The Secret
Page 102

AVA’S eyes were closed, but she heard the whispered command.
“Go.”
For a moment, she was still in her dream, then her eyes blinked open and three angels stood over her. Jaron and Barak she knew. The third was a frighteningly pale figure with icy gold eyes and face cut from pale marble.
“Yes,” he whispered, and with his voice she knew.
Volund.
But Ava didn’t have time to be frightened before Vasu was there. He wrapped his arms around Volund from the back, then with a wink, both angels were gone.
Jaron held out a hand. “Come and stand with your people.”
“What just happened?”
“You are no longer under my shields,” Jaron said. “Be wary. Vasu will keep Volund occupied for a time. You have no defenses against him except the words my brother spoke to you. Do you remember them?”
Ava nodded.
“Good. Use them if he comes near.”
He began to walk from the room. Barak followed.
“Where are you going?” she asked. “And can’t you just… blink away or something?”
Jaron smiled, and for once, it appeared to be a true smile. “Only Vasu can do that without cost, as it is in his nature. For us, transporting takes power I would rather save for now. I am not, after all, a god.”
“Oh.”
Jaron looked around to the crowd of still-staring Irin. “These women and their kind are precious. Will you protect them?”
Daina stepped forward. “I give them my protection.”
Jerome joined her. “As do I.”
“Ava!”
She heard her name from down the hall. Jaron spared her a single look before he melted into the facade of her old doctor from Istanbul, then he and an older man with a beard slipped out of the hall as if no one had seen them transform.
Malachi stormed into the room, Damien, Sari, and Kostas on his heels. He ran down the stairs and caught her in an embrace.
“You’re here,” he breathed out in relief. “You’re safe.”
The elders around them were silent, but Ava could feel their eyes.
“So you are the scribe,” Abigail said, “who mated with the daughter of the Fallen.”
It was a little more complicated than that, but Ava didn’t feel like explaining.
Malachi simply said, “I am. We are reshon.”
She heard the concerned muttering around the room.
“What is your name, brother?”
“Malachi of Sakarya. Right now, we must—”
His words were cut off when a dozen solemn men marched into the library. The remaining scribes parted as they headed for the stairs and sped down, surrounding the Irin and Irina elders.
“Elders,” the captain said, “we must make you safe.”
“No,” Carmina said. “We are the strongest singers in the city. We need to face this threat and defend our people.”
“No, sister,” Daina counseled, “we must make the council safe. For the Irina council to be wiped out now—just when we’ve finally reformed—would be devastating to our people. We will let the captain guard us and trust our sisters to play their part in the battle.”
Several of the elder singers glared, but none contradicted Daina. They knew the woman was right.
Sari stepped forward. “We believe that Grimold’s children are in the city. The human population appears to be gone. They have come for us.”
“What do you mean ‘gone?’” Konrad asked.
“Just that,” Damien said. “They are not here. One of the archangels appears to have put the city in stasis.”
“The whole city?” Jerome asked. “But—”
“It doesn’t work on any with angelic blood,” Ava said. “Jaron told us. So there may be humans with Grigori blood roaming around really, really confused. Other than that, yes, they can do it. I’ve seen Jaron do it before, and it may be something that other angels can do too. The humans aren’t gone, they’re just… elsewhere right now.”
“Vienna is under attack,” Malachi said. “The elder singers’ homes have been invaded. We need to get guards checking any Irina safe houses in the city.”
Constance stepped forward and said, “I will tell the captain where they are, but I only trust the Library guards.”
Jerome sighed. “Constance—”
“The Library Guard or we stay in hiding,” the singer said with an ironclad will. “These are not warriors. These are teachers and healers. And I will not trust these women to any but our strongest.”
“How many?” Damien asked. “How many of your Irina are in the city right now?”
Constance glared at him, but then looked between him and Sari and relented. “No more than forty. Some are capable of defending themselves. But if we are overrun—”
“There is a Rafaene house in the second district near the Carmelite Church. Your sisters could take refuge there. The scribes would be bound to protect them.”
Constance nodded. “They are mostly in the first district. That could work.”
“Let the Library Guard protect you and the other elders,” Damien said. “When my men get here, I will give them the task of helping your sisters to the Rafaene scribe house. No one will be able to touch them there.”
“Very well,” Constance said. “And the rest of us?”
The fourteen elders stood solemnly, watching the captain of the Library Guard.