Chatter swirled around me, echoing softly off the dining hall’s stone walls. I wasn’t paying attention to any of it.

  It’s been two hours since we got back, and nothing.

  I pushed my cold mashed potatoes back and forth, my mind swirling. Were we going to be given another mission? Or did something happen in the capitol?

  I should be there in that meeting, not sitting around!

  The dining hall’s door burst open, hitting the stone wall with a bang. I jumped in surprise, my heart leaping into my throat.

  “Wren? Are you here?” Millie, Little John’s wife and Much’s twin, called.

  The dining hall fell silent.

  I stood and ran to the door, abandoning my half-eaten dinner. “What do you need?”

  Millie grabbed my wrist, pulling me out of the dining hall. “How fast can you get into something presentable?”

  I looked down at my clothes, a simple green dress and soft leather ankle boots that were only a bit worn. “What do you mean?”

  Millie looked back at me as she dragged me toward the meeting hall. “You keep a set of gear in the back room right? That will have to do.”

  We climbed the steps into the meeting hall, Millie nodding to the men posted as guards as we entered the building.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, keeping my voice low as Millie dragged me through the halls.

  “A representative from the Freedom Council and Underground are here,” Millie said. “Robin needs you to make a good impression.”

  Underground? The infamous rebel spy band from the capitol?

  We stopped in front of the back room, a room us active members stored gear and supplies in.

  “Be fast,” Millie said as I opened the door.

  I stepped in the room, flicking the light on as I closed the door. It took only a minute to locate my locker among the many lining the walls. My heart pounded in my chest and I felt faintly sick as I pulled out my gear.

  I changed quickly into the gear I wore when working in the forest: a forest green top and matching wrap skirt that hid the brown leggings I wore underneath. I added a cloak, a belt that held several small pouches and small sheathed knives, sturdy leather boots, and leather fingerless gloves. I tied the sheaths of my two larger daggers to my belt, then grabbed a hair tie and stepped out of the room.

  “Why is Underground here?” I asked as Millie set off once more, following close behind as I braided my hair.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Millie shook her head, not looking at me.

  My palms were slick with sweat as I finished braiding my hair.

  We turned a corner, pausing outside the doors of the king’s-room, our nicest meeting space. Little John stood guard at the double doors, his tall frame casting a shadow on the hallway and his expression menacing.

  “That bad?” I asked.

  He nodded once, stiffly, and I could almost hear his teeth grinding.

  That can’t be good. He’s usually the calmest guy here.

  “Act the part,” Millie whispered as Little John rapped on the door. “Show no weaknesses.”

  “Enter,” Robin called, his voice muffled by the thick door.

  Little John pulled open the door for us. I straightened, settling into the role of rebel spy.

  The meeting room was silent as I stepped inside, my footsteps silent and my gaze hard.

  Robin, Much, and Marian were sitting together at the round table. Will and Much stood in the back of the room, stiff and formal. Sammy, the Freedom Council representative that most often visited Sherwood, sat next to Robin. And the last four seats were taken by men dressed in dark colors, their expressions cold and almost lifeless.

  They were Underground members, known for ruthless methods and infamous success as spies dealing with the darker parts of the Capitol. Their very presence was stifling in the dimly lit room.

  I stopped in front of the only empty chair at the table, though I did not sit down or get too close to the chair. Eight pairs of eyes stared me down, picking me apart.

  I stared back, meeting the four Underground members’ eyes. Adrenaline coursed through me as I itched to draw my daggers.

  “Dressing your sister up in fancy gear doesn’t make her a spy,” one of the men said to Robin.

  He was the leader, probably.

  “A little thing,” another, the oldest one, said.

  His gaze softened a bit, and his voice didn’t have any bite to it. I still glared at him.

  “I have a hard time believing your claims,” the leader said to Robin as he sneered at me.

  He flicked his wrist in my direction, steel glinting in the low light.

  I moved on instinct, drawing my dagger in one swift motion as I stepped to the side. I fell into a fighting stance, daggers raised, as the thud of a blade hitting wood echoed in the silent room.

  I froze as my mind caught up with what was happening.

  He just tried to kill me. That throwing knife would have killed me if I hadn’t moved.

  Hot anger burned in my chest as I stared down my would-be killer.

  It was a test. He risked my death to test me. Vile man!

  A slow grin crept across the man’s face as he studied me with new interest.

  A chill crept up my spine as he shifted in his seat, resting his elbow on the table. A lion waiting to pounce.

  A clap echoed through the room.

  I straightened as Sammy clapped, smiling at me from across the table.

  “What a show,” she said, smiling brightly. “Does this calm your fears, Torin?”

  Torin still studied me with far too much interest. “I suspect she hasn’t been trained properly. Robin, she’s a working dog not a pet to play with.”

  Marian put a hand on Robin’s shoulder as he stiffened, his eyes burning with pure hatred.

  “She was trained in the capitol,” she said sweetly, blinking with an innocent confusion that almost fooled even me. “Is the academy not as good as they say?”

  Torin stopped studying me, focusing on Robin and Marian. “This deal only benefits you. I lose nothing by leaving now. And that girl is useless.”

  Thunk!