Nova smiled sadly. “You would be too if you knew the damage I could do. I saw a man’s face burn before my eyes when I was naught but a child, all because he had frightened me, and my magic did what it does best. My child’s brain reached out for help, as if seeking out a household pet for a protector, but I came back bound to a dragon instead.”

“Flare-ups happen to every magic user. It is difficult to find the right balance.”

“I cannot afford flare-ups,” Nova said, struggling not to let her voice rise in the dark room, lest she bring the guards upon them.

“Pushing your powers down as if they do not exist will not prevent them. It will likely only make flare-ups more common. You have to find balance between your body and the magic.”

“And how am I to do that?” Nova said, clutching her fingers into desperate fists.

Jinx held up a hand, palm up. “Let me teach you.”

“Here?” Nova asked, aghast. “You want to teach me magic, here?”

“I want to teach you balance and trust. You will never control your magic if you cannot trust it.”

“Then I will never have control, because I cannot envision a world where I can trust what is inside me, where I can trust a brain and a body that always seems to betray me.”

The earth witch must have lost her patience, for rather than continuing to offer her hand, she reached out and placed it on top of Nova’s balled fist. Spine straightening, Nova froze, but like before, her magic stayed dormant in response to the other witch’s touch.