'I don't know,' he whispers, and his eyes clench shut.

He misses Elizaveta so much. He misses his wife, his friend, his lover. He misses having someone to share space with, someone that didn't want anything from him but what he has to offer by drawing breath.

'His reason defies all logic, Rae. He torments me as surely as I torment him.'

He thinks, casting back through centuries, trying to find something to explain his fascination.

A tiny dry laugh escapes his lips. Why did he not see if before?

'He reminds me -- of Radu.'