Page 110 of The Silent
“Yes,” Kyra said. “She said Prija would know what itmeant.”
Niran spoke quietly. “If this is music that Prija can read, then it’suseful.”
“How?” Kyraasked.
“We need to get you to her,” Sura said. “We’ll attack the compound, but Kyra will need to get to Prija. That will be herpriority.”
“No,” Leo said. “Someoneelsecan—”
“No,” Rith said. “We don’t have warriors to spare. This started out as a simple rescue mission for onekareshtaand has grown into a massive incursion into the heart of a Fallen stronghold. We have seven warriors. We can’t spare one to get a coded message to a single woman who may not even be rational at thispoint.”
“A single woman who was instrumental in killing Tenasserim,” Niran said. “She’s not a babbling idiot. Any injuries to her mind were gained in battle, and Arindam took her for a reason. Prija is still a formidableweapon.”
Leo tried to jump in. “Kyra is not a warrior. Shecan’t—”
“A formidable weapon?” Rith argued. “That may be true, but your sister ishisweapon unless we kill the Fallen. And we can’t spare a warrior to find her. Not if we’re going to go killArindam.”
“Kyra can’t go by herself!” Leoshouted.
“She’ll have to,” Rith said, glancing at Kyra. “I’ve spoken to Alyah. She’ll be fine. You can clear a path for her, scribe, but don’t lose focus. Lose focus, and wealldie.”
Leo was seething. “I did not come to Thailand to lose my mate in yourbattle.”
“No, you came to Thailand in order to facilitate communication and relations between the free Grigori, thekareshta, and the Irin scribes of Bangkok,” Rith said. “Congratulations, we’re working together now, trying to kill a Fallen who is abusing women and preying on humans in Myanmar. You’re going to abandon the mission now because you’re worried aboutyourmate?”
“I’ll do it,” Kyra said, squeezing Leo’s hand. “Leo, Ihaveto.”
“No, you don’t,” he said. “This is madness. The Grigori inthere—”
“It has to be Kyra,” Sura said. “Prija will listentoher.”
“Sometimes,” Kyra said. “Notalways.”
“Then you’ll have tomakeher listen,” Sura said. “There’s a reason you were given this message.” Sura lifted the weaving. “A reason the angel showed this to Intira. There is a reason foreverything.”
Kyra shook her head. “She won’t listen to me. Not always. I have a fifty-fifty chanceatbest.”
“No.” Sura smiled. “You have a mission that must succeed for us to live. That means whatever must be done to make my sister listen, youwilldo.”
ChapterTwenty-Two
Leo was in a rage.Kyra kept trying to hold him back, and he kept pulling away, pacing their room while turning over the mission inhishead.
Six warriors and Kyra. Six. There had to be a way to get more. They had to. Kyra couldn’t go into this battle. Granted, Niran and his men were far more effective than most Grigori because of theirSak Yantand discipline, but they weren’t scribes. The only trained Irin warriors they had were him, Rith, and Alyah. He didn’t know what battle magic Alyah had, but it couldn’t be enough to make up for thenumbers.
Why was Rith so determined to rush into this? Why couldn’t they wait for more scribes from Bangkok? It was a short flight to thecity.Why—
“Leo.” Kyra was sitting hunched in the chair, rubbing her temple. “Please canyoustop?”
“I’mthinking.”
“And I’minpain.”
“Damn.” He rushed to take her hand. She hadn’t been trying to hold him back, she’d been trying to hold him. “I’m an idiot. Iforgot.”
She sighed, but her forehead relaxed when he took both her handsinhis.
“I’m not usually thishelpless.”
