On a tense morning at Griffin Antiquities, Bryce manages Fae browsers when the intercom buzzes. Outside, Hunt Athalar and Isaiah Tiberian, unable to bypass Jesiba’s heavy wards, try and fail to gain entry until Hunt mentions a murder. Bryce briefly rebuffs them, then opens the door.

Inside the showroom, Bryce limits them to “fifteen minutes.” Isaiah explains that Maximus Tertian was killed near the Meat Market shortly after meeting Bryce at the White Raven. Bryce recounts completing a gallery deal there, rejecting Maximus’s advances, and assuming he went to the Market to buy what he’d tried to take from her. She offers her doorman and Ruhn Danaan as an alibi.

As Bryce heads for the door, Isaiah reveals their true purpose: Micah is on his way. Hunt then drops the bomb—Maximus’s injuries match those of Danika Fendyr and the Pack of Devils, details never made public. The implication rattles Bryce and suggests Philip Briggs might not be responsible for the pack’s murders.

Isaiah steps outside to give privacy while Bryce calls Jesiba. They discuss the fallout, including the risk of Maximus’s powerful father, and Jesiba orders a full lockdown before Micah arrives. Lehabah checks in through the archives door, and Bryce sends her and the chimera back below. Bryce moves to secure the gallery and brace for the Governor’s arrival.