Chapter 44

“Playtime’s over. Sam is here and will start the lessons soon.” There were more groans. “Iz will join your lessons, too.”

Whoever this Iz was seemed to have a positive effect on them as they rallied cheers around Luke before racing off. A boy lingered for a bit, looking up solemnly until Luke glanced at him.

“Hey, you. What is it?”

“I didn’t have my breakfast yet.”

Luke’s lips quivered while he leveled the boy with a look. “Really? Well, now, we can’t have that when you are about to embark on a long day of lessons. What did you have in mind?”

“Bananas. Fresh.”

The boy held out his hands expectantly, orbs twinkling in excitement. Luke didn’t hesitate to pick him up and hitch him over one hip, and the two ventured away from the group of kids. She trailed after them, fascinated with the interaction as Luke led the boy through paths that didn’t have markers, where the trees and lushness seemed to go on forever. They stopped in a clearing set up as a garden, where root crops grew along wit