The Mariposa

Chapter 3 (New)

(Added during revisions)

Maeve

Today they were throwing a party of sorts to welcome the new members of The Mariposa. Kalon was thrilled as she flitted around the room, getting prepared. I wished I felt the same, but the entire day I had a sick feeling in my stomach that refused to go away, accompanied by a slight migraine.

"Which suit should I wear?" she asked, rifling through her closet.

I snorted from where I sat, watching her on my bed. "They're all the same, Kalon. Literally, all the exact same."

She sighed, glancing over her shoulder. "You could've indulged me for one second."

I smiled. "I'm glad you're so excited. How'd you even end up learning about The Mariposa, anyways?" I asked, genuinely curious. How anyone ended up learning of or joining was a mystery, as I was the only one I knew of who had been born into it.

Her body froze at the question, immediately going tense. She was silent as she grabbed a suit, laying it down on her bed. She gently smoothed her hand over it as I shifted uncomfortably, still waiting for her answer.

"Kalon?"

"How does anyone end up joining The Mariposa, Maeve? All of us, at some point, were wronged by the nobility and wanted to do something to change it. Anything beyond that is none of your business," she paused, sitting down on her bed across from mine, her eyes several shades darker as she glared at me through a half-lidded gaze. "And you would be wise to not ask so many questions. Assassins don't tend to like being questioned such personal things."

I winced. "Alright, I'm sorry. Forget I said anything."

Once we were sufficiently prepared, we headed towards our cafeteria where all the Mariposa who weren't currently on missions were gathered. They filled the room with their noise, grouped mostly with the members from their respective dorms or mission crews. The majority of them were jovial and loud as they excitedly talked to one another in the cafeteria, but there was one group I noticed were oddly silent.

The Palos Verdes sat at the end of the room, taking up the entirety of one side of their long table, their backs to the windows that shed a light on the entire room. The other side of the table was completely empty, despite the room being packed. Apparently, their expressions made them too unapproachable for anyone to dare. They made very little conversation with each other, instead simply watching everyone with mixed expressions of judgement and wariness.

There was one Palos Verdes however that had a slightly softer expression than his companions, seeming less hardened. I caught his eye and he hesitated, before giving me a small smile from across the room. I smiled back.

"The Palos Verdes are so cool, aren't they? I hope someday I can join them, don't you?" Kalon asked, noticing where my attention was pointed.

I nodded slowly, following her to where the food was. As we were getting our trays, Azriel's voice came over the intercom:

"Hello, my fellow Mariposa. I hope everyone is enjoying their meals and getting to know one another. Get to know the new members and maybe share some secrets of the trade. We want to make sure that one day, they will be just as valuable to the Mariposa as our best are."

Cheering erupted through the room, and out of curiosity, I glanced towards the Palos Verdes. If anything, their scowls had deepened.

"Where in the world should we sit?" Kalon pondered, scanning the room.