Adrienne nods. Her grip stays laced through Lira's on the blanket.
I step into the room.
Adrienne's eyes find mine. Every witch in Konstantin's network knows who I am.
"You built the wards around the farms," I say.
She doesn't flinch. "Yes."
"You built the architecture that kept those people inside."
"Yes."
"Your daughter was leverage."
"Yes."
"Was her life worth more than theirs?"
Lira's grip tightens on her mother's wrist. Seraphina goes still in the doorway. Celeste is beside me. I feel the bond shift, but she doesn't speak.
Adrienne meets my gaze. Her jaw is set. Her hands don't shake.
"You would have to be a parent to understand," she says.
The word lands in a place it wouldn't have landed twelve hours ago.
My fists close at my sides before I can prevent the reflex. The tendons in my wrists pull tight. My jaw sets hard enough that the pressure reaches my temples.
I hold her gaze.
"Give the frequencies to Seraphina," I say. "You stay as long as your daughter is here."
I turn and walk out. Celeste follows. In the corridor, she glances at me once. Neither of us says anything.
We go to the conference room.
Julian is already there. His jacket is off, sleeves pushed to his elbows.
"Cover story's held through the night cycle," he says. "The video of you is at eleven million views. Still too dark to confirm anything frame by frame, but the longer it circulates, the harder it gets to contain."
"Erik?"
"His wolves are staying out of public sight. No human-facing appearances until the witness list is handled." Julian pauses. "He wants to know when Lanthar's Fae can start working it."
"When Lanthar finishes moving the survivors through the Veil. I won't pull him off that."
Julian pulls up the witness list. Names, faces, locations. First responders. Course photographers.
I look at the list and I think about what I'm protecting.
Twenty-four hours ago, the answer was the territory, the alliance, the Accords. The answer hasn't changed. It's expanded, and one of the things it now includes doesn't yet exist outside of a blood panel and the space under my palm, and I can't say that at this table.
"Is there anything else?" he asks.
"No. Keep building the cover. I want the witness list ready for Lanthar by tomorrow night."
He nods. Turns back to his screens.
