The Silent: Irin Chronicles Book Five(23)

“Do not make the mistake of thinking,” Kyra said in a low voice, “that because I am quiet, I am defenseless. I will talk to you in the morning, Niran. You attacked a friend of mine, provoked a powerful scribe, and turned this night into a bad memory for a sister you love. Think about that.” She turned to Sura, who was watching quietly. “Would you walk me to my cottage, please?”

Sura inclined his head and lifted an eyebrow in Niran’s direction before he walked off with Kyra, his hands clasped behind his back.

Kyra walked into the trees where faint lights lit the path back to the kareshta cottages. She had controlled her emotions all night, but in the quiet rustle of the wind in the bamboo, her walls began to crumble.

Her skin felt brittle. Her belly was liquid. Her emotions were everywhere, and she couldn’t stop thinking about Leo’s kiss. She’d never imagined anything feeling as good as his lips pressing against hers as he lifted her in his powerful arms and held her tight. Why had that act—which seemed so inherently messy and awkward—felt so good? Her skin felt like she’d touched a live wire. Her lips were numb. She desperately wanted to try it again, and yet she knew it wasn’t a good idea.

Kyra felt as she imagined the humans did when they’d had too much wine.

Drunk. She was drunk on Leo.

“I’m sorry I did not get a chance to meet your friend,” Sura said into the heavy silence.

Kyra barked out a laugh.

Sura smiled. “If you call him a friend, you must trust him.”

“I do.”

“Then I imagine he is a person worth knowing.”

“That is probably a matter of opinion. Niran didn’t seem to think so.”

Sura cocked his head to the side and looked up at the moon. He walked in silence for a few steps before he said, “Niran has organized his world in very strict ways. Black-and-white. Family and other. He trusts very few, and he keeps a narrow focus. He has done this in order to control himself and provide for our sisters. He was once the most feared and powerful of our father’s sons, so this order in his life is hard-won, and anything that disturbs it is avoided.”

“I understand.”

“I suspect you do,” Sura said. “From reputation, your brother is much the same.”

“Sirius?” Kyra said. “Not really. He’s always been—”

“Not Sirius.” Sura’s lips twitched. “Kostas. The one who is not supposed to know where you are.”

Kyra sighed. “Do you know everything, Sura?”

“Hardly. But I know brothers and sisters.” He met Kyra's eyes. “And I also know that Niran has come to care greatly for you. Not only because of your work with Intira and the others. His reaction tonight does not surprise me.”

Was Sura saying Niran was… jealous? The idea of Niran caring for her pained Kyra. Not because he was an unworthy man, but because he was worthy. If she was free—and if she didn’t have such complex feelings for Leo—Niran was the kind of man she would admire.

But that wasn’t reality.

“He knows…” Kyra blinked hard. “Niran knows my life will not last much longer, Sura. I know things for free Grigori are different now, but he must know a future with me is not possible.”

Sura shrugged. “What we know in our minds and what we feel in our hearts are often quite contrary, aren’t they?”

Kyra said, “I don’t know why I’ve lived as long as I have. Any time—”

“None of us are guaranteed time.” Sura stopped and Kyra realized they’d reached her cottage. “You have to live while you can, Kyra. Not a single one of us is guaranteed tomorrow. We cannot predict the future. Trying to do so only leads to arrogance and selfishness. Exist in the present. Live in the present. If your heart is leading you to someone, it is a gift, not a burden.”

Kyra blushed. “Sura, I know he’s your brother, but I don’t think my feelings for Niran—”

“I wasn’t talking about Niran.” Sura smiled. “I think I would like to meet this scribe friend of yours. Tomorrow night, maybe?”

Kyra narrowed her eyes. “Are you trying to cause trouble?”

“Trouble is life made interesting, isn’t it?” Sura said, backing up the path. “So yes. Maybe I’m trying to cause trouble. Sleep well, sister. I’ll calm Niran down by morning.”



Kyra stopped a block away from the hotel.

“What are you doing?” Sura asked. He frowned, his hands in his pockets. This night, he wore loose linen pants and a white dress shirt. With his head shaved, he still looked monk-like. “This is the way to the hotel. I’ve walked past it before.”

“I’m…” Nervous. Excited. Confused. Eager. Unsure. Kyra cleared her throat and tried to stop her heart from pounding out of her chest. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“You trust this scribe?”

“Yes.” Of that she was certain. Never had Leo given her any reason to distrust him.

Sura paused. “I think you are hesitating because of feelings you may have for him as a man. However, we also need to ask him what interest the Bangkok scribe house has in us. I’ve wondered for some time if they would be suspicious of our practice of Sak Yant on Grigori because it helps us control our magic.”