Malini swayed, and then exhaled, turning her body so that she was leaning against Priya. It startled Priya, almost, that sudden yielding—the weight of Malini against her, Malini tucking her feet close to her body, resting a hand against Priya’s arm. “They’ve asked me for another act of faith,” Malini whispered against her skin. The warmth of her breath, the tightness of her shoulders—all of it made Priya want to curl over her, shield her, hold her like a shell around a vulnerable yolk.
