The weight lifted from Nova’s knees, and she heard the tiny bed creak as Jinx sprawled herself out over the other end.

“Better than what happened to her.”

For the first time, Nova heard bleakness in the other witch’s normally indefatigable tone. She sat quiet for a moment, too cowardly and unsure of whether Jinx wanted her to ask.

Finally, she said, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Nova stretched her hand out over the bed, reaching until she found what might have been the other girl’s knee. Then Jinx’s hand was there too, curling around her own, fingers squeezing tight.

“Not tonight. I think we have had enough thinking for now.”

Jinx released her fingers, but held onto her hand, turning it over the same way she had when they had been working before. With Nova’s hand on top, and Jinx’s cupped underneath, the other witch asked, “Do you think you can do the fire? Just one more time?”

Nova did not ask why. She simply lengthened the loop of her magic in that one hand until a tiny pearl of fire appeared in the center of her palm. When it did, she found Jinx’s eyes not on the flame, but on her own. The two looked at each other, both curled awkwardly on their sides in the bed so that their bodies fit and claimed diagonal territories, leaving a narrow border in between.

“Is this okay?” Jinx asked after a long silence.

Nova swallowed, and nodded, the flame growing just a bit brighter without her trying to do so. The other witch searched her face, and Nova never looked away, not even when nerves roiled in her stomach like storm-tossed waves.

“Well, then.” Jinx smiled, letting her hand fall away from the one place they touched. “Good night, my fire witch.”

Nova let the flame go out, and settled down against her pillow, feeling far less tired all of a sudden.

“Good night, Jinx.”

Then she did her best to sleep, but it took a long time for her heart to slow to a normal beat.

They met in a part of town with which Aurora was unfamiliar, but Kiran knew the way. It was on the outer edges of the city, where homes were scarce and industrial warehouses clogged the streets. They were near the docks, where Pavan’s limited shipping industry on the Napatya River was based. The Napatya was the city’s main source of water, but also provided an avenue for trade for those merchants who were willing to make the journey.