Page 108 of The Silent
Leo fell silent. It had been an ongoing argument from the time they’d descended the hills and Kyra had begun to hear theFallen.
“I can help,” she said. “I want to, and I promised the girls back in Chiang Mai I’d getPrijaback.”
“We have her brotherswithus.”
“They don’t know,” Kyra hissed. “Have they heard her mind? No. They have no idea what they’redealingwith.”
Prija had retreated so far into her mind that even Kyra was having trouble hearing her. She’d surrendered to the darkness around her. Every day, the wall grew a little harder. A little moredense.
Part of Kyra was grateful. Despite Prija’s fractured psyche, her ability to block meant she could protect herself. Part of Kyra was worried. Too long in the darkness wasn’t a good indicator of Prija’s mental health. It would only take a certain amount of pressure from Arindam to crack her open if he wanted to. If the darkness Prija had gathered around her cracked open, Kyra didn’t know what would happen. She could lash out at the Fallen. She could lash out at herbrothers.
Kyra had seen both thingshappen.
“What is that?” Leo pointed to thecorner.
Kyra had taken the cloth Intira had woven and draped it along the sofa in the sitting area. “Intiramadeit.”
Leo stared at the weaving. “Is that a traditional Thaipattern?”
“I don’t know. She gave it to me to give to Prija. Told me that Prija would know what it is. I was hoping it would give me some kind of insight into what she’s feeling or how her mind works, but so far…” Kyra turned toward him. “Why doyouask?”
“Because it looks like Hurrian,” he murmured. “But there’s no way a child in rural Thailand would have seen anythinglikethat.”
“What’sHurrian?”
“It’s the earliest known human musical notation,” Leo said. “There are rumors that some very early scribes tried to record Irina song in a similar way, but scholars believe they’re wholly human. Nothing supernaturalaboutit.”
“Strange. Why would Intira weave somethinglikethat?”
“She wouldn’t.” Leo sat up, sliding his hand into Kyra’s to maintain contact. “Unless…"
“Do youthinkVasu—”
“Maybe.” Leo raised an eyebrow. “Her mind isbrilliant.”
“He’d be drawn to her,”Kyrasaid.
Do you seeityet?
Kyra blinked. “Vasuvisitedme.”
“I know,” Leo said. “He kissedyoutoo.”
“What?” She shook her head. “Don’t distract me. There was something aboutseeingthe music. I bet he did show Intira something. Did you ever visit hercottage?”
Leo shook his head. “Iwouldn’t.”
“She had… numbers. Equations? I don’t know much about math, but can music be written with numbers? Is thatpossible?”
Leo frowned. “Music is pitch. Frequency. Tempo and rhythm. Harmonies are all based on mathematical ratios. I wouldn’t know how to write it, but if you assigned numbers to certain notes, I imagine it would bepossible.”
“Intira’s room was covered in equations. Maybe it’s something she invented for herself. Maybe it’s something Vasu showed her. Or a combination of the two. But is it possible that Intira is hearing something and Vasu showed her a way of writingitdown?”
“What would she be hearing?”Leosaid.
“I don’t know.” Kyra looked at Leo’s hand holdingherown.
Do you seeityet?
