Page 15 of The Silent
The other women were aware now, watching Kyra withwaryeyes.
Kyra felt the mental punch a second before she shouted, “Ziyada!”
Prija fell over unconscious as Kyra’s nose gushed with blood. Intira held a hand towel out to Kyra as Kanchana and Bun Ma rushed to their unconscioussister.
Bun Ma spoke quietly as Kanchana rolled Prija to her side and put a blanket under her head. If the previous three weeks were any indication, the woman would sleep for several hours, then wake and continue on as if nothing had happened. Kyra didn’t know if she was getting through at all. She justhoped.
“Bun Ma said that our sister lasted much longer this time,”Intirasaid.
“She did.” Kyra pressed the cloth to her nose and pinched the bridge. “Progress.”
“Why do you let Prija come every day when she makes you bleed?” Intiraasked.
“Does she want tobehere?”
“Kanchana says she does,”Intirasaid.
“Then she may come,” Kyra said. “As long as she wants to attend, she is welcome. I can defendmyself.”
“Her rages are gettingbetter.”
“Then something is getting through.” Kyra patted Intira’s hand even though the girl flinched. “We will keepworking.”
Intira rubbed her hand where Kyra had touched her. She wasn’t offended, juststartled.
Like Kyra and her sisters, Intira was unaccustomed to any human or Grigori touch. Soul voices were usually stronger with contact, sokareshtalearned very early to avoid touching any other being unless absolutely necessary. It was why few of them ever took lovers or mates until some had learned to shield themselves. Kyra used to think she didn’t like to be touched, until one day a tall scribe took her hand and made the voicesgoaway.
Was it Irin magic? Or was itsimplyLeo?
No one else had ever given her true silence. Then again, Leo was the only scribe she’d ever touched. She’d craved it after a single moment. It was part of the reason she couldn’t allow her fascination with himtogrow.
“Let metellyou.”
“It will only make it worse when I leaveagain.”
“So don’t leave.Stayhere.”
“Ican’t.”
Intira crouched in front of her. “Kyra, are youfeelingwell?”
Kyra nodded and took the towel from her face. The bleeding had stopped and Kanchana had drawn a blanket over Prija. They left her in the meditation room they used for instruction. At some point during the day, Prija would wake and slip back to her room or escape into the forest. It was hard to keep track of her, but Niran was adamant. The compound was not a prison. As long as Prija wasn’t hurting anyone, she could come and go as shepleased.
“Come,” Intira said. “Kanchana says the brothers have prepared a mealforus.”
And it was a good thing they had. Kyra’s stomach was rumbling when she rose. Practicing controlled magic burned energy. Fighting off mental attacks from out-of-controlkareshtaburnedevenmore.
PrijaI
She woke alonein the emptycottage.
It was Prija’s preferred way of waking.Alone.
She sat up and looked around at the meditationcottage.
A place of peace and learning, the pale womanhadsaid.
Peace andlearning.
