Page 25 of Run of Ruin

“Truth is…” He trailed off, glancing sideways, his gaze flicking toward the far corner of the room where a pair of Praxis guards leaned against the wall, half-bored but always watching. “I’m not entirely sure I’m aiming for any trial at all.”

That made me pause. “You’re not going to compete?” I asked, more startled than I meant to sound.

Thorne didn’t answer right away, spinning me around the dance floor, then pulling me tight to his chest. “Let’s just say,” he murmured, so low I had to lean in to hear him, “if Praxis is going to force me to play their game, I might enjoy playing one of my own.”

I frowned.Was he serious?Speaking against Praxis, even in a half-joking way, was the kind of thing people disappeared for. The kind of thing that made people ‘examples.’

“Thorne,” I whispered, glancing toward the guards.

He finally relaxed, his smirk softening at the edges. “Relax,” he said, voice light again. “What’s a little venting between friends. We are friends now, right?”

I didn’t know what to say. He made it sound like a joke, but it wasn’t. Not really.

“Just… be careful,” I managed.

He chuckled, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “Worried about me, love?”

I rolled my eyes with a scoff. “I just…you should watch what you say. I wouldn't want my…friends to get hurt.”

That earned a real grin, quick and sharp. But then, his voice softened again. “Don’t waste a moment worrying about me. The stars…” He paused, catching himself, then smiled sadly. “They’ve got a habit of shining on those who earn it.”

“Can I cut in?” a familiar deep voice whispered from behind me. I felt his presence before I turned.

Ezra was standing there, expectantly, his eyes locked on mine. I smiled instinctively when I saw him. My heart fluttered softly.

“See you in the trials, love,” Thorne said with a sly grin, bowing deeply and pressing a soft kiss to the back of my hand. His lips burned against my skin, sending an unexpected wave of heat racing up my arm. I stood there for a moment, watching him walk away, before I turned back to face Ezra.

My heart skipped. Was Ezra upset? Did he think that just because I danced with someone else, it meant something? We had held hands, sure, but was that enough to make him think we were… something more? Did I want to be? Would he be angry if he knew that my body reacted to those handsome strangers just as strongly as it did to him? The thought gnawed at me.

I shook my head, trying to silence my racing thoughts. But then, just as I began to settle my nerves, Ezra stepped closer to me. His presence was commanding, protective, so intense it almost felt like the air itself thickened. Before I knew it, his strong arms were around me, pulling me into him as we began to sway. For a moment, we moved in complete silence, just the sound of our breathing filling the space between us.

“I didn’t know you could dance,” I murmured, surprised by the ease of his movements.

Ezra gave a quiet huff of amusement, barely a sound, but enough to make my chest tighten.

“I never have,” he said. “I guess you’re just a good partner.”

I tilted my head slightly, studying him in the low light. Hisjaw was tense, like he was holding something back, like letting this moment happen went against every instinct he had. He didn’t look at me right away, just kept his eyes somewhere over my shoulder.

“Why are you being like this?” I asked quietly.

That got his attention. His gaze flicked to mine, searching.

“Like what?”

“Like this,” I said, gesturing between us with a slight shift of my hand. “Open. Affectionate. Dancing with me. Holding my hand.”

He hesitated. The weight of his silence pressed against me harder than his arms ever could.

“Forgive me for pointing it out, but this is a far cry from the guy who was silently staring down the barrel of the camera yesterday.” I hated saying it, but it was nagging at me.

“I don’t typically let people in,” he said finally, voice rougher now. “Anymore.”

“So why me?” I asked, barely more than a whisper.

“You make it feel worth the risk.”

My breath caught, my fingers tightening slightly at the back of his neck. Ezra’s eyes flicked to my mouth, just for a second. Barely. But I felt it like a spark lighting a fuse.

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