You know when you think life couldn't possibly get any weirder and then it throws you a curveball the size of a small car? Yes. That happened.

Where to start? Maybe with the bit where Natalia went on a "healing holiday" (Melissa's words, not hers) to get over her unrequited love… only to bump into said unrequited love in a burger joint overseas. Yes. That also happened, alrighty.

Once Melissa would not stop going on about it, Natalia started noticing things she would rather not. For instance, Eydis did not dress like a teenager. She wore a black dress and a fur-collared trench coat that looked super expensive. Natalia was fairly sure student librarians got paid minimum wage or something. Was Eydis secretly a vamp—

No, don't finish that sentence. Just don't. Stupid. Natalia berated herself internally.

Then there was Astra, who seemed different as well. Not that Natalia had watched her or anything, because that would be weird, which she totally had not been doing with Eydis either…

Consciously. Moving on. Astra had this frosty, aloof aura, like a hotel door sign that read Do not Disturb, but fancier, five stars.

Anyway, stop.

"Probably also does not dress like a teenager, and I approve," said the voice of Melissa from ages ago, unhelpfully.

Natalia swore she had a point somewhere in this internal rant as she watched Melissa and Eydis banter about classical music of all things.

She was pretty sure Melissa loved Vivaldi too but for some reason pretended to hate it. In webnovels they'd call her the—nevermind. Judging by the smile she tried and failed to hide, she was secretly enjoying talking to Eydis.

Because Eydis was… Eydis.

Natalia found herself watching her again without meaning to.

Still, try as she might she couldn't suppress the soft tug of seeing her unrequited, unattainable love dating an equally unattainable mythical tragic figure—Melissa's phrasing again—who dressed anachronistically (don't ask her to pronounce it). Natalia hoped she wouldn't have to be around them here because, honestly, awkward.

But then.

"Not that I care," Melissa said, "but since we are all here, coincidentally, no stalking involved, maybe we could go on a ski trip together."

"Game on," Astra said quietly.

What the hell? What about healing holiday, remember? Damn it, Mel! Natalia thought and nearly choked on a pickle. She swallowed her bite and her protest at once.

Why. Just why.

Melissa looked weirdly surprised even though it was her freakin' idea. Natalia would've facepalmed if her hand wasn't slick with burger grease. She licked it off. Melissa flicked her a look, then pretended she hadn't.

Odd.

Which was how the four of them ended up shoulder to shoulder on the Alta Chair at The Remarkables. It was two-ish, but Melissa swore the afternoon pass was cheaper, as if it mattered to her. Even so, up they went.

The ski area sat in a natural bowl with three skiable faces. First-timers started on the carpets and the Alta chair's green runs, while Shadow Basin was for later, preferably when Natalia could stop without praying.

They didn't really talk on the lift, awestruck by the view. At least Natalia was. Snow-draped ridges layered the horizon, jagged and pale blue. Below, the slopes looked almost empty, with only a handful of skiers, making the mountain seem even vaster than it already was. A part of her felt as though it was listening.

But that was silly, right?

Eydis didn't speak much either. She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath, as though she, too, was moved.

The alpine wind combed their hair and slapped their cheeks, so Natalia and Melissa tied theirs into ponytails, while Eydis and Astra both opted for a single, elegant braid. Natalia very much noticed the way Astra leaned over and finished Eydis's plait for her. The gesture was unexpectedly tender and careful, especially coming from Astra.

As though they had been together for a long time.

She ignored the sting, ignored the way the side of her shoulder touching Eydis's black ski jacket felt hot, and finally breathed when the chair slowed for unloading.

Melissa tugged off her gloves and cupped Natalia's face just as they slid off the ramp.

"Cold. What the hell, Mel?"

"Exactly. Your face is warm," Melissa said. Her thumb brushed the corner of Natalia's eye and caught the little wetness there.

But she didn't say anything about that. Her blue eyes went glacier bright, probably because the albedo, albesco, whatever, did something flashy with the light.

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"And you can be useful in this weather." Melissa's words often came off blunt, aloof even. She wasn't trying to console her or offer meaningless words.

Natalia appreciated that. She puffed her cheeks, lightness filling her chest. "I'm not your human heater!"

Still, Mel's hands were too cold, so Natalia reached for her Gift to warm her, but… it felt muted somehow.

She couldn't dwell on it, because Melissa pulled back and flashed an uncharacteristically dazzling smile, probably also because of the albedo thing. "But you could be my—anyway, keep up."

She led them to a strip of untouched corduroy and switched into YouTruth-coach mode. Natalia had started to doubt there was much of an age gap between her and the esteemed Dr Melissa Lebleu, because said doctor was currently bouncing on her skis and challenging Eydis and Astra to a race down a green run.

Like almost childishly. Like she was secretly having fun.

Natalia didn't know how she felt about that, but she couldn't stop a smile from forming on her face.

Eydis raised an eyebrow so sharp it might cut glass, but, impressively, not Melissa's energy. "Remind me again, your definition of fun involves skiing straight down a snowy slope?" She scooped a snowball with a gloved hand and studied it like the universe might answer from inside it.

"Stop complaining and be excited like normal humans," Melissa said. "Whoever gets to the bottom first wins. Do I need to explain how skiing works, or are we good?"

To everyone's surprise, Astra dropped to a knee and brushed the packed snow from the soles of Eydis's ski boots. She lined up the toe pieces and clicked Eydis into her bindings, one ski then the other.

Astra's fingers lingered too long against Eydis's black salopettes, sliding upward as she rose, stopping only when they reached Eydis's inner thigh and drew a sharp breath from her.

Natalia pretended she did not hear the quiet naughty girl, even though she very much did.

"Gosh, the PDA," Melissa muttered, also clearing her throat. She crouched beside Natalia and did the buckle-and-click routine. "Remember the basics, like I showed you the other day. Snowplough to control speed. Shins into the front of your boots. Hands forward like you are holding a tray. Look where you want to go."

Astra, meanwhile, offered Eydis a pole, thought better of it, and took it back. "No poles yet. What's important is balance. Wedge to start, parallel when it feels natural. Keep the turns short. I'll be right behind you."

"Commanding," Eydis said with a little smile, and set off first. For a beginner, she was quick and competent. She easily held her balance as if she had done this many times before. Even though earlier she had looked confused when Melissa used the technical terms.

Melissa squinted.

"I know what you're thinking," Astra sighed, pushing off and flowing after Eydis like someone who had done this a thousand times.

"Every day they drift further from humanity," Melissa grumbled.

"Or maybe you're impressed," Natalia said, making no attempt to follow.

Melissa stepped closer. "Are you afraid?"

Natalia swallowed and looked down the slope. It wasn't high enough to trigger her fear of heights, but the idea of letting go still scared her. She had spent so long holding back her power, holding back everything, and now she was meant to lean forward and trust some thin metal edges.

What if she fell face-first and made a fool of herself in front of Eydis and Astra? What if she—

Melissa stood behind her and set a hand on her shoulder. The wind carried a clean mint-and-sea scent from Melissa's scarf. It settled around Natalia and calmed her the wrong way, which was to say her pulse jumped. Her ear, her definite weak spot, which she discovered in that moment, went hot as Melissa leaned close.

"I trust you, Red."

Something inside her warmed at once. She turned to Melissa and locked onto the soft blue of her eyes. Lately it had felt strange. The supposedly aloof doctor, supposedly out of reach, was right here, real, as though there had never been any distance at all.

Melissa's grin turned mischievous. "Allez, championne."

"What does that even me—hey." Natalia yelped as Melissa nudged her forward. "Hey. Not cool."

She wobbled, remembered Melissa's instruction, and found the wedge. Heels apart, knees soft. The snow hummed under her bases. OK. Manageable. She breathed. Yes. YES. She could do this.

Then she looked sideways.

Astra had caught up to Eydis and was laughing. Real laughter, which again defied whatever image Natalia had of them, individually. They looked sealed in their own world, as if Natalia had never known either of them at all.

As if together they were… inevitable.

Natalia didn't want to see any of it. It hurt.

Her chest ached. She leaned back without thinking—

—and the skis took over.

One tip crossed over the other. The left ski bit into the snow, twisting her sideways. The right snapped upward and its inside edge sliced into her leg just above the boot.

A sharp pain. Her leg throbbed and she tumbled. "Ow. Damn it."

Melissa reached her at once. "You okay, Red?"

Totally, she thought, heat and embarrassment flooding her, but it came out as a hiss when she tried to rise.

Astra moved in a flash, and a tiny shockwave followed her. She scooped an arm under Natalia's shoulders and the other under her knees, carrying her to the side of the run, out of traffic.

Again. Astra, of course. This was not the first time, was it. There was kindness under that icy façade. Quiet kindness that did not make a speech about itself.

Maybe that was why Eydis l— "Ouch," Natalia whined as the pain flared again.

Melissa tugged up the leg of her green salopettes and revealed a deep cut just above the boot.

"Damn. I'm sorry, Red."

Her eyes flared bright blue as she set a hand over the wound, but nothing happened.

Melissa blinked and tried again. Nothing.

Natalia snapped her fingers to test, but there wasn't even a spark, as if the mountain had pressed a pillow over their Gifts.

Eydis watched them with a darkened expression. She scanned the slope, the lifts, the bluff of rock above the run. Natalia couldn't tell what she was hunting. Only that the air felt colder as a gust lifted Eydis's hair and her eyes flashed.

Gold.

Natalia was definitely seeing things again.

"Damn it, what is going on," Melissa said. Sweat beaded at her hairline as she tried again, her eyes glowing.

Astra knelt beside Natalia and pressed a palm lightly to her shoulder. "Breathe."

Suddenly the pain was gone. Blue light flooded her vision from Melissa's eyes, but there was gold too, as if the sun had flashed.

It was… the albedo right?

Her skin pulled and the cut knitted itself shut, neatly, cleanly. Natalia let out the breath she had been holding. "It works! Thanks, Mel!"

Melissa stared, properly stunned. "How? I… this isn't how my power works."

Her gaze flicked to Astra.

Astra said simply, "Let's get inside."

Natalia closed her eyes and reached for the feeling of power inside her. It was there, but dampened, like speaking underwater. As if the mountain did not want her to use it. Her face paled. Her hands clenched as a strange pressure tightened in her chest.

Melissa helped her up while Eydis and Astra exchanged a low conversation Natalia couldn't hear.

Eydis turned back, amber eyes unreadable. For the first time, Natalia understood the problem was not her fear or the slope beneath her.

The mountain was watching them.

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