Page 45 of The Silent
“Prija?”
She didn’t like to worry her little sister, but she could barely stand the pain. It felt like claws ripping intohermind.
Kanok, whereareyou?
He’d been the only one who could heal her when the voices became too much. He’d been the only one whose touch pulled her back tosanity.
But Kanokwasgone.
Small hands shoved a long wooden bow intoherhand.
“Play,” Intira said. “It will make you feel better if you can. Play something,Prija.”
Prija kept her eyes closed, but she held the delicate neck of thesaw sam saion instinct. She put the bow to the strings and pulled a tentative note. It was scratching and flat. She pulledagain.
“Keep going,”Intirasaid.
She kept playing until the worst of the pain had passed. The music pulled it from her like string tugged from a deep pocket. The pain unfurled in the air and drifted out the window, escaping into thenightsky.
ChapterTen
Leo’s elationlasted until dinner that night. As soon as they walked into the garden holding hands, he saw it. He noticed the glances between Sura and Niran. Saw Ginny’s unveiled curiosity and Alyah’s blankexpression.
“They will not like it,” Kyra said. “Neither my people nor yours.Kareshtawho decide to go withIrinmen…”
“What?”
“People make assumptions.” She kept her voice low. “That thekareshtaare after something. That the Irin men are takingadvantage.”
“That has nothing to do with us,”hesaid.
Kyra shrugged, but he could see her turning inward. “People will think what theythink.”
“Exactly.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, leaned down, and kissed her full on the lips. “People will think what they want. And we willignorethem.”
She offered him a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. He saw the trepidation, and it made him want to rage. He decided that, for the night, he would ignore the pointed looks and unspoken curiosity of the people around them. But if it persisted past natural curiosity, he’d be breaking a few heads. Irin or Grigori, he didn’t much care. Their stares had turned Kyra’s earlier happiness tocaution.
Damnthem.
They sat next to each other at the low table where they had taken lunch earlier intheday.
Niran was the first to speak. “We didn’t see you thisafternoon,Kyra.”
“No.” She folded her hands on her lap. “I took the afternoon off to spend timewithLeo.”
Leo couldn’t have been more proud of her if she’d stood on the table and shouted that she was his. Her voice never rose, but it never wavered either. He saw Sura smile in his direction and suspected they had at least one ally at thetable.
“So!” Ginny was smiling. “How is this going to work?” She waved a finger between them. “I’m going to be nosy. I’ll just warn you inadvance.”
Leo raised his eyebrows. “Didn’t your parents have that conversation with you, Ginny?” Kyra squeaked beside him. Actually squeaked. “I’m sorry,” Leo pretended he hadn’t heard Kyra. “Maybe after dinner, Alyah and I can find a website for you. I’m pretty sure there are a few that might explain things, probably in more detail thanyouwant.”
Ginny laughed, but Alyah broke in with a serious voice. “You’re different. It’s not very sensible to ignore it. Your magic is different. Yourlives—”
“Our lives are our business,” Leo said. “But thank you for your concern, sister. I’m sure it comes from a sincereplace.”
Alyah lifted her hands and looked away, clearly not sharing Leo’s opinion but unwilling to offeroffense.
Kyra was a silent statue beside him. He took her hand and put it in his lap, playing with her fingers as the monks poured tea for the table and Niran and Sura’s brothers served the food. There was fragrant rice and delicate curry. A whole fish coated in a thick layer of salt sat on a platter. Noodles with fresh vegetables were passed around the table, but the tensionremained.
