Page 29 of The Silent
“Maybe they thought she was human,” Alyah said. “Maybe they thought they were protecting her fromGrigori.”
“We’re not supposed to touch humans,” Leo said. “It can be harmfultothem.”
Alyah gave him another skeptical look. “Do you truly think all scribes are as honorable as that? Besides, Dara doesn’t command every scribe in Thailand. Perhaps they were independent and believed this woman waskareshta. Maybe they believed they were saving her from anangel.”
“Or perhaps they were eager to find an available female,” Leo saidquietly.
Alyah’s lip curled. “Theywouldn’t—”
“They would,” Leo said. “They have. It’s happened inEurope.”
“Scribes have kidnapped thesekareshta?Abductedthem?”
“They dress it up,” Leo said. “Say they’re rescuing them from the Grigori. Or theFallen.”
“Maybetheyare.”
“And maybe they want a grateful female who looks to them for protection,” Leo said. “Akareshtain debt to them for their freedom. If that’s happening in Thailand, you must put a stop to it. The mandate from the council is clear: the protection of thekareshta, not their exploitation. Sometimes protecting them might mean protecting the brothers theydependon.”
“Grigori?” Alyah said. “Leaving them alone is one thing, butprotectingthem?”
“Some of these men have given everything—given their own lives—to keep their sisters safe. Many love their families just as much as Irin love theirs. Taking akareshtaaway from brothers who have been her caretakers and protectors only traumatizes themagain.”
“Unless they want to go.” Alyah stood. “Who says these Grigori aren’t keeping their sisters under their thumbs just as much as the Fallen did? Irina have options. We have power. We have independence. We havemagic.”
“You have independence because you have magic. You want thekareshtato havethattoo?”
Alyah fellsilent.
It was one thing to rail at the Grigori. It was another thing to offer magic to a race that had very recently been the enemy. Alyah’s reaction was notunexpected.
“We wait for Kyra to call me,” he said. “At this point, it’s all wecando.”
ChapterSeven
The rideback to the temple was completely and utterly silent. At least on the outside. Two Grigori sat in the back of the pickup truck, watching for any hint of a tail as Kyra sat in the front seat next to Niran and Intira sat in the backwithSura.
Niran was furious. His soul voice raged, and Kyra had a difficult time blocking him. Most of his anger felt like it was projected outward, but some sounded like it wentwithin.
Kyra glanced over her shoulder and saw Intira’s jaw clench. If Kyra was having trouble blocking Niran, she could only imagine what Intira wasfeeling.
Very calmly, she said, “Just because you’re silent doesn’t mean we can’thearyou.”
Sura said something Kyra couldn’t understand, but whatever it was ratcheted down the tension in the truck. The atmosphere still wasn’t pleasant, but it wasbetter.
Once they arrived at the temple, Intira fled to her cottage, and Kyra waited by the vehicle. Niran barked orders at his men, then turnedtoKyra.
His eyes flashed, and Kyra saw the predator he was bred to be. A frisson of fear worked its way down her spine, but she stoodstraight.
“We need to talk,”hesaid.
She shook her head. “Not when you’re like this.” She started back toward her cottage, and Niran grabbed her elbow. Kyra twisted under his arm and brought her fist down hard on the inside of his elbow as Sirius had taught her. Niran hissed and droppedhishand.
“Do not make the mistake of thinking,” Kyra said in a low voice, “that because I am quiet, I am defenseless. I will talk to you in the morning, Niran. You attacked a friend of mine, provoked a powerful scribe, and turned this night into a bad memory for a sister you love. Think about that.” She turned to Sura, who was watching quietly. “Would you walk me to my cottage,please?”
Sura inclined his head and lifted an eyebrow in Niran’s direction before he walked off with Kyra, his hands clasped behindhisback.
Kyra walked into the trees where faint lights lit the path back to thekareshtacottages. She had controlled her emotions all night, but in the quiet rustle of the wind in the bamboo, her walls began tocrumble.
