Two o’clock in the morning.
I’m still a little bleary-eyed, having slipped out of bed only a few minutes before.
Mildrith is warm. I’d fired her the previous evening for a few hours. The fire was still going when I sealed her off for the night. I’d closed the damper, inserted the fire door and shut the steel gates.
Now, watch this magic as I open the doors. A rush of oxygen, a spark, a glimmer … and then …