Plain Kate
 Katerina "Kate" Svetlana is an orphan who lived in the small eastern European market town of Samilae. She was called "Plain Kate" because of her plain looks. Her mother died in childbirth and her father, a master woodcarver, took care of her until he died of a mysterious river sickness. She is thought to be a witch by some of the other townspeople, because of her brown and blue eyes. Kate is too young and too poor to join the woodcarving guild, and is forced to live out of her father's market stall, seeking out a living from her carvings. One day, a stranger comes to market. The stranger, Linay, offers Kate her heart's wish in exchange for her shadow. She initially refuses, but later agrees when rumours of witchcraft spread and she feels she must escape the town to survive. Linay provides her with basic necessities, and her wish to not be alone results in her pet cat Taggle gaining the power of speech. Kate joins a group of Roamers, nomads who travel from town to town selling goods. She meets Drina, a girl with no mother but a living father who tells Kate about an uncle who went mad once Drina's mother was burned as a witch. A few days later, Kate reveals to Drina that a witch took her shadow and that Taggle actually talks. Since Drina's mother was actually a witch, and Drina shares some of that power, Drina decides to help Kate. Drina repeats the one rule of magic: that for something to be granted, something must be given in return, but the spell backfires. Drina apologizes but says that they can still get help from someone who knew her mother in the markets of Toila. Throughout their journey, a mysterious fog creeps up the river, bringing sickness to the towns it touches. The people of the countryside are more fearful than ever, ready to pounce on any mysterious stranger or Roamer with accusations of witchcraft. Kate and Drina barely escape from an angry mob in Toila, and the Roamers start to believe that Kate is more trouble than she is worth. Worse, the river sickness has started to affect the Roamers as well. Some Roamers accuse Kate of being responsible. The discovery that Kate now has no shadow, and that Taggle can talk, seals Kate's fate. The Roamers lock her in an old bear cage, and prepare to burn her themselves. Kate manages to escape with Taggle, but is badly burnt. She runs to the river and dive in. Kate wakes up in a small boat, and discovers that Linay has saved her from drowning in the water. Her hands are bandaged and she is in clean clothes, and Linay reveals that he did not want Kate to drown. This was how his sister died, while running from an angry mob, and it is this that has transformed her into a Rusalka, a vampiric water creature that has been causing the river sickness. Kate realizes that Linay is Drina's uncle, and that the Rusalka is actually Drina's mother, Lenore. Linay promises to return Kate's shadow to her when they reach Lov, a big city downriver, but he needs her to exact his plan for revenge. He reveals that he has taken Kate's shadow so he could augment the power of the Rusalka and destroy the city of Lov, where Lenore died. He is leading his sister down the river and keeping her under control by offering her his blood, but he has no more blood to give. He asks Kate to offer some of her own blood. In spite of Taggle's advice not to agree to Linay's deal, Kate reluctantly starts to feed her blood to Lenore, every night. Soon, she discovers that her shadow is held in a box made of her stall's ruins. After an attempt to free her shadow fails, Kate decides that she cannot allow Linay to destroy Lov, and she flees Linay's boat, trying to beat him to the stone city. On the way, she meets Drina in the red vardo with Behjet. Behjet has fallen into the "death" sleep. Drina says that the ghost has taken other Roamers as well. Together, the two arrive at Lov. There, they see Linay being captured by the city guards. He is calling for himself to be burned. On the day of the burning, as Linay is to be burned at the stake, he calls Lenore, who comes. Combined with Kate's shadow, she begins to destroy Lov. Kate and Drina plead with Linay to stop, but he refuses. Taggle, remembering the rule of magic, gives back the gift of his speech by selflessly jumping onto Kate's knife, killing himself, and ending the Rusalka's attack on the city. The Rusalka transforms back into Lenore, in ghost form, who comforts the dying Linay, and her daughter Drina. Before she fades, crossing over completely into the afterlife, she grants Kate one last gift and uses her witchcraft to bring Taggle back to life, although without the ability to speak. She also gives Kate back her shadow. Those caught in the sleeping sickness, who are still alive, wake up at last. Kate, Taggle and Drina leave Lov and find Behjet awake. Later, when it is almost dark, Plain Kate finds Linay's green boat. Inside, she finds the box which held her shadow. Inside there is a sack full of gold and silver, and a note on which Linay had written: Kate. I hope you live. Before the book ends, Plain Kate picks up Taggle and says: "I did. We both did. And we'll keep on living."