“Samam.” As do I. Evan slowly pushed my hair from my face, his fingers lingering to caress it. “Being away from you is like having a noose around my heart: it hurts, but I know you’ll always show up to loosen it. If I lost you now, the noose would turn to barbed wire and my heart would bleed for eternity.”

  “No, Evan.” I shook my head, tears filling my eyes.

  “For me, there can be no worse punishment than losing you.”

  “You’re not going to lose me,” I assured him.

  “You can’t be certain, Gemma. You saw what happens to you when the power controls you.”

  “Only because I haven’t transformed yet. At that point I’ll be controlling it. I’m not going to leave you, Evan. I’ll never leave you.”

  “I wish I could believe you, but I can’t. Even if you don’t forget all about me, how will you renounce Sophìa? Who says she’ll let you go?”

  “Our agreement is that I transform. I never said I would live in Hell with them.”

  “Once the Bond is established, nothing will be more important to you.”

  I shook my head. What he was saying was unacceptable. “You and the baby are everything to me, do you understand that?”

  “It’s true now, but the venom will erase us from your heart.”

  “That’s impossible. No power could ever erase you from my heart.”

  “Yes it can, if you don’t remember us.” Evan clenched his fists and growled with frustration. “Gemma, I’ve lived with Simon for a long time and I know what I’m talking about. Lots of times I’ve seen what happens when a memory is erased. The heart and mind are connected. If a memory is removed from the mind, no trace is left of the emotion it was connected to. You’re deluding yourself.”

  “Ginevra believes in me. Why can’t you? She’s been through it herself!” If Ginevra thought I could do it, transform without the old me disappearing, there was hope. It wasn’t just a delusion. I would become a Witch, and Evan and I would live on Earth together with our child. With Simon and Ginevra. Maybe one day we could even find a way to bring back Drake and Stella and then we would be a family again. A tear emerged, streaking my face, and at the same time, a doubt: what if Ginevra’s confidence was influenced by her desire to have me as a Sister? No, that couldn’t be. She would lose me too, in that case. I couldn’t give in to doubt or I wouldn’t be able to do it. I would respect the pact, but would do so by my own rules.

  Evan cupped my face in his hands. “Things don’t necessarily have to go that way. I’m begging you, at least consider my proposal.”

  “Drink Ambrosia?” I asked. He nodded. “Don’t you realize how risky that would be for you? I won’t let you fight my battles for me any more. Last time you paid far too high a price.” I rubbed his shoulders. Beneath the fabric he still bore the marks of Hell, where he’d been captured and tortured over and over. I couldn’t let that happen again. The very thought was unbearable.

  “I don’t care about the risks if I know you’re safe. Ambrosia will eradicate the evil inside you. It’ll purify you.”

  “But you can’t be sure, can you? Your plan doesn’t give us any guarantee that I’ll be able to escape the transformation either. It might unleash even worse forces against us.”

  “How could it get any worse than it already is?!” Evan raged. Frustrated, he ran his hand over his face. “I don’t want to lose you.”

  “You won’t. I’ll always love you, Evan. It’s inconceivable that that would ever change. No spell will ever take me away from you.” I looked him steadily in the eye and he swallowed. “I made a promise and I’m going to keep it—that way I’ll be immortal and we can stay together forever.”

  Evan hid from me in grim silence, his mind filled with the demons that tortured him. Ever since he’d discovered my true nature, something in him had changed. There was no longer fear in his eyes when he battled the other Soldiers of Death. He was fierce and self-confident. The only thing that frightened him now was my transformation.

  I raised my head, drawn by a sudden new gleam in the sky. The green of the aurora slowly faded to red, like a dark omen. Evan stared at it for a long while and his voice dropped to a melancholy whisper: “In nocturnal skies a blood-red light glows / with dark, livid rays that stream through the air / whilst languish, uncertain, ’neath veils of rose / all seven suns of the frigid Great Bear.”

  “That’s beautiful,” I said softly, my eyes captivated by the tongues of fire that pierced the darkness. The sight was magnificent yet also frightening, like the second life that had been granted to me—a destiny that sooner or later would be tinged the color of my blood, just like the red in the sky that night.

  “A poet wrote it in 1870,” Evan explained, to banish the dismal thoughts from my heart. “Red northern lights are the rarest kind. They appear every ten years, sometimes even less frequently. The color is caused by the gases present in the atmosphere, their electrical state, and the energy of the particles that strike them.”

  “What causes the color red?”

  “Molecular oxygen. Atomic oxygen, on the other hand, causes the color green.”

  “Blue is my favorite,” I admitted. Because it reminds me of your eyes.

  “Blue isn’t as rare as red, but not as common as green, either. It’s caused by nitrogen.”

  I covered my belly with my hand and Evan rested his hand on mine. He sat down behind me and continued to hold me while in the sky coronas and brilliant rays of light moved like a huge veil that painted the night. What color would our baby’s eyes be?

  “Evan . . .” I laced my fingers with his. How I wished I knew what would become of us and the baby I carried. “Do you ever wonder what he’ll be like?”

  “Every day.”

  “And?”

  “It’s not important if he’s a Subterranean or a simple mortal. He’s the living proof of our great love—that’s all that matters.” I squeezed his hand tighter, listening to the sounds of the northern lights. “Hear that?” he said softly, behind me. Distant whispers drifted through the air. When Evan’s lips brushed my ear I closed my eyes. “That’s the auroral chorus. You can’t imagine how many incredible legends it’s inspired.”

  “Tell me one,” I encouraged him, knowing how much mythology fascinated him. I thought back to the night we’d spent beneath the stars, long ago, when I was still oblivious to the terrible fate in store for me and he was preparing to say goodbye forever. It felt like centuries had passed since then.

  “I don’t know any,” he said.

  I smiled. “Liar,” I accused him, but he remained serious.

  “There are lots of different beliefs. Some indigenous tribes, for example, thought the lights were reflections of a ‘dance of fire’ performed by sprites. To the Inuit in Greenland they were the spirits of children who had died violent deaths or on their birthdays. The Vikings, on the other hand, thought it was the work of the Valkyries who rode through the sky in shining armor on their steeds.”

  That was why he didn’t want to talk to me about it. “So it’s my fault, is it? Well, my Sisters’, I mean, of course,” I said with a grin, but the comment seemed to hit Evan hard. “I’m sorry. That was a lame joke.”

  “Don’t worry,” he reassured me, holding me tighter. “You know there are people who go aurora hunting? They wait up for nights on end to see them and then race over the snow following them.”

  “I guess it must be worth it. Seeing them has been such an exciting experience.”

  “For me too.” Evan stood up and held out his hand. “Come on, I want to introduce you to someone.”

  I frowned but took his hand without questioning him. We walked down a hill and I smiled in amazement when I saw what awaited us. “What’s this?!” I asked, electrified.

  “Your carriage, my lady.” Evan smiled and let go of my hand.

  I went toward the five exquisite white wolves in front of the little sled. Fascinated, I approached them cautiously. Their eyes were as clear as ice, as if they too were Subterraneans, their fur snow-white streaked with gray. As I neared them, the wolves bowed to me. I knelt down and they came closer. At first they sniffed me, but then began to lick my face. I laughed as they rubbed against me.

  “What should we call them? We have to give them names!” When Evan saw my enthusiasm his laughter filled the night. In my dreams, my emotions became his, because he could perceive them. “Hey, champ,” I whispered to the lead wolf. “I bet you’re the bravest. I’ll call you Balto.”

  “Like one of the dogs that brought diphtheria serum to Nome, Alaska during the epidemic of winter 1925.” I nodded, even though Evan hadn’t really posed it as a question. He’d probably been there when those people died, but I didn’t dare ask.

  “‘Endurance, fidelity, intelligence,’” I said, quoting from the inscription dedicated to the dog in New York’s Central Park. They’d even made a cartoon about him, and it had made me cry rivers of tears. “Yes, it’s decided: I’m calling you Balto,” I repeated, stroking his thick fur. Another wolf licked me. It tickled. He had eyes so clear they looked like crystal. “And you’ll be White Fang.”

  Evan stared at me inquisitively. “Another hero of the ice?”

  I smiled to myself. Evan wasn’t as well-versed in fictional characters as he was in historical ones. “In a way, yeah. He’s the title character of a Jack London book. When I was four, my mother would read it to me every night.” Maybe that was why I had become so passionate about reading.

  “We have to go,” Evan said. “Come on. Want to take a spin?”

  I smiled and took the hand he was holding out to me. He raised mine to his lips, turned it over and kissed my palm, his gray eyes locked on mine, then walked me to the sled and bowed gallantly.

  I laughed. “Do I sit here?” I pointed at a tiny seat big enough for only one person.

  “No, stay close to me.” He raised an eyebrow, inviting me to join him on the footboards. “The view is better from here. Careful.” He showed me where to put my feet and I took hold of the handlebar in front of me. Evan took his place behind me and wrapped his arms around me, resting his hands on top of mine. “Ready?” I nodded, my eyes sparkling with joy. “Hold on tight. We’re going to chase the aurora.”

  Evan perceived my thoughts and held me tighter, breathing against my neck. “Cold?”

  I shook my head. “I grew up in the Adirondacks. I’m used to the cold.”

  “The cold in Scandinavia is different, though.”

  “We’re in my dream,” I reminded him. “You’re all I need to keep warm.” Evan laughed, tickling my skin. He nibbled at my neck, sending a wave of tingles through my body. “Evan, stop it!”

  “Stop what?” His teeth tickled me again. He was smiling.

  “You’re teasing me.”

  “I would never!” he cried.

  “Just warn me if you plan to make this thing fly at some point.”

  Evan burst out laughing. “Who do you think I am, Santa Claus?”

  The wolves stopped beside a wooden cabin half-buried in the snow. Evan looked at the cabin and then at me, confused. I smiled and took him by the hand, leading him inside.

  “I wasn’t expecting this, but it’s an excellent change of plans,” he said, pleased.

  “After all, it’s my dream, isn’t it?”

  “I agree. Let’s let it end the way it began.” He took me in his arms and the door closed behind us. I laughed as he opened it a second later only to hang out a do-not-disturb sign.

  “There’s a little stardust in each of us, but you must have more of it than other people,” Evan whispered against my neck.

  I closed my eyes as the shiver lingered against my skin. “Do you think we’ll ever find this kind of peace in our waking life?” I asked as we listened to the fire crackle. I would gladly remain asleep if it meant I could stay there, embracing Evan in our dreams. Only there could we find peace. As soon as I woke up, harsh reality always returned to overwhelm us.

  “That’s what we’re fighting for. As long as we’re together, there’s hope.”

  I stroked his Subterranean tattoo, running my fingers along the lines that marked his muscles, and Evan kissed my forehead. We were naked, on the floor, the fire burning in a stone brazier in the middle of the room. We had made love as though it were our last night together and then started all over again. I didn’t know how much of the night we had left, but I wanted it to be endless.

  “Will you always love me, Evan?”

  “Yes, my love.”

  “Until when?”

  “Beyond death.”

  I breathed in against his chest and closed my eyes, my hands clasped around his dog tag.

  STAY WITH ME

  “A sleigh drawn by white wolves!” I laughed, thinking back to the magical night I’d spent with Evan just hours earlier. “How’d you come up with the idea, anyway?”

  Evan walked beside me down the school hallway, where the walls, lockers, and even the floors were decked out for the Winter Carnival. On the floor, wide strips of tape in yellow, red, green, and blue indicated the various teams while decorations and streamers in the same colors hung from the ceiling—though a sign on the wall read:

  Yellow, red, green, or blue,

  whatever color you choose,

  we all represent our high school!

  “You sure seemed to enjoy it . . . judging from the reward you gave me,” Evan said with a sly smile.

  “Shh! Do you want someone to hear?” I reproached him, looking around. I blushed and chewed on the sleeve of my yellow sweatshirt. But it was true—it had been so romantic that in the end I’d practically pounced on him.

  “I bet I know what you’re thinking about,” he teased me, one eyebrow raised.

  “Why, you . . . !” I shot back, punching his shoulder. “I was just saying that knowing you, I would have expected a snowmobile instead.”

  “But I know you and knew you wouldn’t be able to resist a pack of pure-white wolves.” He smiled.

  He was right, though I wished I could wipe that mischievous little smile off his face. Evan was the real wolf—and I was his prey.

  “Anyway, there’s something I was going to ask you last night. Who knows why I forg—Would you stop smirking?!” Evan laughed out loud. “Okay, okay. I know why I forgot. Happy?”

  “Very,” he replied, pleased.

  The memory of his hands on me, his mouth on every inch of my skin, our naked bodies entwined in front of the fire made me lose my train of thought for a second. The mental image left my blood boiling.

  “Well? What is it you wanted to ask?”

  “Huh?” I blinked. Evan had stopped, leaning his shoulder against my locker. “Oh, yeah, right. Your birthday. You’ve never told me what day it is.”

  He smiled and shook his head. “I’m not telling you.”

  “Aw, come on! You know I won’t stop asking until you do!”

  “I have all the time in the world.”

  “Then I won’t let you touch me until you’ve told me,” I threatened.

  Evan grabbed me by the shirt and pulled me against him. “You sure you’ll be able to resist me?” he murmured, inches from my face. He touched his nose to mine and I felt butterflies in my stomach. I was lost to him. The problem was that he knew it. The wonderful thing was that he felt the same about me. I was about to kiss him when he smiled against my lips. “I would have bet.” He was being so cheeky I could have hit him, but he pressed me back against the lockers and kissed me passionately. “Sorry. I can’t resist you either,” he admitted.

  “So will you tell me when your birthday is?”

  “No.”

  “Damn it!”

  “It might even have been last night. What difference does it make?”

  My eyes opened wide. “Was it last night? If it was you have to tell me.”

  “If it was, it means you’ve already given me a gift. More than one, actually.” He laughed. “In any case, no. It wasn’t last night.”

  “Promise me you’ll tell me some time, at least. I know you’re just doing this to spite me.”

  Evan laughed again. How he loved teasing me. After all the time we’d spent together, that had never changed. I groaned in exasperation. I was stubborn, but he was unbeatable. “Any chance I could sweet-talk it out of you?” I raised an eyebrow and stroked his chest to provoke him.

  He took my hand and kissed my thumb. Gazing into my eyes, he brushed it with his tongue. “Alas, I fear you would only forget the question yet again, m’lady,” he replied, his voice sensual but his eyes glinting with mockery.

  Pouting, I pulled back my hand. “What if an Executioner suddenly popped out of nowhere and offed me? You’d let me die without knowing when your birthday is?”

  “First, I would kill him before he could even get close to you. Second, we’re not going to see any more Subterraneans around here for quite some time.”

  “Right.” That was what I hoped, and the others seemed convinced of it too. While Evan and I had been fooling around in the mountain cabin the night before, Ginevra and the other Witches had reinforced the security measures. After the suicides of the two Angels of Death and the attack of the twin Devas, no precaution was too much.

  “Hey.” Evan took both my hands and rested his forehead on mine. “You’re safe now,” he whispered. I nodded. “This is an important time, your last year of school, and our baby is growing inside you.” He rested his hand on my belly. “I mean to spend every minute with you. No Subterranean is going to cheat me of any more time with you or he’ll be dead before he’s even given his orders.”

  I smiled and Evan stroked my lip with his thumb while keeping his other hand protectively over my belly. Just then, we felt a movement. Our jaws dropped. The baby had kicked. “Did you feel that?” Evan asked, a look of wonderment on his face.

  I nodded, my eyes glistening. A silent tear slid down my face and Evan wiped it away with his thumb and hugged me, both of us smiling.

  “Hey guys!”