Page 114 of The Silent
Leo looked at Kyra and knew his mate had feltittoo.
The woman holding the girl soothed her as they moved to the room acrossthehall.
That room held a heavily pregnant woman who was nearlyskeletal.
Grigoribaby.
Leo and Kyra moved up the hall, gathering the women and children from Arindam’s harem, but they did not findPrija.
“I don’t hear her,” Kyra said. “I thought I did, but now there are too many voices and Ican’ttell.”
Leo knew she must be getting overwhelmed. He grabbedherhand.
She shook her head. “It’s not helping. Notanymore.”
“Let’s get them out of here,”Leosaid.
He looked in the last room on the right side. It was empty, but there was a long stringed instrument in thecorner. “Kyra?”
“Yes?” Kyra was trying to pick up two children who were tugging onherlegs.
“Did Prija play aninstrument?”
“Yes. It was stringed. Kind of… a teardrop shape. It had a blue jewel ontheface.”
He turned to the human woman next to him, the one from the room across the hall. This woman also looked half-dead and was nursing a baby. A boy from the looks of herpallor.
“The woman they kept in here,” he asked the mother. “Was shelikeyou?”
“No.” The woman pointed to the Grigori children. “She was like them. But darker. Evil likethemen.”
“What happenedtoher?”
“They took her away,” the woman said. “I don’t knowwhere.”
Leo nodded and ushered the women and children down the hall, jumping ahead to scout the areaoutside.
The fight had turned from silent to muffled struggle. He could hear scrambling in the forest around him and quick feet in the night, but he could see little. Even with his vision turned up to its most acute with magic, the night was moonless and pitch-black.
“Leo, we need to getthemaway.”
He nodded. “Will they stay in the van, do youthink?”
“They might panic if weleavethem.”
Leo heard someone crashing through the bushes. He braced himself to fight, but at the last minute, Sura broke through thetrees.
He scanned the group quickly. “NoPrija?”
“Theymovedher.”
“Find her!” Sura said. “I’ll take care of them.” He switched to Burmese and a soothing voice. “My sisters, I will guide you and your little ones away from here.” Leo could see the women and children drawn to Sura and his calm, centered spirit. “Pick up the little ones if you can. It will make the walk easier. Stay together.” He looked back at Leo. “Find Prija. Find her. Rith and Niran are in the temple, but they’re going to needPrija.”
“I’ll find her,” Kyra said. “You take care of the children.” She grabbed Leo’s hand. “Let’sgo.”
He followed her withoutaword.
Chapter Twenty-Three
