Chapter 163

Chapter 163: Chapter 163

Selene sat in the Silvermoon common room, surrounded by her friends, her mind racing.

She had been biting her nails for the past hour a habit she had never been able to break, no matter how many times her mother had scolded her for it. Celeste and Mira sat on either side of her, their expressions a mixture of concern and curiosity. They had noticed her agitation, her distraction, the way her eyes kept darting toward the door.

"What’s wrong?" Celeste finally asked. "You’ve been acting strange all day."

Selene didn’t answer immediately. She was thinking—thinking about Soren, about Finn, about the investigation that was closing in around her like a noose. She needed to meet with Finn tonight. She needed to tell him about her new plan, the one that would finally take Soren’s mind off the investigation.

But first, she needed an excuse. A reason to be away from the suite. A reason to sneak out without raising suspicion.

Her eyes fell on her friends, on their eager, trusting faces. And then, an idea struck her.

"I want to have a girls’ sleepover," she said.

Celeste and Mira stared at her. Then their faces broke into delighted grins.

"A sleepover?" Mira repeated. "Really?"

"In our dorm," Celeste added. "Just the three of us. Like old times."

"Yes." Selene smiled a practiced, warm expression. "I’ve missed spending time with you both. Things have been so... complicated lately. I need a night of normalcy."

The girls nodded eagerly, their excitement palpable. But Selene held up a hand.

"There’s just one problem. Soren." She paused, letting the weight of the name settle over them. "You know how possessive he can be. He might not agree to let me stay the night."

Celeste’s smile faltered. "He’s been so cold lately. Distant."

"Exactly. That’s why I need your help." Selene looked at them with wide, pleading eyes. "If you both come with me to ask him—if you explain how much this would mean to me, maybe he’ll agree."

The girls exchanged glances. They knew Soren’s reputation the Ice Wolf, the Sword Sovereign, the man who could freeze a room with a single glance. Approaching him with a request like this was daunting, to say the least.

But they loved Selene. And they wanted her to be happy.

"We’ll help," Mira said finally. "We’ll beg him if we have to."

Selene smiled, a real smile this time, though it didn’t reach her eyes. "Thank you. You’re the best friends a girl could ask for."

They spent the next hour planning the sleepover—what they would eat, what games they would play, what secrets they would share. Selene nodded and smiled and pretended to care. But her mind was elsewhere, already mapping out her meeting with Finn, already planning her next move.

Corvin had been watching Maureen for days.

He had studied her habits, her routines, her interactions with the others. He had noted the way she smiled at Jasper, the way she laughed at his jokes, the way she touched his arm when she spoke. He had watched her train, watched her eat, watched her sleep—or rather, watched the door to her dormitory, waiting for any sign of suspicious activity.

And so far, he had found nothing.

Maureen was exactly what she appeared to be: a kind, cheerful girl from a modest family who had come to the academy to train and learn. She was helpful, loyal, and utterly unremarkable. There was nothing in her background that suggested treachery. Nothing in her behavior that hinted at deception.

Maybe I’m wrong about her, Corvin thought. Maybe she’s not the one. ℯℯ𝑙.

He sat in his laboratory, staring at his list of names. Jasper. Finn. Marek. Maureen. Four suspects. One of them was the mole—the person who had been feeding information to Varek, who had helped orchestrate the assassination, who had been poisoning Soren for weeks.

But which one?

He had ruled out Jasper—or at least, he had ruled out the possibility that Jasper was intentionally betraying them. The boy was too observant, too sharp, too loyal. If he had noticed something suspicious, he would have said something.

Marek was quiet, but that was his nature. He had been with them since the beginning—had fought beside them in the Mistwood, had guarded their backs in the forest, had proven his loyalty a hundred times over. It was hard to imagine him as a traitor.

That left Finn. And Maureen.

I’ll give Maureen until the end of the week, Corvin decided. If I don’t find anything, I’ll move on to Marek.

He picked up his quill and made a note on his parchment. Then he turned back to the book from the archives, searching for any clue he might have missed.

Jasper couldn’t shake the feeling.

Something was wrong with Finn. He didn’t know what, exactly—he couldn’t put his finger on it. But something had changed. The Finn who had once laughed at everything, who had made terrible jokes and tripped over his own feet and been the butt of every joke that Finn was gone. In his place was someone quieter, more serious, more... calculating.

Jasper had noticed it first in the common room, when Finn had returned from his midnight walk. There had been something in his eyes—something cold, something watchful. It had been there for just a moment, and then it was gone. But Jasper had seen it.

And he couldn’t forget it.

He started watching Finn more closely after that. He noted the way Finn’s gaze lingered on certain people on Soren, on Corvin, on Ragnar. He noted the way Finn’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. He noted the way Finn’s answers to questions were always just a little too perfect, a little too rehearsed.

He’s hiding something, Jasper thought. I don’t know what, but he’s hiding something.

He wanted to confront Finn directly—to ask him what was going on, to demand the truth. But he knew that would be a mistake. If Finn was hiding something, confronting him would only make him more careful. Better to watch. Better to wait. Better to gather evidence before making a move.

So he decided to watch, and wait. And he tried to figure out what, exactly, had changed about his friend.

Selene and her friends found Soren in the training grounds, surrounded by Corvin, Ragnar, and Roderic.

The four men were deep in conversation, their faces grim. They had been discussing the investigation the search for Varek, the mole in their midst, the realm’s ongoing suffering. Soren’s golden eyes were sharp, his jaw tight with tension.

Selene approached cautiously, her friends trailing behind her. She had dressed carefully a soft blue gown that brought out her eyes, her silver hair loose around her shoulders. She looked beautiful. She looked vulnerable.

"Soren," she said, her voice soft. "May I speak with you?"

Soren looked up, his expression unreadable. "What is it?"

Selene glanced at her friends, then back at Soren. "It’s... a personal matter. Could we speak privately?"

Soren exchanged a glance with Corvin, then nodded. He stepped away from the group, leading Selene to a quieter corner of the training grounds.

"What’s going on?" he asked.

Selene took a deep breath. "I want to have a sleepover with my friends. In their dorm. Just for one night."

Soren’s eyebrows rose. "A sleepover?"

"I know it sounds silly. But things have been so tense lately—with the investigation, with the realm, with everything. I just want one night of normalcy. One night to feel like a normal girl again." She looked up at him with wide, pleading eyes. "Please, Soren. It would mean so much to me."

Soren was silent for a long moment. Selene held her breath, waiting.

"I don’t know," he said finally. "With Varek out there, it’s not safe for you to be away from the palace. The suite is the most secure location in the academy."

"I know. But my friends’ dorm is in the east wing—it’s well-guarded. And I’ll have Celeste and Mira with me the whole time." She reached out and touched his arm. "Please. I just need a break. I just need one night where I don’t have to think about any of this."

Soren studied her face—the plea in her eyes, the slight tremble in her hands. He knew she was hiding something. He knew she was involved with Finn. But he also knew that pushing her too hard would only make her more careful, more distant.

Let her think she’s won, he thought. Let her have her night. I’ll be watching.

"Fine," he said.

Selene’s face lit up. "Really?"

"One night. But you’ll be guarded. I’ll have Roderic watch the dorm from a distance. If anything seems wrong—"

"Nothing will be wrong. I promise." She rose on her toes and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Soren. You won’t regret this."

I already do, he thought. But he forced a smile and nodded.

Selene practically skipped back to her friends, who squealed with delight when they heard the news. They immediately began planning the details—what food to bring, what games to play, what stories to share.

Soren watched them go, his expression unreadable. Corvin appeared at his side.

"You let her go," Corvin said quietly.

"I did."

"Why?"

"Because I want to see what she does with her freedom." Soren’s golden eyes were cold. "She’s hiding something. Tonight, she’ll slip up. And when she does—" He paused. "I’ll be ready."