“Be careful, Josiah.” Her unblinking, glittering gaze fixed on him. “I see violence surrounding this.”

He was always careful. “We knew the closer we got, the more dangerous things would become.” They never mentioned their adversary by name in case it triggered his attention. “You said this connects. Does this lead to our target?”

“I think it might. A lot depends on the choices we make and if we can follow the twists and turns of the thread.” Her blank expression fractured into frustration. “Our circle may be protective, but it also limits my sight. I need to step out to see more.”

“Stop,” he said immediately. “It’s not worth the risk. You’ve confirmed there’s a connection to our prey, and that’s enough for now.”

The glitter left her eyes, and she began to shudder. “I also heard a lot of spirit whispers down that winding thread. Souls that have been killed or maimed.”

A pained silence greeted that.

Anson asked softly, “Were any of them ours?”

They had all lost something to the one they hunted. Family members, former lives they had lived. Josiah had lost years of his life. Their loss was what united them. Still, he thought as he saw the stark grief flash over Maria’s expression, it wasn’t fair to ask her.

In spite of that, her reply was gentle. “I don’t know, Anson. I didn’t catch a glimpse of specific faces or hear names. But it’s possible.”

“I apologize.” Anson rubbed his face. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

“It’s all right,” she told him. “Believe me, I understand.”

Josiah stepped to the center to retrieve the paper. Unfolding it, he held it out to Richard, who studied the contents closely before handing it to Anson.

The paper reached Henry, who came to attention like a hound scenting blood. “This looks interesting.”

“Yes,” Josiah said. “It’s also significant enough that we can’t afford to mishandle it. I want to start with some forensic accounting. Henry, see what you can trace using mundane techniques. Work with Steven to make sure you don’t trigger any magical snares and remember—we need to be accurate and safe more than we need to rush. We haven’t come this far to get sloppy now.”

Steven spoke over the FaceTime connection. “Henry should stay away from Atlanta while he works on this. Like I said the last time we convened, there are spells layered over the internet hubs in Atlanta. I’m pretty sure they’re alarms. They might be triggered by using certain search terms and databases. He needs to use a different IP address.”

“Is Birmingham far enough out?” Henry asked.

Steven paused. “I think so.”

Henry grinned at Maria. “Guess I’m bunking on the couch for now.”