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“You can watch from the woods if you have to,” she says softly. “But I need you safe. All of you.” A smile lights her lips. “I need you here when I come back.”

“We will be.” Mack sits up on his knees in front of her. He strokes her hair from her face and kisses her forehead. “We’ll be here, Little Star.”

Tanner looks away. He rubs his temples and exhales a long, shaky breath. The emotion in the circle must be killing him, and he has his own to deal with too. But then his face changes. Like he’s locked it all away, he smiles. He’s carefree Tanner again, and he stands up offering Nova his hand.

“The answer is yes,” he says to her. “If this is happening, then yes, Little Star, we will give you your perfect day. So, what do you want to do first?”

Nova smiles up at him, then wraps her arms around his waist and leans against his chest. Tanner’s brightness falters for just a second as he kisses the top of her head, but when she looks up at him, he raises his eyebrows and says, “Well? What’ll it be?”

Wiping the moisture from her eyes, Nova turns and looks at Kole. “Got any more of that pancake mix?” she asks hopefully.

Kole clears his throat, dislodging whatever emotion was sitting there and says, “You’re in luck. One more box.”

“Then I’d say coffee and pancakes is a pretty good start,” she replies.

Nodding at her, Kole stalks off to fetch the supplies. Mack follows him, but I remain with the others. Tanner and Sam have cocooned her, like they can’t stand not to be touching her. They’re stroking her arms, her fingers, her hair. She closes her eyes and turns her face to the slowly rising sun, absorbing their touch.

Usually, this kind of touching would lead to sex. But right now, it’s not about that; it’s as if they’re trying to memorize every inch of her.

“I’ll be back,” I snap, then I turn away and stalk into the trees. Under the shadow of the ones closest to the lake, I lean my forehead against a trunk and breathe in the heady scent of the pines. I clench my fists then unclench and brace my palms on the tree. I can’t do this. I can’t lose her. Not when it took me so fucking long to admit I needed her.

Okay, she says she’ll come back. But do we really trust that? I know the others do; Kole, Mack, and Tanner have believed unwaveringly in the prophecy from the very beginning. Sam probably believes it because he managed to return, so why can’t she?

But I’ve always preferred facts over faith, and there is nothing—nothing—that tells me witches can rise from the dead. Returning from a hell dimension? Okay, sure. Being reborn after your heart stops beating? That’s a different thing entirely.

Kole’s words ring in my ears. “It has to happen, Luther. Arguing or running away won’t change it. The best thing we can do is spend the day together.”

I turn so my back’s facing the tree then sink down to the ground and clutch my head. I don’t know how the others are doing this. I don’t know how the others are staying so strong because I feel like I’m falling apart.

I’m staring at the ground when something catches my eye. A thick piece of wood, perhaps broken off when Nova threw fire at the tree yesterday. It’s strangely shaped, and curled a little at the end.

I look from the wood to my hand. My vision blurs. I see myself standing in a chapel with Nova in front of me. I see us exchanging wedding rings.

I know it wasn’t us. I know it was our ancestors, but I remember how it felt to be her husband. I remember how it felt to know that she was truly mine, that I was truly hers, and that nothing could break us apart. Even death.

I pick up the wood, take out the knife I’ve been carrying in my pocket since we arrived, and start to carve.

39

NOVA

Luther misses breakfast. Kole calls him, but he doesn’t emerge from the woods. Mack offers to go after him, but I tell him not to. “He needs some time, it’s okay.”

While we eat, I feel like the others are forcing themselves to look like they’re enjoying it. I can hardly blame them; I’m asking a lot. Perhaps too much.

Eventually, I put down my little silver camping dish, drink the last of my coffee, then say to Tanner, “We never did have that swimming lesson. Will you teach me?”

He hesitates for a moment before smiling and saying, “Sure, but this time no funny business. It’s serious stuff, I want you to concentrate.”

I nod and mock-pout at him. “I promise.”

When I follow him into the water, I warm it with just a click of my fingers, and it’s like we’re wading into a hot bath. Sam joins us, but Kole remains on the shore with his coffee.

I look for Mack and realize he’s removing his clothes. I drink in the sight of him, memories flashing in front of my eyes. Then he shifts, and Snow comes ambling toward us.

“Snow loves to swim,” Tanner says as the polar bear wades with ease into the lake and swims out to its center.

Sam follows Snow, and the two of them lark around in the deeper water while Tanner starts by teaching me how to tread water.