Back at the sanctuary, the others were already awake. Scarlet was cradled in Natalie's arms, their foreheads pressed together as they whispered. Emma and Sophie were sharpening tools beside the fire. Grace hummed a tune as she braided Susan's hair, the two of them nestled close. Zoey had already left to hunt, but her blade lay glowing where she'd rested last.
Jude and Lucy stepped into the clearing, and the entire group turned.
"You saw her again," Rose said.
He nodded.
"What did she say?" Stella asked.
"That I am the heart."
Zoey stepped out from the trees just then, dragging a large fruit-heavy vine, her skin dusted with leaves. "Then we follow the pulse."
The rest of the day passed in preparation. They fortified the sanctuary with living vines and strong wood. Natalie and Grace discovered the moss could be shaped into cushions that never dried out. Emma carved new symbols into the inner pillars - symbols from the spiral. Jude felt their power. The island did too.
