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“I suppose it depends on what you were talking about.” What would Thorne talk about? Samuel had no idea what kind of life he lived. The only thing Samuel knew was that Thorne was always at the castle, scurrying behind the scenes, keeping everything as it should be. It was why he’d been so angry when Samuel had put a wrench in that.

“We were talking about vacations,” Matthias offered. “I told Thorne that maybe he should take one, but he doesn’t think he needs one.”

Samuel grinned. “I guess it depends on where you’re planning on going. You’re surrounded by mountains here, and there’s the lake, which honestly is a pretty perfect setup. Do you like the beach? Because if you do, I have a few suggestions.”

Thorne blinked. Samuel realized he’d come on a bit strong, especially when it came to Thorne, and he pressed his lips together.

He liked traveling. Sue him.

“I told Matthias that I wasn’t planning on taking a vacation,” Thorne said.

“Because you would have to go on your own,” Matthias said. “That’s silly. Why wouldn’t you have fun even if you’re alone?”

“People travel on their own all the time,” Samuel agreed. “I have, several times.”

“Oh?” Thorne said, and Samuel wasn’t sure if he truly was surprised or if he was making fun of him. “I would’ve thought that you and Winter were attached at the hip.”

Samuel told himself not to be offended. He didn’t think Thorne would be deliberately cruel to his face, so maybe he really was just wondering. “We’re very close,” he agreed. “But I had a life before meeting him. He hasn’t always been my best friend.” He hesitated. He might as well go all in, though. “And this might surprise you, but some people find me hard to deal with.”

Thorne snorted, then his eyes widened, and he pressed his lips together. It was clear he thought he shouldn’t have done that, but frankly, Samuel was amused. He wouldn’t have expected anything different from Thorne.

“So yes, I have been on vacation on my own a bunch of times,” Samuel said as he stepped around Thorne and went to flop into one of the empty armchairs. The sun hit his face, and for a second, he closed his eyes and basked in it.

When he opened them, Matthias was sitting back down, while Thorne was still hovering there, looking from Samuel to Matthias. Samuel nudged the last armchair with his foot, hoping Thorne would take the suggestion. He was probably thinking that he needed to get back to work or something, but surely it wouldn’t kill him to sit down with them for ten minutes.

“Okay, let me tell you about my favorite trip,” he started. “I went on my own, and I’m so glad I did.”

Samuel was surprised but also smug when Thorne gingerly sat on the edge of the armchair. He looked like he wasn’t going anywhere for now. It felt like a win, even though Samuel wasn’t quite sure what he’d won.

But he had both Matthias and Thorne’s attention, and he thrived on attention.

Chapter Six

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WHEN MATTHIAS AND SAMUEL walked into the living room, Matthias’s step faltered. For a second, he thought a bomb had exploded, although it would’ve been an odd kind of bomb.

There were decorations everywhere. It looked like one of those party stores, and Matthias had no idea what was going on. Everywhere he looked, he could see boxes overflowing with napkins, vases with flowers, what looked like centerpieces, and more.

“Is someone getting married?” Samuel asked.

Matthias wasn’t sure he would get an answer. He couldn’t see anyone in the room, although he was sure someone had to be there.

He heard a noise behind them and turned. Thorne stood there, a box in his arms. He looked at Matthias, then at Samuel, and sighed. “You know what? Since you’re here, you can help me. I have more boxes outside.”

“What’s going on?”

“It’s Penley’s birthday.”

Matthias blinked, still confused. “Okay,” he drawled.

“Is he also getting married?” Samuel asked.

Thorne glared at him. Matthias couldn’t help but notice that there wasn’t as much heat in the glare as there would have been a few weeks ago. Things were getting better between those two, weren’t they?

“The mages never really wanted to celebrate their birthdays because they were missing their dragons,” Thorne said. “But this year is different. This year, they all have their dragons back, and they’re happy. They wanted to celebrate, and Penley’s birthday is the first opportunity to do that.”

“And who’s organizing this?” Matthias asked before realizing it was a stupid question. Thorne was. “Surely you don’t expect to do this on your own.”