GRACE:
The dirt on the floor of the old warehouse tasted like mud and sweat. I scrambled to my feet, my chest burning as I wiped a streak of mud from my cheek. Jinx was already moving toward me again, his wooden training staff swinging toward my ribs without a hint of hesitation.
"Get your hands up, Gracey!" Jinx shouted, his voice echoing off the corrugated iron walls. "The Collector's men aren't going to wait for you to catch your breath!"
I ducked beneath the swing, my thighs screaming from hours of repetitive drills. They were not being gentle. Kent and the Riders pushed me to my absolute limits every single day because Kent had made it clear that my limits needed expanding fast. I was a fast learner, picking up the footwork and the defensive blocks almost preternaturally so, but th
