Chapter 1179

"We can't stay here," Lucy said, standing, brushing dew from her pants. "It's too exposed. And we're too close to where it tried to take her."

Jude nodded. "The river," he said after a moment's thought. "If we follow it upstream, maybe we'll find where it starts. Maybe that's where its power comes from."

Zoey agreed. "If we can find the source, maybe we can end this. Cut it off at the root."

Together, they broke camp, their movements swift, practiced. They packed their few belongings, doused the fire, and began their trek along the cliffs, seeking where the river curved inland. The forest rose ahead of them, green and dense, the morning light filtering through the canopy in golden shafts. The path was rough, the ground uneven beneath their feet, but they kept on, side by side, hearts bound by the same purpose.