Page 113 of The Silent
They crouched behind a clump of bushes and watched the cinder block building. It was clear that the two guards knew something was going on. They chatted back and forth, one pointing toward the temple while the other shook his head. Some argument took place, but the one pointing toward the temple did not relent. After a few minutes, he walked off in thatdirection.
“Leo!”
“Waithere!”
She nodded, and Leo forced himself to leave her. He ran after the guard and intercepted him before he reached the temple. He pulled him behind another clump of trees in the garden, muffling the Grigori as he tried to shout. As soon as he had a clear shot, he plunged his knife into the man’s spine and waited for the body todissolve.
He crept back to the edge of the compound, knowing that the rustling and struggle must have been heard. Within seconds, more Grigori were coming out ofdoors.
The element of surprisewasgone.
He ran toward Kyra, grabbed her hand, and dragged her behind as he rushed the last guard at the women’s quarters. The man dodged Leo’s blow and ducked under his arm, punching Leo in the kidney with quick jabs. This Grigori was not a helpless opponent. The man’s elbow snapped back and caught Kyra in the nose. She cried out and blood poured from her nose. She fell to the ground and rolled away from hisquickfeet.
Leo roared at the sight of her blood and swung around, hooking the man around the neck with his massive arm. He snapped the Grigori’s neck to the side with one sharp jerk, then watched the man fall under his own weight. Leolookeddown.
Kyra was reaching toward the Grigori, her knife out and slicing the man’s Achilles tendon at bothankles.
Leo grinned. “Mywoman.”
“Is he dead? He’s notdissolving.”
The Grigori was spitting up blood and jerking in Leo’s arms. He spun the Grigori around and plunged the knife in, tossing the body to the side as he helped Kyra up and wipedherface.
“Canyousee?”
She nodded. “It might be broken.” She stuffed a rag under her nose and pointed to the door. “But I’m fine.Let’sgo.”
Without another word, Leo yanked at the doorknob, but the solid metal door didn’tbudge.
“Wait,” Kyra said. She went to the dust of the last Grigori and scattered it with her foot. “Here.” She bent down, grabbed the keys, and tossed themtoLeo.
He tried three keys before he found the one that worked. Then he shoved them in his pocket and opened the door. Kyra keptbehindhim.
Leo kept his knife out. You never knew ifkareshtawould be hostileornot.
No males, Kyra whispered inhismind.
That is veryhandy.
A hallway stretched before them, four doors on each side. Leo tried one.Locked.
He tried the keys.Noluck.
“Stand back,” he said quietly. “These open in. I can workwiththat.”
“How—”
Leo spoke to the first door in a loud firm voice. “Stand away from the door,” he said inBurmese.
He heard scuttling and waited for it to stop before he drew on his magic and kicked in the first door. It swung in with a crash, but there was no sound on the other side. Peering inside, he saw two young women and a small girl huddling in the corner. The room smelled like human waste andurine.
“Kyra?”
She ducked under his arm. “Hello,” she said quietly. “I’m Kyra. My husband and I are going to take you out of here and make you safe. Will you come with us?” Leo translated her words in Burmese as she spoke, hoping the women spoke the majority language of the region. By their relieved looks and quick nods, they did. They both scrambled to their feet, and one of the women picked up the little girl, who begantocry.
A quick burst of power filled the room with the littlegirl’scry.
Kareshta.
