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"Except…" Malachi’s voice dropped when he realized what Rhys had missed "Except Ava"
"What?"
"Ava He hides Ava Have you ever heard of hiht for a moment "No He doesn’t speak about her in interviews"
Malachi grudgingly acknowledged, "He see her out of the spotlight And from what you’ve said, it was his money and his influence with Ava’s mother that kept her independent"
"Ava said her father was ada with her hts drifted He was blasted to awareness by an angry honk behind them "Blast"
"Do you wantof so Ava told me once"
"What?"
"Her father set up an independent trust fund for her to access when she enty-two Her Only her Her h she had other child support while Ava was growing up But it was the trust fund that eles that Reed bought her in the hills near Malibu Very private She never stays there, but he bought it for her"
"So--"
"Reed knew her as a child She thought he was only a family friend, but she knew him Quite well And Ava said he was one of the few people who never treated her any differently, even when she had s Even when the doctors were telling her mother to commit her At her worst--which sounded like puberty--Reed was one of the few adults in her life that Ava said she didn’t have to guard herself around"
The light began to dawn "You think he knew she heard voices? Did she tell him?"
"No But if his mother was Irina, maybe he did know, Malachi Maybe in sohter was different in the sahter after his mother, then hid both of the with Ava Or "
"Maybe he hid his ht when the three finally arrived in Oslo They hadn’t warned the scribe house there that three traveling scribes were co, the Watcher of the house, and was certain they would be welcoht withsohts were on all over the house, and he could hear voices, even past the formidable old door The cold hipped down the vacant street, and the air was bitter with snow Malachi drew his jacket closer around hiain, louder, and Malachi finally heard footsteps The door was yanked open by a harried-looking y blond hair and hard blue eyes He frowned for a aze settled on Rhys
"Rhys," he said, a s the hard planes of his face "Thank heaven I didn’t know if London would send anyone Then… I didn’t knohether I should cancel the order for help To see a trustworthy face is ," Rhys started, "what are you--"