The Silent: Irin Chronicles Book Five(26)

Sura nodded. “You are correct.”

Ginny said, “Oh, that is way cool.”

“It is way cool,” Sura said cautiously, eyeing Alyah. “And what does the Bangkok scribe house think of Grigori using Sak Yant?”

“The Bangkok scribe house doesn’t have an opinion about it,” Alyah said. “My task—with Leo’s help—is to start a dialogue with you. I’m not here to talk about tattooing. Sounds like scribe business to me.”

Sura still looked skeptical. “A dialogue about what?”

“You have options,” Leo said. “The Bangkok house considers Chiang Mai part of its territory.”

“There is no scribe house here,” Sura said.

“But there are humans,” Leo said. “And protecting humans from Grigori is the mandate of every scribe house and every individual scribe, warrior or not.”

Kyra sat up straighter. “The Grigori here don’t hunt humans.”

“So they say,” Leo said. “Kyra, I cannot simply take their word for it. We have to ask questions.”

Before Kyra could respond, Ginny spoke up. “So ask questions,” she said. “I live here. I train here. I keep an eye on things. I don’t answer to any overbearing scribe house, but I’m Irina. Ask me if you want to know.”

Leo said, “Fair enough. Have you witnessed or heard reports of any attack on humans by Grigori in Chiang Mai in the past two years?”

“Yes,” Ginny said immediately. “And those Grigori were killed by Sura and the Grigori I assume are his brothers.”

“How do you know it was them?” Leo asked.

“Dude, the tattoos are pretty distinctive. The Thai scribes use a similar style, but the letters are Old Language, one hundred percent. The tattoos these guys were flashing were all Sak Yant. Hard to miss.”

Alyah turned to Ginny. “Why must you use ‘dude’ so often?”

“It’s a great word. Don’t hate on ‘dude.’”

Kyra asked, “Are you from California?”

“Yes, I am.”

Kyra smiled at Leo. “Like Ava,” she said. “Ava says that word too.”

Leo was staring at her. Alyah nudged him.

“Hmm? What?”

“You’re staring,” Alyah said. “Don’t stare.”

“I’m… concentrating.” Leo cleared his throat. “So there have been Grigori attacks, but Sura and his brother Niran have defended the city. Sounds very much like Kostas and his brothers.”

“I agree,” Kyra said. “I’ve been with them for three weeks. And if my opinion means anything in this—”

“It does,” Leo said quickly.

“—then I would say that though their methods differ, their objective is the same as my brothers’,” Kyra continued. “Sura and Niran obtained their freedom at great cost; now they are trying to live their lives and protect their community from other Fallen and the Grigori who might try to exploit the humans here.”

“And protect our sisters,” Sura said. “And try to engender discipline within our kind for those who choose to pursue it.”

Ginny’s eyes shone. “So you do have kareshta up there.”

Sura said, “We do.”

Ginny and Alyah exchanged a look that made Kyra want to question them alone. Before she could suggest the three go for a stroll through the market, Leo spoke again.

“So now we know,” Leo said to Alyah. “They have kareshta.” He turned to Sura. “The mandate of the Irin council is that kareshta are to be protected. So what do you need? And how can we help you get it?”





Chapter Eight





Leo tried to keep his eyes on the road as Ginny drove over the twisting mountain paths that led to the temple where Sura and his Grigori lived. He had no problem letting Ginny drive, but the blank space before him where the steering wheel should be was disorienting. He kept his eyes on the road as she swerved around potholes and dodged motorbikes and scooters.

Sura and Kyra had left the night before, but not before giving Ginny directions to their compound.

She’d left. And Leo had not a single minute alone with her.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Ginny said.

Alyah was sitting in the back seat. “That you’re a terrible driver?”

“No, I’m an excellent driver, and I wasn’t talking to you.” She elbowed Leo. “He’s thinking, ‘How do I get some of that fine Kyra of my very own?’”

Leo raised an eyebrow. “How old did you say you were?”

“Old enough to know what a lonely, lonely scribe is thinking when he goes all quiet.”

“Who said I was lonely?” Leo said.

“Your puppy dog eyes,” Ginny said. “Alyah, am I right?”

Leo looked over his shoulder. Alyah looked like she was very deliberately keeping her mouth shut.

“What do you two know about being lonely?” Leo said. “Irina have never been prohibited from socializing with human men. It’s not the same.”

“True,” Ginny said. “But we’re crap at relationships with them. Ask Alyah.”

“Don’t bring me into this,” Alyah muttered from the back seat. “If you want to torment the scribe, do it on your own.”