Page 13 of Lost in Fire

“Viktor.” I stop him as he reaches for the cabinet. “Thank you for trusting me with this. After what we just pulled with Lila, you’d be justified in cutting me loose.”

He pauses, hand on the cabinet door. “Hargen, for years, you chose to protect someone you cared about, even though it meant giving yourself to the Syndicate. Lila Rossewyn wouldn’t have made it without you. That tells me something about your character.” He looks back at me. “Besides, if this Shadowhand is really protecting mixed bloodlines, we need to know who they are before the Syndicate figures it out.”

We shake hands—his grip firm, steady, carrying trust I hope I can live up to.

“Find the Shadowhand, Hargen. And if your intelligence source is legitimate, bring them home.”

As I prepare to leave, staring at Vanya’s message on my phone screen, one truth cuts through every doubt:I’m coming, Vanya. Wherever you are, whatever danger threatens our daughter, I’m coming.

Chapter 5

Vanya

The message arrives at noon—a single line burning across my secured terminal.

Emergency session. Ivory League. Noon.

I stare until the words disappear. Emergency sessions mean we’ll meet in the sacred chamber beneath the Enclave, not some exposed corporate building. The heart of our fortress where shadows and ancient stone hide our conversations. Where the League has made its bloodiest decisions for generations.

Elder Vex’s signature tells me he’s moving against someone. Given the timing—barely three days since I reached out to Hargen through encrypted channels—I’m afraid of who his target might be.

I delete the message and stand, every movement calculated to project confidence I don’t feel. Control that’s been fifteen years in the making.

Today, that control will be tested. I feel it in my bones.

The elevator drops past administrative floors, past clan residential levels, deep into bedrock where our ancestors carved the first chambers. Ancient dragon motifs line the corridor, magical wards humming in the stone itself.

Once again, they’re waiting when I get there.

I take my seat with a nod to the others, not saying anything in case it gives away a tremor in my voice.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Vex begins, “we face a crisis that threatens the integrity of our bloodline protocols.”

My fingers remain steady on the table as I sink back into my seat. Let them see boredom, not the cold dread spreading through my chest.

“Intelligence indicates,” Vex continues, activating holographic displays, “that someone with access to our systems has been interfering with bloodline verification. Protecting individuals who should be subject to our standards.”

The images floating above the table make my stomach clench. Personnel files. Bloodline assessments. Verification reports dating back months. All connected by patterns I recognize because I helped create half of them.

“Fascinating theory, Elder.” I lean back, projecting confidence that has served me for fifteen years. “Do we have proof, or shall we waste the League’s time discussing your suspicions?”

His satisfaction radiates through the mask. “More than suspicions, Elder. Our investigation has revealed remarkable coordination.”

He activates the first projection. Personnel records from various operations. Bloodline verification reports showing inconsistencies. Reassignment orders that moved certain individuals away from scrutiny.

“Three months ago, we identified irregularities in Kiasog bloodline verification. Several individuals showing mixed heritage were reclassified as pure.” His voice carries a damningnote. “Similarly, members of the Empyreal line who should have faced disciplinary action were transferred to positions where their status became… less relevant.”

The image shifts to show a genealogical chart with highlighted discrepancies. Names I recognize because they represent people I’ve helped protect.

“Could these be administrative errors, Elder Vex?” asks Elder Helestre.

“One incident, perhaps. Two, possibly oversight.” Vex’s mask turns toward each League member. “But systematic protection of compromised bloodlines within our ranks? This suggests coordination.”

Elder Cymbane speaks from across the table. “You suggest internal breach? Someone within our verification systems?”

“I suggest,” Vex says carefully, “that someone with access to our highest levels has been playing a dangerous game.”

The words hang in the air. Not pointed at me directly—not yet—but close enough that I can feel the edge. Around the table, the other League members shift uncomfortably.

---