By the time Pax arrived at the back-alley door of the Silent Stein, his nerves were jumping. The streets, which had become familiar after spending the last couple of weeks delivering messages all over town, had undergone a noticeable change. Sure, there had been a nervous tension lingering in the background since the war started. But now, after the riots, any tentative sense of safety had disappeared.

Part of Pax felt somewhat satisfied at the change. These citizens had been sitting safely in their huge, protected capital city for long enough. It was about time they experienced the trauma and uncertainty the rest of the empire had to deal with. They needed a wake-up call, and the tiny one they'd received was a good start.

Having been there before with messages for Incedis to examine, Pax knew he didn’t need to knock. He slipped in through the back door, the loud creaks from the hinges providing plenty of notification for anyone listening. The back hallway wasn't in the best shape. But someone had cleaned the battered floor and somewhat dented walls, leaving behind a refreshing scent of citrus. It was quite the contrast to the hallway he’d just come from that led to Mistress Windhelm's office.

When he reached the correct door, the man guarding it peered at him before relaxing with recognition. Pax gave him a friendly nod before going in. Heads turned at his entrance, and his friends greeted him with smiles.

“Hah. Leave it to the one with no mentor meeting to show up last,” Amil said with cheerful sarcasm when he saw who it was.

Pax made a short, mocking bow to acknowledge the point before taking the last open seat around the large table. A tray of savory snacks sat in the center of the scarred wooden table, and a pitcher of something hot and steaming sat next to it, giving off a sweet aroma. Rin passed him a small plate and mug, while Tyrodon passed him the pitcher. Pax was happy to pour himself a full mug when he saw spiced cider inside.

“Now that we're all here, let's get started. We all have plenty of things to do,” Incedis stood at the head of the table, glancing down at a piece of parchment before looking up at them. He tapped at his ring, engaging a sound barrier large enough to encompass all of them. “First, I have news about the Taming business and all the politics now getting involved. Amil told me he has news to share about military maneuvers. Anyone else?”

Pax raised his hand, unable to suppress his excitement completely. “Mistress Windhelm just gave me some news about a new Awakening caravan that's leaving months early.”

Incedis’ eyes widened, and Pax wondered how effective the rebels' information network could be if they hadn't heard about the caravan. It made him further appreciate Mistress Windhelm sharing it with him when he realized how guarded the information must be. Around him, the others perked up with interest, giving Pax the satisfaction of a good surprise.

Incedis just sighed and then sat down as he waved toward Pax. "Go ahead then, since you've told us half of the information already."

Pax quickly shared what Mistress Windhelm had told him, but he didn't get the reaction from Incedis he'd hoped for when he said they needed to figure out a way to get onto the caravan.

His friends looked interested, but Incedis was shaking his head, a somber look on his face. "I'm sorry, Pax, but I don't think that's going to happen."

Pax opened his mouth to object, but Incedis held up a hand. "Why don't you wait until we finish discussing the other two items before we discuss the caravan again?" Pax sat back and forced himself to pick up his warm mug and take a sip instead of arguing. There was obviously more information that he needed to hear.

“Amil, would you like to go next?” Incedis asked.

Amil shot Pax a concerned look before clearing his throat. "My news is completely different. Do you remember the ghostwind crystal we won in the auction?" Amil looked at Incedis, his brows raised.

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Incedis nodded and motioned for him to continue.

"Well, in the last two weeks, we've taken turns trying to find good places to stash it and have struck out on getting any kind of important military information." His smile widened as he got into his story. "Until I had a brilliant idea." Amil paused expectantly, but everyone just waited.

Amil sighed and cleared his throat. "I hid the crystal in the Vanguard headquarters instead of someone’s place we were delivering messages to."

Rin frowned. "That's a risky move. If they found it, we'd all be in trouble. I’m sure who won it is part of the auction records."

"But they didn't. Instead, we finally got some intel that the rebels can use." Amil pulled the crystal device out of his inventory and held it up with a proud flourish. "Would anyone like to hear?"

This time, he got the eager nods he'd been expecting. He set it on the table and, using a little mana, activated it. The first thing they heard wasn't much more than the background noise of the busy headquarters. A few voices and words were distinguishable, but most of them blended into each other and the background buzz of the large gathering room.

Dahni shifted in his chair, and Amil motioned for him to be patient. "It's almost to the good part."

Silence fell around the table as everyone leaned forward, straining to hear better. A few moments later, Pax recognized Langley's distinctive baritone. The other voice speaking to him was just as recognizable. Mage Lyndara was discussing something with her boss.

But they were too quiet and far away to make out more than a word here and there. Thankfully, their voices grew louder and clearer. They must have walked closer to wherever Amil had hidden the crystal.

"Are we sure this is a good idea?" They could finally hear everything Langley said.

"It's not like we have a choice," Lyndara replied.

"And if we have to fight or kill some of our friends? Are we going to be okay with that?"

There was a tense silence before Lyndara spoke again. "I think we need to remember this is a war. In war, people die, sometimes people we know and care about."

"That's not the same as doing it ourselves or with one of our strike teams."

Lyndara was silent, and Langley seemed to be giving her time to think.

When she finally spoke, her voice was low, but they must have been close to the crystal because the words were clear. "How many do we know who have joined the other side, for sure?"

Dahni sucked in a surprised breath, and no one made a noise, waiting to hear the answer.

“Just a minute.” A soft swish of air followed Langley's words.

Pax groaned, recognizing that they'd engaged a protective field to prevent eavesdropping. He had just leaned back in disappointment when Langley's words came through clearly, instead of being silenced. He let out a relieved breath. The crystal's hiding place must have been inside the privacy shield.

“At least ten that I know personally. And three people have contacted me to see if I'll switch sides.”

Lyndara groaned, sounding conflicted. “Are these just acquaintances or people you're really tight with?”

“A few of both. But we can't let it matter.”

“So, the empire all the way?”

Now it was Langley's turn to be silent, obviously taking time to choose his words. “We have to be pragmatic. Right now, we’re not doing well enough against the beasts for the empire to survive. But I don't see the rebels doing any better. So, we have to back the empire, regardless of who we know on the other side.”

“I agree,” Lyndara said, but with an audible touch of regret in her tone. “This isn't a permanent decision, though, right?”

“True. If the rebellion can show they’re stronger than the empire, then we'll rethink our position. But these plans make that pretty unlikely.”

“All right.” Lyndara was all business again. “I'll get busy setting up the strike teams. Let me know when you have accurate targets for the rebel bases we'll be hitting.”

They all heard the soft swish of their protective barrier dropping, followed by the return of the background noise at the Steel Shade headquarters and footsteps as Langley and Lyndara walked away.

“There isn’t anything important after that.” Amil deactivated the crystal. “I listened until the end.”

A somber silence fell over the back room in the Silent Stein.

Incedis pushed himself to his feet, face pale as he spoke to Amil. “Please let me or Pax know immediately if you get further information on exactly which bases they have targeted. Now, I need to pass this on immediately.” He shook his head and muttered, “I can't believe we have the Steelshade strike forces coming after us.”

He'd placed his silencing ring on the table and had already taken two strides toward the door before Pax realized he was actually leaving. “Wait, you still have to tell us your news, right? And what about joining the caravan to Thanhil? I need to check on my friends, and I’m sure I can get information about how they are securing the Awakening device so we can steal it.” Pax heard the desperation in his voice, but didn't care.

Incedis stopped mid-stride. “This information is too critical for me to wait another minute. However, I have contacts here at the pub I can pass it on to. Don’t worry. I'll be right back. Enjoy the snacks.”