Chapter 1689
Lucy moved behind Jude and wrapped her arms around his waist, her cheek resting between his shoulder blades. "We should stay here for now. Near the river. Near the flower."
Sophie nodded. "We should build."
Natalie added, "Together."
And so they did.
The rest of the day passed in a haze of gentle motion. They didn’t speak much. They didn’t need to. Hands found stones, vines, branches. The forest gave willingly - nothing thorned, nothing resisted. The trees offered long leaves perfect for weaving, their bark soft and pliable. The vines bent with a touch, strong and supple. It was as if the island had watched them, and now provided everything they might need.
They built near the river, just beyond the water’s reach. A low, circular structure of woven branches and smooth wood, open to the air, the heartstone flower visible just beyond through the trees. Inside, they laid moss and flowers, warm river stones and hanging lights that glowed of their own accord, like the island had bottled bits of starlight and left them for decoration.
When night fell again, they didn’t return to the forest clearing. They curled inside the new sanctuary, warm from exertion, glowing still from the current running through them. Lucy pressed close to Jude, her bare skin a balm to his still-awake senses. Beside them, Stella and Grace whispered to one another, fingers interlaced. Rose curled against Sophie, the tension between them easing at last into something softer.
No words were spoken about what had bloomed. Not yet.
But every glance carried the weight of it.
Jude slept with Lucy’s breath on his neck and the soft warmth of the river not far off. His dreams were different now - less chaotic, more... shaped. He dreamt of a flame held in his hands. Of roots that pulsed with laughter. Of a child’s voice calling out, not in fear, but in joy. He heard his name.
And hers.