There were many ways Evie imagined her plan could go—but never, in all her rehearsed scenarios, did she think the one who would allow her into the group would be the very man she was sent to investigate.
For a moment, she almost forgot to breathe.
The hooded man stood at the front, silent and composed. The small creature curled lazily around his neck—its bright, curious eyes scanning every corner of the cave like it owned the place. Even under the dim glow of the magma veins, he looked unreadable, like a shadow that didn't quite belong in the same world as everyone else.
Evie felt her chest tighten. Of all the people in this dungeon… why him?
She looked away quickly, afraid he might somehow notice her guilt through the hood.
What's wrong with everyone in this guild? she thought. Why are they so nice?
