Harrow gasps softly at the kiss. When Gideon comes to turn her head, her neck swivels loosely, deeply relaxed.

She feels no fear at all at the sharp blade; if she was expected some kind of tension, it fails to materialize. Her body is haunted, and descending from the throne of her intellect is never entirely comfortable, but Gideon is her body's only friend and it does not fear her.

She opens her eyes for the first time since they began; it's always hard to see the line between iris and pupil in Harrow's black eyes, but her pupils are enormous now. She finds Gideon's golden eyes and studies them rapturously.