Chapter 16

As winter’s first snow falls in Silver City, Samkiel shepherds Logan out of the Guild for a haircut and coffee, trying to keep his friend from spiraling while wrestling with his own gnawing headaches and a repeated inner warning: “You’re running out of time.” Logan insists Dianna’s brutality stems from grief and urges Samkiel to admit his feelings; Samkiel confesses possessive rage over Dianna’s recent encounter and his fear of losing her.

Their discussion exposes mutual dread that something vast and wrong is moving against them. Samkiel hides growing premonitory dreams and frustration at the lack of leads on Kaden’s iron scheme and the ominous quiet in the Otherworld. A call informs them that Edgar, a crime boss Dianna attacked, has awakened.

At the hospital, Edgar recounts Dianna infiltrating a meeting by impersonating Webster and massacring the room while demanding information on Santiago’s ships and Kaden’s iron. He survives only because Dianna paused at a phone photo of his wife, Evelyn. Pressed for details, Edgar reveals mortals receive orders indirectly and that only Tobias now speaks to Kaden; Tobias will surface only when Kaden chooses.

Edgar taunts that Dianna’s true rage centers on Samkiel. Samkiel’s power frays the room’s lights as his frustration grows over being a step behind both Dianna and Kaden. He orders Edgar taken into custody for Etherworld crimes, gaining little actionable intelligence beyond Tobias’s gatekeeping role.

Suddenly, a massive boom shakes the hospital; power fails across neighboring blocks. Three iridescent cobalt lights tear through the atmosphere toward Silver City, heralding The Hand’s return. Samkiel accuses Vincent of summoning them, but Vincent denies it, leaving Samkiel, Logan, and Vincent facing a new, immediate escalation.