Snow still whipped around them, wild and furious, but the moment Arielle’s and Noah’s hands collided, the storm wavered.
Just a second.
Just a breath.
But enough.
Arielle blinked as the world flickered—white, then gray, then shapes slowly reforming. The wind still roared, but its direction… shifted. Like it wasn’t sure anymore if it was supposed to destroy them or wait for instructions.
Her heartbeat hammered.
“Noah?” she whispered.
He tightened his grip on her hand, steadying himself as snow lashed across his face.
“Ari—are you okay?”
She nodded, though she wasn’t sure it was true. Something strange pulsed through her—warm, bright, humming beneath her skin like a heartbeat that didn’t belong to her.
A glow.
Soft.
Golden.
It shimmered between their intertwined fingers.
Ariell
