"Nyx will be fine" Nessie said without her stutter, "I was. Mason was, despite going unconscious" she said this to Alex, now ignoring Z, before turning to Nyx, and giving her a smile "ignore Him. I suspect he has a bit of an...ego problem" 

What was she doing? What had ever possessed her to act like this? She didn't know, but she didn't look away, and hoped to go the girl wasn't about to start crying