Chapter 30. Orion’s Belt

Celeste’s POV

Eryndor had warned us about the mysterious man in town, cautioning Nora and Sia above all not to have the mahogany removed from their bodies. When night finally fell, the three of us—myself, Nora, and Sia—tucked into the soft mattress of the inn’s single large bed, while Eryndor claimed the lone chair by the window. Sia had urged him to join us, insisting that the bed would easily accommodate all four of us beneath its thick blankets, but he declined with a polite shake of his head. He was nothing like any other man I had ever met.

The bed’s comfort lured me into sleep so quickly that I didn’t notice when consciousness slipped away. In my dream, I was racing through a sun-dappled forest, herds of curious sheep darting past as I sprinted alongside my sisters, each of us in our wolf forms. The air was crisp, the scent of pine comforting, and laughter—our shared, wordless joy—echoed around us. It was a simple, happy dream, and I didn’t want it to end. Y