Page 40 (1/2)

"You are You bla Or, at least, a part of you does"

Leo stared at him, stared at his profile so hard that Malachi could feel his eyes Finally, he said, "They left us alone Irin and Irina were never ether"

"So e shock They were frightened"

"We’re all frightened sometimes" Leo’s voice was barely over a whisper "But you don’t run away You never run away"

They drove for another three hours Rhys snored in the backseat, and Leo and Malachi had turned to more pleasant topics of conversation

"You h "She was so angry with you"

Malachi grinned "I don’t She really stood up, drunk in a bar full of Grigori, and told the Don’t forget that part"

Both

"And there was so this hard then?" His sides ached with the vision of the tiny huori while Leo looked on, helplessly wondering what to do

"Are you joking?" Leo wiped tears from the corner of his eye "You were furious Ava was ready to call the police when you threatened to stab one"

"It sounds like she didn’t like me very much"

"Well, she didn’t know the truth then She still thought you were an out-of-control bodyguard Trust me, she liked you very much" Leo couldn’t contain his smile

"What did she do after that? She didn’t call the police?"

"No, she took you out to an isolated un on you"

His eyebrows shot up "What?"

"Then she kissed you Or you kissed her You were vague relating that part of the story"

He couldn’t laugh anyht her back to the scribe house, Damien was livid But you stood up to hih it took soht You and Ava belonged together I knew it"

"I loved her, didn’t I? Even when I thought she was human, I loved her"

Leo opened his mouth, but no sound came out at first Then he said quietly, "I believe you did Even when you thought she was out of reach"

"Coht clutch in his throat "I, uh… I dream about her, you know?"