Selene laughed, the sound bright and infectious, making everyone at the table pause and look at her in wonder. Even Jonah, who usually had something snarky to say, was caught off guard, a smitten look on his face.

  Thorne quickly kicked Jonah under the table to snap him out of it. “Wipe that look off your face,” he growled in a low voice.

  Jonah winced, then shook his head, the smitten smile replaced with a sheepish grin. “Right, right. My bad.”

  Selene, still smiling, turned her attention to Jonah. “So, Sir Jonah,” she began, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Thorne tells me you own a shop. That’s very admirable.”

  Jonah puffed up with pride, his chest visibly expanding as he prepared to launch into a boast. “Yes, my lady...”

  “Please, call me Selene,” she interrupted, waving a hand dismissively.

  Jonah blinked, but quickly recovered. “Right. Well, Selene, I have the finest shop in all of Alvar! You’re welcome anytime! And as a friend of Thorne, uh, Lord Silverbane, I’ll even give you a discount!”

  Thorne turned to Selene with a deadpan expression. “He’s lying,” he said dryly. “His shop’s full of shriveled-up herbs and some very questionable potions. No offense, Ben.”

  Ben paused mid-chew, a chicken thigh halfway to his mouth. He glanced at Thorne, shrugged, and resumed eating.

  Jonah reddened, clearly affronted. “I’ll have you know every item in my shop is worth a bag of gold!”

  Darius, who had been watching the exchange with an amused smirk, scoffed. “I’m with Thorne on this one,” he said, turning to Jonah. “Do I need to remind you that just last week I tested one of Ben’s ‘miraculous cures’ and ended up growing fins out of my neck?”

  Selene giggled, her eyes twinkling with amusement. Jonah waved his hand dismissively. “Minor side effect. Besides, our big seller is the radiance elixir.” He fished a small vial from his pocket and held it out to Selene, his face brimming with pride.

  Selene took the vial, inspecting it closely. “Oh! Thorne mentioned this potion earlier.”

  Jonah’s eyes narrowed suspiciously as he leaned forward. “Did he now?”

  Thorne shot Jonah a warning look, but before he could stop her, Selene reached into her pouch, pulling out a gold coin. “It would actually make a great gift.”

  Darius, mid-drink, choked on his ale and sprayed it across the table, the liquid splashing all over Ben. Ben’s eyes widened in shock before he angrily signed at Darius for ruining his food.

  Jonah’s eyes bulged as he stared at the coin in Selene’s hand. “A-a gold coin?” he stammered, reaching for it eagerly.

  Thorne quickly reached out and stopped her, gently pushing her hand back. “You don’t have to pay,” he said, casting a sharp glance at Jonah. “I’ll settle this.”

  “Oh, it’s no bother,” Selene replied, still holding the coin out. “I don’t mind...”

  Thorne shook his head firmly, pushing the coin back into her pouch. “Trust me,” he said with a smile. “It’s on me.”

  Jonah glared at him, but thankfully didn’t argue. Gilly approached them just then, wiping her hands on a rag as she asked what they wanted. Thorne ordered some food and ale for the group, and Selene looked at him in surprise.

  “Ale?” she whispered, her eyes widening in shock.

  Thorne nodded, grinning at her reaction. “Why? Haven’t you ever had ale before?”

  Selene shook her head, her lips curving into a mischievous smile. “No, never. It wasn’t exactly... proper for a lady of the Ravencourts.”

  Thorne chuckled. “Well, tonight’s a night of firsts, then.”

  As the conversation continued, the group fell into an easy rhythm. They talked about everything, Darius’s time in the city guard, Jonah’s shop (with more embellishments from Jonah), and Ben’s increasingly questionable attempts at alchemy. Selene was laughing almost nonstop, her curiosity never waning as she asked questions about their lives. She seemed genuinely interested in every story, hanging on their words as though they were the most riveting tales she’d ever heard.

  At one point, Darius nearly let something slip about Thorne’s true identity, but Jonah, quick on his feet as always, jumped in with some ridiculous story about how he once sold a noblewoman a fake love potion that had accidentally turned her hair green. Selene laughed so hard, she nearly spilled her drink, and Thorne couldn’t help but grin.

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  Despite the chaos of the tavern around them, the night felt strangely perfect. There was something liberating about being with Selene in this way—outside the confines of noble society, away from the weight of their families’ expectations. Here, in this noisy, bustling tavern, they were just people. Just Thorne and Selene, and a group of friends sharing stories.

  And for the first time in a long time, Thorne allowed himself to enjoy it.

  Thorne ordered another round of drinks, the smile seemingly permanent on his face as the evening carried on. Gilly fussed over them like a mother hen, paying special attention to Selene, asking again and again if she needed anything else.

  Selene, ever gracious, complimented her on the food and with a light giggle, said, "More ale, please."

  As Gilly scurried off, she gave Thorne a knowing look and mouthed, She’s pretty, with an exaggerated wink. Thorne tried to hide his grin, but there was no mistaking the warmth that had spread through him.

  Just as things were settling back into their jovial rhythm, the tavern door swung open, and Eliza walked in. The sudden appearance made the entire group freeze. Thorne felt the air shift, his instincts immediately on high alert.

  Eliza's sharp gaze locked onto him, her tone cutting straight to business. "What are you doing here, Thorne? Tonight is..."

  Before she could finish, Jonah shot up from his seat, interrupting with dramatic flair. "Lord Silverbane has brought a guest tonight!" He presented Selene with a grand sweep of his hand, clearly enjoying the theatrics.

  Eliza’s attention shifted to Selene, her expression carefully neutral as she took in the sight of the noblewoman sitting beside Thorne. She hid her reaction well, but Thorne, ever perceptive, caught the flicker of surprise in her eyes.

  "Still," Eliza began, regaining her composure, "you need to..."

  Jonah interrupted again, flashing a disarming grin. "Why don’t we go help Gilly? It’s so busy tonight, and we just ordered another round of drinks." Without waiting for a response, he grabbed Eliza by the arm and began steering her toward the bar.

  Thorne watched as Jonah skillfully dragged Eliza away. When they returned, Eliza had clearly been filled in on the situation, but there was a lingering worry in her eyes. She didn’t press the issue, though, and soon enough, everyone was back to laughing and enjoying the evening.

  The time slipped away like water through his fingers. Thorne couldn't take his eyes off Selene. They talked and laughed for hours, the conversation never stopping. Each wild story out of Jonah’s mouth, who had become the table’s storyteller, made Selene laugh like it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard. Every time she laughed, Thorne found himself smiling along with her, even if he had no idea what Jonah was rambling about.

  But as all good things must, the night eventually began to wind down. Selene sighed softly, the sound full of contentment but tinged with reluctance. "I’m afraid I have to leave."

  Thorne stood as she did, helping her with her cloak as they said their goodbyes. Even Eliza, who had been watching with hawk-like intensity all evening, smiled politely at Selene and promised they’d meet again soon.

  Once outside, the cool night air hit them, and Selene sighed again, this time looking up at the sky with a dreamy expression. “I had the best time,” she said softly, her smile warm and genuine.

  As they walked through the quiet streets toward her family’s mansion, Selene stumbled slightly. Thorne’s hand shot out instinctively to steady her, drawing her closer to him. For a moment, she rested her head on his shoulder, sighing contentedly. Thorne’s heart raced, each second feeling like it stretched into eternity.

  Walking her to her house was the hardest thing he’d done all night. Every part of him wanted to hold her closer, to kiss her, to make the night last forever. Selene kept talking in that soft, dreamy voice of hers, asking him questions about everything, his life, his travels, his friends. It felt like she didn’t want the night to end either.

  When they finally reached the side door of the Ravencourt mansion, they stopped. Selene turned to him, her eyes big and bright under the moonlight, her breath coming shallow as she took a step forward. She placed a hand on his chest, and his heart quickened in response.

  "Thank you for tonight," she breathed, her lips inches from his. Her eyes flicked up to meet his, and before Thorne could stop himself, he leaned in, pressing his lips to hers.

  Selene let out a small sound of surprise, but quickly responded, her lips soft and warm against his. They stood there for what felt like hours, locked in each other’s embrace, the world fading into the background. When she finally pulled away, her face was flushed, her eyes gleaming with happiness.

  Thorne smiled down at her, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I have to go,” she said reluctantly, though the big smile on her lips never faltered. “That was the best night of my life.”

  She took a few steps toward the door, but paused to glance back at him one last time before slipping inside the mansion, closing the heavy iron door behind her.

  Thorne stood there for a long moment, staring blankly at the door. Finally, he whispered to himself, “Mine as well.”

  Before his words even fully left his lips, a voice came from behind him. "That was stupid."

  Thorne whirled around, his good mood evaporating in an instant. Sid was leaning casually against a nearby wall, arms crossed, a frown of disapproval etched on his face.

  "What are you doing here?" Thorne demanded, irritation rising in his chest.

  "I’ve been looking for you all over the city," Sid replied, his tone measured. "I’m here to take you."

  Thorne’s frown deepened. "Take me where?"

  Sid’s expression remained inscrutable as he said, "Your last trial, Thorne. The final test for the Lost Ones."

  Thorne froze. With everything that had happened tonight, Selene, the tavern, the kiss, he had completely forgotten it was supposed to be tonight. His stomach tightened with unease. “Oh...”

  Sid stepped forward, his eyes serious. "Oh, and Thorne," he said, his voice low. "When you’re out in the city, you should be more aware of your surroundings."

  Thorne blinked, confused. "What are you..."

  Sid nodded toward the rooftop of a nearby building. Thorne followed his gaze, and his blood ran cold.

  There, standing on the rooftop, was Rielle. Her red hair blazed like fire in the night wind, her face a mask of betrayal and fury.

  “Crap,” Thorne muttered under his breath.

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