Page 82 of Avidian
“How long was I out this time?” I ask, pacing near the fire, the heat warming my chilled skin.
He glances up at me, tossing another log into the flames before standing and dusting his hands off. “Almost three days.”
“Fuck.” I sink into the couch, running a hand through my hair. “Anything happen while I was out?”
Malachi leans against the mantel, arms crossed, his expression tight. “Apparently Orin showed up, which you already know. If I had any idea he would show up, I wouldn’t have left you at all. Viktor’s getting restless. And my father called—twice.”
“Twice?” I arch a brow, already dreading whatever that means. “What did he want?”
Malachi shrugs, his discomfort showing. “Probably to remind us that the clock is ticking and to make sure you’re not slacking. He was vague, as usual, but I don’t think he liked the idea of you being out of commission for this long.”
I sigh, resting my head back against the couch. “Great.”
Malachi moves closer, sitting next to me on the couch. “Kat,” he says softly. “We’ll figure this out, but you need to take it easy. Whatever Bash did to amplify your power, I don’t think we should try it again.”
“We have other things to think about right now. First, tell me everything you know about your uncle and Irina,” I say, shifting to rest against Malachi’s chest. “What happened there? Because I know something bad went down.”
He nods slowly, his arm tightening around me as he plays with a strand of my hair. “I don’t know everything,” he begins, “but I know Irina loved Jamie. He was quite a bit older than her, and she fell for him hard. It was only after she’d fallen that she started to see him for what he really was.”
I don’t say anything, waiting for him to continue, but my stomach starts to knot at the implication.
“He ran one of the largest underground trafficking rings to ever exist,” Malachi finally says, his tone grim. “He was the one who got my father and uncle into it.”
I jolt upright, disbelief washing over me. “What? Seriously?”
He nods, his fingers pausing in my hair. “Yeah. They were already into trading stolen goods and drugs, but I don’t think they started acquiring Avids until Uncle Jamie came along and showed them the way.”
The thought makes my blood freeze. The tangled web of evil runs deeper than I imagined.
“Irina loved him,” Malachi continues, “but once she started to uncover the full picture of what he was doing...she killed him.”
I sit up fully, turning to face him. Pieces start falling into place—the tension in Irina’s demeanor, the forgiveness Jamie begged me to pass on. “What did Marco and Viktor do about it?” I ask.
Malachi shrugs. This is taxing on him, but I need to know more. “I was young, so I don’t know all the details, but they love their little sister. I think they looked the other way. She played it off as an accident on the ranch, but I’m sure they knew better.”
I swallow hard, imagining the guilt and isolation Irina must have endured. “Love makes you do crazy things, I guess,” I murmur. “But even though he was clearly a terrible person, my heart hurts for her. She loved him, and she was still able to...do what she had to do.”
I’m unable to fathom making that kind of choice. I’ve pictured killing Marco and Orin more times than I can count, but to kill someone I love? To live with that weight?
Malachi watches me, his hand sliding up to rest on my shoulder. “She doesn’t talk about it, and I don’t blame her,” he says, “but she’s stronger than people realize. She did what had to be done, and after that she started the Syndicate and now Solace. I think she’s been trying to undo all of his bad deeds and the guilt that haunts her.”
“Knowing all of this makes what Jamie’s spirit told me even more peculiar,” I say, shifting to face Malachi fully. His brow arches in curiosity, waiting for me to elaborate. “He said, ‘The truth you need to survive what’s coming can be found where the wolves prowl.’ Does that mean anything to you?”
He leans back slightly, the firelight casting sharp shadows over his face. “No,” he admits, “but there’s a reason the Volkov family crest is a wolf. Volkov means ‘wolf’ in Russian. Marco and Viktor have been referred to as wolves for years—predators who always hunt in packs.”
I blink. “That can’t be a coincidence.”
“It’s not,” Malachi says, the edge in his voice unmistakable. He rubs his hand over his jaw, lost in thought. “If Jamie was trying to warn you, it might mean there’s something tied to the family. A place, maybe. Somewhere Marco and Viktor conductbusiness or keep their secrets. Wherever ‘where the wolves prowl’ is, it’s connected to them. And you said Jamie told Irina he was sorry and forgave her.”
I lean closer, a chill creeping up my spine despite the heat of the fire. “Yes…but why would Jamie want to help me? He was the one who brought them into this in the first place.”
Malachi’s eyes narrow, his focus shifting to the flames. “Maybe he’s trying to atone,” he says distantly.
I start to wonder what would make a person change like that, when suddenly Malachi is off the couch, pulling his boots on with quick, deliberate movements.
“Get dressed. I’ll be right back.”
“What are you doing? Where are we going?” I ask, scrambling to my feet.
