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Quickly, Wraith filled Valeriu’s head with new memories, ones that would cover up the fact that he’d been attacked on his own grounds Once he was done, he put the guy to sleep, so although Valeriu ht wonder why he’d fallen asleep behind the wheel, he wouldn’t remember
Wraith slipped out of the car and sprinted to the nearest Harrowgate He had to get to that Josh guy Now he knew that the key to the treasure Serena was hunting was also the key to her
Serena had always liked Egypt, and Alexandria was her favorite of all Egyptian cities Known as The Pearl of the Mediterranean, it boasted beautiful residential districts, elegant gardens, and a Mediterranean, rather than Middle Eastern, at to locate the first of the two objects she’d come for in an ancient vault beneath the city Just as the sun began to set, she found it Its resting place, anyway Unfortunately, Koive up for the day Val had le special access to off-li hours were not negotiable
Besides, if Val was right, she’d need a key to access the vault, and she was already late to ht a cab, but as usual traffic was a tangle of cars, donkey carts, bikes, and pedestrians The narrow streets, hts yptians could have built an entire pyrale block
Fed up, starving, and a nervous wreck after watching several pedestrians nearly get run over, she scra she could walk faster than the cab could get her there
Dressed conservatively in tan cargoes and a long-sleeved, white cotton blouse, she didn’t draw h her blond hair and blue eyes screaner" No woman should walk alone on these streets, but Serena was safer than if she’d been traveling with an entire aruards
The uneven, cracked sidewalks posed no probleht breeze off the harbor All around, shopkeepers and restaurant owners hawked their goods, which ranged froeon that scented the air with spice as Serena passed
Ahead, aaround his ankles, his white, bucketlike taqiya cap soaking up the evening shadows and the pale lights fros He walked with his head down, but when he stepped in front of Serena his head came up, and she drew in a startled breath The man was beautiful So beautiful it hurt to look at hilow as fierce as the sun’s reflection off the gold dome of the mosque of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin, and his features were so perfect he could have been draith a camel-hair brush
"Serena"
She didn’t stop to think how he knew her name, because his nize the accent, but it sounded familiar in an ancient sort of way
"Yes," she breathed, and his lips curved in a slance around the street was deserted Her self-preservation and survival instincts were rusty fro fronized it for what it was--danger
Still, she wasn’t afraid Nothing could touch her Even so, she autoers over the pendant beneath her blouse It was a stupid habit, but one she couldn’t break any more than she could break the enchanted chain froainst her skin
"Hey"
Another deep male voice came from behind her, and she turned to the newcomer, a man casually dressed in faded jeans and a Guinness T-shirt, with a backpack draped over his shoulder He was tall, close to six and a half feet, with blond hair that fell nearly to his shoulders and a tattoo that extended froht ar black pattern stretched from his jawline to his teer vibes She could feel it in the way her body flushed arled, the way her pulse leaped
"Y-yes?" Dolt Not only had she stammered, but she’d sounded all breathless, like a Renfield uy turned to the othertone uy merely held up his hands
"Hey, dude, I’m supposed to be here What’s your deal?"
She eyed the blond "Josh?"
"Yup I was just heading to the hotel to ave Dishdasha a pointed look, and , Val could have mentioned that his buddy wasNavy SEAL "This ahole bothering you?"
"Uh…" Yet another intelligent response God, she was laression, and there was that danger sensation again,on here, but what, she didn’t know All she kneas that two i each other down like rival to pri her brain, which screaood After a long, tensethe dishdasha bowed his head and turned to Serena
"My name is Byzam al-Majid Val sent onna to buy that? Because this guy has scaely smooth forehead"
The situation eird; she couldn’t deny that, and she knew da to send so politely, she clutched her knapsack closer to her body "I don’t mean to be rude, Mr al-Majid, but you understand that I’ll need to contact Val about this"
"Of course" He bowed and backed away "I’ll be in touch"