“I’ll bet.” Poppy looked thoughtful. “I’m sorry you went through that. No kid should have to deal with that sort of thing, especially when there’s no explanation.”
“It was definitely rough,” Max said. “But, spending time with you, and talking it through with you… it feels like I’ve started to move through it, you know? Not that things are magically fixed,” he said with a laugh. “But it’s like there’s always been this wholethinghanging over my head, weighing me down, even when I wasn’t thinking directly about it. Now, though… I feel like I have something to look forward to in life. Like the past isn’t going to define me anymore. Like I finally belong somewhere.”
At that moment they walked out of the trees and into an open area, and, simultaneously, the sun broke through the clouds, sending brilliant beams of light across the crystalline snow.
It would have been cheesy, Max knew, to see that as some kind of sign or metaphor… but he wasn’t sure that he cared. Maybe he needed a bit of cheesiness in his life. It would certainly be better than the moping and brooding he’d dedicated so much of his life to, finding joy only from writing food reviews.
Not that he had any intention of stopping the food reviews, of course – but the thought that he could justbe happywithout having to go seeking it out was new to him. It was going to take some getting used to.
He still didn’t think he’d ever be a particularly social person, but he was even starting to think that he’d cut back on using his powers in the future. Having them malfunction had been an eye-opener for him, and he could see now that he’d been using them as a crutch that allowed him to go unnoticed in the world.
Time to grow up,he told himself.
And part of growing up, he supposed, would be telling Poppy the rest of his various secrets. This one had gone better than he could have possibly hoped.
Maybe she would believe him if he mentioned being half-shifter? He didn’t know how on earth he would go about proving it, given that he couldn’t actually shift… but he felt like it wasimportant for her to know before she made any kind of long-term commitment to him.
He pondered over the question as they started to hike up the hill, watching his icy breath drift away on the breeze as he meandered slowly, lost in thought.
My mom can turn into a lion. I can’t. I just thought you might want to know?
It sounded stupid, when he thought about it that way. But he really did think that it was only fair, if for no other reason than that he thought anyone in a relationship deserved to know if their in-laws could quite literally tear them apart, even though obviously he knew his mom would never do anything of the sort.
“Oh man, I haven’t done this in forever!” Poppy exclaimed suddenly from up ahead, throwing herself down into the soft, white snow. Apparently it was a bit deeper than she’d thought, because she practically disappeared into it with a muffledoof, followed by a burst of delighted laughter.
“Are you okay over there?” he called out, but her laughter just got louder.
He approached, to see her moving her legs back and forth as she made a snow angel. Her simple joy in the act brought a smile to his face.
“You’ve never made one of these before, have you?” she asked as he came nearer. “Are you going to let me roll around on the ground by myself, or are you going to join me?”
Max had to admit that he’d never really understood why someone might make a snow angel – but now, seeing Poppy lying there laughing in the snow, face flushed, he was starting to see the appeal.
“You’ve twisted my arm,” he called out with a grin, clambering over a tree that had fallen across the path as he caught up to her. “I’m going to make the best snow angel you’ve ever seen.”
“Oh, yeah?” she said, her tone challenging. “Well,I’m–”
A suddencrrrrack!had him whipping his head around – and up – to see a wall of snow tumbling down the hillside with an unearthly rumble, faster than he would’ve ever imagined possible.
His stomach dropped.
Avalanche.
He wouldn’t have even thought it could happen on such a small hill, but it was as if a god had scooped up all the snow and ice in the world and hurled it with all its strength, setting the ground trembling.
No matter how fast it is,he thought grimly as he sprang forward, Poppy’s terrified face filling his vision,I will be faster. I must.
He felt that burst of inhuman speed again – the one that he had felt when Poppy had fallen in the kitchen – and he threw himself headlong into the thundering wall of snow, determined to grab her and pull her out.
But the snow had him in its grasp – more powerful than he could ever have believed possible – and the last thing he saw before whiteness overtook him was her outstretched arm, her mouth calling out his name.
Chapter 11
Ihave to find her. I have to find her.
Max came back to consciousness with the thought playing on repeat in his mind, even before he had managed to remember what had happened.
Snow. So much snow. And then the world went white.
