Mia tried to contain the humiliation that was bubbling up inside. In her exhaustion, she'd stopped caring about what anyone thought. She had to know. And now she knew, for certain, that holding his hand made the secondary pull disappear.
It also, strangely and unrelated to her magic, made her feel calmer. Or maybe that was just a side effect of her powers not being drained.
"I'm willing to do what is needed to help us along the journey," Ford responded diplomatically. She hoped that it was just for her father's sake. Surely holding her hand wasn't a chore, or he wouldn't have given up so much sleep for it.
"Well, now we just need to figure out exactly what that is," Anaisa responded warmly. "Mia, what is it, precisely, that you need?"
"I need the drain on my magic to not be so strong and constant," Mia gulped, realizing her words walked right up to the line of discussion on what Ford meant to her. What his presence or absence meant.
