Knox's POV
The cave was the same one from the journey north.
I recognized the jagged rock formations, the narrow entrance that opened into a chamber just large enough for all of us. The walls were still scarred from the blizzard, the ice that had formed and melted, leaving dark stains on the stone. We had huddled here during the storm, desperate and freezing, pressed together for warmth. Now we huddled here again—exhausted, wounded, but alive.
The irony wasn't lost on anyone.
I slept for eighteen hours. When I finally opened my eyes, the fire had burned low and the cave was silent except for the soft breathing of the others. Valerie was asleep beside me, her hand resting on my chest where the shard used to be. Her fingers were curled against my skin, warm and steady.
I lay still, test
