The whisper lingered in the air long after the cocoon fell silent. First Child. I have waited for you.
My pulse stuttered. The roots around my ankles tightened just enough to remind me they still held me in place. The chamber pulsed with soft light from below, as if the whole structure breathed in slow waves.
I should have backed away.
I should have run, or screamed, or refused to look.
Instead, I took a step forward.
Jack caught my arm instantly, fingers pressing into my skin like he feared I might disappear into the light. “You do not go near that thing. Do you hear me.”
Beau moved to my other side, gripping my wrist much tighter than before. “This is exactly what it wants. That alone is a reason to stay as far away as possible.”
But the pull was stronger now. A thread tugged insi
