The Silent: Irin Chronicles Book Five(41)

“What does reshon mean, Leo?”

He rose before her, pressed her hands over his heart, and took her mouth in a fierce, radiant kiss. “We don’t have time right now, but I’ll explain later. I promise.” He started jogging through the trees, Kyra forced to follow.

“That’s not fair.” She tried to keep up with him. “Leo, you need to tell me now.”

He lifted her in his arms, picking up the pace as if she weighed nothing. “After we get your sister. I promise you.”



Leo’s elation had been tamped down by the time they reached the others. Someone had cleared the dining table and a map spread across it. Alyah was talking on the phone in rapid Thai while Sura, Ginny, and Niran examined the map.

“Kyra found Prija,” Leo said. “She listened for her and heard her.”

“How?” Sura didn’t look anything like a laid-back college kid anymore. His expression was blank, but Kyra could feel the slow-burning anger in him. She could even see his tattoos lighting up like Irin tattoos sometimes did. They had a silver tinge she’d never seen before.

“When I focus my mind, I can hear very far,” Kyra said. “When I heard Prija, she was heading north. I’m almost sure she’s in a car because she was going too fast to be walking.”

Ginny looked at the map spread out on the table. “This road, maybe?”

Niran nodded. “If she’s heading directly north, that would be the only path. It’s a good road. Very clear. Winds through some small villages, but it’s all paved.”

“It’ll take them straight into Burma,” Ginny said. “How long?”

“Two, two and a half hours perhaps?” Sura said.

Niran asked, “Any reason why Irin would take Prija into Burma? You don’t have any scribe houses there.”

Ginny shook her head. “That whole area is controlled by Arindam.”

Sura looked up. “You know of Arindam?”

Ginny said, “The Fallen who controls most of Myanmar? Of course we know about him. He’s been making attacks into Irin-controlled areas of northern India. It’s a huge problem.”

Niran was staring at the map. “We don’t have fast cars. They’re taking the most direct route. There’s no way to cut them off. I’ll take the motorbikes with two others and see if I can catch up with them.” He nodded to Sura. “Keep your phone on. I’ll call if I find them.”

“Wait!” Kyra said. “There were three of them. One Irin and two Grigori.”

Every eye turned toward her.

“What?” Niran said.

“Only one Irin has her. There are two Grigori with him.”

Sura said, “One Irin and two Grigori?”

Everyone was silent for a moment.

“It doesn’t matter,” Niran said. “We have to go after her. We won’t go into Burma, but until they reach Arindam’s territory, they’re fair game.” He nodded at two of his men. “Let’s go.”

“I’ll go with you,” Leo said.

“You don’t know the roads and you’ll slow us down.” Niran was nearly out the door. “Stay with Sura and protect the temple.”

Leo looked like he wanted to argue, but he nodded.

Ginny asked, “Leo, do you know of any other Irin who are looking to cooperate with Grigori?”

“No,” he said. “Or not in this area. There are smaller-scale alliances being made in Europe. One that I know of in South America and two that already exist in sub-Saharan Africa. But in Asia, our meeting is the first I’ve heard of.” He pulled out his phone. “This warrants a call to Damien and Sari. If there are any other rumored alliances among the council, they’ll know.”

Kyra noticed Ginny staring at the map. “What are you thinking?”

“We knew.” Ginny looked up. “We’ve always known. There are Irin who work with Grigori. There has to be. It never made sense otherwise.”

Sura asked, “What didn’t make sense?”

Alyah walked back to the table. “How we were so thoroughly betrayed. How our retreats were compromised. How our hiding places were found. It wasn’t just the Rending, you know. It’s been happening for years.” Her face was bleak. “Anytime we found a safe place, it would be compromised. Who were we telling? Not the Grigori.”

“But word got out to our brothers,” Ginny said. “To the scribe houses. To the council.”

“And then word got to the Fallen and the Grigori eventually,” Alyah said. “And we’d be hunted and killed.”

Ginny placed a hand on Alyah’s shoulder.

Sura said, “I am sorry that happened. No one should have to live in fear.”

“One Irin, two Grigori,” Ginny muttered. “Arindam’s children?”

“Most likely,” Sura said. “They are the only ones who would dare come this close to us. Most of the Grigori we find in Chiang Mai—”

“Are wanderers,” Ginny said. “I know. That’s what I’ve observed too.”

“We need to find out who tried to grab Prija the last time,” Alyah said. “If they’re not working with Grigori themselves, then they told someone who is.”