Be careful, Kat. When she lashes out, people get hurt. Remember what happened at the train yard.

With that, Val was quiet again. My stomach asserted itself, compelling me to open the door and step into the compartment. A large bowl of solyanka had been placed on the desk by the window. I slipped into the chair, hunched over the bowl and began eating ravenously.

The woman said, “I’ll ask the steward to bring the main course.” She slipped out of the compartment. As she closed the door behind her, I lightly brushed the surface of her mind, looking for her name. I found it easily: Kseniya Seryi. She seemed unaware of the contact.

The man sat on my right, watching me intently. I reached out to learn his name.

Impossible! Where I expected to find a mind, there was nothing. His mind must have been shielded, but so perfectly that I couldn’t even sense the shield itself.

“Ekatarina,” he said, his voice menacingly low, “if you attempt that again, you’ll be punished. Do you understand me?”

I kept eating.