*Torin*
I held my head up high as I entered the eting hall, my eyes searching for Noah Black, the future Drogomor Alpha. My excitent far outweighed my nervousness. I hoped I would finally be given my chance to prove myself as a decent spy.
One of the guards saw enter and greeted with a nod. “Ahh, Torin. Noah is already here and waiting for you. He’s in the west eting room. You may go in to see him now.”
I didn’t know the guard’s na, but I supposed it wasn’t shocking that he knew who I was. It was not just because the future leader was expecting but also because my father was well-known amongst the guards and the other mbers of the Drogomor defense force.
“Thank you,” I said before walking past him and down the hall toward the room he ntioned.
I had only been in there a handful of tis. I was fresh out of my training as a spy, but I did graduate top of my class. My father had been very pleased, especially since I was only nineteen, the youngest of my class and any other class in the last few decades.
I knocked firmly on the wooden door of the west eting room, suddenly feeling my confidence plumt now that I was about to face the future Drogomor Alpha.
“You may enter.”
I did so, keeping my chin up as I strode into the room.
“Torin, thank you for coming,” Noah said. He was standing in front of a map with a pen in his hand. He gestured to a chair across from the large wooden desk toward the back of the room. “Please, sit.”
I obeyed, sitting at the desk just as Noah Black sat in the one across from .
I gazed at the man I had considered a great hero ever since I started at spy school a couple of years earlier. Noah Black was a fierce leader who had the undying respect of the whole pack community and beyond.
“Your reputation precedes you,” Noah said, a tiny trace of a smile on his stern face. “Your father tells that you were not only at the top of your class but that you also aided one of your instructors on a mission that ultimately led to the capture of a wanted murderer.”
“That’s right, sir,” I said, trying not to grimace. My father must have graciously left out the fact that I wasn’t allowed to be on that mission since I was still a student just about to graduate. I followed the team anyway and ended up helping them break into the secret base of the perpetrator. My ntor had been furious with but proud of my skills.
If we hadn’t succeeded, I might have been denied my license at graduation.
“I was hesitant to give this assignnt to a spy so young,” Noah said, eyeing as if searching for any sign of weakness. “But after looking into your records and speaking with so of your forr ntors, it beca clear that you were the best fit for the job.”
I waited, trying not to shake from excitent. I kept my expression passive and hard.
Noah passed a thick folder, pushing it across the smooth table between us. I opened it and realized it was my first-ever assignnt, complete with details on where I was going and what I was looking for on this mission.
“Your first assignnt will lead you to the capital city of Egoren,” Noah told as my eyes scanned the pages he provided. “We fear that a ruthless force is working to overthrow the Egoren monarchy. You are tasked to uncover any leads you can regarding our suspicions.”
I lifted my eyes from the papers. “Yes, sir. I won’t let you down.”
Noah nodded. “I know you won’t,” he said. He leveled with a serious look. “I’m sure you’re well aware that your father is our top spy. I suppose that this might feel like nepotism, but I assure you that I wouldn’t be giving you this assignnt if I didn’t feel you were up to it. Do you understand?”
I steeled my expression. “Yes, sir.”
I ca from a long line of shifters spies. Both my father and grandfather were legends for their skills and stealth. I might have been young, but I could do the sa.
I was quite eager to prove myself. To , age didn’t matter. I was going to make my father proud.
My first assignnt would be on my own, which is precisely how I liked to work. I adjusted the leather pack on my shoulder as I approached the capital city. My jaw dropped at the size of it. There were tall buildings that were tightly packed together. It felt like the whole world could live in this one city.
It made feel small for a mont. I had never been to a city this size.
I was stopped on the long bridge leading up to the city.
“What business do you have in the capital city of Egoren?” a guard barked at .
I swallowed but kept my gaze and voice steady as I delivered the story I had prepared. I gestured down to the colorful outfit I wore. “Good day. I am Dain Gray. I ca seeking opportunities to perform with a musical group and heard that Egoren was filled with music and impressive forms of artistry.”
I couldn’t believe it worked. The burly guards seed pleased that Egoren had that reputation and pointed in the direction of the musical district in the city.
“There you will find the finest tavern and music halls,” the guard said, stepping aside so I could pass. “Best of luck to you, boy.”
That was an amazing stroke of luck since they were where the True Sons were rumored to hang out. They were the number one suspects, according to the docunts Noah Black had put together for .
Maybe this would be far easier than I expected.
I arrived at the music district, which was filled with people dressed in fine clothing as if they were attending a wedding. The streets were lined with flowery hedges and lights that hung above our heads.
I didn’t even know where to start. There had to be over a dozen musical clubs. I chose the one closest to , which also appeared to be the smallest and most rundown. I thought it might give more of a chance at landing a gig.
I made my way into the club. The lights were blue, and the space was packed with people in dark, form-fitting outfits. They moved against each other to the upbeat music, lights flashing overhead.
I went up to the man serving drinks behind the bar. “I’d like to play music here!” I yelled at him over the music. “Who should I speak to?”
The gruff-looking guy eyed before gesturing to follow him down so dark stairs. He stopped at a door. I could hear music coming from inside.
I tried not to let the shock on my face show when the door opened, revealing a group of musical perforrs practicing loudly and enthusiastically. A couple of dancers were doing flips in the small practice room, nearly knocking over so nearby furniture. They fell silent when the door opened, and I stepped inside.
“This kid claims to want to perform with you,” he said, shoving further into the room.
“Is that so?” asked a tough-looking woman with black, shiny hair down to her waist. There was a tattoo of a snake above her right eyebrow. “You any good, kid?”
This was it. I took a breath and pulled the enchanted flute from my bag. Noah had assured that it would aid in joining any musical group, but he also warned to find a lesser-known one to not raise suspicion just in case.
I knew nothing of music but had to have faith that the magic flute would work. I blew into it and almost sighed with relief when it produced music all on its own with only a tiny bit of coaxing from .
The group bead at , their jaws dropping with shock. Just like that, I was in.
I enjoyed playing music with the group. We played at various exclusive private events attended by powerful subversive figures, which was surprising since we were a seedy underground group.
I got wind of it later that one of the mbers was the child of a political figure, which was how we got allowed in those exclusive events.
It wasn’t long before I learned of a eting taking place between the True Sons’ key leaders. It was truly amazing what you overhear at fancy parties. I adjusted the dark suit I was wearing and followed one of them into an underground eting room, hidden among a labyrinth beneath the city.
“We are just about ready to put the plan in motion,” one of the darkly dressed n was saying.
I ducked down low, pressing myself hard against the rocky wall behind . I peered around the corner to see a torch-lit eting room with black furniture and a group of about half a dozen True Sons leaders.
“Do the royals suspect anything?” asked the man in the center, who had to be the leader of them all. He had dark eyes and a scar running along the whole right side of his face.
“Not a thing,” assured the other. “We’ll have our highly-trained assassins ready to strike in the middle of the night when our precious royals will be tucked away in their beds of gold, blissfully unaware.”
I felt fear strike through . Noah was right.
I needed to figure out when this attack would occur. I ducked down lower, focusing all my attention on the dark eting taking place.
That was my downfall.
I was grabbed from behind, but I was ready. I pulled a dagger from my vest, lashing out at my attacker. I cursed when my knife was kicked out of my hand. It skidded noisily against the rocky ground.
My attacker had my hands pinned behind my back. He shoved through the doors of the eting room. I was forced to my knees before the dark leaders.
This was bad, very bad.
The leader stood, his stone-cold eyes narrowing as he focused on . “Who are you?” he asked slowly.
I gritted my teeth but said nothing.
I only barely kept from crying out when his fist collided with my cheek. I couldn’t dodge since I was being held down. My head whipped to the side, but I didn’t make a sound.
The leader grabbed by my hair, jerking my head back. He sucked in a sharp breath. “Those eyes,” he said. “I’d know those traitorous eyes anywhere. You’re a son of Gray, aren’t you?”
The curse that fell from my lips confird it.
I was struck a few more tis. I saw black start to creep at the edges of my vision when he finally stopped beating . “Lock him up. We will hold a special public execution for the boy tomorrow.”
I refused to let things end this way. I needed to get this information back to Drogomor and Noah Black.
Before more n could grab , I roared and jumped, executing a perfect backflip and kicking my captors away. Swiftly, I pulled the flute out of the loop on my belt.
I prayed to the goddess that this would work just as Noah assured it would and blew into the enchanted instrunt.
The leaders’ eyes widened before they fell backward into several heaps on the rocky floor. I didn’t even wait to ensure they were truly unconscious. I had been warned that the effects would only last a minute.
I needed to run and fast.
I sprinted from the underground labyrinth, sohow finding my way out in just under a minute. I didn’t stop or dare to look back, knowing that in just seconds, the True Sons would be hot on my trail if they weren’t already.
I was panting from sprinting as fast as I could, but I couldn’t stop. I needed to get this information back to Noah. The future stability of our world hung in balance.
I ran through the dark streets, my lungs burning. I glanced back and saw several n pursuing . I was fast, but they were gaining.
Suddenly, a hand shot out from an alleyway, grabbing my arm and yanking into the darkness. I was shoved against the brick wall. A hand covered my mouth. My racing heart skipped several beats.
"Shhh," a female voice whispered. As my eyes adjusted, I realized it was one of the dancers from the musical group, the pretty one with fiery red hair. I wasn’t able to recall her na.
We stayed silent as the footsteps raced past the alley. I sagged back against the wall, relief washing over . We were hidden by stacks of old crates and barrels.
She removed her hand from my mouth slowly. “Are you alright?” she asked, her voice still a hushed whisper.
I swallowed, still trying to catch my breath as I nodded. “Yeah, thanks to you. Your na is Maya, right?”
She smiled slightly. "That’s right. I saw them drag you out and knew you were in trouble. We need to move quickly before they double back. My apartnt isn’t far. We can hide out there."
I followed Maya through the winding back alleys until we reached a small apartnt tucked between two larger buildings. She ushered inside, locking the door behind us.
"You’ll be safe here tonight," she said.
I sat on her couch, wincing from my sore body. "I owe you my life. How can I repay you?"
Maya tilted her head. "You can start by telling why the True Sons want you dead."
I told her everything—about my mission, what I’d overheard, and the plot against the royal family. Maya listened intently, perching on the edge of her chair.
"We need to get this information to Noah Black in Drogomor imdiately," I said. "I have no idea when they plan to strike against the royals."
Maya nodded. "I can help with that..."
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