FELIX I awoke the morning of the battle with a loss of feeling in my left hand, as always, but for some reason, it was significantly less than usual. More stiffness than anything else. Next to me, Mila sat up in bed and reached for my hand. She started gently massaging it, as she always did to help me in the mornings. “It feels better than usual,” Mila offered. “It does to me, too,” I said. That made her smile, albeit shakily. “Maybe this war has something to do with your curse,” Mila mused. “If it’s improving right before battle, maybe you just need a victory to break it.” “Maybe,” I said doubtfully. “I suppose we can’t rule anything out.” Mila shrugged. “Just an idea.” We sat in silence for a few moments, both lost in thought. The idea of seeing my younge

