So far, I’d only recalled a few things. I remembered High Coven and most of the relationships I’d formed with my sisters. I remembered Ravena, her betrayal, and her allegiance with King Dragos. Mostly, I remembered Adrian and the quiet way we fell in love, but those memories did not compare to the feeling of relief, the strange peace that came with knowing exactly who I was.

I had no conflict over my two lives—Yesenia was of the past, a life once lived. Now, I was Isolde Vasiliev, queen of Revekka, future queen of Cordova, and I was here to conquer.

“I do not particularly like waking alone,” Adrian said.

I turned to find him leaning against one of the ebony shelves lined with black-bound books. He wore a long robe, red and patterned in gold. His hair was unbound, falling in loose waves around his shoulders. His arms were crossed, and while he teased, I knew something more had driven him from bed—worry.

“I couldn’t sleep,” I said.

He frowned, and my gaze lingered on his mouth before rising to meet his eyes. That was one thing that had changed in the two hundred years we had been apart—his eyes. Once, they had been blue, but now they were rimmed in white. I always assumed it had happened after he was turned, but then, no other vampire I had met since coming to Revekka had those eyes.

“Couldn’t sleep,” he said, tilting his head. “Or wouldn’t?”

He knew the answer, so I asked a different question.

“Did I ever tell you about The Book of Dis?”

He shook his head. “No. You never told me about Dragos either.”

I had not told him of the former king’s abuse. A strange guilt blossomed in my chest, though I knew that was not what he intended.

It was my turn to frown as I searched for a reason for my silence.

“Though why would you?” he asked, and I met his gaze as he approached, his hand pressed against my cheek. “You were so far above me then.”

“Stop,” I said, the knot of guilt growing. It had not been about status at all. If Adrian had known, he would have killed Dragos, and while he had ultimately done so, it was in the aftermath of his victory over Revekka. “You know that isn’t true.”

“Ah, but it was,” he said, taking a step closer. His hand moved to my neck, his body flush with mine. I tilted my head all the way back to keep his gaze. “I was nothing but a glorified guard, but you—you were something more.”

I wrapped my hand around his wrist, not to push him away but to keep him close.