“A rickety bridge. What could go wrong?”

Haze nudges Nova, but she shrugs. She’s not wrong.

“Why can’t you just fly us to the other side or like….teleport?” Ward questions, staring warily at the bridge.

Nova gives her sister a look that says, “See!”

“You wanted to learn about witches? Most only use their magic when they need to,” Haze snaps. It’s uncharacteristic for her, but that could be accounted for from the stressful journey. And probably listening to endless fighting between Nova and Ward didn’t help.

“Things like that take a lot of energy. Witches have their limits.” That shuts up Ward which is honestly a miracle.

Nova relishes in the silence before it hangs a bit awkwardly. The quietness is usually her friend, but with an unfamiliar person, it is more of a nervous associate.

“Who wants to take the easy way anyway,” Nova says. It has the desired effect when Ward stands up straighter.

“Is that a challenge?”

“Maybe. Are you scared?”

“No way. I have dealt with more danger than this."

"Oh, I'm sure."

There is a shared competitive spirit between them. A fun rivalry.

She studies the boards and which ones she estimates to be stable. Holding on to both sides of the rope bridge, she leaps to the third one.

The bridge sways, creaking at the weight.

“Follow me and you’ll be safe,” she says, directing it towards Ward.

He scoffs and then he steps off the safe ground. Nova feels the difference. The unstable bridge shifts under her feet.

“Umm….guys. Maybe you should go one at a time,” Haze advises, but it neither listen to her. Both are skipping from one board to another, racing to pass the other.

Haze sighs, bringing her hand to rub her temple.

They are about two thirds of the way across when Nova’s foot puts too much weight on a cracked rung.

Yelping, her grip slips on the rope and she begins to fall through.

“Nova!” She hears Haze yell, but it sounds far away.

Then a sudden pain shoots up her arm. “Gotcha ya,” Ward managed to grab her hand, his hold on her tight.

From the momentum of her almost fall, being pulled back felt like dislocating her arm from her shoulder.

Ward plants both feet on a stable board and his left hand grasping the rope and hauls her up with his right hand. His upper body strength impresses her, not that she would ever voice that out loud.

Once her feet are back on something, she sags in relief. “Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. You would have done the same,” Ward says with a warm smile.

No she wouldn’t. Haze would save him though so he wouldn’t have died.

The bridge moves but only slightly when Haze makes her way towards them. She was always lighter on her feet.

“Nova, are you ok?” Haze gives her a once over to look for injuries.

“I’m fine. Ward caught me. My arm hurts but that not bad considering what could have happened,” she responds.

“I can heal you once we get to the other side.”

Nova watches her sister’s gaze move downwards and then shoots her a cheeky smile. Like she knows something that Nova doesn’t.

She follows her eye line. She feels herself go hot as she realizes she is still holding Ward’s hand.

Like his hand was burning iron, she drops it. “Well thanks again Ward. Let’s just get off the bridge.”

“Yes, we should go one at a time from here as to not tempt fate again,” he comments. He goes first.

Haze nudges Nova. “So…..what was that?”

Seeing the amusement in her eyes, Nova bumps her back.

“Shut up.”