The rain hammered against the floor-to-ceiling windows of the archive, turning the neon lights of the city into blurred streaks of violet and gold. I liked the silence of the basement level, the way the scent of old parchment and binding glue acted as a shield against the frantic pace of the metropolis above. But tonight, the silence felt heavy, charged with an electricity that made the fine hairs on my arms stand up.
I heard him before I saw him. A heavy, rhythmic tread that didn't belong to any of the other interns. It was a sound of absolute confidence, a predator walking through a garden.
"Still here, Elena?"
The voice was a low rumble, a vibration that I felt in my chest more than I heard in my ears. I turned to find Julian standing in the doorway. At forty-eight, he possessed a gr
