Isla's small office above the tea house had become a war room in the final three days before the council session, papers pinned to every wall, threads of ink connecting names Mercer had learned to recognize as easily as his own. Renner arrived each evening to review his testimony, rehearsing the same facts until they came out steady and unshaken. Rendal sent no further word, which worried Isla more than silence should have.
On the third night, with the session set for the following morning, Mercer found her still awake, staring at the wall of evidence with dark circles beneath her eyes.
"You should sleep," he said.
"I keep finding gaps." Isla didn't turn from the wall. "Small ones. A payment that doesn't quite match a vote. A name that appears once and never again. Hale is careful, Merc
