The island's evening came in slowly, the way island evenings did when the ocean held the heat and let it go gradually rather than all at once.
The light off the water went from direct white to something softer and more orange, and by the time Rex had collected the wood for the fire and set up the camp's evening configuration, the sky was the color that made everything under it look like it was worth looking at.
Talyra and Aisella had taken over cooking without any discussion, as if they had naturally divided the work. Talyra was still handling the fish she had caught with the skill of someone who knew exactly what they were doing, and Aisella was managing the plants she had confirmed were safe to eat and mixing them in ways that made the whole camp smell better and feel more livable.
Rex sat on a rock shelf at the edge of the camp and watched them both work.
"You need to sit somewhere useful," Talyra said, without looking up from what she was doing.
