I woke to sunlight streaming in the window, the world outside made even brighter by the glistening white blanket of snow.
Suddenly the events of the previous day came flooding into my still half asleep head.
Malcolm was still sound asleep, and I smiled as I remembered drifting off in his arms. It hadn't been a dream. I lay back against my pillow, noting that the power was still out. The fire was still burning in the fireplace, keeping the room warm but still chilly.I would've stayed like that all morning, but my phone buzzed on the nightstand.I groaned and reached for it, squinting at the screen. "Campus alert. Classes are canceled today. Freak snowstorm."
A second message was from my mom, she and my dad had gone to work to deal with an influx of patients brought in with injuries due to a multi car pileup on the highway. Miraculously, she said nobody was killed. That was a relief.
The third message was from Duncan, asking if I'd learned anything about the entity. I didn't know what to say, really, but I thought I should warn him. So I typed out a response urging him to use caution, that whatever it was had escaped the library, followed me home, and was now who-knows-where.
Malcolm's jeep was buried to the hood in snow. He would be stuck here for a while longer. I wouldn't mind if he stayed, I hated the thought of him going back home. It sounded like his home life was terrible. Toxic parents, drug dealers, stealing his savings. I couldn't imagine my parents doing anything like that.
Suddenly I heard the house come back to life. The power was back on.
For a moment, I didn't move. I just listened. The low hum of the heater. The occasional crackle of the fire. No more whispering shadows. No eyes in the dark. No cold breath down my spine.
I shifted slightly, and Malcolm stirred beside me.
"Hey," he murmured, voice low and raspy with sleep. "We're alive."
I laughed, and the sound felt real in a way it hadn't yesterday. "Yeah. And warm."
He opened his eyes and smiled at me, sleep still heavy in his features. "Pretty sure the room tried to kill us last night."
"Yeah, well," I teased, "you kissed me and scared it off. Maybe you should list that on your résumé: certified ghost repellent."
He leaned in and brushed his lips against mine again, slow and soft. I melted into it, heart fluttering. This was the kind of magic I understood.
He grinned and pulled me back under the covers. "Best curse-breaking makeout reward ever."
We kissed again, deeper this time. His hands tangled in my hair, mine curled around the back of his neck. The world outside could wait.
At least, until—
BANG!
My door flew open.
"OH MY GROSS—MIRA!"
"SERIOUSLY?!"
Micah and Melinda stood in the doorway, bundled in snow gear, mouths open in identical expressions of horror and triumph.
I yelped and yanked the blanket up to my chin while Malcolm dove under it entirely.
"GET OUT!" I shrieked, face flaming.
Micah grinned like he'd just found a stash of cursed treasure. "Let's go play in the snow," he suggested.
"You barge in to say that?!"
"Mom said not to let you sleep in all day," Melinda added cheerfully. "So, you're welcome."
They left with far too much smugness, the door slamming shut behind them.
Under the covers, Malcolm muttered, "I'm never showing my face again."
"Too late," I said, groaning. "You're officially part of the family trauma now."
A half hour later, bundled in coats, scarves, and layers of indignity, we stepped outside into a winter wonderland.
The world had transformed overnight. Thick snow blanketed every tree, rooftop, and blade of grass. The sky was that soft, pale blue that only happens after a storm. Everything sparkled. The air was crisp, clean—and blissfully free of entities.
Micah had already started building a snow fort. Melinda was pelting snowballs at him, each one curving through the air with magical aim.
"You want in on this?" Malcolm asked, brushing a bit of frost off my scarf.
I smirked. "Only if you're ready to lose."
He grinned. "Bring it."
We spent hours outside. My cheeks ached from smiling. Magic-enhanced snowballs whizzed through the air.
I felt light.
For the first time in weeks, maybe months, the weight of expectation, fear, and chaos lifted. The snow softened the edges of the world. My fingers were numb, my nose red, and my heart was full.
Malcolm grabbed my hand as we trudged back toward the house, our boots sinking into the drifts. "You know," he said, squeezing gently, "if every ancient evil could be defeated with cuddles and snowball fights, the world would be a lot less terrifying."
"Don't jinx it," I replied.
We reached the porch just as the clouds began to roll back in. The wind picked up, whispering around the corners of the house.
I glanced behind us. The snow was untouched beyond our little yard. Too untouched.
A shiver passed through me that had nothing to do with the cold.