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Her grip gradually loosened.

Then one hand slid into my hair.

“I’m okay.”

Only then did I let myself follow her over the edge.

The release hit hard enough to erase thought.

For a few seconds there was only heat, breath, silver-white light, and Talia holding me while my body forgot every rule I had taught it.

I lowered myself carefully beside her, supporting most of my weight while the knot still held us together.

My ŭre continued firing beneath my skin, slower now, the glow dimming toward something steady.

The bed was warm beneath us.

Her breathing was ragged.

Her hair was damp at the temples.

Her hand found my wrist in the dark and wrapped around it.

Neither of us spoke.

Her thumb traced a slow circle against the inside of my wrist, over the silver lines there, and the contact sent a pulse of warmth through me that had nothing to do with residual energy.

After a while she whispered, “So that was the knot.”

“Yes.”

She turned her head toward me, and even in the dark I could see her cheeks were flushed. There was amusement beneath the exhaustion now. “You probably could have mentioned Zunatorians do that sometime before tonight.”

“I told you before it happened.”

“Approximately thirty seconds before it happened.”

“Closer to forty.”

She stared at me. She didn’t blink.

I reconsidered.

“That may not qualify as significant advance notice.”

“No, it does not.”

“I will remember that.”

One corner of her mouth lifted. She let out a long breath through her nose.

Eventually the swelling began to recede.

Talia shifted experimentally.

We both stopped breathing.

Her eyebrows rose, and she went very still.