things.”
She could believe it. After Makeen walked away from her on the tarmac, never looking back, she had felt something in herself close off. Olivia had no idea if it was permanent, or if she would ever be able to get that part of herself back. At the moment, she didn't even care.
Olivia had an idea of how her life might move forward. She might get into a professional orchestra, or she might simply scrape by as she had been doing. She thought she would eventually pull away from her family, strike out on her own.
At the moment, the thought brought her nothing at all, so she simply existed. She earned money, she talked with her brother, and in her more lucid moments, Olivia was worrried that she might be like this forever.
***
One day, Olivia came home to find her parents packing frantically and her brother on the phone, talking with low hushed tones.
For the first time in what felt like weeks, she felt a spark of panic.
“What's happening? What's going on?”
Her mother spared her a look as she shoved clothes into an old duffle bag. “It's Stavros, who used to employ your brother. He's been on the war path since the raid, and now he's bringing it all to bear. Your brother got off not once, but twice, so of course that means he's a snitch.”
Mayellen glared at Olivia, and in that moment, Olivia could feel any bonds connecting her to the woman falling away. Instead, she turned to her brother, who had just hung up his phone, his face pale.
“David? David, what's going on?”
David's face was pale, but composed. “You heard the bulk of it from Mom. If Stavros catches me on the street, he's going to have me executed. I need to get out of the country and fast, but Sis, step into the hall with me. There's something I need to tell you.”
Mystified, still holding her violin, she followed him. In the airless stairwell of the building, her brother turned to her.
“I am so sorry for everything. I … I heard about what you did for me …”
She started to hold her hands up, because she didn't think that she could bear this, but he forged ahead.
“No, listen to me. I haven't asked you about this because … well, because it is private. It's your story, and you would have come to me if you needed something. But I think that one way or another, you need to know this.
“Stavros is a fucking madman, and he wants everyone who blew his organization dead from top to bottom. He's sending a man out to kill the Sheikh. That's the man you were staying with right?”
Olivia felt a cold claw of fear grasp her heart. Her eyes widened. “They're sending someone to kill Makeen?”
“Yes. Tonight, as he enters the art gallery showing. I'm risking my life just telling you this. Olivia … I don't care what you do with this information, but I need to get out of Zahar with Mom and Dad …”
She was already nodding. She set down her violin case long enough to throw her arms around him.
“I'm not sorry for anything I've done for you,” she whispered fiercely. “I love you.”
He held her for a moment, and she was painfully aware that this might be the last time that either of them said anything to each other. The last time she ever saw her brother.
Then he was gone, and she had a decision to make.
She didn't even hesitate. When David disappeared, she plunged down the stairwell, leaping down the last few steps to hit the ground running.
She didn't know what was going to happen tonight, but she knew that she would never forgive herself if she didn't do something.
***
Makeen hadn't expected the gallery opening to be particularly exciting, but he hadn't expected it to be this boring, either.
He supposed that the problem had less to do with the gallery than it had to do with him. Everything had felt as if it were covered in a fog of gray.
When he had gotten back from the mountains, he had ordered David's release and then threw himself into his work. At night, he went out to his favorite clubs, but nothing held the
She could believe it. After Makeen walked away from her on the tarmac, never looking back, she had felt something in herself close off. Olivia had no idea if it was permanent, or if she would ever be able to get that part of herself back. At the moment, she didn't even care.
Olivia had an idea of how her life might move forward. She might get into a professional orchestra, or she might simply scrape by as she had been doing. She thought she would eventually pull away from her family, strike out on her own.
At the moment, the thought brought her nothing at all, so she simply existed. She earned money, she talked with her brother, and in her more lucid moments, Olivia was worrried that she might be like this forever.
***
One day, Olivia came home to find her parents packing frantically and her brother on the phone, talking with low hushed tones.
For the first time in what felt like weeks, she felt a spark of panic.
“What's happening? What's going on?”
Her mother spared her a look as she shoved clothes into an old duffle bag. “It's Stavros, who used to employ your brother. He's been on the war path since the raid, and now he's bringing it all to bear. Your brother got off not once, but twice, so of course that means he's a snitch.”
Mayellen glared at Olivia, and in that moment, Olivia could feel any bonds connecting her to the woman falling away. Instead, she turned to her brother, who had just hung up his phone, his face pale.
“David? David, what's going on?”
David's face was pale, but composed. “You heard the bulk of it from Mom. If Stavros catches me on the street, he's going to have me executed. I need to get out of the country and fast, but Sis, step into the hall with me. There's something I need to tell you.”
Mystified, still holding her violin, she followed him. In the airless stairwell of the building, her brother turned to her.
“I am so sorry for everything. I … I heard about what you did for me …”
She started to hold her hands up, because she didn't think that she could bear this, but he forged ahead.
“No, listen to me. I haven't asked you about this because … well, because it is private. It's your story, and you would have come to me if you needed something. But I think that one way or another, you need to know this.
“Stavros is a fucking madman, and he wants everyone who blew his organization dead from top to bottom. He's sending a man out to kill the Sheikh. That's the man you were staying with right?”
Olivia felt a cold claw of fear grasp her heart. Her eyes widened. “They're sending someone to kill Makeen?”
“Yes. Tonight, as he enters the art gallery showing. I'm risking my life just telling you this. Olivia … I don't care what you do with this information, but I need to get out of Zahar with Mom and Dad …”
She was already nodding. She set down her violin case long enough to throw her arms around him.
“I'm not sorry for anything I've done for you,” she whispered fiercely. “I love you.”
He held her for a moment, and she was painfully aware that this might be the last time that either of them said anything to each other. The last time she ever saw her brother.
Then he was gone, and she had a decision to make.
She didn't even hesitate. When David disappeared, she plunged down the stairwell, leaping down the last few steps to hit the ground running.
She didn't know what was going to happen tonight, but she knew that she would never forgive herself if she didn't do something.
***
Makeen hadn't expected the gallery opening to be particularly exciting, but he hadn't expected it to be this boring, either.
He supposed that the problem had less to do with the gallery than it had to do with him. Everything had felt as if it were covered in a fog of gray.
When he had gotten back from the mountains, he had ordered David's release and then threw himself into his work. At night, he went out to his favorite clubs, but nothing held the
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