Page 88 of The Scribe (Irin Chronicles 1)

He muttered, “How did the Grigori find us?”

“What?”

“At the restaurant tonight. How did they find us?”

She sat up straight. “I don’t know.”

“You haven’t called Sadik, have you?”

Ava rolled her eyes. “I still don’t buy your suspicion of him, but no, I haven’t.”

Another thought occurred to him. “Did Dr. Sadik ever give you anything?”

“What?” She rubbed at her eyes. “No. I don’t think so.”

“Think, Ava. It might have looked innocent. Like a trinket.”

“Well… nothing he could use to—”

“What did he give you?” His interest spiked. “Something harmless. What was it, love?”

She shrugged and reached into the purse near her feet. “It’s nothing. I’d kind of forgotten about it. It’s one of those nazar-amulet key chains. To ward off the evil eye, you know? Dr. Sadik told me to keep it with me. For luck.”

From a pocket, she pulled out the vivid blue glass. Around four centimeters wide, it looked like any of the tourist trinkets hanging from every shop in Turkey, only it was backed with metal he suspected doubled as an antennae. The white and blue circles stared back at him, accusing him of paranoia. Malachi held it up to the light.

“I thought it was kind of silly, but I put it in my bag and I haven’t really thought about it since.”

“I’m sure he was counting on that.”

In the darkest blue of the glass, there was an almost translucent chip with a wire leading toward the metal frame.

“There.” He held it out so Ava could see. “Do you see? I think it’s a chip.”

She blinked. “Like they put in dog collars to find them if they’re lost?”

“A simple GPS chip. As long as you have this with you, he could track you.”

He saw the color rise on her cheeks, but her eyes were cold. “Son of a bitch…”

Malachi grabbed her hand. “You trusted him. I know. It’s not—”

“That asshole!”

“He betrayed you, and you’re—”

“I’m gonnakillhim.”

Now it was Malachi cautioning patience. “We need to find out more before you do.”

“This thing—” She tried to grab the nazar, but Malachi closed his fingers over it.

“No.”

“Give it to me! I want to smash it to pieces!” She was already opening her car door. “I want it as far away from me as—”

“Do you want him to think you’re in the middle of nowhere on the side of the road?” He shook the hand she was trying to pry open. “Think.”

Ava blinked, coming out of her rage. “He’d know I found it.”

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