GATHERING INTELLIGENCE
~TATE'S POV~
Three days after the twins got better, the war room felt like everything to me.
There were notes all over the table, like a mess after a storm....names, ideas, and timelines scribbled in my hurried writing. A tape recorder was quietly recording everything said by the people who made it through Heriberto's nightmare.
Jamie was sitting across from me, typing on his laptop. His eyes looked fatigued and red. We didn't talk much, but we exchanged glances that showed our bond, built from being really tired but still wanting to keep going.
This was no longer about magic or strong force. It was about being careful and smart. Doing careful work helped me stay calm.
But the pattern I started to see? It wasn't what I had expected.
Heriberto hadn't just been
