Chapter 1677
Jude walked toward them, Kael and Lucy at his sides. "They’ll need guidance."
"They’ll need you," Rose said, stepping forward and placing her palm over his heart. "You’re still the seed."
He looked past her, to the boats now resting in the surf, empty. "More will come."
"They already are," Stella said, nodding toward the horizon.
Another sail had appeared.
Then two more.
Then five.
The sea shimmered with ships.
Jude turned slowly.
And smiled.
A hush fell over the clearing as more sails crested the horizon, white and gleaming like the wings of seabirds. The newcomers stood with wide eyes, mouths parted in awe, not fear. The wives began to gather in twos and threes, their bodies wrapped in loose silk woven from the island’s vines, glowing faintly under the rising sun. Jude stood at the center, Lucy at his side, Kael still pressed to his chest, her hair wild from the night. Zoey moved to the edge of the mossy ledge that overlooked the sea, squinting into the dawnlight. "They’re coming fast."