Page 56 of The Silent
“He is not allowedto be here!” Alyah said, her silver blades drawn on the Fallen angel sitting at the diningtable.
Leo stood between the Fallen and the rest of them, his hands up. “He’s not an enemy! Not…precisely.”
“I don’t need you to defend me,” the angel said. He was picking at the fruit on the table. “Do you have any sticky rice? I lovestickyrice.”
Kyra stared at him. “Whoareyou?”
“I’m Vasu. I felt you when you went looking for the other one,” he said. “You’re Barak’sdaughter.”
“How do youknowthat?”
“His power was distinctive,” Vasu said. “Can anyone find out about the sticky rice?” His eyes darted up to Sura. “You’re not what you seem. You’reinteresting.”
“I don’t consider that a compliment coming from a Fallen,” Sura saidquietly.
Vasu cocked his head, reminding Kyra of a curious bird. The Fallen had taken the form of a tall, handsome man with Northern Indian features. His skin was the color of cinnamon and his eyes were a vivid gold rimmed with black lashes. His lips were full and sensuous, and his hair was streaked black and amber. The angel exuded an erotic allure that was alien to Kyra, but there was something innately familiar about him at thesametime.
Vasu’s eyes turned toward her. “Yourememberme.”
“I don’tthinkso.”
“I am a friend of your father’s. I was with him often when you were young, but I was likely in adifferentform.”
“My fatherisdead.”
“No.” Vasu shook his head. “We don’t die, you see. Barak is merely…returned.”
“Is that supposed tocomfortme?”
Vasu frowned. “Why would I want tocomfortyou?”
Leo said, “Put your daggers away, Alyah. You won’t be able to kill himanyway.”
“That’s true,”Vasusaid.
Leo spun and faced the angel. “You’re nothelping.”
“Again, why would I wanttohelp?”
“Why are you here, Vasu?” Leoasked.
Vasu nodded at Kyra. “Becauseofher.”
“What?” Kyraasked. “Why?”
“You’re surprisingly powerful. I no longer wonder why he had such patience with you and yourbrother.”
Fear stabbed Kyra’s heart. “What do you know of mybrother?”
Vasu waved a hand and continued picking at the fruit. “I don’t care about your brother. But why areyouhere?”
“Whyareyou?”
Vasu rolled his eyes. “We’re going in circles. This is boring. Maybe Iwillgo.”
“Wait,” Leo said. “What do you know aboutArindam?”
The flare of anger was fast and frightening. In the blink of an eye, the lazy man with hooded eyes vanished, and in his place, a giant of seven feet appeared. Every trace of humanity was gone from Vasu’s visage. His eyes flashed, and the air around the tableheated.
