I want to cry out that it’s urgent to me, but Jemma speaks first. Her expression has hardened. “You mean, if we pay you a fee.”

Ida tilts her head. “We cannot abandon our other projects without the right motivation, you see.” Rachel keeps her eyes cast down, and I peek inside her head before I can think better of it.

Poor girl. We should help her. Her eyes widen when she realizes I’m staring at her.

“You won’t help a child who has had everything taken from her?” Jemma is on her feet now, her angry thoughts slipping from her mouth before her words. “Have you no compassion?”

Ida raises an eyebrow. “Of course we have compassion. But we also have needs that must be met. Our services must be paid for.”

“But that isn’t fair!” Sebastian says. Jemma hushes him. Disappointment crawls through my veins, weighing me down.

“I think it’s time for you to leave,” Jemma says.

“I see,” Ida says, rising. “Thank you for the meal and for sharing your stories. It is most appreciated.” With that, she sweeps out of the room. Rachel follows close behind, but not without an apologetic glance in my direction.

“I’m sorry, Simone,” Jemma says, sinking into her chair. “I thought they’d be more open to helping. I should have known better than to get your hopes up.”

“What now?” Sebastian says.

My reason for arriving late to dinner bursts back to the forefront of my mind. I grab his arm. “I must tell you something important.” My voice feels hoarse and thin. “Remember how the Lady controlled us? How she must have been using a body walker’s talent?”

Sebastian goes rigid, and Jemma straightens up, listening more attentively.

“The owner of that talent is free now. And”—I swallow hard, twisting my hair around my fingers with my free hand—“they were here. Today in the market, I felt them. I could hear the screams of the mind whose body they stole begging for help.” I examine my muddy shoes. “I fled. I couldn’t stand to be there a second longer. I can’t experience that again.”

Sebastian begins to shake, and Jemma pulls him to her side, wrapping an arm around him. Her expression softens, as do her thoughts.

“You’re both safe now. You’re protected. And we’ll find some other way to locate your family, Simone.”

But who will protect me if someone comes after them? she thinks.

If Lady Aisling had anything to do with this, we’re all in grave danger, talented or not.

I shake my head, wisps of my pale hair waving across my face. “The body walker was using people. And that shape shifter the librarians mentioned? That must have been the body walker too. We’re not safe.” I begin to pace erratically. “I should leave.”

Sebastian’s face falls. “But why? Where will you go?”

“I need to see Lady Aisling,” I say. Sebastian recoils, and the force of his objection almost knocks me over. I steady myself against the wall. “It’s the only way to know for sure that she no longer controls the body walker.”