Page 54 of The Silent
“What does it mean?” she whispered, her stomach inknots.
She didn’t know what she was expecting, but it wasn’t for the giant man to drop to his knees before her, kneeling on the forest floor. He took both her hands in his and pressed them to his forehead, whispering words in the Irin language she didn’t understand. He pressed her palms to his face, and she felt tears on hischeeks.
“Leo, I don’tunderstand.”
He lifted his face, and she had no trouble interpreting hisexpressionthen.
Pure, incandescent joy. His smile lit thenight.
“What doesreshonmean,Leo?”
He rose before her, pressed her hands over his heart, and took her mouth in a fierce, radiant kiss. “We don’t have time right now, but I’ll explain later. I promise.” He started jogging through the trees, Kyra forced tofollow.
“That’s not fair.” She tried to keep up with him. “Leo, you need to tellmenow.”
He lifted her in his arms, picking up the pace as if she weighed nothing. “After we get your sister. Ipromiseyou.”
* * *
Leo’s elationhad been tamped down by the time they reached the others. Someone had cleared the dining table and a map spread across it. Alyah was talking on the phone in rapid Thai while Sura, Ginny, and Niran examinedthemap.
“Kyra found Prija,” Leo said. “She listened for her andheardher.”
“How?” Sura didn’t look anything like a laid-back college kid anymore. His expression was blank, but Kyra could feel the slow-burning anger in him. She could even see his tattoos lighting up like Irin tattoos sometimes did. They had a silver tinge she’d never seenbefore.
“When I focus my mind, I can hear very far,” Kyra said. “When I heard Prija, she was heading north. I’m almost sure she’s in a car because she was going too fast to bewalking.”
Ginny looked at the map spread out on the table. “This road,maybe?”
Niran nodded. “If she’s heading directly north, that would be the only path. It’s a good road. Very clear. Winds through some small villages, but it’s allpaved.”
“It’ll take them straight into Burma,” Ginny said. “Howlong?”
“Two, two and a half hours perhaps?”Surasaid.
Niran asked, “Any reason why Irin would take Prija into Burma? You don’t have any scribe housesthere.”
Ginny shook her head. “That whole area is controlled byArindam.”
Sura looked up. “You know ofArindam?”
Ginny said, “The Fallen who controls most of Myanmar? Of course we know about him. He’s been making attacks into Irin-controlled areas of northern India. It’s a hugeproblem.”
Niran was staring at the map. “We don’t have fast cars. They’re taking the most direct route. There’s no way to cut them off. I’ll take the motorbikes with two others and see if I can catch up with them.” He nodded to Sura. “Keep your phone on. I’ll call if Ifindthem.”
“Wait!” Kyra said. “There were three of them. One Irin and twoGrigori.”
Every eye turnedtowardher.
“What?”Niransaid.
“Only one Irin has her. There are two Grigoriwithhim.”
Sura said, “One Irin and twoGrigori?”
Everyone was silent for amoment.
“It doesn’t matter,” Niran said. “We have to go after her. We won’t go into Burma, but until they reach Arindam’s territory, they’re fair game.” He nodded at two of his men. “Let’sgo.”
