Chapter 4
Chapter 4: The Willow Ring
Nova, now certain of her true heritage, seeks to connect with her parents, Torin and Odessa, and understand the deepest secret of her family’s bond with the woods. With Pip’s help, Nova arranges a meeting with her parents beneath the heart-willow. There, through warmth, laughter, and stories, she bridges the distance between herself and her parents. Odessa reveals the meaning of the willow ring, a symbol of the family’s mythical connection to the forest. Nova finds comfort in the love and unity of her unusual family, ending the chapter closer to her parents and the woods than she ever dreamed possible.
The sun was just beginning to dangle over the tops of the willows, turning all the leaves to a thousand tiny lanterns. Pip and I walked the violet-lined path in hush and hungry curiosity. I was a guardian now, truly—so the woods whispered new kinds of secrets to me, and I kept catching my own name in the breeze. But even as the warmth of that magical glen wrapped close around my heart, another kind of want was quietly blooming there.
I wanted to see my parents again.
It was a simple wish, but it tugged at me everywhere. Pip noticed right away, of course. He always did. As I stooped to tie up the willow crown that had slipped sideways on my hair, Pip danced around my ankles, bushy tail flicking.
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