The trees gave way to light.
We broke through the last knot of jungle just as dawn started bleeding into the sky—pale gold soaking into the ocean like spilled tea. My legs ached. My ribs felt like they'd been stitched together by a blind god. But I was walking. Still moving.
Sienna saw us first.
She was halfway down the beach before I could say a word, stumbling through sand and wind like she didn't care about anything except what was in front of her.
Me.
"Rey—"
I caught her before she collided with my ribs. Barely.
Her arms wrapped around my neck. I hissed softly—pain, not regret—and she squeezed tighter. Her voice cracked near my ear. "You made it back."
"Yeah," I whispered back, "I promised I would."
Camille and Alexis weren't far behind us. The second Sienna pulled back, they moved in—both at once, arms flung around her like magnets snapping home. Camille made a sound between a sob and a laugh, then punched my arm.
Hard.
