Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 138217 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 691(@200wpm)___ 553(@250wpm)___ 461(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138217 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 691(@200wpm)___ 553(@250wpm)___ 461(@300wpm)
“You sneeze cute. Such a tiny sound.” Yakov’s cheeks creased once more. “Papers are in some kind of code.”
Theo, flustered all over again, considered the page he was holding out. “Might be old-fashioned shorthand. I feel like I saw similar writing on the desk of my grandfather’s aide.”
“I can run the pages through our computer systems, see what it spits out,” Yakov offered, his arm brushing hers. “Unless you’re worried about secrets here.”
Theo met the gaze of this bear who knew all but one enraged piece of her darkness. “No secrets,” she said. “Not about this.” She closed her hand over the cold metal of her bracelet, that unspoken truth choking her from the inside.
This, whatever was happening between them, it couldn’t be based on a lie. She needed to tell him. But her guts froze up every single time she tried to open her mouth, force the words out.
It had been far easier to admit to being a murderer.
Chapter 35
Hello big brother,
I want to thank you and Marian for your grace and kindness, your sheer depth of love, during the worst period of my life. I was so ashamed after I came out of the fog at last, at how jealous and bitter I’d acted.
Especially after I began to remember the good times, remember how much Kanoa enjoyed being with you both. He said you felt like a brother to him, too. I don’t think I ever told you that.
The way you hugged me when I turned up at the den . . . I love you, Déwei. And I miss you, but it’s good for me to get back to work, even if I couldn’t bear to return to Hanoi. Paris is as lovely as ever, and my old workplace welcomed me back with open arms, even if I do plan to return to Moscow to go on maternity leave in three months.
We’re taking this time to set things up so I can work remotely long term, with short visits to Paris—my mind and heart feel more healthy with the extra focus provided by work, and Mom and Dad have told me they’ll disown me if I dare hire a nanny when they’re right there.
Otto and Grady are beyond excited to be uncles, just like their “wow-to-the-max” big brother, Déwei—they’re already going around boasting of it to their school friends. I adore them—such hearts they have, D. And what fun for my baby to grow up with uncles who will be only eight and ten years older.
Plus, I want my baby to spend lots of time with her Uncle D and Aunt Mimi. I know you’ll be terrible in spoiling her, and I can’t wait for that for her.
As for what I said about my vote when it comes to the new brand of Silence . . . that was said in anger and grief. Any decision I make, I’ll make with thought and care, for this will be my daughter’s life.
See you in three months (when I’ll be huge and nearly ready to pop)!!
Lots of love from your baby sister
—Letter from Hien Nguyen to Déwei Nguyen (18 October 1976)
SEARCH COMPLETE, YAKOV and Theo exited the building at eight that night to emerge into the pitch-black of a fall evening. Yakov had flashlights in the vehicle, but Pax—in his capacity as the Marshall CEO—had managed to get the power company to turn the electricity back on, so they’d been working under clinically bright lights for the last couple of hours.
“No point searching the grounds in this,” he said, just as the land vibrated under his feet. Ignoring it, he continued on. “Especially without a scent trail. We’ll come back tomorrow with the proper tools, do it right. And it’s already eight. By the time we get back to the city, it’ll be past nine.”
Theo—who he was starting to realize wasn’t the most patient of women—stared out at the dark but did eventually nod. “You’re right. I’d probably trip on a root, fall on my face, and break my nose. Impromptu cosmetic surgery.”
His bear grinned, delighted at her deadpan humor.
“Was that a quake?” she asked as he pulled the facility’s door shut.
Yakov nodded. “We’ve had an increase in them over the past couple of years. Scientists were worried they were warnings of a much bigger event on the horizon, but all tests confirm no unusual activity underground, and the mini quakes never do any real damage.”
The odd cracked road or bit of landscape was about it.
“So now we just shrug and move on. Pasha likes to joke it’s Kaleb Krychek having a laugh at our expense.” Silver’s ex-boss was one hell of a powerful telekinetic.
He thought Theo would ask him more on the peculiar phenomenon, but after she’d engaged the lock, she said, “It’s strange, Yasha.”
Loving the sound of his name on her lips, in that soft accent she had, he said, “What?”