The second he opened his eyes, the reality hit him like a runaway wagon. The life he'd believe he'd led for the last week had been fake. Every memory erased of any trace of his own world, except for the masquerading presence of the woman that might have been his mother and his old master, Malkar. Worse, the interjection of the two men he'd thought of as his brothers.

He lay there a moment, staring up at the ceiling, trying to sort things in his mind, when Ashura begin to shift and muttered sleepily in his ear.

Felix swallowed, remembering flashes of their life together.

"...Ashura. We're back," he said, his voice tense, reaching up to brush his lover's cheek.