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And it seemed that Samuel and Matthias had found that more, in each other.

* * * *

MATTHIAS WAS LAUGHING so hard that it looked like he couldn’t breathe. Samuel wanted to ask if he was okay, but he was having a hard time himself.

He sucked in a breath, pressing his lips together and looking away because he knew that if he didn’t, he’d just keep going. As he did so, his gaze paused on the window close by.

He wouldn’t have noticed Thorne standing there if the man hadn’t moved. As soon as Samuel saw him, Thorne stepped away from the window, as if caught doing something he shouldn’t have been. Since he’d only been watching out the window, it was ridiculous, but what did Samuel know?

He certainly didn’t know what Thorne was thinking. Was he looking for him to yell at him some more? Samuel wouldn’t be surprised, although he couldn’t remember leaving anything out this time around. He wouldn’t say he’d been careful, but usually, he remembered where he put his things. Thorne seemed to think that he was just careless about them, but that wasn’t the case. He just didn’t see the need to take his training gear inside when he knew he was going to use it again tomorrow.

“You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?” Matthias asked.

Samuel smiled at him. He didn’t know why Thorne had been watching them, and in the end, he didn’t really care. Let him watch. Maybe he was jealous.

Samuel frowned. Could that actually be the case? Was Thorne in love with Matthias or something? Samuel couldn’t see it. Thorne had been annoying him almost since the beginning, before he’d gotten friendly with Matthias. That had to mean there was nothing there. It was just easier to think something like that than to believe that Thorne really was just a controlling asshole who hated Samuel. Samuel hadn’t done anything to cause that hatred.

He wasn’t a dirty person. Yes, he was a little messy, but everyone was when they were comfortable. This was his home, so why shouldn’t he be comfortable? It was also Thorne’s home, so he should understand, but instead, he was always on his high horse about Samuel being messy. The man needed to allow himself to live a little.

Matthias bumped their shoulders together. “I like spending time with you.”

Samuel felt like he’d missed a bit of the conversation, but he wasn’t about to ask Matthias to repeat himself. “I like spending time with you, too. Even flying is more fun when you can share it with someone.”

“Who did you share it with before you moved here?”

“Well, Winter didn’t have a mage back then, so we usually went flying together.”

Matthias smiled a little. “I’m sorry.”

“What for? I didn’t lose him. In fact, I spent some time with him yesterday. He’s in love, so I don’t expect to be the center of his world.”

“I agree, but it doesn’t make it easier. I mean, it’s not like Parker and I spent all of our time together before we ended up here, but we did spend more time together. It’s not only Ansley. Now that he’s here, Parker has a whole group of people who knew him from before. He has new friends. People he can share things with that he can’t share with me. I guess it just made me feel inadequate.”

Samuel frowned at him. “You’re not inadequate.”

“Well, thank you for thinking that.”

“I’m not just thinking that. I’m right. It would be like saying I’m inadequate, and that’s why Winter isn’t spending as much time with me as before.”

Matthias shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t think this would bother me as much as it does if I didn’t feel like I was stuck here. I always had a job and my own friends, but here? I guess I’m feeling a little cooped up. Maybe I should look for a job in town or something.”

“I’m sure that if you talk to Jarvis, he’d agree. He could help you with magic if you need it.”

“I mean, I have a few years before people start wondering why I’m not changing. I don’t think I would need Jarvis’s magic this soon.”

Samuel leaned back and tilted his face up toward the sun. “So you’re thinking about it? Getting a job, I mean.”

“If I can find someone willing to hire me. I don’t want to spend the next few decades of my life living here and not doing anything. I know that Jarvis told me I didn’t need a job, and I’m not going to push back against him and the other mages wanting to take care of me or whatever. I’m not an idiot, but I’m bored.”

Samuel grinned. “Yeah? Maybe that means we should go flying.”

“Are you offering?”

“You know I never say no to flying.”

“Now?”

“Why not? Have anything better to do?”