Chapter 25

Rasps of fear tear from my throat. I can"t breathe. My lungs spasm as an inhuman wail fills the air.

Snow.

My brave, loyal, fierce Snow. My soul. He sacrificed himself to save me, to save all of us. We were supposed to be together until the end, but he left me.

I have never known a world in which he doesn't exist. I've never known my own mind without him being a part of it.

I curl into myself on the cold, hard ground, my body wracked with sobs. The others are saying something, but their voices are muffled, drowned out by the hollow roaring in my ears. In my head there is only silence. The comforting presence that has been with me all my life – gone. Torn away. I am utterly alone.

Through my tears, I see Snow's still form across from me. Unmoving. Lifeless. "Please," I choke out. "Please... no…" I crawl forward, ignoring the shards of glass cutting into my palms. Nothing matters but reaching him.

I collapse at Snow"s side, throwing my arms around his massive neck. Still warm. If I close my eyes I can almost pretend... but there is no familiar huffing breath. No twitch of an ear. Only a terrible, aching emptiness.

I would give anything, everything, to have him back. To bury my face in his thick fur one more time. To feel the rumbling purr that always soothed me, grounded me.

Something deep within me has shattered, leaving ragged, bleeding edges behind. Snow was my heart. My guiding star. Without him… how can I go on? What am I, if not one half of a whole? How can I breathe? How can I think? How can I live?

The others are beside me now, their hands on my shoulders, my back. Trying to comfort me even in their own devastating grief. But there is no comfort to be found. Only pain.

I bury my face in Snow"s fur as great, heaving sobs shake my frame.

My boy. My brave, beautiful boy. "Come back," I plead brokenly, knowing it is futile. "Come back to me. Please…"

But he is gone. And I am lost.

* * *

I don't know how long I have held him for. The light here is the same, but it feels like it has been hours. And yet, not long enough. Nova is the one who peels my arms away from Snow's neck. I feel both stronger and weaker at the same time. My body is healing, but my soul is broken. He saved me, and he ended me.

I blink at Nova through my tears. She's crying too. Her cheeks are flushed and stained with makeup that has run down her beautiful face. She doesn"t offer platitudes, doesn't tell me it will be okay, just helps me to my feet.

I waver, but Kole and Tanner are at my sides, taking my weight.

"I can"t leave him." My voice cracks as I speak.

Sam is there too. He puts his hands on my shoulders and looks deep into my eyes, "I'll stay with him until Luther gets here. Then we'll figure out how to get him home."

My throat constricts. I can't breathe. I can't do this.

"What the hell happened?" Thornfield bellows from the top of the stairs. Seconds later, he's standing in front of me. His eyes flash, then he clocks Snow.

"He destroyed the scepter for us," Nova whispers.

Thornfield's fingers twitch. He assesses the shards of glass and debris on the floor. Then he turns to me, fixes his gaze on mine, and nods. Almost imperceptibly. "You'll want to take the body home. I'll see to it," he says.

I do not have the ability to respond. I turn away, stunned. I walk in a daze back to the roof. I walk to the edge. I am not in pain. My limbs feel normal. My muscles don't ache. But my heart bleeds so viciously I can hardly see straight.

I brace my hands on the edge, and grip hard. Then jump up onto the ledge and stretch out my arms.

"Mack!" Nova darts to grab hold of me, but Tanner catches her hand. He wraps his arms around her to hold her still.

I turn my face up to the sun.

It is daylight. What time was it when he died? I don't even know. What day of the week? What is the date? How will I know when to remember him?

Behind me, Nova tugs out of Tanner's grasp and climbs up beside me. She takes my hand and squeezes it tight.

There is a pause, then Tanner takes my other side. Kole climbs up next to him, Sam next to Nova.

We join hands, and turn our faces to the sun.

Down below, a familiar voice calls up to us. "What the hell?!" It's Luther. He made it.

I watch as he runs, full pelt, toward the museum's entrance.

Minutes later, he's here too. Kole offers Luther his hand and pulls him up onto the ledge. He puts his hand on Luther's arm and tells him what happened.

Hearing it out loud breaks me all over again but, this time, I stay upright. I keep my eyes closed and my face turned to the sun.

Snow died to keep us together.

He died for this. For us. We have time now because of him.

I owe it to him not to waste it.

Tears still staining my cheeks, I cup Nova's face in my hands. I press my forehead to hers, then lean down and kiss her.

The kiss does not mend me.

But it is a promise.

The promise of better things. The promise of love, and a future that almost got snatched away from me. The promise of her.

Forever.

Snow gave us our forever.