@Elizabeth Rain I disagree. I think the characters introduced are building toward future inclusion in the story and that the pace feels fast, but not at all like there is anything missing. There is no need to have an immediate reason to introduce a character, as they are introduced to us naturally as she meets them, and are (or will be) given a "reason" as the story develops.
Kyla is more interesting as a bit of a mystery unraveling. Instead of knowing her thought processes line by line, I think it’s better for the story to allow us to infer it, not wasting pages that don’t move the story. We know, for instance, that she is clever, despite not being let in on the details of her thoughts for future plans.
I understand your criticism, but I think it’s subjective. As a reader, I enjoy this pace and style very much, and disagree with you that more detail about Kyla would be better. More would muddy the story and bog down the pace. More would just be more. There’s plenty of detail to allow the world created to be full and engrossing, and other than that, a little room for imagination helps, rather than stifles, the reader experience. The problems added seem to me to be well thought out, to be dealt with as the story moves forward, creating an intricate and complex story.
Again, I certainly see your points, and they were made constructively, but they really just boil down to your opinion, which I respectfully disagree with. I find the pace captivating, the editing and conciseness of the story perfect, not too much or too little, and the development of the characters and plot very engaging.