“You need to come with us,” Max said. “There’s something you have to see.”
“In Bulgaria?” Malachi asked.
Max shook his head again. “I can’t explain. You have to see. I didn’t believe… didn’t know. But now… It changes everything, Malachi.” He squeezed Ava’s shoulders. “Trust me?”
She nodded. Max had been instrumental in spiriting her away from Istanbul after Malachi had been killed. She knew he had dubious contacts in the outside world, but she trusted him implicitly.
“Malachi?”
Her mate said, “If you want to go to Bulgaria, we’ll go to Bulgaria. Did you two drive here?”
Renata said, “Yes.”
Orsala asked, “What’s going on?”
“I want Mala to take you to the city,” Renata said. “I want you with Sari and Damien. We’ll send Ava and Malachi to you after we travel to Sofia.”
Orsala narrowed her eyes but said nothing else.
Ava exchanged a look with her mate. Malachi shook his head, looking as confused as she felt.
Ava didn’t know what was happening, but for the second time in her life, she had a feeling that everything had just changed.
“TELL me again,” Renata said. “What did your father say about his mother when you confronted him?”
“Not much,” Ava confessed as she sat next to Renata in the back of the car, talking about Jasper. “He called her ‘maman.’ Claimed she died, but I know he was lying. I could hear it.”
“Hmmm.”
“And not much else. There were a couple of times he looked…”
“What?”
“I don’t know.”
“What did you see?”
Her voice dropped. “He looked… different. I can’t say exactly. Just different than he used to.”
“Hmm.” Renata sat back and folded her hands on her lap. “Interesting. We don’t know enough, but it could fit.”
“I really hate you guys keeping me in the dark on this.”
“I know that, but if I tell you what I suspect, then I’ll have to tell you everything.” Renata waved her hand in a cutting gesture. “And if I tell you everything, you won’t believe me.”
“You realize that makes absolutely no sense, right?”
“It will after we get there.”
“And where are we going?”
“To meet a man named Kostas.”
“Does he know where my grandmother is?”
Renata shook her head. “I doubt it. But you might get some answers about what she is.”
“MAX.” Malachi’s voice was a low growl in the front seat. “What is this? I thought we were going to the scribe house.”
“You have to trust me, brother.”
Ava had never been to Sofia, the capitol and largest city in Bulgaria. It was only six hours from Istanbul but seemed farther when you climbed the mountains. Snow dusted the sides of the road in places, and the temperature had dropped from the damp and mild weather along the Bosphorus.
Ava asked, “Who’s Kostas?”
“Someone I’ve known for a long time,” Max said.
Malachi said, “The name sounds familiar, but I can’t place it.”
Max said nothing as Malachi carefully scanned the outskirts of the city where industrial areas sprawled. Wherever they were going, it didn’t look close to the heart of the historic city. Commercial trucks and trailers seemed more common than cars.
“Tell me where we’re going,” Malachi said.
“To see Kostas.”
“Damn it, Max!”
“You’re going to have to trust me,” he said, gritting his teeth. “I am limited on what I can say. I gave my word.”
“Your withholding information makes me want to grab Ava and walk back to Istanbul right now.”
Ava looked at the whipping wind outside the vehicle grabbing flurries of snow. “Maybe we shouldn’t walk. I do know how to hot-wire a car.”
Renata bit back a smile. “You are always full of surprises, my friend.”
“Rebellious kid with lots of money and an overprotective mother. I had interesting friends as a teenager.”
“I suppose so.”
They turned onto a small road that led between a group of warehouses. Some of them were open, but most were closed. It was nearing midnight, and Ava rubbed her eyes to fend off the worst of the exhaustion.
Malachi must have caught the gesture, because he said, “We should find a place to rest. Do this tomorrow.”
“It was difficult to get him to agree to meet with us. I don’t want to delay.”
They turned into a small parking lot in front of an older warehouse that looked more like a barn. It was freestanding. Not connected to any others, but still had the anonymous grey paneling they’d seen everywhere else.
“I’m so tired,” Ava said with a yawn.
“I don’t like this,” Malachi said.
“Trust us.” Renata grabbed her hand as they came to a stop. “Stay with me and Malachi, Ava. Let Max do the talking right now.”
They walked toward the door where a small window was glowing. It was the only light in the darkness. Not even a star appeared above them. The clouds had rolled in during their drive, and the night was pitch-black. Ava fell in step between Malachi and Renata.
Ten feet from the door, Malachi halted. “What the hell?”