Page 23 of The Silent
“Loud noises distract me too. I’m glad you recovered. If you get in trouble, grabmyhand.”
“Thanks.”
Sura grinned at the girl and gently touched her shoulder. “I’m so happy for you,sister.”
“You’re the youngest and the oldest,” Kyra said. “I just realized. Niran said you were the oldest brother. And Intira is the youngestsister.”
“Yes,” Sura said. “There are more stories to tell, but maybe not at the markettonight.”
“No.” Kyra watched Intira take everything in. She was like a sponge. A delighted sponge. “This night is too beautiful to share thosestories.”
“You speak thetruth.”
Kyra remembered the first time she’d experienced the public market in Thessaloniki, near where she’d been born. It was the first time Kostas had taken her into public with him after they thought they were free of theirfather.
Kyra had ended the day shaking and in tears. The voices in the market had nearly rendered her unconscious. She’d been told from birth she was weaker than her brothers. Told she was fragile and breakable and incapable. No matter how valued her twin brother was, Kyra was useless and always would be because her mindwasweak.
Her first foray out of her father’s compound confirmed every fear she’dharbored.
Kostas had told her she was strong, but she’d never believed him. And his protection over the years and decades since—no matter how well-meant—hadn’t helped her confidence. She still struggled with malicious voices in her mind. Once, they’d come from the outside. Now they whispered fromwithin.
“Sura, look! Is that the ice cream?” The young girl pointed in the direction of a stall selling elaborate treats with candiedfruit.
Intira didn’t wear Kyra’s shadows. According to Niran and Sura, she’d been sheltered nearly from birth. Her mother had died, not from the strain of an angelic pregnancy, but from trying to escape from their father. It was the woman’s death that had spurred Niran, Sura, and Kanok to action. Sura had gathered allies from his travels who helped them, other Grigori who bore the tattoos he’d learnedtoink.
“The Grigori you tattooed today,” Kyra said. “Is he stillaround?”
Sura paused. “I believe he’s staying at a temple closer to Chiang Rai. Many of our free brothers choose a monastic life if they can handle it. It lessenstemptation.”
“You’reamonk.”
“For now. My vows were not for life. I try to be open to possibilities in all things. Right now my sisters’ well-being is at the front of my mind. That’s why I’m so grateful that you’ve come to teach them what Ican’t.”
“Kyra is a great teacher.” Intira looked up at her brother. “But you’re still my favorite bigbrother.”
“Fine. You can have the rest of my noodles,” Sura said, handing his bowl to Intira. “But that doesn’t mean I’m sharing my ice creamwithyou.”
“You said youwould!”
“I’ll buy you your own.” Sura slung his arm around Intira’s shoulder and steered her toward the ice cream vendor who was spreading fruit and other sweets over the ice-cold slab where he mixed thetreat.
Kyra watched them walk away and wondered if she should try to catch up with Niran. She eased past a crowd watching a street performer with puppets and started when someone grabbedherhand.
She stopped with a gasp when everything wentquiet.
Everything.
Thecrowds.
Theband.
The background hum of the soulssurroundingher.
Kyra didn’t need to turn around to know who held her hand in his warmgrasp.
She turnedanyway.
“Leo.”
