The smirk fell from the Grigori’s face. He dropped into the fall, rolling over and away from Malachi, reaching for the dagger where it had fallen. Malachi saw his eyes dart into the night sky a second before the footsteps landed behind him. Three Grigori soldiers had joined their friend.
The Grigori with the angelic blade muttered, “Too soon.”
Malachi grinned as he spun around. Taking stock of his new opponents, he realized that all of them had human weapons. He kicked out, catching one in the solar plexus as his right arm extended toward the other. In one smooth movement, he had twisted the Grigori’s head around and plunged the knife deep into the base of his skull.
The human woman screamed, then passed out as the body Malachi held began to disintegrate. Within seconds, there was only a fine gold dust, drifting up in a column, reaching toward the heavens.
He looked over his shoulder, but the blond Grigori had fled, leaving him with the other two. One was just getting to his feet, and the other one looked like he wanted to run after his friend but was too frightened.
Malachi strode to the Grigori he’d kicked, curious whether the other would take the opportunity to run.
He didn’t.
Malachi ignored the glancing blow the gasping man swung toward his shoulder. The dagger hit the scribe’s talesm and bounced off, no more dangerous than a child’s toy. Malachi twisted the man’s neck around and ended him, too. Then he waved the second cloud of dust away and frowned at the last Grigori.
The young man was ethereally beautiful, like all his kind. He had curling dark hair and porcelain skin. His eyes were a light hazel green; his scent was designed to entice his prey.
And he was scared to death.
“Why didn’t you run?” Malachi asked, stalking toward him. “I’m going to kill you now.”
The Grigori couldn’t have been very old. His scent was bright and panicked. “I… I know. But I have to stay here. With you.”
Malachi halted.
“…please feel free to underestimate me for a while longer. That will suit my plans perfectly.”
The second trap snapped shut.
“What does he want?” He lunged at the man, lifting him in a chokehold and pushing him against the wall. “Why are you still here?”
Malachi knew the answer before the man’s lips moved.
“The woman,” the young soldier gasped. “He’s… after the human woman. Had to… keep you distracted. All of you.”
“All of us…?”
They had plans for Leo, too.
Malachi twisted the man’s neck around, striking quickly, and then he began to run. Behind him, a faint cloud of dust rose to the stars.
Chapter Six
Leo flipped through channels on the television as he ate another massive sandwich Ava had ordered from room service. His accent sounded Russian, but he reminded Ava of a giant happy Labrador with his gold hair and cheerful disposition. They sat in the hotel’s library, which doubled as a lounge. Books lined the walls and a television sat in one corner, streaming international shows from all over the globe. Ava was processing images on her laptop, so Leo had turned on the television.
She’d met her new bodyguard that afternoon after Malachi had called him to meet her in the hotel lobby.
“Who’s this?”
“This is Leo. He’ll be guarding you tonight if you need to go anywhere.” He’d handed over a small slip of paper. “This is his number. You already have mine.”
Ava had turned to Leo. “Hi.”
The blond giant gave her a boyish smile. “Hello, Ms. Matheson.”
Malachi said, “She likes to be called ‘Ava.’ Don’t leave her unguarded; you have my number.”
Then Malachi had turned and walked away without a glance back.
Asshole.
Ava turned to Leo. “Care to come inside? I was just about to order room service because I don’t feel like going out. I’ll buy you dinner since you’re on babysitting duty tonight.”
She saw Malachi pause at the door. She’d never once invited him into the hotel. They always met in the lobby.
“Sure,” Leo said. “Thanks!”
Malachi half-turned, then stopped, meeting her eyes over his shoulder before his narrowed and he spun around again.
“Night, Mal!”
Now she was wishing her silent shadow would return. There was nothing wrong with Leo; he was friendly as a pup, but he exuded energy, not calm, the way Malachi did. His internal voice bounced and jumped, almost always cheerfully, but much louder than Malachi’s did. And though his voice held the same odd resonance, it felt slightly out of tune. All in all, his presence was distracting.
A voice from the television caught her attention.
“What was that?” she asked.
Leo lifted an eyebrow. “What?”
“The TV.”
He’d already flipped past the channel. The one he’d stopped on looked like a soap opera set in Topkapi Palace.
“Turn it back.”
“Turn it back to what?”
Ava stood and grabbed the remote.
“Hey!”
Not that. Not that. Not that… There.
“Him.” She pointed at the TV. It was a news program, and an old man was being interviewed on the screen. “That man. What language is he speaking?”
Leo frowned. “That’s Farsi. It’s a Persian program; I’m surprised they even have it at this—”
“No.” Ava shook her head. “I’ve heard Farsi. I’ve been to Iran. That doesn’t sound like Farsi.”
The bodyguard shrugged. “Well, it is. His accent is odd. Let me…” Leo’s voice trailed off as he listened intently. After a few minutes, he said, “He’s Assyrian; that’s why it sounds different. He’s speaking Farsi with an Assyrian accent. They’re interviewing him for a cultural program. It’s just a different part of Iran. The accent is different.”
Her heart sank. “Oh.”
“Why did you want to know?”
“I didn’t… It just reminded me of a language I heard once. That’s all.” Ava watched the old man for a few more moments, memorizing the rise and fall of his voice before she handed the remote control back to Leo. It had to be a coincidence, but for a brief second, the man had sounded like he was speaking the silent tongue of the voices she’d heard her whole life. Ava had studied languages. She’d traveled the globe, listening to accents and intonation. The peculiar rhythm of foreign lands. She’d spent years searching for the language that haunted her.
She was never successful.
Leo was still watching her, clearly suspicious of her excitement over the news program. She concentrated on the computer screen, ignoring him, but his silent voice was colored with curiosity.
Ava tried to change the subject. “So how many languages do you speak?”
“I…” He hadn’t been expecting the question. “I’ve never counted, to be honest.”
“That many?”
Leo shrugged. “I’m not fluent in all of them, but I speak many. It helps when you travel.”
“Have you worked for Malachi long?”
“We, uh, we work for the same company. He’s more senior than I am, but we’ve both worked for the company a long time.”
“Oh?” She continued fiddling with the color balance on one file. “You’re not from Istanbul, I’m guessing.”
“Outside Moscow, originally. But I’ve traveled a lot.”
Ava snorted a little. He couldn’t have been older than his late twenties. Of course, she knew firsthand you could cover a lot of ground when you wanted to avoid home.
Leo asked, “How about you?”
“Malachi didn’t tell you?”
“No.” His answer caused Ava to look up. He’d finished his sandwich and was wiping his mouth. “He wouldn’t. He hardly talks at all except to yell at me and my cousin if we drink his beer and don’t replace it. He’s known for being very focused when he’s on a job.”
For some reason, Ava found t
hat endearing. It sounded like her shadow was a cranky old man to more than just her.
“I’m from L.A.”
“Really?”
“Yep. And I hate it.”
Leo laughed, a deep chuckle that filled the lounge and made her smile.
“So that’s why you travel all the time? Because you don’t like home?”
“Among other reasons.” She couldn’t concentrate on her work. Leo’s silent voice was alive with excitement, like a little kid just begging to play. She finally snapped her laptop case shut. “Why don’t we go for a drink? There’s a café on the corner. I feel like getting out of here.”
“I don’t know…”
She could tell he was uncomfortable with the idea, but Ava knew drowning out Leo’s presence would be easier in a crowd. Hopefully, he could blend in with the group of people and create a white noise affect that wouldn’t pierce her temple.
“Okay,” she said, standing. “How’s this? I’m going to go for a drink because you’re not, in fact, my babysitter. Then you can follow me, like I know Malachi told you to do. You can either sit with me or lurk suspiciously on the edge of the room. It’s up to you, but I’m going.” She packed her laptop in the case and walked down the hall to her room. Within moments, she was back in the lobby, and Leo was waiting, glancing at his phone like he was expecting a message.
Ava nodded at it. “You already tell on me?”
“It’s just… Malachi said you usually stay in at night.”
“That’s when I’ve been walking all day. I’m not tired. I want a drink.” She brushed past him and opened the door, nodding at the burly doorman on the way out. “See you.”
She was barely at the curb when Leo caught up with her.
“Are you always so stubborn?” he asked.
“Yes.”
The man was looking around as if he expected commandos to come pouring out of the fashionable doorways of the Sultanahmet. Ava shook her head.
“Seriously, Leo, relax. You’re too young to worry this much.”
“Haha.”
“You’re not even going to drink, are you?”
“Not if I want to remain living.”
Ava was halfway through a bottle of very mediocre red wine when she noticed it. First one had drifted in. Then another.
“Whoa.”
“What?” Leo looked up from his phone. He’d been madly texting someone for the last ten minutes. Ava was guessing Malachi was busy. Too busy to worry about her, anyway. Poor Leo. He was tense, poised on the edge of his seat like a dog waiting for a command. He hadn’t drunk anything, not even the tea the waiter had set in front of him at the café that looked down to the water. Ava had visited before, but not at night. It was a decidedly different crowd. A football match was playing on the television, and young people of every nationality hung on the score. It was definitely a tourist place, but a friendly one. And that night, it had more than its share of very pleasant scenery.
“You probably haven’t noticed unless you’re into guys, but this bar has suddenly become hot guy central.” She looked around in wonder. It couldn’t just be her imagination. Every woman in the place seemed to be under a spell. The whole place was full of wildly handsome men. “Is there some kind of… modeling conference in town? Fashion week or something?”
“I don’t know,” Leo said tersely, still typing madly on his phone.
“This is so weird. I mean, I’m not complaining—”
“Whatever you do,” Leo interrupted as he stood. “Do not leave this spot. I need to make a call, and I need to be able to see you through the window.”
She sneered automatically. “Hey, buddy—”
“I’m serious, Ava.” He did look serious. “Don’t leave. And avoid talking to anyone if you can. I’ll be right outside.”
Her eyes narrowed as she watched him walk away. Leo glared at one of the handsome men who sat in the corner with two women draped over his arms. The man turned and locked eyes with Ava; she glanced away, looking for Leo, but he was already outside. What was with him? Was one of these guys with his ex-girlfriend, or something?
There was the one Leo had passed, sitting by the door with two women. He looked like someone she’d seen in an underwear ad. There were two other men sharing a table on the opposite side of the bar. They might have been brothers with their stunning blue eyes and dark brown hair. They were currently the focus of at least five fawning women. There was a blond by the hallway leading toward the restrooms, and still another sitting directly across from her, giving her sultry dark eyes that did absolutely nothing but make her think of a self-absorbed actor she’d dated once in college.
“Whatever,” she muttered and refilled her glass. She was starting to get a perfectly nice buzz that was helping to drown out the voices. The last thing she needed was bossy men ordering her around or coming on to her. She was tempted to leave the place, just for spite. But… She wasn’t going to waste a perfectly good—well, adequate—bottle of wine.
One of the men across from the bar winked at her, then the one who’d been standing by the hallway came up and sat in the chair Leo had occupied.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“None of your business.” He looked shocked, but the whole situation was giving Ava goose bumps. What was the game here? She didn’t get it. There was something going on, but the wine had muffled the voices, making it harder for her to read the intentions of the man sitting next to her. She looked around the place. She was in a pair of old jeans and a T-shirt, hadn’t even attempted to dress up. Why was this guy talking to her? She had no illusions about her own beauty. Ava knew she was moderately attractive, but she wasn’t the kind of woman who turned heads. Certainly not heads that looked like they belonged in fashion magazines.
“I’m just curious. You’re a beautiful woman, and you’re all alone.”
“Yes. Happily alone.”
Keep telling yourself that, Ava.
Stupid wine.
“But you weren’t alone earlier.”
“Your point, Einstein?”
“Did your boyfriend leave you here?”
“None of your business.”
“So he is your boyfriend? Do you know what he is?”
What? Ava took another drink. This guy wasn’t making any sense. Maybe it was a language thing.
“You know,” she said in a low voice, sliding closer. “I’d really like you to…”
He leaned in. “What?”
“Leave.”
Hottie’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t think you know just who your boyfriend is, do you?”
Irritated, Ava blurted out, “He’s not my boyfriend! But he will take care of you if you don’t leave me alone. Now.”
Well, that made him happy.
“So he’s not your boyfriend! May I join you?”
She squinted. Yep, buzz definitely getting spoiled. “Are you deaf? No! Are all Turkish men this forward? Do I look like I want company?”
He said something she really didn’t listen to. The noise from the television seemed louder. Had the bartender turned it up? Hot Guy was still talking.
Was it some kind of game? A bet? She looked around, but none of the other men were looking at them. In fact, even Mister Wink Wink across the bar was looking away. Ava was starting to get nervous, and she really wished Leo would come back. She pulled out her phone and saw that he had just texted her.
Meet me by the door I left through.
Normally, she’d ignore him. After all, he worked for her—or her stepfather. Whatever. She didn’t have to do what he said. She finished the glass of wine and narrowed her eyes at the handsome man who still looked like he expected Ava to fall into his bed. He was watching her like she was the most fascinating thing in the world.
“What are you?” he whispered with barely contained excitement.
“I’m an American photographer. It’s really not all that exciting.”
“I don’t think that’s what you really ar
e.”
Weirdo. He might have been handsome, but the guy did nothing for her. She was about to pour another glass of wine when she heard her phone buzz again. She looked down. It was Malachi’s number.
Ava, go to Leo. Now.
“Ugh.” Her head fell back and she groaned. “Bossy men. Damn bossy men. Who the hell do they think they are?” She’d tell them off in person.
Ava stood and picked up her purse. As soon as she did, she felt a hand on her arm. It was Hot Guy, who had morphed into Mr. Intrusive.
Okay, not cool.
“Hey!” Feeling bold with wine, Ava rounded on him as she yanked her arm away. “Do not touch me, do you understand? Did I give you permission to do that? Did I indicate in any way that I wanted your attention, mister?”
The man’s green eyes widened in shock.
“You pulled away from me.”
“For heaven’s sake, do you really think you’re God’s gift? Get over yourself, buddy!”
She was starting to draw attention. Luckily three-quarters of a bottle of wine meant she didn’t really care all that much. She was only a block from her hotel, after all. And there was always—
“Leo!” She grinned, her annoyance forgotten. She turned to the pushy stranger. “Now this guy? He’s a catch. For one thing, he’s handsome without looking like he’s been airbrushed, because really?” She waved a hand in front of the guy’s face. “Are you wearing makeup? I mean, whatever, if that’s your thing, but see, Leo here—”
Leo cleared his throat. “We should go, Ava.” He was trying to steer her toward the door with a hand on her shoulder, but Ava ignored him, still talking to Hot Guy.
“See, Leo’s got the confident-without-being-arrogant thing. You need to learn that. Because girls don’t usually go for… a guy who looks in the mirror more than they do.” Ava giggled as she looked around the place. “Well, obviously not some of these ladies, but where I come from… that’s probably a bad example. Still—”
“Ava.” His low voice sounded across the bar. She turned, stilling immediately when she heard it. Heard him. Their eyes met.