CHAPTER 12Breakfast with Spiders
The dining room was all dark wood and subtle light. Fen sat at the head of the table like a queen, Tao to her right, Ming to her left. Zara slouched in her chair, scrolling through a tablet. Sylas was absent.
Leo pulled out a chair for Luna beside him. The gesture felt less like courtesy and more like positioning a chess piece.
"You slept well?" Fen asked without looking up from her tea.
"Well enough, thank you," Luna said.
"Good. Rest is important. You'll need your strength." Fen's eyes lifted, sharp as broken glass. "Today you begin your real work. Not archiving. Learning."
"Learning what?"
"The threads," Zara said, setting her tablet down. "Who owes us. Who fears us. Who wants to be us."
Ming spoke quietly. "Your mother provided your education records. You have a talent for pattern recognition. For seeing what's missing."
"It's why I preserve things," Luna said. "To see the whole picture."
"Preservation is a luxury," Tao said, his voice like stone grinding against stone. "In our world, most things are meant to be deleted. The skill is knowing what to keep."
A servant placed a plate of delicate pastries before Luna. She had no appetite.
"The Yèshòus," Fen said suddenly. "What do you know of them?"
Luna straightened. "One of the four families. Enforcers. Protection, smuggling, physical security. Headed by Kane Yèshòu. His children: Rook, Nova, and Ash."
"And their weakness?" Fen pressed.
"They trade in fear. Which makes them predictable. And fear," Luna said, meeting Fen's gaze, "is a tool that eventually turns on its wielder."
A beat of silence. Then Fen nodded, almost imperceptibly. "Not entirely ignorant."
Leo, beside her, hadn't touched his food. He was watching the exchange like a scientist observing an experiment.
"Today," Ming said, "you'll accompany Zara to the city. There's an auction at Elysian Galleries. Several items of... interest will be available. Observe. Report."
"An auction?" Luna asked.
"Of stolen artifacts," Zara clarified cheerfully. "Mostly from our rivals. It's like shopping, but with more treason."