In the center of the chaos stood Eris, her emerald eyes gleaming with excitement as she faced off against a group of armed men.

A shattered fruit cart lay overturned nearby, its colorful contents crushed beneath heavy boots. The merchant stood to one side, shouting furiously at Eris. "You broke my cart! Do you have any idea how much this costs?"

Eris waved him off with a dismissive hand, twirling her dagger lazily. "Relax, old man. I'll pay you back later. Maybe."

One of the armed men stepped forward, his sword glinting in the sunlight. "You're going to regret that, girl."

"Oh, really?" Eris drawled, her grin widening. "I'd like to see you try."

Before he could react, she darted forward in a blur of movement. Her dagger slashed through the air, forcing the man to stumble back as his comrades rushed to support him.

The group watched from the edge of the crowd, exasperation etched across their faces.

"She really can't help herself, can she?" Medea muttered.

"It's almost impressive," Lilith added in an amused tone.

"We need to stop her before this gets worse," Adrian said, stepping forward.

But before he could intervene, one of the armed men swung his sword in a wide arc. Eris ducked effortlessly, her dagger slicing across his thigh. He cried out in pain, dropping to one knee as she pivoted to face the next attacker.

"You're going to have to try harder than that," she taunted, her voice ringing out over the square. "Come on, boys. Don't disappoint me."

Another man lunged at her, but Eris sidestepped smoothly, kicking his feet out from under him. He hit the ground hard, his weapon clattering away. The crowd gasped, some cheering as the fight continued.

Adrian pushed through the crowd, his fiery chains snapping to life as he approached. "Eris!" he barked, his voice cutting through the chaos like a whip. "Enough."

Eris turned, her grin fading slightly as she saw him. "Oh, come on, Adrian. I was just having a little fun."

"This isn't fun," Adrian said sharply as he gripped her by the wrist. "This is reckless."

The remaining men hesitated, their confidence shaken by Adrian's commanding presence. One of them gestured toward the crowd. "This isn't over," he growled, helping his injured comrades to their feet. "You'll regret this."

Eris blew him a mocking kiss as they retreated, her dagger spinning idly in her hand. "I'll be waiting," she called after them.

Adrian crossed his arms, his gaze fixed on her. "What were you thinking?"

Eris shrugged, wiping her blade on her cloak. "They started it. I just finished it."

"By destroying a fruit cart and causing a scene in the middle of the city?" Ava asked, narrowing her golden eyes. "Do you have any idea how much attention you've drawn?"

Eris smirked, unfazed. "Attention's not always a bad thing. Besides, I handled it."

Lilith laughed, shaking her head. "You're impossible."

Adrian sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Let's get out of here before the guards show up."

The group moved quickly, leaving the square and the murmuring crowd behind. Eris fell into step beside Adrian, her grin still firmly in place.

"You know," she said, nudging him with her elbow. "You're kind of hot when you're mad."

Adrian shot her a glare, but she only laughed, twirling her dagger as they headed back toward the hotel. The chaos Eris had caused was already fading into background chatter among the city folk, but Adrian's mind lingered on it.

Inside the lavishly adorned lobby, Adrian gestured for everyone to gather. "We can't stay here for long," he said firmly, his voice low enough not to draw attention from the staff. "The Shadow Court's assassins will track us if we remain in one place for too long."

"How long do we have?" Medea asked, her arms crossed.

"Not long," Ava chimed in, her golden eyes flicking toward Adrian. "If they're already in this city, they'll have informants watching for newcomers. Fancy hotels like this aren't exactly subtle."

Eris chuckled, flopping onto one of the plush lobby chairs. "Good thing we're leaving before they catch up. Right, boss?"

Adrian ignored her flippancy. "We leave before daybreak. The next temple isn't far—it'll take us about a day's journey on foot." He glanced at Selene, who was standing quietly off to the side, her hands clasped nervously in front of her. "You're up for travel?"

Selene nodded quickly. "Yes," she said softly.

Adrian's gaze lingered on her for a moment, his expression unreadable. "Good," he said finally. "Get some rest tonight. We'll need to move fast."

Lilith tilted her head, a sly grin on her lips. "Any other orders, husband?"

Adrian shot her a sharp look. "Just don't get into trouble before we leave."

"Noted," she said with a mock salute.

The group dispersed, each heading to their rooms. Adrian lingered in the lobby for a moment, his thoughts racing as he watched his companions retreat. Selene moved quietly, her silver cloak brushing against the polished floor.

There was something different about her, something he couldn't quite place.

*******************

When Adrian finally made it to his room, the day's exhaustion hit him like a wave. He stripped off his armor and shirt, tossing them carelessly onto a nearby chair.

The bed looked inviting, and he climbed onto it with a groan, his muscles aching from the constant tension of the past few days.

He had just closed his eyes when the faint creak of the door opening made him sit up sharply. His hand moved instinctively toward the sword propped against the nightstand, but he relaxed slightly when he saw Selene step hesitantly into the room.

"Selene?" Adrian asked, his voice still tinged with surprise. "What are you doing here?"

She stood just inside the doorway, her arms wrapped around herself. She was wearing a simple white nightgown that hung loosely around her slender frame.

Her eyes flicked to him with an uncertain expression. "I… I couldn't sleep," she said quietly, not meeting his gaze. "I thought… maybe I could stay here? Just for tonight?"

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