Chapter 1578
The rest of the women appeared around him then, emerging from the edges of the circle like the rising sun. Lucy came first, her golden gaze warm and welcoming. Grace and Stella flanked her, draped in pale cloth, hair loose. Zoey and Scarlet walked together, hips swaying, their bodies marked with faint traces of last night’s ritual still glowing on their thighs.
Natalie carried a cup of fruit and water, which she extended to the newcomers with a small, knowing smile. "Eat. Drink. You’ll need your strength."
The woman took it with trembling hands. The man hesitated, then accepted a slice of fruit, biting into it slowly. His pupils dilated.
"It tastes like..." he began, but didn’t finish. Instead, he gasped - soft and deep - and swayed slightly. Lucy was there in an instant, her hand on his chest, steadying him.
"It remembers you," she said softly. "You’re already changing."
Emma watched from the stone archway, arms folded, ever the sentinel. "They made it through. The island let them in."
Rose stepped behind Jude and curled a hand around his hip, her voice rich and quiet against his ear. "And more are coming. I saw them last night."
Jude looked to the sky, where the clouds spun in lazy circles of amber and white. "Then we need to be ready."
Susan led the newcomers to the mossy edge of the circle and sat with them, asking nothing. Just listening, smiling, touching their hands when needed. The woman leaned into her almost immediately, as if her presence offered something deeper than comfort - permission.
Jude stepped back into the circle as Rose moved to his side. "The Gate works."
Rose nodded. "It only lets in those who dream true."