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Knotting her fingers together in front of her stomach, Nova looks genuinely torn. “I don’t want him to think…” She bites her lower lip as her words catch in her throat.

“He won’t. He just needs some time to get used to the idea. It’s a lot to take in for all of us.”

Trying to make light of the situation, Tanner punches Mack lightly on the arm and says, “You just want time alone so you can play with your new air bending skills.”

Mack and Snow, at the same time, shoot him a withering stare. Snow even releases a low grumble from the back of his throat, which makes Luther laugh. “Ha, there’s two of them to gang up on you now, Tanner.”

Usually when we’re like this—gently cajoling each other, teasing, and laughing—Nova smiles. She loves to see us behaving like brothers, making fun of each other, punching each other on the arm, occasionally hugging. But right now, she just looks sad and confused.

It’ll be okay, Little Star. I send my voice to slither through her, hoping it brings comfort. Sam will be okay. No one can tell you not to love him, even if he isn’t—

“I know,” she says out loud, making the others all turn and look at her. “Sorry,” she breathes. “I didn’t mean to snap. I told him I still love him, but it didn’t seem to help. Even if he’s not one of the five, who says I can’t have six or seven mates if I want them?”

I catch Tanner raising his eyebrows; clearly, he’s okay with Nova being in a relationship with the five of us, but not quite okay with her adding another three or four mages to the mix.

“I just don’t know if Sam gets it.” She turns to Mack and folds herself in his arms, tucking her head under his chin. “Rhone, please try to make him see that this isn’t the end of everything. Just because he didn’t drink my blood, it doesn’t mean there isn’t a bond between us, and it doesn’t mean I love Nico. Because I don’t. He might be part of this, but he’s not part of my heart.” She looks up at Mack again and says, “Promise me you’ll make Sam understand?”

Mack kisses her forehead. “I’ll do my best, Little Star.” Then he strides off up the beach with Snow ambling behind him.

Seeing the two of them like that will never stop being weird; in all the years I’ve known Mack, I don’t think it ever properly sank in that he and Snow were one being—that Snow was living inside there somewhere.

Even after all the times I saw him shift from Mack to Snow then from Snow to Mack, there’s something about seeing them next to each other—the way they move and the way they look at each other, and the way they talk as if they genuinely understand what the other is saying—that brings their relationship into sharp relief.

They really are one, a part of each other’s psyche, two halves of a whole.

“They’re all right, aren’t they?” Nova says as we strive towards the trees.

“They’re fine,” I tell her, moving a branch out of her way, even though she doesn’t need me to. “Stop worrying, Nova. They’re okay. We all are.”

For a while, we walk in silence. The energy of the forest swirls around me, presses down on my limbs, and makes my muscles twitch. Usually, I have to tune myself into it but since I drank Novus blood, it’s like the earth’s energy is a part of me and I’m a part of it.

I can move it without really thinking; I didn’t mean to make those vines twirl around Nova’s wrists and ankles. They just did it, like they knew that was what I wanted without me having to even say anything.

I glance at Tanner, wondering if he’s struggling with an onslaught of emotion. As if he can tell what I’m thinking, he says, “I can switch it off—thoughts, emotions, stuff I usually have to try really hell-damned hard to get out of my head. It’s like I can shut it off now. I can just flip a switch and boom, I’m alone in my own head. It’s fucking crazy.” He smiles and scrapes his fingers through his floppy hair.

His face is lighter, as if a literal weight has been lifted from him.

“Then when I do open it up, it’s more intense than ever.” He breathes out hard, looking ahead to where Nova and Luther walk side-by-side. “I think she was right. I think this is what we had to do but—”

I raise my eyebrows waiting for him to continue.

“What does it mean for Nico? He has to drink from her too? And then what? I mean he’s not just Nico anymore—he’s a fucking Hellhound. What’s Nova’s blood going to do to him?”

“Maybe it will get rid of the hound, maybe it’ll turn him back into himself,” I reply.

“But what would be the point in that? If she needs a werewolf, she already has Sam.”

“Tanner,” I sigh, my jaw twitching, “I know I’m supposed to have the answers, but I don’t know. Nova’s the one now—the one with all the visions, and all the plans. I did my part and now I’m just doing what she tells me to.”

Tanner wrinkles his nose and makes a gesture with his mouth that’s not quite a smile. “Must feel like shit,” he says, “not being the all-knowing one anymore.”

I nudge him with my elbow and tell him to fuck off, which makes Luther turn around from up ahead and hush at us to be quiet because we’re approaching the town.

Under my breath, I say, “Actually, it feels pretty nice.”

* * *

Back at the apartment, Rev, Sarah, and Nico are waiting in the kitchen.