Stephanie's POV
The fire in the hearth that night didn't feel cozy. It felt like a war council's torch. We all sat around the old table, a map of the city Leo had saved spread out in the middle, held down by cups and a knife. The kids were in the loft, finally asleep after the day in the sun. This was for the adults.
Cane sat at the head, his hands flat on the table. He still looked thin, but his eyes were clear and hard, reflecting the flame. "We can't hit him directly. Not at his home. Not at the places he has control over. He's a fortress in those places."
"So we hit what he cares about," Steph said. She was standing, leaning over the map. Her finger tapped a spot. "His reputation. His control. The story he's built."
Leo nodded slowly. "He's like a spider. Everything is connected to him in the center. You pluck one thread, the whole web shakes."
"So we pluck a thread he thinks is unpluckable," Henry grunted. "Which one?"
