Malachi tensed. “You’re saying that not only should we reveal the existence of the kareshta, but we should also reveal that Ava is of their blood?”
“Why wouldn’t we?”
He squeezed her tighter as one of the scribes she didn’t know came up to Rhys.
“We have a situation,” he said quietly.
“What is it?” Rhys asked.
“There is a… I don’t know what he is. He smelled Grigori, but he didn’t attack.” The guard sounded confused. “Just handed me a note to give to Maxim and ran.”
“What did he look like?” Malachi asked.
The guard shrugged. “Like a Grigori. I would have killed him, but he came and left quickly. He looked to have a dozen men with him. I was prepared to call for help when he mentioned Maxim’s name.”
“Give me the note,” Rhys said. “And wait here.”
“Kostas?” Malachi murmured as they walked to a quieter corner.
“Possibly. Or a trap.”
“Have you ever heard of a dozen Grigori walking through the middle of Vienna like that? We’re only blocks from the Library.”
“None would dare.”
Except, Ava suspected, a heretic Grigori with nothing to lose. But Kostas had been adamant about secrecy when they’d met him in Sofia. What could have caused him to seek them out now?
“Ava?” Malachi reached for her hand and she took it. So much for reassuring him nothing was going to happen.
Rhys approached Max in the corner, who started and grabbed for the note his brother held out.
“Malachi,” he called from across the room. “With me?”
Malachi nodded and tried to let Ava’s hand go, but she held on tighter.
“I’m going with you.”
“Ava—”
“He didn’t hurt me before. He’s not likely to do it now. And Kyra might be with him.”
After meeting her grandmother, Ava was desperate to talk to the kareshta woman again.
Malachi paused, nodded. “Stay close.”
“I will.”
THE four of them slipped out of the house and down the stairs, turning right when the earlier guard nodded in that direction. In an alley, just off the main road, they caught the muted scent of sandalwood.
“Maxim,” someone hissed from the shadows.
“Kostas?”
The man flew from the shadows and grabbed Max by the neck, tackling him to the ground.
Malachi and Rhys immediately flew to their brother’s aid.
“Who did you tell?” Kostas shouted. “Who was it?”
“Kostas, I—”
“I trusted you!”
Ava saw the dozen Grigori standing in the shadows, but none went to aid their brother. They were watching. Waiting to see what Malachi and Rhys would do. Ava had the feeling that the minute any knives came out, all bets were off.
She saw Malachi reach for one of his daggers. “Malachi!” she cried.
Her mate pulled away from the fight to go to her, leaving Max, Kostas, and Rhys tumbling on the ground.
“Stop them!” she yelled. “Something’s happened. We need to talk, not fight.”
One of the Grigori stepped forward just as Rhys tore Kostas from Max’s throat and stood between the two men.
“Yes, something happened,” the beautiful man’s face was twisted in rage. “One of you betrayed us. Betrayed our sisters. The children…”
Ava gasped and Malachi immediately sheathed the knife he’d been about to pull and put his hands down.
“None of us betrayed you,” he said. “And we would never put your women in jeopardy. We’ve been trying to find a way to help.”
“The monastery was attacked,” Kostas panted out. “Old women. Children. They killed anyone who couldn’t flee.”
“No.” Ava felt her knees give out.
Malachi caught her.
“Kostas,” Max panted. “I would never—”
“No one knew where it was. We were so careful. We turned away dozens because we couldn’t be sure their sires were dead.”
Beyond the anger, Ava could see grief tearing up Kostas’s eyes. The sickening rage of a protector who had failed.
“Who was it?” Kostas asked again. “Who did you tell?”
Max shook his head. “I don’t know, my friend. None of us would put children at risk.”
Kostas still glared. “Kyra was in the city with me. Sirius”—he pointed at the Grigori who had spoken up—“was the guard there. Most of his men are dead now. There were too many. Some of the older girls and women were able to escape with some of the smallest. But the oldest kareshta and some of the youngest…”
Sirius said, “We lost thirteen of our sisters and a dozen free Grigori. The monastery was compromised. They knew exactly how to attack.”
Max said, “You’ve never taken me there. None of us knew where it was, Kostas. Think. This betrayal did not come from us.”
“It was Svarog’s men. Assassins from Hungary. We didn’t even know they were in our territory.” Kostas’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “We didn’t even know.”
“The other women, are they safe?” Ava asked.
“For now,” Sirius said.
“How many are left?”
“Eighteen. We need to find them a new place. Right now they’re scattered among our brothers in populated areas. They can’t stay there for long. It’s not good for the little ones.”