Chapter 1729

No one spoke for a long moment. A breeze rolled gently through the clearing, rustling leaves in a language they were just beginning to understand. Flowers nearby bloomed a second time. The trees bent slightly inward, as if leaning to see.

Then, from far off, that same deep tone echoed again. Not from the direction of the heartstone or the lake.

But from beneath.

Jude stood slowly, his fingers brushing Lucy's arm, then Sophie's shoulder as he rose. "There's more," he said.

"Always," Zoey replied, rising beside him, her eyes still on the seed.

Natalie stepped close and slipped her hand into Jude's. "Where do we go now?"

Jude turned to Rose, but she shook her head with a smile. "Not this time. This is your path now."