At that point, Koji looked at me over Zion’s shoulder, so she turned and introduced me. I put my hand out to shake and blushed all over again when he swept it up dramatically and kissed it, then winked at me.

A doorman let us in. Zion and Kara seemed to know him, too, but didn’t stop to chat. He took us into an elevator, using a special key to send it to a top floor.

After he stepped out, the doors closed and the elevator began to rise sluggishly. To pass the time, I asked if Koji and the doorman were Nolanders.

“Yeah,” Zion said. “Couldn’t you feel it when you touched Koji’s hand?”

I shook my head.

“That’s … strange,” Zion said, looking appalled.

“She also can’t see workings,” Kara said. “Halfings, yeah, but not the full ones. Weird, huh?”

“Yeah,” Zion said. “I’ve never heard of that happening.”

She looked me over, eyebrows knit. I felt like someone with a rare disease surrounded by astonished medical students.

“Graham didn’t even try to do something about it — just tested her for gifts. As if she’d get a gift before seeing workings. Can you believe that?”

“I don’t think he knew —”

Zion cut me off. “Sure I can believe it. He didn’t want her looking into that strait you had sitting open up there, right? You can’t see workings, you can’t see a strait — simple as that.”

Kara looked stunned. Then her surprise turned to anger.

“That bastard! He really was trying to get us killed.”

“What does seeing workings have to do with knowing someone’s a Nolander?” I said, feeling uncomfortable and hoping to get them off the subject of Graham.

Still steaming, Kara explained that normally you can get a general feel for someone else’s capacity to work essence by touching them. “It’s like your power senses their power. You can definitely tell if they’re able to work essence or not. Often you can tell how strong they are, especially if they’re weaker than you. That’s why you won’t see Seconds touching each other very often — not skin to skin.”

“I guess that’s another way my development’s screwed up.”

“I’m sure it’ll be okay,” Kara said.

“Do you think I’ll get a replacement trainer?”

Zion cleared her throat. “I heard Lord Cordus wants to teach you himself.”

Kara shot me a glance that was pure horror, then quickly looked away.

“As for telling who’s a Nolander,” Zion said, filling the uncomfortable silence, “just look for black clothes. Seconds generally don’t like wearing black, so that’s what we wear at events where we’ll be mixing with them. Those of us with significant strength wear a little silver or white, like my barrette or the trim on Kara’s dress, but that’s it.”