His eyes searched mine. “I know.”
Sliding my hand back, I sifted my fingers through his hair. “I love you so much.”
He lowered his forehead to mine. “I know, my Queen.”
My fingers tightened around his hair. Eather flashed behind his pupils as his gaze dipped to my mouth. Under his stare, anaching heaviness settled in my breasts. I brought his mouth to mine. His lips tasted of those powerful words, and I knew then thathewas what I needed. His kisses. His touch. The feel of his body against mine. Because I knew nothing else could occupy my mind then. Being with him had that kind of near-magical ability.
I was moving before I knew it, climbing into his lap. He straightened and moved his glass out of the way as my knees stopped where his swords rested.
“Comfortable?” He tipped his head back and took another drink.
“Yes.” I placed my hands on his shoulders and slid them down.
“Careful,” he warned. “The dagger may not burn you, but it can pierce your flesh.”
I glanced at the bone dagger. “I know.”
A half-grin appeared, revealing the dimple on his right cheek. “You totally forgot the dagger was strapped there.”
“Maybe.” I reached for the hilt and undid the strap, freeing the blade and holding it between us.
“Should I be concerned?”
“You tell me,” I remarked, my eyes tracing the wolf etched into the blade. “It really is beautiful, isn’t it?”
“It is,” he said, setting a hand on my hip to steady me as I leaned over and set the dagger on the end table. “You just had a whole lot of heavy shit laid at your feet, Poppy.”
“Yeah,” I murmured, straightening and turning my attention to the straps of his baldric.
“You seriously have no memories of Sotoria?”
“Nothing beyond what I dreamt while in stasis.” I drew my fingers down a strap.
He was quiet for a moment. “Maybe that’s why you keep standing at the windows.”
My gaze lifted. “Keep? It thought I only—”
“You did it two nights ago.”
I sucked in a sharp breath. “I don’t remember that.”
“But you remember the nights before that?”
“Mostly,” I said, feeling him tense. “I don’t remember why I was standing there, but I do rememberus.”
He nodded as my gaze lowered. Did some part of my subconscious somehow remember being Sotoria? Was that part stronger while I slept? It was the only thing that made sense. I wished it didn’t.
“Seraphena said maybe I remembered more about her when I was a child.” I returned my focus to the straps. “But I don’t recall being weirded out by the Cliffs then.”
“And now?”
I nodded as I found the buckle on his side.
“Maybe your Ascension unlocked some feelings associated with things related to Sotoria,” he suggested.
That made sense. But I didn’t like that it did.
“And you don’t remember the nightmare you had?”
