Nessa Vark stands in three-quarter view with her head cocked as if she has just caught someone telling a lie. She is thin and very young-looking, with smooth dark red skin, a narrow elegant face, softly blushed cheeks, and a mischievous smile that reveals two tiny white fangs. Her blood-red eyes are bright and watchful, more amused than threatening. Two very short black conical horns rise from her forehead, almost delicate enough to be mistaken for polished beads. Her black hair is cropped close and carefully arranged, though one stubborn lock always falls over her right brow by evening. Pointed, catlike ears give her an alert silhouette. She moves with a light, prowling grace, but when startled she becomes awkwardly still, like a child caught stealing sweets. The unexpected contradiction is her hands: clean, unadorned, and visibly gentle, with none of the soot-stained fingertips or theatrical gestures people expect from a sorcerer.