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She choked back the cry "I told hi it"

"Even now, I can tell you struggle to control the power The songs press against yourbut nod Thevoices more persistent Ava worried that she cried in her sleep, that she said the words that haunted her, but she didn’t knohat she said

Daic is growing stronger, but you have no outlet You must learn how to control it You could hurt yourself or so to I can’t teach you, but Sari can You ht of leaving the scribes angered her "So you’re just going to duers?"

"No," he said "I will not I will stay with you Though Sari ry, my mate will not turn me away Malachi was my brother, and you were his mate From this day, I vow to protect you" He paused and took a deep breath "As a brother guards his sister, Ava, I atch over you You will never be alone"

Her shoulders were shaking when Damien crossed the roo her in his arms as she cried in loss Relief Confusion

You will never be alone

He finally whispered, "Will you go, sister?"

"I’ll go"

Chapter Twenty-Four

She packed her things in a bag Max had found for her Leo would drive Damien and Ava to the airport, but even she didn’t knohere they were going Damien trusted no one He only told Max to find warm clothes for her, and somehow, the clever scribe delivered, even at the end of a Turkish summer

She had new documents, a new name, and a newto Rhys She was Ava Sakarya, the name Malachi used on documents when he needed them

The dreah the dark forest, trying not to be afraid On the wind, whispers in the Old Language teased her

But one refrain, the ain

It was the cry she’d heard since childhood The voice of every heart who had lost Only now, it was her soul that spoke it

The day before she and Damien were supposed to leave, she wrote it down as best she could on a piece of paper and went looking for Rhys in the library