Oh, she hadn’t thought of that. And she needed to make eye contact to read a soul. Perhaps she could wear a turban and veil to hide her identity.

“She could assess their fighting abilities. The acolytes have a final match with a veiled monk before taking the oath.” Hanif seemed to follow her train of thought.

Except she hadn’t been practicing the Ways of the Yarin lately. “I don’t know if I’ll be a worthy opponent.”

“It doesn’t matter. I know they’re good fighters, but I don’t know if they’re trustworthy.”

In that case… “All right. But this is worth more than you getting the torques for me. You owe me another favor.” A pause. “How about admittance into the Third Room of Knowledge?”

Hanif laughed. “Nice try. I agree to another favor, but not that. Pick something else.”

“How about when the time comes, you allow Kaveri to help us with starting our own garden?”

He shot her a probing look, but she kept her expression neutral. Did Hanif really believe she hadn’t figured out Kaveri was her mother?

“Okay, but that doesn’t include providing plants,” he said. “For that I’d need you to do another task.”

Still a victory. She’d expected to have to do more for the plants. “Do you have a task in mind?”

“No, but I’m sure something will come up.”

Jayden just shook his head over their negotiations. “Can you get the torques before the fights?”

While Hanif fetched the necklaces, Shyla changed into a monk’s uniform. The stiff tan fabric was more tailored than what the acolytes wore—the tunic was shorter and it had a matching fabric belt that she tied around her waist. Shyla studied her reflection in the mirror.

She’d spent her entire childhood insisting she’d never become a monk. Not that she was one, but wearing the uniform and being a part of an assessment came close. At least the idea of being a monk no longer caused her to panic. She’d learned being a part of an organization was really just being part of a family.

She wound the turban around her short hair, keeping it small and tucked in close. Then she secured the veil so the material would not come loose while she fought.

Jayden waited for her in the training room. He met her gaze when she entered—the only part of her exposed. “I’m still having trouble getting used to your new eye color. Do any of the monks have blue eyes?”

“A couple.” It was a good thing that blue eyes weren’t that uncommon among the people in Zirdai.

Hanif returned with the torques. He gave them to Jayden and then shooed him from the room. “Only monks are allowed.” After Jayden left, Hanif turned to Shyla. “You’re going to need to be on the offensive. Can you do that?”