Page 246 of Elemental Becoming

Rowena sits back in her chair. “If they’re in the capital, then every moment we spend discussing their history is another moment they spend advancing whatever plan brought them here.”

“Agreed,” Sienna says. “The question is no longer whether the Shadowed Hand are in the capital.”

Her fingers tap once against the table.

“It’s how deeply they’ve embedded themselves. If they mapped our defenses, tracked patrol rotations, and coordinated the attack on the ball, then this wasn’t the work of a single operative.”

A muscle jumps in Edric’s jaw. “It never is.”

Valen appears to be studying a spot on the wall, but I know that look. He’s taking everything apart and putting it back together again in his head.

My thoughts race ahead of the conversation. If they are here, if they have infiltrated the Fire Clan’s capital, then Selene has eyes inside the very heart of our war effort.

Thane finally speaks, his voice calm but edged with something lethal. “It means our war is closer than we thought.”

“The Shadowed Hand doesn’t fight head-on. They manipulate, infiltrate, and dismantle from within. They don’t storm the gates,” Orlon continues. “They make you open them.”

The realization comes quickly.

“That’s what happened at the ball, isn’t it?” I ask. “They didn’t overpower our defenses. They made them meaningless.”

“We have been fighting shadows for years, girl.” Edric exhales sharply through his nose. “This is nothing new.”

Sienna’s gaze shifts to him at the wordgirl. The look of disgust she gives him is brief, but unmistakable.

A quick glance at Rowena is all it takes. She gives the smallest nod.

Keep going.

I meet Edric’s gaze without flinching. “So they regularly break into the Fire Clan fortress?”

The air seems to go out of the room.

Edric’s expression hardens, but he doesn’t answer immediately.

Beneath the table, Thane’s fingers press briefly into my thigh. A small, deliberate squeeze.

I don’t look at him, but I know exactly what I would see if I did: Thane leaning back in his chair with an expression the rest of the council would struggle to read.

He’s watching everything unfold. Not just how my words land with the council, but the way I think, the connections I make, and the questions I ask.

A flicker of pride flows through the bond. The quiet encouragement is all I need.

“You all knew the Shadowed Hand existed. You knew they infiltrated cities, dismantled governments, and turned allies against each other. You fought them in the past.” I let my gaze sweep over the table. “And yet, you thought they couldn’t get to you.”

I let the implication settle over the room like ash.

“Do we have any idea who among us might be part of the Shadowed Hand?”

A muscle jumps in Edric’s jaw, but he says nothing. Sienna’s lips twitch slightly, but she remains silent.

“Then we’re looking for an enemy we know is here, but haveno way of identifying. If the Shadowed Hand is as skilled as you say they are, then I think we might be asking the wrong question.”

Master Orlon studies me carefully. “What question should we be asking?”

I glance around the table. “You’re all focused on who helped them get into the castle.”

“Because someone did,” Edric replies.