The stranger was still talking, so Ava grabbed a coffee and perched on a bench, lifting her camera to capture a boy who was laughing at something his mother had said. They teased and giggled with each other as Ava clicked. A common moment between mother and child set in the grandeur of the old Ottoman court. It was exactly the kind of photograph she loved.
A young man brushed a little too close, causing her to tense, to grip her cup as her coffee spilled hot over her fingers. Her bodyguard started toward the man, but Ava gave a small shake of her head.
Not a threat. The unspoken message seemed to reach him, because he stopped, looking between the retreating man and Ava.
She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying to rid the angry sound of the young man from her mind.
Sharp, piercing tones. His thoughts were shot through with a deep thread of pain. Most people’s inner voices were like tiny orchestras in the moments before a concert. An odd cacophony of emotion and tone only occasionally smoothing out into a discernible voice. The young man who had just passed her was angry, but also in pain. It was all there in his voice.
Ava took a few more deep breaths and looked up to find her bodyguard staring at her. His voice, in contrast, was the smooth, clear note the moment before the orchestra played. Perfectly in tune. She didn’t know quite what to make of it.
Time to say hello.
If she wanted him to cooperate and leave her be without reporting every flinch to her mother and Carl, she’d have to play nice. Tossing her coffee in a nearby trash can, she stood and walked over. He didn’t run. Didn’t look away. He stared at her from behind shaded lenses as she tucked her camera in her bag and held out her hand.
“Hi, I’m Ava. I imagine you know that already.”
The bodyguard just blinked at her, staring at her hand as if it might bite. Finally, she dropped it. She had surprised him. His silent voice whispered in circles so rapid she felt as if she was in the middle of a minor storm. But he didn’t speak to her, not out loud.
“I know I heard you speak English the other day. It might not be your first language, but I’m sorry, I don’t speak any Turki—”
“English is fine.”
His spoken voice was deeper than his silent one, but it held the same odd resonance that had drawn her since she first heard it. Ava tried not to lean closer, even though the urge was there.
“Okay.” She nodded. “I just wanted to introduce myself.”
“Hello.”
What about his one-word greeting did Ava find amusing? She didn’t know why she smiled, but she did. “That back there? With the guy… I get headaches—it’s a medical thing that’s not a big deal—so don’t panic if you see me looking like I might pass out. I’ve never passed out in my life. And I have no idea why Carl hired you, but since I can’t get him to fire you, we might as well be friendly.”
He just shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation.
“I know you’re going to be following me, so please don’t feel like you have to hide. If you could just keep your distance and stay as unobtrusive as possible, that’d be great. I’ve had guards before, but I’m pretty independent. I’m honestly not sure why Carl felt like he had to do this, but since there never seems to be any reasoning with him, let’s just go with it, okay?”
The big man was still blinking at her silently. Ava tried not to sigh. His eyes had seemed intelligent enough, but maybe they hadn’t hired the guy for his intellect.
“What I’m trying to say is… The incident you saw in the alley doesn’t need to be reported to my stepfather. I took care of it, and we really don’t need more people at this little party, do we?”
Complete and utter silence. It was almost inhuman. She caught him taking a breath when the collar of his shirt moved, revealing more of the tattoo work around his collar. They were letters, she thought, but nothing like she’d ever seen before. Other than that one breath, he could have been one of the statues on display.
“Do you have a name?” she asked.
He frowned. “You want my name?”
“Well, it would feel rude to refer to you as ‘the big, silent guy’ in my internal monologue, so yeah, a name would be nice.” He was still silent. Ava frowned. “Is that not part of your job or—?”
“Malachi.”
She smiled. “Malachi?”
“My name is Malachi.”
“Nice name.”
“I like yours.”
She shrugged off the internal pleasure. “It’s… easy to spell. Anyway, I have an appointment this afternoon, so I’ll be heading back to my hotel now. I’ll be trying to take a nap for approximately forty-five minutes, but will realize it’s too hot, so I’ll then take a shower and read a book. Maybe dump my pictures on the computer. All of this will be happening in my hotel, which has very good security, but please feel free to lurk around the entrance so you can shadow me to my appointment later.”
Malachi stared at her, still silent. Finally, he put down the book and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back in his chair and looking at her as if he was trying to solve a puzzle.
“Nothing to add? Any questions? I’m not sure how much Mom and Carl told you. I’m just here in the city for a while. Taking pictures… for my job. With a magazine.”
More silence.
Ava shook her head and stood. “Fine. Whatever. I’ll see you around, Malachi.”
She turned to go, but he said her name in that low voice and she turned back.
“Ava.”
“Yes?”
He stood and walked toward her. He didn’t hold out his hand, didn’t touch her in any way, but she still felt surrounded. Her breath caught as his inner voice took on an urgent tone.
“I will protect you.”
She could feel her face heat. There was something intimate about the words, despite knowing he was only doing his job.
“I know. And I want you to know that I appreciate—”
“If there is any threat to you, I will protect you.” He took another step closer, and Ava tried not to shrink back. “I promise.”
She felt short of breath. Not from panic, but… “Wow, you take your job pretty seriously, huh?”
The first hint of humor crossed his face, and she saw the corner of his mouth inch up. “I do.”
“Okay.” She stepped back, no longer able to sustain his presence. There was something magnetic about the man, and she didn’t want to know more. “I’m going back now. Don’t forget, appointment later.”
“After not-napping.”
She forced a smile. “Exactly. See? You’re an expert at my schedule already.”
He said nothing more, but his quiet amusement followed Ava all the way back to her room.
He picked her up again on the corner near the hotel but stayed a polite distance back and didn’t try to approach. She walked to the tram station and hopped on board, Malachi shadowing her. Then she stood, swaying with the movement of the car as the tram followed the tracks, down the hill and across the bridge to the New City. Instead of marble and brick, she was met with concrete and glass when she got off. Soaring buildings that would have been at home in any metropolitan area of Europe or Asia.
Malachi came a little closer as she walked toward the modern building that housed the doctor’s office. Ava noticed several names and office signs that seemed to indicate it was an office building for different medical or mental health professionals. She took the elevator up to the third floor, ignoring her shadow, who seemed thankfully content to linger in the lobby.