Page 106 of The Silent
The Grigori had learned to keep theirdistance.
The next day, no one cameforher.
Or thenextday.
Orthenext.
Prija wassilent.
ChapterTwenty-One
The cityof Old Bagan was a hot, dry plain dotted with sparse trees and a thousand ancient temples and pagodas. It sat in a curve of the Irrawaddy River, the slow-moving tributary that ferried passengers, cargo, and small fishing boats north and south in the central plains of Myanmar. Kyra watched from the comfort of a shaded horse carriage as wooden boats moved on the river. According to Sura, they were passing time and distracting themselves while Niran, Alyah, Rith, and Leo surveyed the compound in the hills where Arindam was keepingPrija.
Kyra’s own templesthrobbed.
“Is it the heat?” Niranasked.
“A little bit. Mostly it’s thenoise.”
From the time they’d descended from the Shan Hills and onto the central plain, a low, discordant resonance had begun in Kyra’s mind. There were no spells that erased it. Even Alyah’s skills had done nothing to block the noise. It was a constant, low hum that scraped against her mind and wouldn’t let her rest unless she maintained skin contactwithLeo.
It was one of theFallen.
“Arindam,” Sura said. “It is said he was a messenger inheaven.”
“Which means he uses spoken power,”Kyrasaid.
“Which means you will have little way of blocking his voice should he choose to turn it against you,” Sura said. “You must becareful.”
“I’m no one to him.” She closed her eyes and put a hand over them to block the vivid sunlight. “He won’t know Iexist.”
“If his sons have reportedhearingyou—”
“They can’thearme.”
“But they can feel your presence. They tried to hold your mind inMandalay.”
“Maybe.” She was short-tempered. “Perhaps. I doubt they consider me a threat. I’m a radar, Sura. Nothing more.Nothingless.”
“You sell yourselfshort.”
“I’m a well-bred antenna. That’s hardly something for an angel to worryabout.”
“Whynot?”
“Because,” she snapped, “even if I can hear him, what can I do?Nothing. I don’t have any useful magic. Not for combat. Not that would frighten aFallen.”
“Hmm.” Sura closed his eyes and leaned back against thepaddedseat.
Kyra sat and stewed in thegrowingheat.
“Are you liking thepagodas?”
She took a deep breath. “If I wasn’t very hot and very irritated, I’m sure I’d appreciatethemmore.”
“We’ll go back.” He whistled at the driver and spoke to him. The cart began to turn and Kyra feltchurlish.
“Don’t,” she said. “It’s beautiful here. I’m just beingcross.”
