The Sweet NumbnessI woke slowly, which was wrong.

Waking was supposed to be a shock. It was supposed to be the moment the silver shard in my chest reignited, sending a fresh, paralyzing wave of icy fire through my nerves. Every morning for the last four years began with a silent, internal fight to pull myself out of the suffocating cold of the poison.

But today, there was only a low, steady warmth.

I opened my eyes and stared at the rough canvas ceiling of the tent. My limbs felt heavy, ...