Sophie poured some tea into Nadia’s cup, and noticed that her friend’s hands were shaking. Since she had been kept from seeing Taneen, it seemed that her health was deteriorating: she was nervous and restless, ate little and slept even less. There were deep dark circles under her eyes, and the scales on her skin seemed oddly pale and translucent.

Karla was worried about her: she went to Sophie to ask for advice. There wasn’t much she could do, though: she had advised Nadia ...