VALENTINA
My body is still broken from Mordaunt's captivity. Silver burns on my wrists. Psychological scars from watching my mother's execution footage. Trauma that will take years to heal.
But I'm not sitting this out.
I strap on weapons. Silver knife. Stakes. UV flashlight. Everything I need to kill vampires.
Around me, other female fighters are arming. We're not the majority but we're not insignificant either. Fifteen women out of fifty-two fighters. Almost a third.
Marie's loading a shotgun with silver pellets. She's nineteen. Turned wolf six months ago. Still learning control but determined.
Sarah's sharpening stakes. Former blood club performer. The one who sent us intelligence. Except she died in the building collapse during our rescue.
Wait. Different Sarah. This Sarah is di
