Maya didn't look back as she headed for Lord Arclight's carriage, her steps light, almost soundless. Invisible and unnoticed, just the way she preferred.

  She sniffed at her clothes discreetly, a question mark popping above her head. She used to be raised in filth, so maybe that was why she couldn't catch the smell Graham did?

  The women who should have protected her only saw her as competition or a future burden. The men? They only saw her as a hole to fill.

  Her heart had died long ago, and she was just an empty shell wandering through life. Why living and struggling, why fighting for survival and happiness, when the world only brought her misery?

  Her Lady's words echoed in her mind.

  "Don't you want to bring the same misery to those who did this to you? Don't you want to see their expression when they are the ones trapped, begging for their lives, and not the other way around? Don't you want to feel powerful and in control, for once?"

  Lady Celine handed her a dagger and pushed Maya toward the person who caused her the most pain.

  Maya could still remember the look of shock on the woman's face, the moment before the bde sank deep into her flesh. Her mother's body jerked and went limp, her blood staining her clothes, her mouth releasing a silent scream.

  The first step was taken, and there was no going back. Maya was no longer an innocent mb, but a hungry fox.

  Her hands didn't tremble, her tears didn't fall, and her voice didn't crack.

  When she looked up, Lady Celine was smiling. She had passed the test.

  “I don’t need useful,” she said. “I need loyal and powerful. And for that, you will rise.” She paused, then added, “Let's go, I'll introduce you to the others, and then we will have some cake," she smiled, "Graham’s logistics skills could use some work, but he used to work in a bakery and is an excellent cook.”

  And that was the start of Maya's new life.

  She wasn't interested in any retionship, and had no pns of getting married. Staying by Lady Celine’s side became the new source of her motivation to wake up every day.

  The rest were of a simir mind. They all had their own reasons, their own pasts they were running from.

  An army without food and gear would be doomed before the fight could even begin. Graham started from the bottom as a supply boy and worked his way up to becoming a Master of Logistics, managing everything the Rochefort army needed—supplies and the flow of resources.

  Patch’s role was to keep the soldiers in top shape. If they could fight, they were useful; if not, they were dead weight. The soldiers both feared and respected him, and it wasn’t long before he climbed the ranks to become a Field Medic.

  Seb, meanwhile, became a Knight-captain, leading his own squad, though he hadn’t yet gained the power or influence of higher ranks. Before it could happen, he was summoned to serve Lady Celine.

  Then there was Maya, aka the Phantom Fox, the army’s eyes and ears. As a Recon Master, she specialized in gathering intel and scouting enemy territory. Always hidden behind a disguise or mask, her true face remained a mystery to most. She wasn’t someone to mess with — not just because she was a deadly marksman, but because she knew things. Secrets. Weaknesses.

  It was anything but easy to reach where they were today, but they knew Lady Celine wouldn't have chosen them over countless others.

  Without the army's support, Lady Celine would have been nothing but a pretty face with a big title. She needed people, who would choose her side and help her take control of the army if she ever found herself alone, with no one to back her up.

  · · ─────── · ???· ─────── · ·

  Maya went through Lord Arclight's belongings, but didn't find much. She would usually be able to find something, even if it was the tiniest, most insignificant detail. This time, though, was different.

  It was as if Lord Arclight was a walking bnk canvas. He didn't have a single item on him that could reveal something about his retionship with other people.

  He didn't have a diary, or a journal. All he had were some maps, blueprints and a few letters of his business deals, some of which were in secret code. It was clear that he was one paranoid bastard, and a cautious one, at that.

  ‘What is this?’ Maya thought as she found a piece of paper hidden between the maps. It was a pencil sketch. A silhouette of a dog and a bck cat were sitting next to each other, their tails entwined.

  The drawing wasn't detailed, but somehow managed to capture the warmth between them.

  Maya stared at it for a while.

  It was meant to be kept hidden, wasn't it? No signatures or initials, no dates. Just the dog and the cat, enjoying each other's company.

  They were probably his pets, Maya concluded. Would they be enough of a bckmailing material though?

  She sighed and tucked the sketch into her pocket, before she resumed searching.

  ╔═══ Author's note ════╗

  Do you think Lucian will be forced to build a private army of his own or will he continue to hire mercenaries? He's an Earl now, after all. But he is also a lone wolf, who hates dealing with deep personal bonds or obligations beyond contracts. ??

  I can't wait for Jax’s reaction when he finds out that Lucian got hurt because of the same person again. ??

  ╚═════════════════╝