Chapter 1092
Sophie was already sitting upright, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees.
"She’s like the others now," Sophie said without looking at him.
"She said Rose helped her see."
Sophie turned to him, her voice trembling. "They all say the same thing."
Jude sat beside her, buried his face in his hands. "We have to protect the others."
"Who’s left?" she whispered.
"Natalie. Emma. Stella. Lucy. Susan already turned. She was just quieter about it."
Sophie didn’t argue. The names felt like a countdown, a slow dissolve into a future neither of them wanted. She leaned against him, pulling his hand into her lap. "We’ll talk to Natalie first. In the morning."
Jude nodded. But neither of them slept that night.
When dawn broke, they found Natalie kneeling by the river, braiding wildflowers into her hair. She looked up at them and smiled, fresh and sweet, the way she always did. Sophie approached first, cautious, her voice soft. "Natalie, can we talk?"
"Of course," she said cheerfully, patting the moss beside her. "What’s wrong?"