"The moon was full, but my wolf felt darker than night."
The Academy slept around me like some great stone beast, but rest eluded me entirely.
I slipped from my narrow dormitory bed well past the midnight bell, pulling on my wool cloak and leather boots with practiced silence. The stone floors were cold beneath my feet as I crept through corridors lit only by dying embers in the wall sconces. Heavy tapestries muffled my footsteps, and the ancient walls seemed to absorb sound like thirsty earth absorbing rain.
Outside, the courtyard stretched before me in shades of silver and shadow. The cold autumn air bit at my cheeks with teeth sharper than any blade, but I welcomed the sting. It was honest, at least—unlike the poisonous words that had followed me through the Academy's halls all day.
