The air inside Celeste’s study was stale, thick with the scent of old leather and a cloying, herbal bitterness that clung to the back of Selene’s throat. Walker moved first, his hand reaching for the light switch. A single, dim lamp on a heavy oak desk flickered on, casting long shadows over bookshelves lined with volumes that looked ancient, their spines cracked and faded.
Caleb’s grip on Selene’s hand tightened, a silent signal through the bond. Stay close. She could feel his heightened alertness bleeding into her own senses—the prickle of his skin, the low hum of Koda’s presence just beneath his consciousness. The bond was a live wire, buzzing with shared vigilance and a strange, hyper-awareness. She could feel the grain of the wooden floorboards under his boots as if they were under h
