Page 60 of The Storm
Kyra studiedher plate as she ate, resting a hand on Leo’s leg under the table. Her mate was uncanny at understanding when she was uncomfortable, and Kyra had been uncomfortable the moment she walked through the door.
None of the scribes had said anything rude. None of the scribes had said anything at all. But they watched. She could feel their eyes examining. As Max and Renata engaged the new watcher of the house—a friendly Dutch scribe named Levi—Kyra and Leo ate on the other side of the table. The meal was simple, a bowl of lamb stew, bread, and fresh milk. It smelled delicious, but Kyra barely tasted it. Five other scribes joined them at the dining table.
Volos, the scribe who had carried in their luggage. A tall Russian called Kaz, who looked like he could be related to Max and Leo. Two men who hadn’t said a word, not even to introduce themselves, and a thin man who stared openly at Kyra. All of them were European except for one of the silent men. He had massive shoulders and long, dark hair tied back in a braid. Kyra guessed he was Northern or Central Asian. She wondered how he had arrived in this cold and silent city on the edge of the Baltic Sea.
“Fricis,” Leo said to the thin man, who was staring at Kyra. “How have you been? How is the library?”
“Fine.” He didn’t stop staring.
Leo radiated tension. “Did you have a question?”
The man asked something in a language Kyra didn’t understand.
“English,” Max said sharply from the other end of the table. “Not everyone here speaks Russian.”
“Does she sing?” the man asked in a precise accent.
“Who?” Renata asked. “Me? Of course I sing. Haven’t you met an Irina before? Max said all of you were older than him and Leo. I would have thought you’d met Irina before.”
Fricis cut his eyes to Renata, clearly annoyed. “I’m not—”
“I am learning,” Kyra said quietly. She appreciated her new sister trying to divert attention away from the foreign object in the room, but the questions wouldn’t go away until they were answered. “I know some magic, but I’m still learning. Most of what I’ve learned so far has been for self-defense.”
The large man across from Leo grunted. “Good sense.” He glanced up from his bowl of stew and met Kyra’s eyes. “I am Gustav. I am the weapons master here. If you or your mate need daggers, I can provide them.”
Kyra’s eyes went wide. “Thank you.”
“We appreciate that, Gustav.” Leo squeezed her hand. “Kyra is quite good with daggers. Her brother has given her lessons, and she’s also trained with Renata.”
“But you’re teaching her magic?” Fricis directed the question at Renata. “Irina magic?”
“Of course I am,” Renata said, her voice icy. “She’s my sister. Why wouldn’t I?”
The man opened his mouth again, but Levi interrupted. “Fricis is our archivist and naturally curious,” he said. “I hope you’re not offended by his questions. It has been many years since any Irina have visited us.”
Renata said, “Perhaps after we are finished eating our meal, I can sing for you. I know a beautiful version of ‘Adelina and the Giant.’ That is a popular local song in this area, is it not?”
The scribes around the table murmured agreement, and Kyra noticed the atmosphere in the room warmed.
Levi said, “You honor us, sister.” He turned to Kyra. “We would love to hear from Kyra too. If she would like to join you.”
Kyra could feel the heat in her face. “I am still learning. But thank you.”
“Your next visit.” Gustav nodded as if the matter was settled. “You can sing for us then.”
Kyra didn’t know if Leo and Max would have any desire to visit Riga in the future, but she nodded anyway. Better to be polite and discuss the matter with Leo in private. The weapons master and the watcher were welcoming. The other men were harder to read. They were cold and hard, like frozen earth that hadn’t seen the sun in years.
After their simple meal, they moved to the great room while Volos and Kaz cleared the dishes. The house in Riga was a beautiful old mansion with carved wood paneling and spacious rooms, but the furnishings were spare. If Kyra didn’t know better, she’d have thought the men of the house had just moved in. Furniture was heavy and simple. There was no art or decoration. The only things that passed for adornment were the rows of immaculate weapons and old armor mounted on the walls of the great room where a large fireplace burned.
Kyra and Leo sat on a large sofa in the back of the room as Renata took a place by the central fireplace. Her tall figure dominated the space as the scribes gathered around her to listen. Kyra could feel the expectation in the air.
“How long has it been?” Kyra asked Leo quietly.
“What?”
“How long since these men have heard an Irina sing?”
Leo’s face went blank. “I don’t know. I never heard any Irina song in these halls.”
