The night was very cold. We’d come far enough for the weather to change. Though the days remained hot, the nights had become utterly frigid. It rarely got this cold at night in Jwahir. “Who wants to go first?” I asked. They looked at each other. “Why not do it in the order of our rite?” Luyu said. “Binta, you, then Diti?” I said. “Let’s do it the other way around this time,” Binta insisted. “Fine,” Diti said. “I didn’t come here to get scared.” Her voice was shaking.
