Page 344 of Elemental Becoming

The sketch in Valen’s notes.

The family name written beside it.

Vhael.

My eyes snap open.

The ledger.

Could Kieran’s ancestors have been the ones who stood withGeneral Sylas Veyne? The ones who hid the ledger and carried its secret across generations? Did they know the truth about the Shadow Wars?

Thane feels the realization the moment it lands. His hand closes around my knee, firm and grounding. I meet his gaze and send the memory through the bond—Valen’s notes, the family names, the crest sketched in the margins. The subtle flame. The hidden signature.

Thane’s nostrils flare.

“Could it be?”I ask through the bond.“Could Kieran’s family be the ones who protected it?”

His fingers tighten slightly.“It’s possible.”

I take a breath, my mind racing.

Could it really be this simple? Could we finally have a real lead on the ledger?

“It has to be. The records listed the family name as Vhael. Kieran’s last name is Vael.”

The connection feels too close to dismiss.

“Do you think they still have it? Do they even know?”

Thane’s thumb brushes once across my knee before he leans back.“Idon’t know. But it’s worth exploring. And Valen needs to know.”

Before I can respond, Kieran’s voice cuts through the space between us.

“What’s happening over there?”

Lyra doesn’t even look up as she steals a piece of fruit from Garrick’s plate.

“Oh, they do that. Talking in each other’s heads. We’re used to it by now.” She bumps her shoulder against mine. “Still rude, though.”

Kieran rests his forearms on the table. “I don’t know. Seems convenient.”

His eyes move between me and Thane, interest plain on hisface.

“Private conversations no one else can hear? I’d take that.”

Jarek scoffs. “Right. As if you don’t already talk enough.”

Kieran lifts a shoulder in an easy shrug. “And yet, people still listen. Clearly, I’m fascinating.”

Garrick huffs a laugh. “You’re definitelysomething.”

I take a sip from my cup, listening to the easy back-and-forth while my thoughts continue to race. The pieces are beginning to fit together.

Beside me, Thane feels it. His presence through the bond remains quiet and patient. I glance his way, barely tipping my head. He gives the smallest nod.

Across the table, Kieran grins at something Jarek says.

Does he know? Does he carry that family history without ever feeling the weight of it?