Jude awoke in the heart of the spiral, limbs tangled with his wives, breath still caught between dream and reverence. The light from the orb had faded, but a warm glow lingered in the moss, like aftershocks from something divine. The vines above them swayed gently, whispering secrets between their leaves. The air tasted different now - sweeter, richer, more intimate, as though the forest itself had drawn a breath and held it close to its heart.
Lucy stirred first, her bare skin soft against his, her fingers tracing lazy circles on his chest. She looked up at him, golden strands of hair curling across her flushed cheeks. "Do you feel it?" she whispered.
He nodded, brushing a kiss against her temple. "All of you. And something else."
Zoey rolled over beside them, her grin lazy and satisfied. "I swear I saw stars. Inside my eyelids. That wasn't just sex. That was… I don't even have the word."