Chapter 1392
The light faded gently, not vanishing, but folding itself into the city around them - as if absorbed into the walls, the stones, even the air they breathed. Jude lay at the center of the dais, surrounded by the slow, sleeping forms of his wives. Their skin glistened in the soft gold glow, limbs entwined in a perfect chaos of love and flesh. The heat from their bodies still lingered against him, each breath a soft kiss against his ribs, neck, thighs.
He didn’t want to move.
But the city stirred.
He felt it in his bones first - like a subtle vibration in the marrow, a low, soothing purr that matched the rhythm of their joined pulse. When he sat up slowly, careful not to wake Lucy, who lay draped across his chest, he saw it clearly. The city wasn’t finished.
It was growing.
Vines thickened and stretched along walls, their blossoms pulsing with soft pink and violet hues. Columns uncoiled upward like arms rising toward the sky, forming archways of woven light and stone. The spirals multiplied - not just carved now, but living, turning like galaxies frozen mid-spin.
Jude gently untangled himself from the warmth of the others and stepped off the dais. The floor beneath his feet welcomed him, molding slightly to support his bare soles. He looked around, naked and unashamed, his skin kissed with sweat, his chest marked by the faint glow of their runes - twelve, one for each wife, radiating outward like a halo of touch and memory.
A sound drifted toward him. Not the island’s usual hum - but laughter. Light. Familiar.
He turned to see Sophie awake, her hair tousled around her shoulders, her mouth curved into a sleepy smile. "Where are you going without us?"
He offered his hand. "Come see."
One by one, the others stirred and joined him. The sight of them naked, loose-limbed, still shining with the aftermath of their shared passion, was almost too much beauty to bear. They moved without shame now, walking close, fingers brushing his back, hips swaying with relaxed, sensual confidence.