"Dri, please stop. You've been ranting about the Prince for about an hour now." Claudia sighs wearily, rubbing her temples as if trying to massage away her irritation.
I cross my arms defiantly. "No, I won't. You think he'd be more pragmatic being royalty but nooooo—"
"You've told me already. I get it: he acts like a whiny four-year-old."
"That's an insult to four-year-olds everywhere." I retort, my frustration bubbling up again.
Claudia facepalms. "Look. You just had to dance with him for a brief time—"
"—which felt like an eternity." I chime in.
"—Dri, for goodness' sake! You'll probably never see him again so calm down, will you?"
"He pisses me off. I hate him. He's so egotistical and obnoxious and—"
I pause as I sense someone's presence behind me. My hand immediately flies down to my dagger when I feel a hand on my shoulder.
"Your reaction time's getting slower." I hear Zephyr's familiar gruff voice and the tension in my body eases a little.
"How many times have I told you not to do that?" I turn around to face him, snapping at him a little harder than usual.
He stands in a ridiculously frilly navy blouse that noblemen favour at these balls, though it's now stained crimson and carries the unmistakable scent of pastries from his earlier escapade.
His dark eyes narrow as he stares down at me disapprovingly. "You should have seen that coming, Dri. I can't believe you're one of the elite members of the Silent League."
"I much preferred you a drunken mess in front of those nobles, you know?" I mutter, loud enough for him to hear.
His frown deepens and he opens his mouth to retort with something clearly inappropriate when Claudia butts in with her annoyingly shrill voice.
"Guys, guys! Chill out! We're all friends here, yeah? How about…" She steps in, steering us away from each other with her hands. "How about we get some ice cream, hm?"
"Ice cream in this weather?" Zephyr scoffs, raising an eyebrow. "You must be out of your mind to even think of suggesting something as…as atrocious as that."
I roll my eyes, unable to resist the urge to poke at his pride. "Don't tell me you're too chicken to have ice cream. It's not like you'll freeze solid just from a scoop."
His expression shifts, annoyance flickering in his gaze. "I'm not chicken! I just have standards, unlike some people."
I scoff. "Standards. Sure, whatever you want to call not being able to man up and handle a bit of cold in cold weather."
A muscle in his jaw ticks and for a second, I think he's about to pull out his crossbow and shoot me straight in the head. "Fine. I'll show you."
Claudia looks exasperated and exhausted but nods. "Come on, guys. Think of it as a reward for another mission deemed successful."
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
"Mami, I'm back!" I shut the half-worn, splintered door behind me, the creaking echoing through the small house.
Sausage-like hands wrap around my waist, pulling me in a tight embrace. "Dri! Hi."
I sigh, trying to pry my little sister's hands off. "Let go of me, Vivienne."
She huffs, pulling me closer with all her might. "No. You never come home anymore."
"Where's Mami?" I ask her, trudging to the bedroom, the familiar scent of worn wood and old books enveloping me.
"She's out – city bazaar. We're out of margarine and eggs."
I shut the door behind me and plop down on the bed, the springs creaking in protest. "Why didn't you stop her? You know she can't walk a lot."
She frowns, her lower lip jutting out. "I was hungry. There isn't any food, Dri…" Her voice trails off and I can see the weariness in her small features.
I pull her closer to me, forcing a smile. "I know…I know you hate this, Vivi. But I promise I'll find us a better place – a better life. You just need to hang on for a little while longer, okay?"
A small flicker of hope enters her eyes. "Really? You mean it?"
"'Course." I ruffle her hair. I glance at the clock and notice that it is a quarter to ten. I'm supposed to meet with the Silent League in a short while.
Stuffing my things into a small sack and pulling on a dark hood that layers over my clothing, I bid Vivienne goodbye as I leave.
The night outside is thick with shadows, the air crisp and electric as I step onto the cobblestone street. The moon hangs low, casting a pale light on the winding alleys, and the distant sounds of the city—laughter, clinking glasses—fade into a haunting silence.
The moonlight illuminates the distant alleyway I've grown familiar with. Two blocks down the road. A left. Another left. And a right.
"For once, you're early." Zephyr's voice startles me but I do my best to keep my poker face, masking the surprise with a casual shrug. The dim light of the flickering lanterns casts shadows on the stone walls of the old tavern. It may seem a bit off but it feels like home to me. Growing up, our meetings have always taken place in shady, cold, and secretive spots like this.
I scoff. "Don't get used to it. I have better things to do than brood in dark alleyways. Unlike you."
Zephyr crosses his arms, his expression a mix of annoyance and amusement. "Better things? Like what? Complaining about the Prince again?"
I feel my face heat up. "Hey! That was one time!"
"One too many times." He mutters under his breath, crossing his arms defiantly. "Honestly if I didn't know better, I'd think you were obsessed with him-"
Before he can finish, I shove him to the ground, my dagger pressing against his neck. "Shut. Up."
His hazel-coloured eyes widen, but there's a flicker of amusement in them despite the blade's threat. "You know, you're not very intimidating when you're this worked up."
"And you're not very bright if you think I'm joking. I don't care how high of a status that idiot has – he's absolutely infuriating, Zephyr."
He smirks. "Infuriating? Or maybe you just can't handle the fact that he falls at your feet like other people."
I tighten the grip on the hilt of my dagger, my patience wearing thin. "This isn't about that! It's about the fact that he's a spoiled brat who thinks he can do as he pleases because of his title! Someone has to teach him a goddamn lesson!"
Zephyr almost laughs, his dark eyes glinting. He pushes me off of him with ease, the corners of his lip twitching into a smirk. "Right. Because you're the paragon of humility, Dri."
The grip on my dagger hardens. "Goodness, you're impossible, Zephyr!" I step back, trying to maintain my composure.
"Sorry to interrupt this conversation but we have important matters to discuss." A woman in her early thirties steps out from the shadows. Zephyr and I immediately stop our bickering and stand to attention.
"Chief–"
"Where's Sniper?" She asks, cutting in.
Sniper. That's Claudia's code name. In the Silent League, we never use our real names while on a job—safety first, after all. Claudia is Sniper, Zephyr is Ghost, and I'm stuck with Dagger.
It's a ridiculous code name, especially since I've never felt particularly skilled. But I decided to stick with it; after seven years, it's too late to change now.
"Probably late as usual…" I mutter. The Chief, Aishwarya, looks at me with her piercing dark eyes. "It's half past ten. Unacceptable."
She turns to Zephyr and I, her obsidian-coloured hair gleaming in the moonlight. "This is a matter that cannot be delayed." She turns to me. "The Prince may be in danger."
I raise an eyebrow, interested. "Prince who? Prince Casimir?"
Aishwarya nods. "Yes. My spies at the castle have reported that an organization is plotting to murder him. The reasons are unclear, but the primary motive seems to be his status as the heir to the throne."
"So? What's that got to do with us?" I ask, confusion creeping in.
"You know what we stand for, Dagger: protect the innocent, extinguish the tyrannical."
"Innocent? He's hardly innocent, Chi—"
Zephyr places a hand on my shoulder, a silent signal to rein it in.
"The Prince may not be the epitome of humility, but that doesn't matter. He hasn't done any harm to the kingdom; therefore, we must ensure his safety."
Why us? I want to ask. Why not some zealots eager to sacrifice themselves for the Prince? But the question lingers unvoiced, heavy in the air between us.
"Sniper will be in charge of the stats and reports. She's well-suited for that role…"
She turns to Zephyr and he straightens up. "Ghost. You partake in culinary as your part-time job, yes?"
Confusion flickers across his face, but he nods. "Yes, Chief."
"I'll have you work undercover as one of the pastry chefs. You're my most trusted source of information. Find out what's going on in the castle. Report to me once a week."
"What about me?" I ask, crossing my arms and Aishwarya turns to me with her piercingly stern gaze.
I won't falter under her gaze. "Ah, Dagger. You have the most important role. You're to get intel on the Prince. See if he or the people around him know anything about the situation. The castle hides many secrets and you seem perfect for the job." I can see the ghost of a smirk on her face. "You shall be his personal assistant."