Together, they came out of the river, soaked and shivering. Zoey wrapped her arms around Susan the moment they reached the shore, while Lucy pressed a blanket against her back.
They huddled together until the sun had risen higher.
Then Susan whispered, "They're going to come for me soon. If I don't fight, I'll become one of them. If I do fight… I don't know what happens."
Jude looked at Sophie. "Can the Offering Bowl be used in reverse?"
Sophie shook her head. "No writing says anything about reversal. Just consumption. Surrender."
Emma crossed her arms. "Then we don't give it what it wants. We break it."
Zoey stood. "It's time. We've waited long enough."
They made their way back to the shrine before sunset. The forest felt heavier now, the wind colder. Shadows lingered too long in the corners of their eyes.
When they reached the tunnel, the shimmer in the arch was gone again.
But this time, someone stood beside it.