“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.”
Kyra said, “Can you call your watcher in Bangkok? Is there any way of knowing?”
“Yeah, there is.” Ginny walked to the door. “Tell Leo I’m taking his car.”
“But he’ll have no way of getting back to the city,” Kyra said.
Ginny offered a droll look. “You really think he was going back to the city with you here?” She slipped out the door, leaving Alyah, Sura, and Kyra in the dining room, a giant map on the table and Sura’s quiet rage permeating the room.
Kyra walked to him and put her hands on his shoulders. “Slemaa.”
At once, his shoulders relaxed.
Alyah’s eyes went wide. “Where did you learn that?”
“I heard it in Leo’s mind when he carried me,” Kyra said. “He said it means peace. I was just trying to comfort Sura.”
Sura squeezed her hand. “It worked. Thank you, sister.”
Alyah fell quiet, and Kyra knew the Irina probably didn’t approve of Kyra using the Irin language. She hadn’t thought about it. It had been instinctual. She had felt Sura’s anger overwhelming the quiet man, and she’d wanted to help.
In a blink, a dark man appeared before her, leaning his elbows on the dining room table, staring at Kyra.
“Such familiar energy I feel on the wind,” the dark one said. “Hello, Barak’s daughter.”
The Fallen smiled, and Kyra screamed.
“He is not allowed to be here!” Alyah said, her silver blades drawn on the Fallen angel sitting at the dining table.
Leo stood between the Fallen and the rest of them, his hands up. “He’s not an enemy! Not… precisely.”
“I don’t need you to defend me,” the angel said. He was picking at the fruit on the table. “Do you have any sticky rice? I love sticky rice.”
Kyra stared at him. “Who are you?”
“I’m Vasu. I felt you when you went looking for the other one,” he said. “You’re Barak’s daughter.”
“How do you know that?”
“His power was distinctive,” Vasu said. “Can anyone find out about the sticky rice?” His eyes darted up to Sura. “You’re not what you seem. You’re interesting.”
“I don’t consider that a compliment coming from a Fallen,” Sura said quietly.
Vasu cocked his head, reminding Kyra of a curious bird. The Fallen had taken the form of a tall, handsome man with Northern Indian features. His skin was the color of cinnamon and his eyes were a vivid gold rimmed with black lashes. His lips were full and sensuous, and his hair was streaked black and amber. The angel exuded an erotic allure that was alien to Kyra, but there was something innately familiar about him at the same time.
Vasu’s eyes turned toward her. “You remember me.”
“I don’t think so.”
“I am a friend of your father’s. I was with him often when you were young, but I was likely in a different form.”
“My father is dead.”
“No.” Vasu shook his head. “We don’t die, you see. Barak is merely… returned.”
“Is that supposed to comfort me?”
Vasu frowned. “Why would I want to comfort you?”
Leo said, “Put your daggers away, Alyah. You won’t be able to kill him anyway.”
“That’s true,” Vasu said.
Leo spun and faced the angel. “You’re not helping.”
“Again, why would I want to help?”
“Why are you here, Vasu?” Leo asked.
Vasu nodded at Kyra. “Because of her.”
“What?” Kyra asked. “Why?”
“You’re surprisingly powerful. I no longer wonder why he had such patience with you and your brother.”
Fear stabbed Kyra’s heart. “What do you know of my brother?”
Vasu waved a hand and continued picking at the fruit. “I don’t care about your brother. But why are you here?”
“Why are you?”
Vasu rolled his eyes. “We’re going in circles. This is boring. Maybe I will go.”
“Wait,” Leo said. “What do you know about Arindam?”
The flare of anger was fast and frightening. In the blink of an eye, the lazy man with hooded eyes vanished, and in his place, a giant of seven feet appeared. Every trace of humanity was gone from Vasu’s visage. His eyes flashed, and the air around the table heated.
This, Kyra realized, was a hint of the angel’s true power.
Alyah drew her blades again, but Vasu flicked his wrist and they flew from her hands, sinking into a palm tree bordering the garden.
“Why do you ask about Arindam?” Vasu said, his voice low and lethal.
Sura stepped forward. “Because he has taken one of my sisters.”
Vasu looked at Kyra. “Is this true, Barak’s daughter?”
“We think so. That was the kareshta I was looking for when you… heard me.”
“I felt you.” Vasu’s form became more stable, but he didn’t shrink. “Why would Arindam take your sister? Is she powerful?”
“Yes,” Sura said. “But very uncontrolled. She can be quite violent.”
“He admires that,” Vasu said. “Did he take her himself?”