That voice—never in a million years did I think I’d hear that voice call my name. I turn to see Gavik striding up to me, his hood still close but his basket now empty. Freed from his commanded duty, he no doubt was finally able to come after me. I wrinkle my nose in distaste at the mere sight of him.

“What do you want?”

He draws even with me, leaning in as I lean away, his breath smelling of rancid wine. No doubt he’s found that wine is one of the few human things we can consume without crying blood. Up close, he looks so haggard—the deep shadows beneath his eyes deeper, his beard tangled and smeared with dust and detritus, his watery blue eyes glaring out of mud-smeared skin. I’m not entirely sure Varia hasn’t commanded him to be unable to clean himself.

“I know,” he says, low and rapid. “The Bone Tree. I know of it. I know what she plans to do with it.”

“Did you learn about it after you lost your heart? Because you’re not supposed to remember anything of your old life.”

“I don’t—” He winces. “I don’t know. I don’t know why I remember it and nothing else. I remember the Bone Tree, yet everything else…it’s lost. But Varia told me some things. She told me I tried to kill her. And I’m certain it was because of the Bone Tree.”

I freeze down to the last twitch of my fingers. I know why he tried to kill Varia—Fione told me it was because he wanted Varia’s white mercury sword. And because Varia was always getting in the way of his plans to accrue more influence. But that doesn’t change the fact he shouldn’t remember anything.

“You knew about the Bone Tree in your human life?” I whisper, and he nods.

“Yes. I don’t know how or why. But I am certain I would’ve written it down. The urge to keep a diary has been coursing through me even now as I’m this bloodthirsty monster, stronger than a tobacco habit. All my memories—I must’ve written them down somewhere.”

“You tried to kill her,” I snarl, “because she had a sword you wanted. Because she opposed you.”

He barks an unpleasant laugh. “Do you really think I’d spent years trying to kill a little girl because I was annoyed with her? Because I wanted some trifling weapon from the Sunless War? I may have lost my memories, Zera, but I know what I would and would not do.”

I’m the same. I hate it in my bones to even admit it, but I’m the same as him. I have no memories of my old life, but I know what I’m capable of. Who I am has never changed, just what I remember.