Sangar of the Eighth Family—a young gentleman
Herm of the Seventh Family—a young gentleman
Innis of the Fifth Family—a gentleman
Brinx of the First Family—son of Selemei, distant cousin of Tagaret and Nekantor
Enwin of the Sixth Family—father of Della
Pazeu of the Sixth Family—mother of Della
Liadis of the Sixth Family—sister of Della
Ambrei of the Fourth Family—a young gentleman
Vos of the Sixth Family—a gentleman
Lyaret of the Tenth Family—a young gentleman
Ower of the Eleventh Family—a young gentleman
Arbiter Doross of the Sixth Family—leader of the Sixth Family Council, older distant cousin of Della
Falya of the Third Family—partner of Herin
Chief Adjudicator Uresin—head judge of the Pelismar Courts
Palimeyn of the Third Family—a cabinet member
Arith of the Sixth Family—a cabinet member
Ethor of the Twelfth Family—a cabinet member
Arissen
Revett of the Pelismara Division—leader of the soldiers of Pelismara
Veriga Cohort First—a bodyguard
Karyas Cohort First—a bodyguard
Dekk—a guard
Imbati
Das—caretaker of Tagaret and Nekantor
Serjer—First Houseman in the Household of Garr and Tamelera
Aloran—a student at the Imbati Service Academy
Kiit—a student at the Imbati Service Academy, Aloran’s friend
Min—a student at the Imbati Service Academy
Master Ziara—Health instructor at the Imbati Service Academy
Tamelera’s Eyli—servant and bodyguard to Tamelera of the First Family
Anin—a student at the Imbati Service Academy
Garr’s Sorn—servant and bodyguard to Garr of the First Family
Della’s Yoral—servant and bodyguard to Della of the Sixth Family
Selemei’s Ustin—servant and bodyguard to Selemei of the First Family
Jeris—a student at the Imbati Service Academy, Kiit’s bunkmate
Endredan—a student at the Imbati Service Academy, Aloran’s bunkmate
Erex’s Kuarmei—servant and bodyguard to Erex of the First Family
Premel—Keeper in the Household of Garr and Tamelera
Remeni—First Houseman in the Household of Benél of the First Family
Shara—caretaker in the Household of Reyn and Iren of the Ninth Family
Katella—a student at the Imbati Service Academy
Dorya—partner of Premel
Fedron’s Chenna—servant and bodyguard to Fedron of the First Family
Ezill—pharmacy warden of the Imbati Service Academy
Headmaster Moruvia—Headmaster of the Imbati Service Academy
Officer Warden Xim—leader of the Imbati Wardens
Herin’s Argun—manservant to Herin of the Third Family
Kartunnen
Tromaldin—conductor of the Pelismar symphony
Ryanin—a famous composer
Yanun—a courtesan
Vant—a musician’s apprentice
Jaia—a shopkeeper and fashion designer
Dois—a courtesan
Venorai
Kitrin—elected leader of the Venorai Union
Melumalai
Odenli—chairman of the Melumalai banking syndicate
Akrabitti
Griss—a trash worker
Acknowledgments
I have a great many people to thank—so many that I know I will end up missing someone. So many of you kept up my spirits with kind words or advice, or gave me your precious time for reading, critiquing, and discussing. You know who you are, and I wouldn’t be here without you.
I would like to thank my editor, Sheila Gilbert, for her insightful vision in sharpening this book. Thank you to Adam Auerbach for the beautiful cover art, and to Katie Hoffman for her kindness and advocacy. I’m also deeply grateful to my agent, Kristopher O’Higgins, who never stopped believing in this project and supported me through years of work and waiting. A big thank you also goes out to Marguerite Reed, who introduced me to Kris.
Janice Hardy, you’ve been there every step of the way. Thank you for telling me you cared about this book, and this was where I had to start.
Deborah Ross, I would not have made it through without your mentoring insights, hugs, and gentle guidance.
Among the many people who participated in critique and discussion I wish to extend particular appreciation to Lillian Csernica, Josephine Kelso, Dario Ciriello, Linda Whitaker, and Kyle Aisteach.
Special thanks go to David J. Peterson for the many hours he spent turning my alphabet for Varinin into a real font that could be used in this book.
Thank you to Tim, Niall, and Eagan for all the hours of listening, for telling me I’m awesome when I needed to hear it, and for also being honest about when I needed to fix things. Thanks to Pete and Jen for believing. Finally, I’d like to thank my parents, Eileen and Michael, for all the books they gave me to read, for supporting me through my education in linguistics and anthropology, and for taking me to France where I discovered Varin in the Gouffre de Padirac.
About the Author
Juliette Wade's habit of asking "why" about everything has led her to explore the world both above and below the ground. She has lived in Japan and France, and holds degrees in linguistics and anthropology. The author of many published short stories, she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her Aussie husband and her two sons, who support and inspire her.
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