eyes shut.

There's a long pause. Mack opens his mouth to speak then closes it again. He rubs his beard. He"s thinner than he was, but still crazy, addictively handsome in his trademark gray sweats and white tee.

"Fuck…" Luther breathes. He knows. He gets it.

Rev frowns and looks at him. "What?"

"It was all a lie." Sam is the one who speaks. Finally, he turns around. His cheeks are stained with tears but, now, his expression is hard. Angry. Furious. "There was no elixir. This whole thing was a waste of time." He stops, swallows hard, and breaths out heavily. "There is no elixir," he repeats in a whisper, staring at Luther now and not Rev. "We can't save them. We're out of time."

Luther laughs.

The sound surprises me.

Rev opens her mouth to speak, but doesn't.

Luther shakes his head and brings a whiskey bottle to his lips, then puts it down again. "But they look…" He meets Mack's eyes. "You look good, Baloo." As he says Mack"s nickname, my heart splinters.

"Fraid not." Mack puts his hand on my shoulder.

Luther's jaw twitches. Rev gets up and walks out of shot.

"I'll get on the next flight. There must be something we can do." Luther takes his phone from his pocket and starts to search for flight times, his thumbs moving desperately quickly. "There's a plane leaving in three hours. I"d be with you by tomorrow morning."

"Something tells me we—" Mack starts to speak but I release a choked sob and he stops.

"If Luther wants to come, you should let him," I whisper. "Let him feel like he's trying."

Mack glances down at me, then nods. "Well, all right. Sounds like a plan."

But even as Mack's cheerful tone swells from his chest, and Snow nuzzles his arm for affection, the silence descends again. Luther sees it. He knows. We all know; he won't make it in time.

He clears his throat, and this time he does take a swig of whiskey. "I'll book the flight. Then I"ll call back."

Mack nods. "Talk to you soon."

Luther holds his gaze for a moment. "Rhone…" His voice is softer than I've ever heard it. His eyes moisten, and he squeezes the whiskey bottle so tightly I feel like it might crack.

"Soon," Mack says. "Get your flight sorted. Then we'll talk."

Is he trying to tell Luther they'll have a tearful goodbye later? Does he have things he wants to say to him alone? Without the rest of us here?

Sam has moved around to the other side of the bed and sunk down into a chair. He is staring vacantly at his own hands. They twitch, as if he"s fighting the urge to shift. Then he screws them up tight, and closes his eyes.

When the screen goes dark, and Luther hangs up, Tanner finally speaks. "I'll do what I can to make you comfortable." He stands, and squeezes Mack's shoulder. Mack winces, and a jolt of pain shoots right to my heart.

I can't do this… I try to reach Kole. But he still seems as if he's not really there. I can't say goodbye to them. I can't lose them.

The sudden urge to cuddle into Snow and feel his warmth and his softness against my skin is overwhelming. I let go of Mack's hand and wrap my arms around Snow's neck. He makes a gentle sound that's almost a purr and leans into me. His heartbeat is slower than normal. His movements are slower, too, as he turns around and returns to the foot of the bed.

As the reality of our situation settles over the room like a suffocating fog, I feel a desperate need to escape. I turn to Mack, my voice barely above a whisper. "Can we go to the roof? Just the three of us? I want to see the stars with you."

Mack's eyes soften, a flicker of understanding passing between us. He nods, and we help each other to our feet. Tanner and Sam watch silently as we make our way to the door, Snow padding along beside us, his steps heavy and labored.

The climb to the roof is slow, each step a reminder of the precious time slipping away. But as we emerge into the cool night air, a sense of peace washes over me. The stars stretch out above us, an infinite canvas of twinkling lights, oblivious to the sorrow that swirls in the air around us.

We settle down, Mack's arm around my shoulders, Snow's head resting on my lap. For a moment, we simply breathe, allowing the quiet to envelop us, a fragile sanctuary from the pain that awaits us below.

I lean into him, savoring his warmth, the steady beat of his heart. There are so many things I want to say, too many, not enough time.

Tears sting my eyes, and I bury my face in Snow's fur, breathing in his familiar scent. "I don"t want our story to end," I whisper, my voice cracking. "I can't lose you, either of you."

Snow whines softly, nuzzling closer, as if he, too, feels the weight of our impending goodbye. Mack's grip tightens around me, his own tears glistening in the starlight. "Our story will never end, Nova. When you look up at the stars, know that I'll always be with you, watching over you, loving you from afar."

"That's not enough." I kiss him deeply, salty tears bleeding between our lips.

"I know." He wipes my cheeks. "I'm sorry. If I could stay with you…" He sighs heavily. "You know I'd do anything to stay with you, Little Star."

"You changed my life."

He meets my eyes and smiles. "You changed your own life, Nova. I'm just so proud I was here to watch it happen." He takes my hand and kisses my knuckles. "I would stand in your shadow forever, watching you eclipse the sun."

"The sun has no warmth without you."

"It'll feel like that for a while." He strokes my neck, the spot below my ear that makes me lean into him. "But you have the others. They will make you whole again."

A sob blooms in my chest. "I can't…"

"Shhhh." He pulls me close. "Let's just watch the stars. We still have some time."

We still have some time.

But it will never be enough.