Chapter 34. Lucen’s Summit Invitation

Celeste’s POV

When we crested the low hill at the edge of the forest, the first thing I noticed was that the village we’d just left a few hours before was nowhere in sight. The clearing where the huts had stood lay empty, the smoke of cooking fires gone cold. My heart sank—the only plausible explanation was that something dire had happened here.

“There was an attack,” Nora said grimly, her ears pricking forward as she scanned the darkness for any trace of survivors.

Sia rolled her eyes, clearly irritated. “Great. The world’s gotten even more chaotic. One fight over there, another fight down the road. I just want a quiet life—curl up and create my potions in peace.”

I glanced over my shoulder at Eryndor, still curled up fast asleep on my back despite the obvious danger around us. “I hope everyone from the village is safe,” I said, keeping my voice low so as not to startle him—though he was snoring so loudly I could barely hear myself think. “Also, Erynd