Chapter 1166
Rose’s eyes flickered with that soft, eerie light, and she tilted her head, her smile gentle, almost wistful. "Why do you fight it?" she asked, and her voice was like music, like the memory of better days. "We could be whole again. This island, it chose us. We don’t have to be afraid anymore. We don’t have to be , alone., "
Lucy stepped forward, her blade glinting in the pale light. Her voice was steady, but her knuckles were white where they gripped the hilt. "We’re not alone. We have each other. We don’t need , this., We don’t need , you., "
For the first time, Rose’s smile faltered, just slightly. The glow beneath her skin pulsed, and for a breath, Jude thought he saw something behind her eyes, sorrow, maybe, or longing. But then the light flared brighter, and the look was gone, replaced by something colder, harder.
"You don’t understand," Rose said softly. "But you will. Soon."
The river behind her roared louder, as if responding to her will. The stones beneath their feet vibrated with its power, the symbols carved into them seeming to shimmer in the strange light. The air was thick, heavy, charged with energy that made the hair on Jude’s arms stand on end.
Zoey’s voice broke the tension, sharp and desperate. "What do you want from us, Rose? What do you , really, want?"
Rose’s eyes softened again, and for a moment, she looked like herself, like the woman they had laughed with, dreamed with, loved. "I want to save you," she whispered. "I want to save , us., "
And then she raised her hands, and the river surged forward, the water rising, swirling around the stones, the clearing filling with its roar. The light from Rose’s body spread, weaving into the current, turning the water into a stream of molten silver that coiled around them like a living thing.
Jude braced himself, pulling Sophie behind him, his heart hammering in his chest. The others did the same, forming a tight circle, their faces pale but their eyes fierce. They would not run. They would not give in.