tried to take his brother with him, but Tom was not where he was meant to be that night and Edgar had to leave him behind. Da’ru knows he will come back for his brother one day, so she always keeps Tom close, hoping to draw Edgar out. There is nothing she dislikes more than a traitor.”
“Edgar walked right past the wardens outside my room,” said Kate. “If they knew who he was, why didn’t they just arrest him then?”
“Da’ru would never admit that one of her servants had tricked his way into freedom,” said Mina. “Most wardens would assume Edgar had been working in one of the other towns on her behalf and that now he had come back. The men stationed on the Night Train were mostly new, so they would not have recognized him, but the High Council rarely change their chamber guards. Edgar was counting on them to recognize his face. That was how he planned to get you out. The moment Da’ru learns he is back, she will hunt him down. No one enjoys being deceived, which is also why my people are so reluctant to have you here. They think you have been corrupted and that bringing you here will invite danger into our homes.”
“I’m not dangerous,” said Kate.
Mina did not look convinced. She laid three cards face- down on the table. “You may believe that now,” she said, “but they do have good reason to be afraid. Last night there was a shift in the veil, and the minds of the Skilled were blinded to it for a short time. That only happens when a powerful soul connects with the veil, an event so rare that none of us here have experienced it in our lifetimes. Even the shades were agitated by it. Do you know what a shade is?”
“Spirits?” said Kate. “I’ve read about them. Spirits of the dead who have not been able to leave this world behind.”
“But you do not believe in shades, do you?” Mina turned the first card faceup. It had a painted picture of a tree upon it—an enormous tree with wide branches spreading out across mountains, rivers, and groups of tiny people.
“I don’t really know what to believe anymore,” said Kate.
“That is often the first step on the path to knowledge. You do not have to understand what life shows you, you only need to be open to it.”
“What are those?” asked Kate, pointing to the cards as Mina turned the second one faceup. Its design was much simpler than the first: its two halves painted in black and white, with a gray silhouette of a person standing half in one side, half in the other.
“They are windows,” said Mina. “Sometimes the cards reveal truths that we cannot yet see within ourselves or others. I am using them to learn more about you.”
Kate did not know if she liked the idea of that. “What do they say?”
Mina pushed the two cards toward her. “Sometimes the veil likes to keep its secrets,” she said. “You are a mystery, it seems. Even to the cards. There is nothing definite here. Only possibilities. Your path is not yet clear.”
Kate saw a look of worry cross Mina’s face. “What about the third one?” she asked.
Mina slid the last card off the table and put it in her pocket. “This one is not for your eyes,” she said. “I already know what it will say.” She gathered up the rest of her picture cards and smiled. “The shades are very interested in you,” she said brightly, trying to lighten the mood. “Do not be afraid of them. They can be troublemakers, but they cannot do any real harm. There is a lot for you to learn and the Skilled will help you if we can.”
Mina looked at Kate sadly, and the room slipped into silence.
“Well then,” Mina said, standing up. “First things first. There is a room you can use while you are staying here. I will show it to you now so you have time to read your letter. After that, when you are ready, there are important matters we need to discuss.” She left her picture cards stacked on the table, and Kate could not help looking back at them as Mina led her out into the corridor.
Mina’s spare room was right at the back of her single-story house, set deep into the wall of the cavern. There were no windows, but it was still airy enough to be