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“No,” Ivain said, his frown deepening. “What you’re suggesting—if hyaline could be enchanted, that would make it magical. And a magical crystal isn’t just some enchanted rock. It’s a conduit. A conductor for magic. It doesn’t just hold energy—it transforms it, amplifies it, makes it something usable.”

“From what I can tell, Skye and Kato left a pretty big hole in the ground,” Taly countered. “I’d classify that as both an amplification and an exploitation.”

“Do not make the mistake of confusing coincidence with intent,” Ivain said firmly. “Hyaline doesn’t conduct magic. It lacks the structural resonance and divine imprint required for channeling. It’s a rock. A dead end.”

“But—”

“I saidno, Taly.”

The word settled over the room with finality. Taly’s face went hot. Ivain straightened in his chair, expression unreadable—but his eyes slipped, just for a breath, a flicker of unease creeping in behind them.

“I won’t waste time chasing shadows,” he said. “We stick to the facts, the provable, the measurable. Anything else is a distraction we can’t afford.”

There was something he wasn’t saying. Taly took a breath to keep arguing, but Skye tugged on her sleeve, motioning for her to let it go.

Growling under her breath, she pried apart another strand of hair.

“So, what happens next?” Aiden asked. “Yes, we know a bit more about who we’re fighting, but where does that leave us now? What do we do about today? Tomorrow?”

“I can answer that,” Sarina said, starting to look a little more alive. “We play politics. We still have a Curse to deal with, and a city under siege.”

Ivain picked up his knife and fork, digging into his forgotten plate. “Last night was… a success,” he muttered, his eyes shifting to Taly with a look that said,if you ignore the last part.“Brielle seems like she could be an ally.”

Sarina’s lips pursed. She stared into her tea like it held the secrets of the universe.

“Myridan’s going to be a problem,” Skye said with a look at Taly.

“Myridan’s always a problem,” Kato countered.

“Yes, but that was before Taly nearly castrated one of them in a public debate.” Sarina rubbed her eyes. “Not that he didn’t have it coming. Ainsley’s a bastard. Always has been. And true to form, he doesn’t let go of slights.”

“I would suggest the stocks to teach him a lesson,” Ivain grumbled into his breakfast.

“And I would suggest we try to avoid starting any more wars,” Sarina said, leveling a steady look across the table. “For now, we ignore him. Bontu, Tyra, Corvell, and Arylaan all made public pledges last night. Agno is still considering, but they’re leaning in our favor. He’s outnumbered and outmatched and won’t make a stand publicly.”

“The Lord Shroud was sitting in his booth,” Taly said softly.

Sarina reached across the table to grip Taly’s hand. “The Sanctorum is a small group separated from their source of power. They are not the ally he believes them to be.” Taly nodded. Sarina gave her hand a squeeze, then straightened. “So long as we maintain the favor of the people, we maintain our hold on this city. And after last night, it’s clear to me that morale has become an issue. We have a Curse running rampant, and the food supply is in shambles. People are scared, and while for us it was a night for building alliances, all they saw were their leaders squabbling.”

Ivain was silent for a moment, chewing thoughtfully. “We need a show of strength.”

“We do.”

“You sound as if you already have something in mind?”

Sarina set down her teacup. “First Sunrise is in a week, and from what I overheard last night, the city is going ahead with the festival. They have no resources, hardly any food, and I’mpretty sure the decorations will be made of paper. But they’re still celebrating.”

“And you want to take over,” Ivain guessed.

Indeed, Sarina’s blue eyes were bright but steady. “You want to restore the people’s faith? Give them something to live for. Open the wine stores and increase the rations.Showthem we’re not worried—with food, dancing, and music.”

Aiden said, “It’s going to take another three weeks to see a complete turnover in the food supply. With the infrastructure already in place, we’re producing enough to fill daily rations, but there’s no surplus. Not yet.”

Ivain rubbed his chin. “It would be a stretch.”

Sarina arched a brow. “You’re telling me we havenothingto spare?”

Ivain sighed. “I had a stockpile of goods put away for the Aion Gate opening.”