Arc 3: All That Glisters (Part 16)

Canus stares at me, expression unreadable. There’s the soft wet sound of his throat working, then the barest snick of his lips parting. ‘How much do you…’ he begins to ask, but trails off without finishing.

The silence stretches on for a long time before I take pity on him: ‘Remember from my human life? I’ve gotten flashes. When we first met in the café, some of the dinner parties you hosted. That time you took me to a conference in Rome.’

For a moment, I can almost remember the taste of rooibos tea, smell the warm scent of freshly baked lemon cake, see the glitter of the Tiber river at noon.

He lets out a soft breath. ‘The early days, then.’ He sounds relieved.

I realise that I’d been wrong about something. ‘Why don’t you want me to remember more?’ As much as he’s still in love with Aura, he’s also terribly afraid of her.

He shakes his head, refusing to answer. ‘Have you gone back to your flat again?’

‘When would I have had the time?’ I return. Actually, I mostly haven’t gone ba