The Silent: Irin Chronicles Book Five(35)

Damn them.

They sat next to each other at the low table where they had taken lunch earlier in the day.

Niran was the first to speak. “We didn’t see you this afternoon, Kyra.”

“No.” She folded her hands on her lap. “I took the afternoon off to spend time with Leo.”

Leo couldn’t have been more proud of her if she’d stood on the table and shouted that she was his. Her voice never rose, but it never wavered either. He saw Sura smile in his direction and suspected they had at least one ally at the table.

“So!” Ginny was smiling. “How is this going to work?” She waved a finger between them. “I’m going to be nosy. I’ll just warn you in advance.”

Leo raised his eyebrows. “Didn’t your parents have that conversation with you, Ginny?” Kyra squeaked beside him. Actually squeaked. “I’m sorry,” Leo pretended he hadn’t heard Kyra. “Maybe after dinner, Alyah and I can find a website for you. I’m pretty sure there are a few that might explain things, probably in more detail than you want.”

Ginny laughed, but Alyah broke in with a serious voice. “You’re different. It’s not very sensible to ignore it. Your magic is different. Your lives—”

“Our lives are our business,” Leo said. “But thank you for your concern, sister. I’m sure it comes from a sincere place.”

Alyah lifted her hands and looked away, clearly not sharing Leo’s opinion but unwilling to offer offense.

Kyra was a silent statue beside him. He took her hand and put it in his lap, playing with her fingers as the monks poured tea for the table and Niran and Sura’s brothers served the food. There was fragrant rice and delicate curry. A whole fish coated in a thick layer of salt sat on a platter. Noodles with fresh vegetables were passed around the table, but the tension remained.

“Niran,” Leo began. “I’d like—”

“I am not her brother.” Niran stopped Leo before he could finish. “It is not my place to grant permission for you and Kyra to form any kind of attachment.”

“Permission?” Kyra said quietly.

Leo didn’t say a word.

“We are not seeking permission from anyone.” She looked at Leo. “We’re not seeking permission.”

“I wasn’t going to ask for it.” Leo didn’t smile, but he wanted to. His little warrior was angry.

“Good.” Kyra turned to Niran. “Leo and I met over three years ago. While we may come from different places, our experiences have bonded us. I do not expect anyone to question the decisions we make for ourselves.”

A muscle jumped in Niran’s jaw and he looked away. Disapproval had nothing to do with Niran’s attitude. He admired Kyra as well. He wanted her.

Too bad.

Kyra had chosen him.

“Am I still welcome as your guest?” Kyra asked. “Or should I find other accommodations while I am here?”

Niran’s expression said he was not expecting the question.

Part of Leo wanted them to kick her out. He was imagining the large bed at his hotel in Chiang Mai, which would offer far more comfort than Kyra’s simple cottage at the monastery.

It was a small part of him; he tried to ignore it.

“Of course you are our guest,” Sura said into Niran’s silence. “Nothing will change your welcome here when you have done so much for our sisters.” Sura’s eyes were pointed at Niran. “No matter what our personal feelings may be, your generosity is a debt we can never repay.” He turned back to Leo and Kyra. “And I believe it is a beautiful thing when two souls meet and find connection. No matter where they come from.”

Leo said, “Thank you, Sura.”

“You are welcome.” Sura raised his hands. “And now we eat.”

Everyone dug into the food, even mischievous Intira, who joined them halfway through the meal. She sat next to Kyra, watching Kyra and Leo intently.

“I have heard from the Bangkok house,” Alyah said later when the food had been taken away and fruit was laid on the table.

Intira was shooed off to play in the forest with two of the monks to guard her so the grown-ups could talk.

“They have questioned the brothers there extensively,” Alyah continued, “and can find none who were in the area at the time of Prija’s attempted abduction. So we may be dealing with travelers who misunderstood the situation.”

Sura frowned. “Ginny, do you know of any scribes in Chiang Mai that the watcher in Bangkok might not know about?”

“Lots,” Ginny said. “There are so many training gyms there. It’s very popular, especially for younger scribes from America or Canada who were never placed in a proper academy. There is only one in the United States, for instance. It’s on the East Coast, and it’s very costly.”

“You have to pay for the scribe academy there?” Leo asked.

“Yes.”

He’d never heard of that before. “So scribes wanting further training in martial arts come all the way here?”

“Sometimes.” Ginny shrugged. “It’s not just the money. In the States, they’d be different. Odd. Their tattoos would be noticeable and asked about. Here, they’re different and odd, but humans will usually dismiss it as foreign mannerisms and most people wouldn’t ask about tattoos. Also, Thai people tend to be more conservative about casual touch.” She pointedly looked at Kyra’s hand where Leo was playing with it. “So scribes can avoid contact more easily.”