Defiance and Sparks

CALLIOPE'S POV

A sharp, agonizing prickle deep in my chest drags me back to consciousness. It feels like a rusted needle digging directly into my heart muscle, tearing the fragile tissue all over again. My eyes flutter open, met with the blurry, stark ceiling of the infirmary. The brutal sting in my ribs is all the confirmation I need. The Alpha King failed to kill me. Or worse, he chose not to.