Chapter 1877

A second sentence appeared beneath the first.

THE SECOND BURIAL WAS NOT DONE BY THE FATHER.

Jude looked towards the man.

"What does this mean?"

The man gave no answer.

The older Jude approached the cradle.

"Let me see."

Jude handed him the cloth.

The older man read it.

His expression changed.

"No."

"What?"

He looked towards the staircase.

"No. That isn’t possible."

The man beside the firepit smiled.

"Now you remember."

The older Jude clenched the cloth.

"Who buried him the second time?"

The man looked towards the women.

Then towards Jude.

"Ask the one who was there."

Jude turned.

All twelve wives were watching.

Layla stepped forward.

"What are you suggesting?"

The man didn’t answer her.

Instead, he looked at the real Layla.

"You were the first to hold him."

Layla’s expression changed.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"You remember the room."

"No."

"You remember the little bed."

"No."

"You remember the promise."

Layla shook her head.

"Stop."

The man smiled.

"You were there when the second door closed."

Layla looked at Jude.

"I don’t remember any of this."

The man nodded.

"Of course you don’t."

He raised his hand.

A silver thread appeared around Layla’s wrist.

Then another appeared around Susan’s.

Then Rose’s.

Serena’s.

And around everyone else.

Twelve silver threads stretched from the women’s wrists towards the staircase.

Jude moved between them and the man.

"Leave them alone."

"They are already connected."

"Disconnect them."

"I cannot."

"Then tell me who can."

The man pointed towards the child holding Jude’s hand.

Jude looked down.

The boy stared at the threads.

His face had become very still.

"I can hear them," he whispered.

"Hear what?"

"The promises."

A murmur passed through the women.

Layla looked at her wrist.

"What promises?"

The child closed his eyes.

Then he began speaking.

Not in his own voice.

In twelve different voices.

"I will stay until you return."

"I will remember even when you cannot."

"I will keep the door open."

"I will never let you be alone."

"I will protect the house."

"I will protect the child."

"I will not forget."

"I will wait."

"I will bring everyone home."

"I will keep the light burning."

"I will follow."

"I will stay."

Each sentence was spoken in a different voice.

Each one sounded familiar.

Jude looked at the women.

They were pale and silent.

The child opened his eyes.

"They weren’t all made beneath the tree."

The older Jude stepped closer.

"What are you saying?"

The boy looked at him.

"The promises came from them."

He pointed towards the women.

"But the words were changed."

A tremor passed through the staircase.

The man beside the firepit finally stopped smiling.

"Enough."

The child ignored him.

"They promised to stay because they wanted to."

He looked at Layla.

"But someone changed it so they could never leave."

Layla stared at him.

"Who?"

The boy looked towards Jude.

Nobody moved.

Then the older Jude spoke.

"Not him."

The man with Jude’s face laughed softly.

"Always protecting your favourite version."

The older Jude turned.

"You changed the promise."

"I preserved it."

"You trapped them."

"I kept them."

"You took their freedom."

"I prevented their loss."

The man spread his arms.

"Look at the island. Look at the houses. Look at the gardens. Look at everything you love. It exists because I refused to let anything disappear."

The older Jude shook his head.

"You made a prison out of a promise."

The man looked towards the staircase.

"And you made a doorway out of regret."

For a moment, the two men seemed to be mirror images.

Then the man beside the firepit stepped backwards.

His body blurred.

The face of Jude disappeared.

Beneath it was a pale, featureless surface.

No eyes.

No mouth.

No nose.

Only a smooth shape where a face should have been.

The women stepped back.

The four Sols gathered around Jude.

The faceless figure tilted its head.

"Now," it said, "we can begin."

The staircase shuddered.

The silver roots pulled away from the steps.

A warm light appeared below.

And from the darkness came a voice.

"Bring the promises."

The faceless figure bowed.

"Bring the Keeper."

The older Jude took a step backwards.

"Don’t answer it."

The voice came again.

"Bring the child."

The smallest Sol looked towards the stairs.

Then he whispered:

"It’s not asking for us."

Jude looked at him.

"Who is it asking for?"

The boy raised his eyes.

"You."

The staircase began to descend.

Not physically.

The entire structure sank deeper into the earth, carrying the village around it.

The houses trembled.

The wooden walkways bent.

The orchard trees leaned towards the firepit.

Jude grabbed Layla’s hand.

"Everyone together!"

The women rushed towards one another.

Susan took Sophie’s hand.

Rose held Emma’s arm.

Serena pulled Scarlet away from the nearest silver root.

Natalie and Zoey helped Lucy across a shaking walkway.

Stella and Grace hurried towards the central path.

But the staircase was growing.

The first steps spread beneath the firepit.

Then beneath the shared house.

Then beneath the entire village.

Jude looked towards the northern mountain.

A blue light appeared near its summit.

A second light answered from the eastern river.

A third rose from the western meadow.

The three locations formed a triangle around the village.

Then the ground beneath the village split along three enormous lines.

The same symbol.

Three curved lines surrounding a point.

The island was opening.

"Jude!" Serena shouted.

He turned.

A section of the walkway had collapsed between them.

Serena stood on one side with Sophie and Scarlet.

Jude and the others were on the other.

A silver root rose between them.

Serena grabbed Sophie’s hand.

"Don’t come closer!"

Jude looked at the root.

"Jump!"

"No!" Sophie shouted. "The gap is too wide!"

The wooden boards beneath them began to break.

Jude looked towards the staircase.

The smallest Sol was staring at the silver roots.