Chapter 24

Ending.

It's all ending.

I wake up shivering. I'm never cold. But something is missing. Something is wrong.

I blink into the starry darkness. Above us, the sky looks the same. Mack is sleeping soundly, but as I turn to look at him, his body twitches with pain and his handsome face is haunted, his lips moving as he mumbles quietly in his dreams.

I sit up on the blanket.

"Snow?"

I scan the rooftop. Although it's dark, the moon is bright.

I can't see him.

I stand up, picking up a spare blanket and wrapping it around my shoulders. He's bear sized now; he can't just disappear.

Leaving Mack sleeping, I search the roof. And when I find no sign of him, my heart starts to beat unsteadily behind my ribcage. Gingerly, I return to Mack and kneel down in front of him. Waking him softly, I wait until he's fully conscious before saying, "Snow's not here."

Instantly, Mack is on his feet. The sudden movement makes him waver, and I jump up to steady him.

"Come. We'll find him."

I loop my arm around Mack's waist and support his weight on my shoulders. It takes far too long to walk down the stairs, and longer still to reach the boys' bedroom. When we open the door, Tanner stirs. Sam is close behind.

Kole isn't here.

"What happened?" Tanner jumps up and crosses the room quickly to Mack, helping me support his weight.

"Snow. We can't find him."

Mack pulls away from us both. His expression is vacant, as if he's straining his senses, on a different plane, searching for Snow.

Without saying anything, he staggers away, pushing back through the door.

I try to help him, Tanner too, but he shrugs us off and uses the wall to support himself. "This way," he mutters. "He went this way."

Appearing at my side, Sam takes my hand and squeezes it tight.

None of us speak.

Mack stumbles through the door at the end of the corridor, and grips the banister hard as he descends the stairs. A muted glow comes from below.

Before I can see what he's seeing, Mack attempts to stride forward, but trips, and this time Sam and Tanner catch him. When he tries to shrug them off, they keep hold of him. I step around them, and hear Kole's voice.

He is standing in front of the shield we created, arms wide, fingers splayed, eyes turned up to the ceiling, muttering furiously.

"He's trying to take the shield down," Tanner mutters. "Why the fuck would he do that?"

Beside him, Snow watches, unmoving, staring at the scepter.

Mack draws himself up a little taller. "Let go of me," he says sternly.

But then an earth-shattering roar fills the room. Snow spins around, jaws open. I have only ever heard him make this sound in battle, and its power makes my soul shudder.

Mack's eyes widen. He looks from Snow to the scepter then says, "Hell, no. Get away from it. Come here."

Snow simply turns away.

Mack struggles harder against Tanner and Sam. They're about to let go when Kole's voice enters my head for the first time in days. Stay back, Little Star. Keep them back. He turns around as the shield drops. Do it. Keep them back.

Without hesitating, I cast a line of flames between the three of us and the two of them. Kole, Snow, and the scepter are on one side. Mack, Sam, Tanner and I are on the other.

This time, Sam and Tanner do let go. Mack tries to move through the flames, but yells and jerks back.

Snow does not look at us. He simply glances at Kole, blinks slowly, then moves toward the scepter. Tilting his head, he reaches up and takes it between his enormous jaws.

Mack yells at him to stop. Tanner and Sam are yelling too. But Kole is staring at me.

Shards of ice burrow deep into my belly. As Snow turns around, holding the scepter in his mouth, I know exactly what's about to happen. Snow huffs at Kole.

Kole doesn't move. Then he drags his fingers through his hair, shakes his head, wipes tears from his face, and throws his arms around the bear's neck. For a moment, I watch his giant tattooed shoulders shaking as he holds onto Snow.

Then he drags himself away, and runs toward the fire. He jumps through it, dropping and rolling so the flames go out.

Mack jerks forward, clearly willing to attempt the same thing to get to the other side. But I splay my fingers and the flames burn hotter and higher.

Snow walks slowly forward. He's on the other side of the flames.

"We need to cast a shield." Kole grabs Tanner's elbow. "Quickly. Now."

Tanner nods, unable to speak. Together, the three of us cast a shield and then I extinguish the flames. Mack moves closer to Snow.

They are so close they're almost touching. They stare at each other for the longest time. Mack puts his hand up, palm out, as if he's trying to stroke him one last time. I do the same, and Tanner, and Kole do too.

Snow lowers his head and makes that familiar purring noise that feels like home, and warmth, and love.

Then he opens his jaws, and bites down on the scepter.

A blast of bright white light fills the room. The shield shakes, the floor trembles, the glass cages behind the shield shatter. The ceiling cracks.

Mack screams.

It's a scream that will live with me for the rest of my life. As if his entire body is breaking. He falls to the ground, on his side, and he is still screaming when the light subsides.

The scepter is gone.

Snow lies on the floor, the mirrored position to Mack, on his side. But his eyes are closed, and he is not breathing.