Sitara perched on the edge of the wide bed in Captain Sankar's cabin and listened to the ladies talk around the nearby table. Both fixtures were bolted to the floor against storms, but thankfully the seas were gentle.

The cabin was comfortable, but very cramped with the five women. Although she would welcome the fresh air if the ladies decided to go topside, she dreaded any time spent out of the safety of the cabin.

Too many enemies surrounded her. The ship was crawling with people, and should any of them discover her identity, they would destroy her.

Her stomach had settled into a hard knot of fear ever since Lady Miren led her aboard the ship. That fear had spiked almost to panic when she had learned Sentinel Harafin was sailing with them. She nearly vomited in the cramped dining room, sitting within striking distance of the terrifying Sentinel. The man Kevlin had saved her life with his distracting conversation.

Lady Ceren entered the cabin and talk turned to the man Kevlin. Sitara listened closely. He seemed genuinely kind. In the palace, she had heard many times about his role in avenging the king's death. Now she was impressed to hear he had played a key role in the recent conflict right from the beginning.

While Healer Indira had taught the ladies several different card games, they had spoken much of events at Il'Aicharen. The knowledge had amazed Sitara and left her more than a little conflicted. She hated to think the ShadeLeech Tanathos had come so close to victory when her love Bajaran had failed. From what Lady Ceren explained, his victory would have doomed the Six Kingdoms.

That bothered her most of all. She was a secret revolutionary, committed to the cause more than ever, and determined to see the fall of the corrupt government. Her motivation was now as much to honor Bajaran's memory and his dream of peace as it was to wreak vengeance on those who killed him.

She struggled with this new knowledge. She was convinced to the deepest corner of her soul that revolution was necessary. She had lived long enough in the imperial capital to witness the terrible injustice of the current system. While the nobles enjoyed spectacular wealth, their own countrymen starved to death or died of curable sicknesses.

The downtrodden and those locked in poverty could never be freed under the current system. Worse, Bajaran had taught her that only by replacing the corrupt heads of the government could peace be finally established with their neighbors to the west.

The reality of the recent conflict left her feeling twinges of doubt for the first time. Tanathos had led an invasion, had plotted to destroy the empire. Were those the actions of a benevolent nation seeking only for peace?

She had touched the Shadeleech's mind and the memory of his profound evil still left her feeling tainted. She supported revolution to establish peace, but he could never have been a partner in peace.

How could the leaders of Grakonia have chosen their envoy so poorly? He must have deceived and betrayed them like he had Bajaran and the others.

Sitara considered the women seated around the table. When she rose to power, these women would stand against her. She hated to think she'd need to destroy them. The more she learned about recent events, the more she found herself applauding their actions. These women and their companions had acted honorably, bravely, and with great self-sacrifice. They had risked all in their efforts to defend the kingdom and preserve the people.

She would have done the same.

Sitara wanted to weep at their blindness. They should be her allies, assisting in the effort to establish real peace. Perhaps she could find a way to introduce true principles to them, to enlighten their minds until they saw the need to throw off limitations of their current lives? They were brave enough to embrace a new order, despite the dangers.

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Bajaran had tried to teach her that terrible things would be required to establish freedom. Before now, she hadn't realized the extent of what he was trying to teach her.

While shuffling a thick deck of playing cards with practiced ease, Indira admitted that she and Kevlin were seeing each other. She seemed a good person, a truly humble woman who dedicated her life to help people. At least, she did when not dominating every card game.

Still, Indira posed a dire threat with her powerful gift. The Healer Ithai had shattered Sitara's attempted mind control of the keisara and nearly revealed Sitara's identity. In like manner, Indira could penetrate her illusions. She might not mean to destroy Sitara, but the results would be just as fatal.

Lady Miren said, "I heard Kevlin has been ill."

Ceren assured her he would be fine, but Sitara was a skilled enough liar that she recognized the hint of deceit in the answer. It intrigued her. This might be a nugget of information she could use in beginning to turn these women, who all cared for him.

A knock sounded on the door. Sitara slid off the bed, but the door opened before she could reach it. Harafin poked his head in.

Sitara barely bit back a scream of terror, and it took every ounce of willpower to remain standing so close to him. She dropped her gaze to the floor and shook with tremors of fear.

"I am sorry if I frightened you," Harafin said gently.

Sitara didn't trust herself to speak, couldn't restore her veneer of calm.

Harafin spoke again, "Sorry for interrupting, ladies. I just wanted to invite you all topside for a while. It's a beautiful afternoon."

"Thank you, Master Harafin," Lady Miren said. "I think it's a great idea. We'll join you shortly."

"We should finish the game," Indira protested as she began dealing out a new hand. Cards scattered across the table, all landing exactly in the proper positions.

"And miss this opportunity to escape with our dignity intact for once?" Lady Miren laughed. "We all know you're going to win."

"But I hate quitting early," Indira said.

"I bet it happens to you all the time," Ceren said, tossing her cards to the table. "You never lose."

Indira shrugged, a hint of a smile on her lips. "I have a lot of practice."

Lady Miren rose. "Sometimes I wonder. We've played Kings and Beggars, Dagger's Folly, and Queen's Aplenty and you won everything."

"It's a good thing we weren't betting," Ceren agreed. "She'd own everything we brought with us by now."

Sitara appreciated their banter. It helped ease her fear, but she still sagged against the door after Harafin closed it.

"Sitara, whatever is the matter?" Lady Miren asked.

She turned, her thoughts whirling as she struggled to invent a plausible excuse. Indira was already crossing the room toward her, a look of concern on her face. She reached for Sitara, and one hand glowed with her gift.

Sitara couldn't bear the thought of Indira touching her. She jumped onto the bed to escape.

Indira paused, her expression hurt.

The other ladies all looked shocked by the reaction.

"I'm sorry," Sitara stammered. "It's just . . ." she had to give them a good excuse, or all was lost. "It's just, ever since the keisara was attacked in Tamera, I've been terrified of magic. I can't bear the thought of anyone touching me with it."

Indira said, "I'm sorry for frightening you, but my magic would never harm you. In fact, I think I can help you overcome your fear."

"No," Sitara snapped.

Lady Ceren moved to stand beside Indira. "There's more to this fear of yours, isn't there, Sitara?"

Sitara's mind went blank. Lady Ceren was so clever, so astute. If she started prying, the carefully crafted web of lies that shielded Sitara from discovery would crumble.

Lady Miren saved her. "Oh, leave her be. Can't you see she's terrified? My cousin was traumatized by the attack on her mind. Did you know they haven't found the attacker yet?"

"I did not," Ceren said.

"Think how that would affect you," Lady Miren said. She sat on the edge of the bed and placed a hand on Sitara's shoulder. "Fideima said in her letter she can't bear any gifted person but Ithai to spend more than a few moments in her presence."

Sitara nodded. "Her fear has spread to me, I'm afraid."

"You poor dear," Lady Miren said. "She sent you so far from home before you had a chance to recover from that trauma, only to find yourself far from her side when she needs you most."

Lady Miren's concern seemed so genuine. Sitara had to find a way to turn her into an ally.

"I'm very sorry," Indira said again.

"If there's anything we can do to help, please let us know," Ceren offered.

"Thank you."

Lady Miren clapped her hands together. "Well come on ladies. The game's ruined now. Let's go up on deck and get some fresh air. It'll do us some good."

Adalia, the short archer who had sat quietly in one corner, stood. "Good idea. It be getting stuffy in here."

She was a local of Hallvarr, uneducated yet very skilled with her bow. She'd attached herself to Indira and attended her like a bodyguard.

If Sitara was forced to remove Indira, she'd have to destroy Adalia first.