Page 87 of The Silent
She sat in the rear of the van, watching Niran and Leo draw in the dirt as Suralookedon.
He’d come back to her the night before, fresh with excitement for the coming skirmish, even though he thought it would be a small challenge. It didn’t matter. He was a warrior at heart, like her brothers. They were never happier than when they could battle an enemy. In this case, Niran and Sura were hoping Arindam’s Grigori would flee before they confronted them. They had no desire to hurt boys unless the boys were dangerous to the humans in the valley, and according to Sura, there were no rumors of human deaths. Like his own brothers, the Grigori in this compound seemed to be livingpeacefully.
Kyra had herdoubts.
She’d heard the thoughts of the Grigori in the compound. Though they might have been controlling themselves, it wasn’t out of any great love for humanity. They were simply wary of attracting attention. She’d heard their hunger and greed. She had no illusions that they were the same kind of disciplined band that Sura andNiranled.
“I don’t like this,” Kyra told Leo when heapproachedher.
He put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. “I’llbefine.”
“I think you’re allunderestimatingthem.”
“Why?”
“They’re ruled by fear,” she said. “Didn’t you hearthemtoo?”
Leo shook his head. “I only heard a fraction of whatyoudid.”
“But you heardtheirfear?”
“OfArindam?Yes.”
“Frightened creatures pushed into a corner can be the most vicious,” she said. “They strike outunpredictably.”
Leonodded.
“Just becareful.”
Leo narrowed his eyes. “Maybe I should take you with me. Not to fight, but to be where I can keep an eyeonyou.”
“I’d be a distraction. Alyah is right in that. I’d like to help with thewomen.”
“Help with the van,” he said. “It’s early, but if anyone comes along, you can play the helplesstourist.”
They’d propped up the hood of the van. That way, if anyone looked, it would appear that Kyra was waiting on the rest of her party to return with help for the busted vehicle. There were more donkey carts than cars on the road, but Sura speculated that no one would question a tourist van with an engine problem tooclosely.
“You have your knives?” Leoasked.
“Yes.”
“Good.” He kissed the top of her head. “We’re ready to go. Keep safe, and we’ll be back shortly. I have my phone in my vest if you need me. If anythinghappens,call.”
Without a backward glance, Niran, Sura, Alyah, and Leo jogged off into the forest, leaving Kyrabehind.
* * *
Leo hated leavingKyra with the van, but there was little she could do against trained warriors. She was proficient against humans, and she’d be fine with the women, but she didn’t speak the language. Any assistance she could give would be more of a distraction than anything else. Niran wanted to go in quick and get outquicker.
They jogged down a rabbit trail through the forest, Sura leading the way. When he held up a fist, they all stopped on top of a small ridge. Switching to hand signals, he indicated he and Alyah would go right, toward the women’s cottages, while Leo and Niran took on the main house where the Grigori lived. Leo brushed a hand over histalesm prim, noticing that Niran was chanting a mantra under his breath. Like Leo’stalesm, Niran’sSak Yantlit with a lowsilverglow.
Though he’d never fought with Niran before, the Grigori moved much like Malachi, swift and silent. Following him, Leo ducked under vines and low-hanging tree limbs. He could see the steep roof of the building under theridge.
They came upon the first guard at the end of the trail. His eyes went wide a second before Niran fell on him, covering his mouth and pressing his thumb into a point under the man’s armpit. The man went limp at his knees, then with a swift blow to the head, Niran rendered himunconscious.
Tucking the guard under a bush, Niran nodded to Leo to continue downthepath.
Leo found the second guard at the top of a stone staircase. He didn’t use any fancy pressure points; he just punched the Grigori in the jaw, his massive fist snapping the man’s head back as his eyes rolled up. He put the guard under a tree and followed Niran down thestairs.
