Shadow and Bone

can be a bit of a maze.” Then her perfect lips turned up in a
mischievous smile. “You should try to rest. Tomorrow you
meet Baghra.”
“Baghra?”
Genya grinned wickedly. “Oh yes. She’s an absolute treat.”
Before I could ask what she meant, she gave me a little
wave and slipped out the door. I bit my lip. Exactly what was
in store for me tomorrow?
As the door closed behind Genya, I felt fatigue creep over
me. The thrill of knowing that my power might actually be
real, the excitement of meeting the King and Queen, the
strange marvels of the Grand Palace and the Little Palace had
kept my exhaustion at bay, but now it returned—and, with it, a
huge, echoing feeling of loneliness.
I undressed, hung my uniform neatly on a peg behind the
star-speckled screen, and placed my shiny new boots beneath
it. I rubbed the brushed wool of the coat between my fingers,
hoping to find some sense of familiarity, but the fabric felt
wrong, too stiff, too new. I suddenly missed my dirty old coat.
I changed into a nightdress of soft white cotton and rinsed
my face. As I patted it dry, I caught a glimpse of myself in the
glass above the basin. Maybe it was the lamplight, but I
thought I looked even better than when Genya had first
finished her work on me. After a moment, I realized I was just
gawking at myself in the mirror and had to smile. For a girl
who hated looking at herself, I was at risk of becoming vain.
I climbed onto the high bed, slid beneath the heavy silks and
furs, and blew out the lamp. Distantly, I heard a door closing,
voices calling their goodnights, the sounds of the Little Palace
going to sleep. I stared into the darkness. I’d never had a room
to myself before. In Keramzin, I’d slept in an old portrait hall
that had been converted into a dormitory, surrounded by
countless other girls. In the army, I’d slept in the barracks or
tents with the other Surveyors. My new room felt huge and
empty. In the silence, all the events of the day rushed in on me,
and tears pricked my eyes.