Page 101 of The Silent
Leo’s heart broke every time she talked about her past. “I thought Barak didn’t kill hischildren.”
“He didn’t, but others did. He had a rival who once raided the compound where Kostas and I were kept. His men killed most of the women and children there. Kostas and I stayed under the floorboards where one of our older brothers hid us. We werevaluable.”
“But the othersweren’t?”
“Not like us. There were children killed that day. Then I’m sure my older brothers retaliated. I’m sure some of them killed that Fallen’s children.” She stroked a hand through Leo’s hair. “It’s a very violent world. There is no softnessinit.”
“You were in it.” He knit his fingerswithhers.
“I had a brother who protected me,” Kyra said. “Kostas… he took the brunt of everythingforme.”
Leo spoke past the tightness in his throat. “Then I owe him a debt I can neverrepay.”
“He won’t let you pay him back. He’ll tell you it was his duty toprotectme.”
Leo paused. “Should we call him? Just to let him knowyou’rewell?”
“I called Sirius on Sura’s phone. I don’t want Kostas to know where I am yet. He’d worry too much.” She laughed a little. “He treats me with kid gloves, but he’ll be happy for me.Forus.”
“Ihopeso.”
“He will be,” Kyra said. “He always talked about my having a normal life. Especially after I met Ava and learned how to make the voices stop. He wanted that for me. To have a family. A home. Arealhome.”
“Is that what he wants forhimself?”
“He doesn’t think he’ll live that long,” Kyra said. “And he doesn’t think hedeservesit.”
“Love doesn’t work that way,” Leo said. “It’s a gift I hope he findssomeday.”
Kyra leaned over and kissed his head a moment before Leo’s eyes shut. “I hopesotoo.”
* * *
“No.”She shook her head, her eyes closed. “I’m not getting any sign of Prija, but I can’t be certain. There are so many people. So many Grigori.Kareshta. It’s a huge compound, but I don’t feel anyone familiar.” A tear slipped fromhereye.
“Kyra?” Leo put a hand on her shoulder. “Pullback.”
“There’s so much pain,” shewhispered.
“Pullback!”
“They need to take them away from there. Thechildren…”
She started to sob quietly, and Leo put both arms around her from behind. He embraced her hard and felt blood on his cheek. It was leaking from herrightear.
“Kyra,pullback.”
Her cries turned to moans and she began to shake. Leo raised his eyes to Sura in panic. He’d been able to pull Kyra out of her visions in the past, but she’d stretched so far, fallen so deeply, he could barely feel her. Herlivahwas stretched thin, nearly snapped away fromherbody.
Alyah strode over and put a hand on Kyra’stemple.
“Yakazas!”
Kyra’s head fell to the side and shewentlimp.
“What did you do?” Leoyelled.
“She’ll be fine,” Alyah said. “I diverted her mind. The mental version of a hard, fast punch. She might feel sick when she wakes up, but she’llbefine.”
