The ache in my jaw was a constant, throbbing reminder of my brother’s fists. I gingerly prodded the tender spot, wincing at the flare of pain. It wasn’t just my face. My whole body felt weak, drained. A hollow feeling had taken root deep in my core, a strange emptiness I’d never felt before. My strength, the power that had always hummed just under my skin… it was fading. Just a little every day.

Just like his is.

The thought was a bitter pill. I’d seen the slight tremor in ...