“I have never known a fire witch myself,” Jinx said, “but the crew I travel with had one before me. They said she had precise aim, that she would sometimes use the campfire to tell stories, shaping the flame into a tiny stage with people and places and storms and battles. She helped them build a massive carriage, the likes of which you have never seen. It is all carefully shaped metal that can withstand even the fiercest storms of the wildlands. I did not know the witch, but they speak of her fondly, and of her powers with awe. So it is possible for you to find that kind of control, for you to live without fear of lapses.”

“I would like that,” Nova said. She had hesitated to let the words out, afraid of even admitting that she wanted such a thing, because then it would hurt so much more if she never got it. But she was having difficulty holding back. Maybe because she had let her magic go, because it flowed through her freely, and instead of the world falling apart, she felt more alive than ever. The temptation to continue loosening the reins was near impossible to resist.

“Then let’s try it. Cup your hands together, and attempt to make a small flame, only the size of a candle’s wick.”

Nova sat more upright, and pulled her legs up, situating herself more comfortably. That left more room for Jinx, which she filled, scooting until she was face-to-face with Nova as they had been a few nights before.

“Start very small. Think of it as expanding the circulation of the magic you already have going in your body, instead of pushing it out with nowhere to go, which might result in some, ah, unexpected trajectories. Imagine the loop expanding outside your hands just enough for a small flame, but then returning to join the rotation again. No magic will actually leave your body, you are just expanding your control of it into the world beyond your flesh and bones.”

Nova cupped her hands together as suggested and closed her eyes, letting herself fall back into the rush of the magic inside her, following it through the circulation of her body several times as she had been practicing.

“You are doing well,” Jinx told her. “Really, you have taken to this much faster than I expected. It took me years to come to terms with my magic and establish the balance you have found in a few days.”

Nova kept her breathing steady, and let her shoulders settle back, finding a straighter posture. “I have a lot of practice with mental focus. This felt like a natural extension of that.”

“Mental focus? You mean from trying to control the fire?”