Chapter 1079
But behind them, in the woods, something laughed. A sound like leaves crackling. Like fire growing.
The morning came quietly, with soft dew on the grass and a heavy silence over the camp that felt too deep to be peaceful. Jude was already awake, sitting at the edge of the hut, rubbing his thumb against the wooden handle of his blade without really thinking. Sophie stirred beside him, her eyes slow to open, but when they did, they immediately locked with his. There was no confusion in them, no sleepiness. Just the weight of what they’d seen. What they’d felt.
They didn’t speak. Instead, they sat together, watching the others from a distance as the day began to stretch and move like a restless animal. Rose emerged first, humming. Her hair shimmered in the early sun, her robe falling off one shoulder as if she had no idea, or maybe she did. Her eyes were half-lidded, lips curved upward in that soft, knowing smile. Layla followed behind, eyes already fixed on her like a magnet.
Zoey stepped out last, barefoot, bare-legged, stretching like a cat, the same smile, slow and wicked, playing on her lips. Jude watched them walk toward the fire pit and begin preparing the morning food like everything was normal. But it wasn’t.
Grace joined them, her fingers twirling in her hair as she leaned into Zoey, brushing her lips against her neck, giggling at something Jude couldn’t hear. The four of them radiated something beautiful and dangerous all at once. Something too perfect to trust.
"We need to talk," Jude whispered, finally breaking the silence between him and Sophie.
She nodded. "But not here."
They stood together and drifted toward the river, hands brushing, their bodies moving in perfect sync as if they were tethered. The forest was cool and alive, filled with the buzz of insects and the rustle of leaves, but every sound felt distant compared to the pounding thoughts in Jude’s mind.
When they reached the river’s edge, they didn’t sit. They stood in the shallows, letting the water wash over their feet like it could cleanse something inside them.
"It started with Rose," Sophie said.
"Yes," Jude replied. "After she fell."