Page 27 of The Idol

Somebody had to have seen us by now.

There were always eyes in the compound, always someone tidying the grounds or moving between tasks. No one had stopped us. No one had whispered a warning. And Father hadn’t called me in. He hadn’t scolded me. He hadn’t frowned in that quiet, disappointed way that made my stomach twist in painful knots.

So maybe… maybe it was fine.

Maybe the Light wanted Jace to have someone to help him settle in.

And if the Light wanted it, then Father would allow it. That was how things worked.

At least, that was what I kept telling myself as I walked along the outer fence line, kicking at a small rock with the toe of my sandal. The early sun flickered between the clouds, catching on the fence. I tried to focus on the rhythm of my steps, the steady inhale and exhale, the whisper of the Light at the back of my mind.

But all I could really think about was Jace’s laugh—that low, warm sound he made whenever I said something he found amusing. Or the way he’d walk just slightly slower than he needed to, matching my pace without making it obvious.

Or how he looked at me.

No one had ever… looked at me like that before. It felt like he was actually paying attention, like he wanted to hear what I had to say.

Sometimes Jace would look at me, and it made my whole face go hot. It made me feel… fluttery, lightheaded.

It made me feel like maybe I wasn’t just the Vessel—maybe I was something soft and normal and worth noticing.

I pressed my fingertips to my warm cheeks, trying to chase the color away, and let out a small breath.

It probably didn’t mean anything. Jace was friendly. Kind, even. He welcomed me into conversation without hesitation, and maybe that was just because he hadn’t grown up here. He didn’t know how careful we were supposed to be about roles. He didn’t know how much he could get in trouble for talking to me.

But he didn’t mean anything bad by it. He was just curious—about the compound, about the Light, about Father’s teachings. And wasn’t it my job to guide the members? To help them understand?

Yes. Yes, that was right. That was good. The Light would approve.

Besides… if Father really didn’t want us talking, he would’ve stopped it.

So I lifted my head toward the sound of approaching footsteps, and even before I saw him, my heart raced with anticipation.

Jace was coming.

And I couldn’t help smiling.

Jace fell into step beside me like he’d been meant to be there all along.

“Good morning,” he said, voice a little rough like he hadn’t quite woken up all the way yet.

My smile came too quickly. I tried—truly tried—to make it smaller, gentler, more appropriate, but my cheeks were already flushed. “Good morning, Jace.”

He tucked his hands into his robe sleeves the way some of the older members did, but it looked different on him—looser, more casual, like nothing he did could ever be stiff or ceremonial. His hair was down today, the thick dark locks hitting just below hisshoulders. I’d never seen a man with long hair before, but it looked so good on him. My fingers twitched at my sides, aching to reach up and touch.

“Hope I’m not interrupting you,” he said lightly, glancing at me.

I shook my head a bit too fast. “You’re not. I like having someone to walk with.”

Light above, that sounded too honest.

I cleared my throat. “I mean—it helps you get familiar with the grounds. That’s… good. Yeah.”

His lips quirked. I looked away quickly, fighting the color returning to my cheeks.

We walked a few steps in comfortable quiet before he asked, “So… I wanted to ask. The discipline stuff you mentioned yesterday. You didn’t get to finish explaining it.”

“Oh.” My fingers curled around the fabric of my sleeve. “Right. That.”