Chapter 1576

"To us," Sophie answered. "To this bond. To what we've become. It can't be walked into lightly. It has to be earned."

Zoey cracked a grin. "So we're the gods now?"

"No," Rose said, her smile soft. "We're just awake."

They set out before the sun reached its peak. They walked in silence at first, scattered in pairs, sometimes brushing fingers or lips, sometimes simply walking side by side. The island led them west again, past the cliffs this time, toward a stretch of land none of them had dared explore before. It was different now. The trees were thinner. The earth flatter. Vines moved out of their way. A long path of stones led to a small rise, and atop it, a wide circle of bare earth waited, surrounded by twelve standing stones.

Each stone had a mark carved into it - one for each of them.

Stella was the first to notice. "These are... our symbols."

Emma ran her fingers over hers. "But we didn't make them."