I hid my shock at the sight; the Gemmlans were by far the richest and most ruthless of Aldynn’s gangs, until the king’s father put an end to them over two decades ago. All knew they were gone and rival gangs slid into relative obscurity, fearing the monarch’s wrath would seek them next and destroy them as he did the once mighty Gemml clan.

Or so everyone thought. Seeing their mark sent shivers down my spine as I realized they were back… or had never left.

“Thank you”, I heard myself say as I grabbed the stick, faking a confidence I no longer felt.