Page 88 of The Silent
The Thai Grigori moved with unearthly speed. Even Leo, who was known for his quick feet, had trouble keeping up. It was a blitz attack. Another guard met, another crumpled in a heap atNiran’sfeet.
They met their first real resistance when they entered the temple. Instead of the Buddha typical at the head of the altar, there was a great gold male figure with wings, his arms spread upward with two snakes wrapped around his wrists. Two Grigori knelt before him. Before Niran could reach them, the men spun and rushed Leo and Niran, gold knives in theirhands.
“Behind you!” Leo shouted, catching movement from the corner ofhiseye.
Niran tossed his opponent in Leo’s direction, spun, and met the two Grigori who had been standing behind the great doors of thetemple.
All four Grigori bore knives and looked ready tousethem.
Leo drew his silver knife, no longer reluctant to meet his attackers. Sticking out his foot, he hooked his ankle behind the knee of one Grigori, bringing the man to his knees. With a quick stab, he drove his blade into the neck of the Grigori soldier, shoving him to the side as he dissolved into dust at Leo’s feet. The other man jabbed Leo in the ribs with his blade, but Leo’stalesmdid not allow the blade to bite. Deflected by Leo’s magic, the Grigori came again, quicker than Leo had expected. These soldiers were young but notuntested.
A flurry of blows met his knee and his kidney, nearly taking Leo to his knees. He brought his elbow around, smashing the face of the Grigori with one quick blow. The man reeled back, stunned by the sudden strike, then Leo darted behind him and brought his blade down quickly and cleanly into the spine of the secondGrigori.
Dust intheair.
Leo turned and saw Niran still fighting one of the Grigori guards. The other lay on the ground, clutching his stomach while blood pooled beneath him. Leo started toward him, determined to put the Grigori out of hismisery.
“Wait!” Niran said, striking his opponent to the ground with an open hand and a hooked ankle. “I want to question that one.” He struck the Grigori again, snapping the man’s neck with a sickening punch. The Grigori fell in a heap, his neck at an unnaturalangle.
Niran walked over and flipped the bleeding Grigori tohisback.
“Arindam,” he asked. “Whereishe?”
“Not here,” the Grigori said, blood bubbling from his lips. “Not formonths.”
“Who took oursister?”
“Irin.”
“Youlie.”
“Irin”—he coughed up blood—“and two of our Chin brothers fromthewest.”
“Where is Prija now?” Niranasked.
“Too… dangerous. Chao-Tzang sent her away. He said she could not stay here. Our brother screamed and grabbed his head. She burnedhismind.”
“Yes,” Niran said. “She does that. Tell me where theytookher.”
“West.”
“I need more information than that.” Niran pressed the heel of his hand into the man’s belly, ignoring the screams. “Tell mewhere.”
“Mong Kung,” he said. “The hills west of the city. There is another temple to our fatherthere.”
Niran flipped the Grigori over and drew a blade from a sheath on his thigh. He stabbed the Grigori cleanly and stood as the soldier dissolved beneath him, then wiped the blood from his blade on the coat of the man he’dkilled.
“Mong Kung,” he muttered. “We need to find Sura. He’ll know if itsoundstrue.”
Leo and Niran left the temple, jogging down the stairs and toward the women’s quarters where Sura and Alyah had gone. Leo saw a young soldier fleeing into the forest. He glanced atNiran.
“Let him go,” Niran said. “He’s no threattous.”
“We get the women andwego.”
Nirannodded.
Leo was worried about Kyra at the side of the road. The Grigori who fled was running in that direction. Who knew if he was theonlyone.
