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."