The bone boat rocked beneath them, ribs of the Carapace Devil creaking like old floorboards. A month of nights spent tangled in the Soul Devouring tree's branches had left its mark: Nephis's silver hair was longer, tangled with ash; Sunny's shadows clung tighter to his skin, as if reluctant to let go. The Soul-Devouring Tree burned behind them now—a pillar of fire on the horizon, devouring itself in slow, deliberate licks of flame. The dark sea swallowed the light, and the boat drifted, rudderless, on a current blacker than ink.
Nephis sat at the prow, knees drawn to her chest. Salt wind cut across her bare shoulders; gooseflesh rose, nipples tightening beneath the threadbare cloth. Sunny crouched amidships, one hand trailing in the water, shadows coiling around his wrist like curious eels. The silence between them was thick, heavy with everything they hadn't said in thirty days of captivity.
"Think it's really dead?" he asked, voice low.
"It's burning," Nephis answered. "That's close enough."
The boat lurched; a swell lifted them, then set them down. Nephis shifted, thighs brushing Sunny's knee. The contact sparked—small, electric. A month of stolen touches in the dark, mouths muffled against bark, her cunt clenching around him while the tree drank their moans. Even now, with freedom stretching ahead, her body remembered. She felt the slick pulse between her legs, a phantom echo of his cock dragging slow and deep while the roots held them spread and helpless.
They watched in silence for a while, the oars dipping rhythmically into the water. Then Sunny's stomach let out a low, insistent growl.
"Damn," he muttered, rubbing his abdomen. "Should've grabbed a few more of those pear-fruits before we shoved off. Hunger's gonna make this voyage feel like eternity."
Nephis's face twitched—just a flicker, a subtle tightening around her silver eyes. She turned her gaze back to the burning tree, expression unreadable.
Sunny caught it. That micro-shift in her stoic mask, like a crack in flawless marble. "What? You got something to say?" He paused, then waved it off with a chuckle. "Never mind. I'll live. Starvation builds character, right?"
He fell quiet after that, focusing on the oars. The dark sea stretched endless around them, waves whispering secrets against the bone hull. Nephis shifted slightly on her seat on the deck, thighs pressing together. Hidden deep inside her, nestled against her warm, slick walls, was the last heart-fruit—a plump, crimson prize she'd selfishly claimed during their final climb. She'd slipped it in during a private moment, the velvet skin stretching her just enough to make her breath hitch, juices mingling with her own as it settled snug. She was hungry too, a gnawing ache in her belly, but sharing? No. Not this. It was hers, a secret indulgence she'd savor alone when the time came.
Hours passed. The burning tree faded to a smoldering glow on the horizon. The boat rocked gently, lulled by the sea's rhythm. Sunny dozed fitfully, head lolling against the side. Nephis remained vigilant, but the hunger grew sharper, twisting like a blade. She clenched her inner muscles experimentally, feeling the fruit shift inside her cunt—a delicious pressure that sent a unwelcome spark of arousal through her core. Not now, she thought, jaw tightening. But her body betrayed her; a faint trickle of her wetness escaped, soaking the thin seaweed between her legs.
Then the first incident: a rogue wave slammed the boat sideways. Sunny jolted awake, grabbing the edges to steady them. Nephis lurched forward, the sudden motion jostling the fruit deeper. She stifled a gasp, thighs clamping shut as a fresh gush of juice—from the fruit or her pussy, she couldn't tell—dripped down her inner thigh. The scent hit the air: sweet, metallic, unmistakable.
Sunny's nose twitched. He sniffed, frowning. "You smell that? Like... heart-fruit? Weird. Must be the wind carrying it from the Barrows."
Nephis said nothing, face impassive, but her cheeks warmed faintly. She adjusted her position, trying to hide the damp spot blooming on her bikini bottom.
The second incident came at Midnight's pale creep. They'd anchored the boat to a floating debris cluster for rest. Sunny stretched, yawning, while Nephis stood to scout the horizon. As she bent to adjust an oar, the fruit slipped lower, pressing against her entrance. Her cunt clenched instinctively to hold it, but the movement drew a soft, wet sound—barely audible, like a ripe peach being squeezed.
Sunny froze mid-stretch. "What was that? Sounded like... squelching?" He glanced at her, eyes narrowing playfully. "You hiding something, Neph? Or did you just step in a puddle?"
Her silver gaze met his, cool and unyielding. "Focus on rowing. We're not safe yet."
But doubt flickered in his mismatched eyes. He didn't press, but she caught him watching her more closely after that, nostrils flaring now and then.
The third—and final—incident unfolded under the oppressive cool of the night, the dark sea mirroring the sky like liquid ink. Hunger clawed at them both. Nephis shifted uncomfortably, the fruit now a constant, throbbing presence inside her slick folds. She was wetter than she wanted to admit, her pussy walls hugging the velvet skin, every rock of the boat grinding it against sensitive spots. A low cramp of need built, hunger and arousal blurring into one.
Sunny's stomach growled again, louder. "Ugh. If I don't eat soon, I'm gonna start chewing on the boat." He leaned back, eyes drifting to her. Then he paused, sniffing the air deliberately. The scent was stronger now—ripe, fruity, laced with the musky tang of her arousal. His gaze dropped to her lap, where a telltale sheen glistened on her thighs.
"Wait a minute..." Sunny's voice turned low, teasing, with a hint of that cockroach grin. "That smell... it's coming from you. What the hell, Neph? You stashing snacks in your—"
Nephis's hand shot out, clamping over his mouth. Her expression remained detached, but her eyes burned. "Quiet." Inside, her cunt throbbed around the hidden fruit, a fresh trickle escaping as her body reacted to the exposure.
Sunny's eyes widened, then sparkled with realization. He licked her palm—slow, deliberate—tasting the faint sweetness that had transferred from her skin. "Oh Neph, you trying to be sneaky" he mumbled against her hand. "You hid one in your pussy? And didn't share? That's cold, even for you."
She released him, cheeks flushing despite her iron control. Hunger warred with pride, but the secret was out. "It's mine," she said flatly. "I found it. I kept it."
Sunny laughed, low and filthy. "Well, princess, if you're that hungry... let's fish it out. I'm starving too." His shadows stirred, eager, as the boat rocked on, the dark sea indifferent to the tension building between them.
The tree shrank to a pinprick of fire, then vanished. Night folded over them, absolute. Somewhere beneath the hull, something vast brushed the keel—once, twice—then was gone. The boat drifted on, carrying them into the dark, two survivors and the heat still smoldering between their thighs.