We might as well be grand

Nina woke up one morning and she felt it. Her power was back. She lay there in bed, controlling her own heart because she could. She grinned and stretched lazily, luxuriating in feeling herself again. Then she sat bolt upright and flung herself out of bed. She stumbled in her room - it was early, for her. She threw on a robe and pushed her feet into a pair of felted slippers on her way to the door.

She belted the robe tightly down her waist as she hurried down the stairs. She had to grab the rail to keep from sliding as she took corners.

She already felt guilty, wondering if Dutch was there, and she decided that if she was, Nina was going to send a box of apology pastries for banging on Matthias's door.