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The cat’s yellow eyes narrowed and it hissed, swiping a paw in Wolfe’s direction.

Wolfe ignored the hiss and scratched the cat between the eyes. “Hello, beast.”

“Avery?” Moira called when I still hadn’t answered.

“Oh. Um, yes. Tea would be great, thank you.”

“Give over your jacket here.” Tommy curled his hands, a silent gesture of give me.

I shucked my jacket, shifting my book from arm to arm. The heat radiating from the grate was enough to make me drowsy.

Moira hustled out with a tea tray and set it on the coffee table. Tommy waved me into a seat and I took the corner of the couch, hip pressed into the armrest. I flipped the edges of my book in my hands, the whispering of pages against my skin settling my nerves.

Across the room, Wolfe and I locked eyes.

He mimed breathing—a great, heaving breath that would surely make me look insane.

Stop, I mouthed, brows raised.

He shrugged, winking and settling into a seat. With the fire behind him, he looked like a bit of faerie dust given form. His edges were soft, sparkling. I wanted to run my fingers through it and see if they would come away stained with his glow.

We spent all morning talking. We walked the cliffs again, talking about our lives, our likes and dislikes. He tried to describe Bracken Bay to me as it had once been and for a moment, I saw it through his eyes. The world fell away, leaving dusty streets and more farmland. I saw the stables by the castle, the horses and carts that were tucked inside. The large vegetable garden that the cook kept. I saw it all, breathing in dust and sea air until I thought I was there.

I asked him to explain how a lordship worked and what was required of him. I’d read his journals, knew the swoop and bow of his letters, but I wanted to hear him tell me himself.

“Everything,” he’d answered, squinting against the sky. “It takes everything. Every emergency, every blessing and celebration. When times are lean and food is scarce, when everyone is hungry, they look to you for guidance and answers. They depend on you.”

“Must have been terrifying,” I’d murmured.

“In a way, I suppose. I felt…proud,” he said, finally settling on a word. “Proud to serve them. To be there for them. Do you think…” Wolfe scratched the back of his neck, freckles dancing. “Do you think it’s okay to have loved my life but still have wanted more?”

The words had cut me to the bone, because yes.

Yes.

I understood deeply, completely.

I said as much and he smiled, eyes crinkling.

That smile was my favorite. It transformed his entire face, making him look boyish and reckless in all the right ways.

“We are old friends, aren’t we?” he’d said, voice husky.

“I think so,” I answered, words just as rough. “How—”

“Magic,” he said, and held out his arm for mine again. “Perhaps in another life, another time…”

It was a beautiful image—that Wolfe and I might have known each other as we’d once been. Maybe we’d even been right here, standing on a cliff at the edge of the world. Maybe we’d met in a crowded city somewhere else. Maybe the last time we’d met, we’d each had different faces and names but managed to recognize each other regardless.

It was what I wrote about—dreamt about—that there was an echo of my soul somewhere else just waiting for the rest of me to catch up.

Looking at him across the fire now, I thought that maybe it had.

“So, Avery. Tell us everything.” Moira poured three cups of tea and passed them out. “I looked you up online.”

“Oh, god.” I flushed to my hairline. Wolfe smiled in utter delight. “What did you find?”

Moira’s laugh reminded me of a bell chime. Tommy looked at her like all the world rested in that sound. I’d never seen hearts in anyone’s eyes before but he looked at her with such affection, such devotion, I felt the need to look away.