Page 28 of The Silent
But then he’d seen her in Rekaves, standing up to the scribes and singers of Mikael’s line, holding her own with Sari, one of the most dominant and warlike singers Leo had ever known. She’d grown. She’d come into herpower.
Then…
Thenhe’d wanted her. He’d craved her. He’d sought her company but always felt a wall hanging between them. He longed for her. Wondered where she had gone when she left with her brother. Sari had tried to convince Kyra to stay at Rekaves with her, but Kyra had refused. Leo suspected her brother had been thereasonwhy.
Then Kyra had reacted with panic when he’d offered to call Kostastonight.
What wasgoingon?
Had she been cast out? Impossible. Was she hiding? Niran’s words indicatedotherwise.
How long did she want to talk to Niran? Would she come tonight? He glanced at his phone and noticed it was after midnight. Then he tapped the number she’d entered earlier, adding it to his contacts along with a picture he’d snapped of her in Rekaves. She’d been laughing with one of the children Damien and Sari had rescued, holding the little boy as he tried tosquirmaway.
Happy. She’d been sohappy.
“What about your ownfamily?”
“I don’t know if that is possibleforme.”
Though thekareshtawere daughters of the Fallen, they were still angelic. They could have children. There were severalkareshtawho were pregnant from Irin scribes. Some they’d identified even had children with human mates, though it was unusual. What was the sorrow that shadowedhereyes?
A tapping came atthedoor.
Leo sprang up and rushed toward it, flinging it open only to see Alyah on theotherside.
“Oh,” he said. “It’syou.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Clearly not who you werehopingfor.”
No, but he did have a few questions. “Why don’t you come in?” He held the door open and Alyah walkedinside.
“Did youfindher?”
“Yes.”
“Wasshesafe?”
“Apparently.” How to broach the topic without having Alyah clam up? She was highly loyal to her watcher. She practically worshipped Dara, and Leo understood why. “I spoke briefly to the Grigori you’ve been watching. There are some interesting thingsabouthim.”
“Oh?” She sat on the bench in the small living area. “We have been watching for some time. It’s apparent he’s not feeding onhumans.”
“When we first spoke, you were skeptical about the existence of thekareshta. You didn’t know if this group of Grigori were protecting any sistersornot.”
“Arethey?”
“It would seem so,” Leo said. “It would also seem that two or more scribes—I wasn’t able to get specifics—attempted to abduct one of their sistersrecently.”
Alyah wasn’t prone to strong reactions, but that got herattention. “What?”
“Two scribes. He said they tried to grab one of his sisters from atemple.”
“I know nothingaboutthis.”
“Then this Grigori said: ‘Watchers know best, do they not?’ Alyah, are you sure that Dara has no knowledge of thekareshtathis Grigori isprotecting?”
She frowned and leaned forward. “I told you we were skeptical they truly existed. Why would Dara lie about them if she knew they werethere?”
“Why would scribes try to abduct a woman praying at atemple?”
