Chapter 1517
Emma looked from Sophie to Zoey, to Stella and Grace, now standing in matching wraps that shimmered with dew. "You all keep saying that. That it’s a choice. But what if it’s not?" She looked at Jude. "What if we’re just being shaped into what this place wants us to be?"
Jude took a slow breath. "Then we shape it back. We change it with love, not fear."
She stepped closer to him, her voice dropping. "Don’t say love unless you mean it."
He touched her cheek. "I mean it. Every time I say it."
She held his gaze, trembling. Then she let him kiss her. It was soft, slow, and when she pressed herself into him, he felt her heart racing. But she didn’t let it go further. Not yet. She stepped back, breathing hard.
"I’ll watch for now," she said. "I’m not ready."
"That’s your choice," Sophie said gently. "And we’ll protect it."
From behind them, Grace’s voice rose.
"I heard the song again," she said, staring into the trees. "It’s faint, like it’s pulling from a distance. But it’s getting clearer."
Jude turned. "Which direction?"
Stella pointed, her fingers delicate. "North. Toward the ridge."