"Fair is fair, Nikola, and I have been a gracious hostess for a long while," Helen said, her laugh airy and light for the first time in a long time. Living as long as she had, sometimes it was difficult to take joy in things any longer but sometimes, a return to basics tended to recalibrate her center.

"This was a good idea. I've always preferred traveling with you over the others. James was always so stuffy and John used to drive me mad with the tempers and the teleporting."