The carriage wheels hummed over cobblestones as the Silford crest gleamed on its polished black doors. Sunlight filtered through the lace curtains, spilling across velvet seats where Lilith sat poised, crimson hair cascading in silken waves. Her eyes wandered to the passing streets, tall white-stone facades adorned with wrought-iron balconies and banners in every noble color.
Elias sat across from her, leaning slightly against the window, his reflection grinning back at him. "Hard to believe this is all for a shopping trip," he said, tone almost reverent as he watched golden spires glint in the distance.
Lilith didn't look away from the view. "You sound like you've never seen a city before."
"I've seen cities," Elias shot back. "Just… not like this." His gaze flicked to the crowds spilling along the streets, nobles in satin and silk flanked by liveried attendants. "Everything looks… expensive."
Lilith's lips curved faintly. "It is."
Across from them, Caelum sat in perfect composure, hands resting on a silver-headed cane that gleamed in the soft light. His teal eyes shifted briefly toward Elias. "Keep your voice low when you marvel," he said, tone smooth, almost indifferent. "You'll invite the wrong kind of attention."
Elias straightened, muttering under his breath.
The carriage slowed as they reached the heart of Valebourne, a wide plaza framed by grand avenues. Fountains spilled crystalline arcs into marble basins, and every storefront gleamed like a jewel, names etched in gilded letters: Veylar Forge, Maison Verrayne, The Arcane Atelier. Grooms in house livery rushed forward as the carriage halted.
When the door opened, Lilith stepped out first, crimson skirts whispering against the stone, her presence drawing the usual ripple of glances. Elias followed, a spark of excitement in his stride despite his best efforts to look nonchalant.
"Lilith! Elias!"
The voice carried from across the plaza, bright and familiar. Tamsin Roskey strode toward them, her golden hair shimmering under the sunlight, a grin cutting wide across her face. Raffin Jorde trailed behind, calm as ever, his sword slung casually at his hip.
"Well, if it isn't the Silfords," Tamsin said, planting her hands on her hips. "About time I ran into you two. What are you doing out here? Decided to slum it with the rest of us?"
Lilith arched a brow. "Hardly."
"We're shopping," Elias said quickly. "Supplies for the Academy."
Tamsin snorted. "Figures. We were going to hit a few stalls ourselves. The cheap ones, you know, the kind that don't bleed you dry."
Lilith's gaze slid to the shining arcades of high-end boutiques, then back to Tamsin. "Come with us."
Both Tamsin and Raffin blinked. "With you?" Tamsin echoed, then laughed outright. "Lilith Silford dragging me into a luxury trap? What's the catch?"
"No catch," Lilith said smoothly. "Consider it… convenience."
"Convenience, huh?" Tamsin's grin widened. "Fine. I'm not stupid enough to say no to free advice on what the rich kids buy."
Raffin inclined his head politely, though his eyes lingered on the polished storefronts. "If you're certain, my lady."
Lilith only nodded, and that was enough.
Their first stop loomed at the corner of the avenue: Veylar Forge, the name etched in flowing runes of silver above doors taller than two men. Inside, heat shimmered faintly against stone walls hung with rows of weapons that gleamed like liquid moonlight. The scent of oil and steel mingled with faint wisps of enchantment, a tang on the tongue that hummed in the bones.
A master-smith approached the moment they crossed the threshold, his crimson apron spotless despite the forge's heat. His eyes flicked to the Silford crest on Lilith's cloak, and in an instant his expression brightened, bowing low. "Lady Silford. Lord Silford. It is an honor."
Lilith inclined her head with the ease of someone accustomed to such greetings. "We're here for two things," she said. "A staff, and blades."
"Only the finest," the smith promised, his voice almost reverent. "If you'll follow me."
They passed cases lined with polished swords before reaching a chamber where treasures rested upon velvet stands. Elias's breath caught as his gaze landed on them, a pair of twin blades, their shapes a perfect marriage of elegance and savagery.
One blade gleamed silver-white, its edge curving like a crescent moon, the metal kissed with faint etchings of runes that shimmered under the forge-light. The other was its shadow, a blackened steel twin with a crimson undertone, glinting like smoldering embers beneath midnight. Their guards curled forward in sweeping arcs, talon-like, wrought from ornate gold and obsidian alloys.
"They're called Solstice and Eclipse," the smith said, almost in a whisper. "Balanced for speed and precision. Crafted as a set for the rare few who can wield them as one."
Elias stepped closer, fingers itching to touch the hilts. "They're… perfect," he said under his breath.
The smith's eyes narrowed slightly, assessing him. "Dual blades demand more than strength, my lord. They demand rhythm."
Elias grinned, a flash of teeth. "Then I'll learn the rhythm."
Lilith watched him with an almost imperceptible smile as the smith turned to her. "And for you, my lady?"
"I'll know it when I see it," she said softly.
It didn't take long. At the far end, beneath a curtain of silver-threaded drapery, stood a single staff. Lean and poised like a shadow given form. Its shaft was wrought from midnight-black steelwood, a faint crimson shimmer rippling under the light as though fire lived beneath its skin. At its crown curved an arc of silver, slender and precise, cradling a floating orb of crystal that pulsed in shifting hues; emerald, sapphire, citrine, and gold, all four elements caught in eternal dance.
Lilith reached for it, her fingers brushing the cool surface of the shaft. Power hummed, a low, silent chord that thrummed against her bones, neither violent nor meek but absolute. Her reflection shimmered in the orb's surface, fractured by its colors.
"This one," she said simply.
The smith inclined his head deeply, his voice hushed. "A rare choice. Aggressive in design, responsive to speed—and capable of devastating force in the right hands."
Lilith's lips curved faintly. "Perfect."
Behind them, Tamsin whistled low. "Gods above," she muttered. "Remind me never to spar with either of you."
By the time the purchases were arranged—Elias's twin blades to be fitted and delivered within the week, Lilith's staff secured in a velvet-lined case—the forge master was all but glowing from the transaction.
As they turned to leave, Lilith's gaze slid toward Tamsin and Raffin. "What about the two of you? You should choose something while we're here."
Raffin shook his head almost immediately, resting a hand on the hilt at his hip. "I already carry my family blade, my lady. It has served the Jorde line for three generations. I'll rely on that."
Lilith inclined her head slightly in acknowledgment, "I understand. But please, stop with the formalities..." before her eyes moved to Tamsin. "What about you?"
Tamsin grinned, her amber eyes sparking with mischief. "Are you kidding? You think I'm passing up the chance to own a blade from Veylar Forge? Not a chance."
"Tamsin," Raffin muttered in warning, but she waved him off.
"I'll pay for it," Lilith said simply, voice soft but leaving no room for protest.
Tamsin clapped her hands together. "And people say nobility has no perks. You, Lilith Silford, are officially my favorite person."
Elias smirked. "Don't let her hear that. It'll go to her head."
"Too late," Tamsin said brightly, already scanning the display racks for something fiery enough to match her temper.
Raffin sighed under his breath, though a faint smile ghosted his lips.
They stepped back into the sunlight as the last arrangements were made: Tamsin's new weapon bought—a sleek wand forged from emberwood, its surface veined with molten gold patterns that shimmered like trapped fire. A phoenix-feather core pulsed faintly at its heart, and a crystal of fire element stood at the tip. The heat of its magic almost tangible even through the velvet-lined case.
The Silfords' own treasures—Elias's twin blades to be fitted and delivered within the week, Lilith's staff secured in a velvet-lined case—were likewise secured, the forge master was all but glowing from the transaction.
Tamsin slung an arm over Raffin's shoulder, grinning. "Next stop? Clothes? Please tell me you're buying something that'll make Vivienne Halden choke on her tea."
Lilith's emerald eyes gleamed faintly. "Naturally."