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the guards.”
    â€œNo, you won’t,” he said, his lip curling, though his eyes darted to the door. “You’d have to explain why you were talking to me. I’ll swear to Gyotia that you’ve been helping us.”
    â€œNo one will believe that.”
    â€œDoesn’t matter. It’d still be the end of your cozy life in the palace. Do you think the king doubts you’d betray him? You’re Arnath, whether you like it or not.”
    I gritted my teeth. “I know what I am.”
    He leaned right into my face. I backed up until my hip banged painfully into the dressing table. “So you don’t care about anyone but yourself. You don’t mind if Arnath children are worked todeath or Arnath women are raped by their masters or Arnath men die in the quarries, as long as you’re comfortable in the palace. You don’t care if the rest of your people die in ignorance. And you, born on the Nath Tarin.” He shook his head. “The Learned Ones would be ashamed.”
    His words hit me like a slap across the face. Was he right? Would my father be ashamed if he saw me today? But my parents had sacrificed so much to keep me safe.
    I planted my palms on his chest and pushed with all my might. He crashed backward onto the floor.
    I forced myself to breathe normally, trying to regain control.
    Someone knocked sharply on the door; we both froze. “Jonis?” said a voice.
    â€œWhat is it?” said the young man quickly, planting himself behind the door as if ready to leap at anyone coming through.
    The door cracked open and Kiti poked his head in. “Rale’s on his last speech. You’d better get out of here.” Kiti shot a shy smile at me. “Shinings, Raisa.”
    â€œShinings, Kiti,” I responded automatically, my mind reeling. Was Kiti helping the Resistance? Of course the other man—Jonis, Kiti had called him—couldn’t have gotten past the guards without help.
    Jonis nodded at Kiti, who withdrew his head and shut the door. Jonis grabbed my arm. I flinched. “You think the knowledge you have is a gift,” he said. “But you wear shackles too, even if they’re silk instead of iron.”
    He took my hand and traced something into it. As if his finger were a quill, I almost saw the symbol written there, a circlewith two lines flying up on either side. Freedom . “We haven’t forgotten what it means,” he said in a low voice. “A messenger will come to you, and will say these words: ‘The rains are coming off the ocean.’ If you will help us, answer, ‘Yes, from the islands.’ If not . . . the gods help you.”
    He went to the door and knocked. When two knocks came from the other side, he dashed out. I caught a glimpse of Kiti’s face before the door swung shut.
    I grabbed my gown and slipped behind the changing screen in a daze. I could not afford to dwell on what had just happened or give any indication that anything strange had gone on.
    The Gamo sisters spilled into the room as I was sitting down to brush my hair. Soraya dropped a condescending glance at me as she passed. “Well played, Tutor,” she said, her tone balanced between respectful and sarcastic. I met her eyes in the mirror, pretending I had only heard the former.
    â€œAnd you,” I said, which was two words more than I’d ever said to her before. It was true; she’d played Lila, goddess of war, with haughty poise.
    Caught off guard by my response, Soraya seized her gown and disappeared behind the screen. She clearly hated sharing a dressing room with an Arnath; Rale wasn’t the only Qilarite who had a problem with the privileges granted to Tutors.
    Alshara hurried away to change, but Aliana hesitantly returned my smile. I wanted to tell Aliana that she’d done well as Lanea, but for some reason I didn’t want her sisters to overhear.
    â€œDid you see the way Annis leered at me?”