Athena.

Dawn broke over Grayhound territory with a cold, gray light, the kind that made the trees appear almost skeletal, their branches clawing at the sky. I stood at the edge of the training grounds, my hand brushing the hilt of my dagger, mind alert to every sound—the soft rustle of leaves, the distant call of a bird, even the faintest echo of footsteps that didn’t belong. Today would test everything I had learned, every ounce of patience, every spark of courage.

Beauty joined me ...