Fantine

The heavy rain was slashing through the trees as I dragged Riley's massive, failing body down the wooden steps of the outpost cabin, my own breath coming in ragged gasps while the blood from my shoulder soaked through the torn red silk of my dress, but I couldn't stop to rest because the black lines of the silver poison were already crawling up his neck like dark spiderwebs and his eyelids were fluttering wildly as he tried to stay conscious in my arms.

I managed to heave him into the open bed of his tactical truck, his heavy boots slamming against the metal tailgate with a dull thud that...