"Why are you in prison?" Esme finally asked, her voice soft but insistent. "You were in a really bad state earlier when the gaolers held you. Did you do something really bad? I don't think I've seen Lennox so mad at anyone before."
She tilted her head, tapping her cheek lightly with one finger, as if deep in thought. "My father says prison cells are for people who do bad things and commit crimes," she continued thoughtfully, her tone serious. "But your cell… it's huge, like it's for some kind of monster. You're not just a werewolf, are you? Are you something else?"
Her questions came rapid-fire, and her innocent determination, to Donovan, was both endearing and relentless. He couldn't hide his surprise at all. This small girl, no more than seven, was interrogating him like a seasoned warrior, and yet, despite her youth, her tone carried an unsettling certainty that caught him off-guard.
