Bennett was used to living in small apartments. He couldn’t remember ever living anywhere else. He and Meyer had always felt it was better for them to hide in crowds, and that was an easy way to do so. Besides, it was the two of them. They’d never needed anything more.

And now, here Bennett was, living in a freaking castle. He looked around the bedroom that was now his, feeling overwhelmed. He didn’t even own enough stuff to fill this bedroom, let alone make himself at home at the castle.

He glanced at the bags on the bed. He hadn’t touched them yet. He kept placing them on the floor at night to go to bed, then hauling them up on the bed in the morning to empty them. The problem was that he hadn’t gotten to that part yet.

He wasn’t sure why, beyond the fact that the situation was kind of freaky. He was in a fucking castle, surrounded by comfort and luxury. Here, he didn’t have to hide what he was. Everyone already knew.

That was probably the freakiest thing of all.

A knock on the door made him jump. Depending on who it was, he might be relieved by the interruption. He went to open it and relaxed when he found Meyer standing in the hallway.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Meyer said as he pushed past him.

“It kind of feels that way. You don’t think any of this is weird?”

Meyer flopped onto one of the couches under the window. “I think everything is weird. I’m not saying I miss our small apartment, but I’m not sure I like living with so many people around me.”

Bennett went over to join Meyer, although he sat on the other couch.

Yes, he had two couches in his bedroom. Hell, his bedroom was big enough that the entire apartment he’d shared with Meyer would have fit into it.

His bed was on one side, pushed against the wall. Right in front of it, on the other side of the room, was a wall covered with bookshelves. For now, they were empty, which didn’t help him feel like he belonged here. It didn’t matter that he was the reason they were empty.

Between the bed and bookshelves was enough space that Meyer and Bennett could have waltzed if they’d wanted to. The many windows opened onto a beautiful landscape that included the lake and the forest. The couches and a few small tables had been placed under the windows so one could look outside when seated. There was a TV, too, that could be watched from the couches or the bed.

And of course, the bedroom had a private bathroom that housed a tub so big that Bennett could have swum in it.

He pressed his head against the back of the couch and stared at the ceiling. No matter how many times he tried to wrap his mind around everything, something always made it impossible.

“He’s still not speaking to me,” Meyer grumbled.

That got Bennett’s attention. “Tyne?”

Bennett didn’t understand what was happening between those two, but he wasn’t the only one. Meyer didn’t understand, either. He didn’t remember, and so far Tyne had refused to talk to him or to tell him why he seemed to hate him so much.

“No, Santa Claus. Of course Tyne.”

“Have you tried talking to him again?”

“I try talking to him every time I see him.”

Bennett felt sorry for Meyer, because it was clear it was hurting him. He wasn’t sure he understood why. He was fine keeping some distance from Penley, at least for now. He felt he needed to wrap his mind around everything before facing his past. Meyer, on the other hand, was forging ahead.

“He probably needs time,” Bennett cautioned.

Meyer snorted. “Why? I just want to talk to him, and I don’t think that’s asking for too much. Why does he need more time? If anything, I should be the one asking for time before talking to him. I don’t remember a fucking thing, including him.” He looked at Bennett. “What about you? Still no memories?”

Bennett shook his head. “That hasn’t changed, and I doubt it will.”

When he’d realized that the people on the other side of his apartment door had known him before he’d lost his memories, he’d thought he’d finally find out who he was. He supposed he had, but that didn’t mean he remembered anything from before.

His first memory was waking up all alone on a beach. Thankfully, it had been the middle of the night, because he’d been in his dragon form. There’d been no one else around. He’d tried to remember what had happened, but there had been nothing.

There still wasn’t. No matter how hard he tried or how many times, the beach was his first memory.

He’d hoped that if he ever found someone who’d known him before, his memories would return, but they hadn’t, even after he’d met the other dragons. Marlow and Parker had talked to Bennett and Meyer over the past few days and had explained that they probably never would remember. They still didn’t, even though they’d been with the mages for a while now. It didn’t seem to be a problem for them. They behaved as though they’d always belonged here at the castle.

Bennett wasn’t sure he would ever feel that way.

He groaned. “I have so many questions.”

“You can ask them, but they won’t help with your memories. We both have to accept that we won’t ever get them back.”

“I don’t know how to feel about that. Part of me wants to remember, but another part is fine not knowing what happened in the past. It doesn’t sound like it was great.”