Fantine

The sharp sound of Riley's muffled wolf cough cut through the steady roar of the downpour as I burst out from the lower servant exit, and I didn't care about the mud soaking through my boots as I sprinted across the dark lawn toward the old brick training sheds where the thick smell of burning wolf-bane was already drifting into the wet air.

I threw my weight against the heavy iron door frame, sliding inside the dark structure with my blades ready to strike, and I instantly spotted the short, hooded figure trying to scramble toward a broken back window panel where the shadows were deepest.

"Step away from...