Page 24 of A Snowstorm & A Stronghorn

“Are you okay?” he asks softly.

I nod, not trusting my voice. I lower my head, tempted...

“If you two lovebirds are quite finished,” says Candice, “We could use some backup over here.”

Reality crashes back in. I scramble to my feet, offering Bram a hand up. He takes it, easily pulling himself upright.

“Shall we?” he asks, gesturing toward where Candice and Ronan are now fending off a coordinated assault from Grizelda and Atlas.

I grin, already scooping up more snow. “Absolutely.”

We charge into the fray, lobbing snowballs with reckless abandon. I nail Grizelda with a shot to the shoulder, only to have Atlas retaliate with a snowball the size of a beach ball. Bram leaps in front of me, taking the hit and dramatically falling to his knees.

“I’m hit,” he cries out, clutching his chest. “Go on without me, Fiona. Save yourself.”

I laugh at his theatrics. “Never!” I strike a heroic pose. “I’ll defend your honor, brave sir.”

From the corner of my eye, I spot Ronan sneaking up behind us, another massive snowball at the ready. Without thinking, I grab Bram’s hand and sprint toward the fountain at the center of the square.

“What are you—” Bram starts to ask, but I cut him off.

“Do you trust me?”

He nods without hesitation. “Completely.”

“Then jump.”

We leap into the fountain just as Ronan’s snowball whistles over our heads. The water is pleasantly warm, enchanted to never freeze even in the depths of winter. We surface, spluttering and laughing.

“That was brilliant.” Bram pushes wet hair out of his eyes.

I’m about to respond when a stern voice cuts through the din of the snowball fight.

“What in the name of all that’s magical is going on here?”

The square falls silent as we all turn to see Mayor Ambrosius Spellbinder standing at the edge of the chaos. His long white beard is immaculately groomed, and his robes shimmer with constellations that seem to move of their own accord.

For a moment, I worry we’re all in trouble. Then I notice the way the corner of the mayor’s mouth twitches, as if he’s fighting back a smile.

“Well?” he asks, his eyes twinkling. “Is no one going to invite the mayor to join in the festivities?”

A cheer goes up from the crowd. Grizelda floats over, offering the mayor a perfectly formed snowball.

“Care to do the honors, Your Honor?” she asks with a wink.

Mayor Spellbinder takes the snowball, weighing it in his hand. He surveys the square, his gaze finally landing on Bram and me, still standing in the fountain.

“I believe,” he says slowly, “Our newest resident hasn’t been properly baptized into our community yet.”

Before I can process his words, the mayor launches the snowball with surprising strength. It sails through the air and hits me square in the forehead, exploding in a shower of multicolored sparks.

For a heartbeat, everything is silent. Then I burst out laughing, the joy of the moment bubbling up from deep inside me. It’s a full-bodied laugh, one I haven’t experienced since before my mother’s decline, when it became clear we were measuring her time in weeks, not months or years.

As my laughter rings out across the square, it’s joined by others. Soon, the entire town is caught up in the merriment. Even as the magical snow continues to fall around us, I feel a warmth spreading through me that has nothing to do with temperature.

In this moment, surrounded by the kindness and laughter of Evershift Haven, I realize something profound. The grief formy mother will always be a part of me, but it doesn’t have to consume me. There’s still room for joy, for new beginnings, for...

My gaze meets Bram’s. He’s looking at me with such tenderness that it takes my breath away. Impulsively, I reach out and take his hand, intertwining our fingers.

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