The first thing Ester felt was the pleasant weight of her own body against the mattress, a profound exhaustion that had nothing to do with battle, magic, or loss of control, but with something much more intimate, much more human. The morning light streamed through the partially closed curtains, drawing golden streaks on the rumpled sheets and exposed skin, shamelessly revealing the silent chaos of the previous night.
She opened her eyes slowly, blinking a few times as the memory returned in warm, disordered fragments. The room still had a dense air, heavy with heat and something that didn't need to be named. Turning her head slightly, she saw him.
