They didn't waste any time once they arrived back at the base. The first thing they did-besides leaving Ginevra behind and dodging questions coming from other members of Silver Willow-was head straight to Celestia's office. She was sitting within, curled up on a white velvet chair with a book in her lap.

When they entered without a knock, she frowned at Ilian specifically and demanded why the hell he hadn't learned how to enter a room properly. It was a conversation best saved for later and Ilian made certain she knew that by shutting the door and very quietly revealing the truth to what they'd discovered. Celestia listened carefully and shut the book in her lap to give her full, focused attention.

The silk sleeves of her robe hung loosely around her wrists and draped down to her lap. Natural light cast across the room, bouncing off the walls and illuminating the plum purple of her hair, pulled back behind her head into a tight knot. It didn't matter how many times Faine came into close contact with this woman, there was something about her she couldn't place. The power, she supposed, was what made it so difficult to see her as an equal.

Celestia met the ranks of the most valuable criminals in Pinedon, and yet, Faine was outsmarting her. A secret held so dearly in her chest that no one other than four people in all the land knew of it. That was; unless Zebulon ran his mouth again. All of Rising Eternity could hold the same truth without the tells of revealing it to the world, but Faine didn't trust them. Partly, she didn't trust herself.

They revealed only the basic facts. Not Faine ripping out the blacksmith's eye or killing him after they'd received what they needed. Location was given, as was the scene of the underground dungeon and the number of dead bodies unable to breathe another second for help had come too late. Faine's stomach churned at the remembrance of them, how they were left to the rats instead of being given a proper burial.

As informal as this meeting was, Faine wasn't surprised. A wall didn't define the roles between the leader of Silver Willow and the criminals themselves. They worked in ways of simplicity and didn't bother with labels. Faine didn't sense the invisible barricade between them when sitting before Celestia and asking every question she fielded.

That was the fault with Zebulon. He knew he had power and used it to his advantage. The members of Rising Eternity didn't have to hear the crack of a whip to know they were beneath a certain leadership that if they stepped out of line, would end their existence or give them a reason to wish they'd never faulted.

Ilian revealed Steelmaw as quickly as he could. The word stilled the air in the room, as cold as ice could craft. It took Celestia no more than a second to recognize what direction this was going in, what members of her guild were going against her, and what exactly needed to happen. If Zebulon were here, he'd march directly towards the offenders and force them onto their knees. Not Celestia. She informed them to follow her; it was time to play a game with those that opposed truths.

Faine and Ilian exchanged a look as they followed her down the hall. To flank her the way she might've flanked Zebulon or Kaspar felt as much as an initiative as the golden ring would be. She hoped it didn't show on her face, the shock value of walking behind someone standing so tall without reaching an abnormal height.

A meeting transpired between many members of Silver Willow, many of them sinwolves and the rest random members as to throw off the suspicious. The great room, filled with sofas, armchairs, and a long dining table with too many seating arrangements to count, quickly became cluttered and filled with muttered voices.

A hand clamped around Faine's arm and she turned, coming face to face with the feline eyes of Ginevra. "What's going on?" she whispered.

Faine shrugged. Too many sinwolves were around and keeping her voice down did nothing for secrets. Out of all the beasts, their hearing was the strongest. "A meeting, I guess. Celestia called it," Faine muttered.

She searched the room, and near the wall of arched windows looking out to the woods surrounding the base, was Eliphas. Already bored and annoyed with this gathering, he rested his shoulder against the jut out of a wall and crossed his ankles together, surveying his claws with a distracted, yet attentive eye. The truth would come to light-one way or the other.

The vaulted ceilings gave way to stone pillars throughout the room, mingling with the sofas and that of the mantle towards the front, bordering on two curtained windows. In late summer, no one started a fire, but those that were here before the meeting started hadn't departed their seats. The drinks, card game, and instrument in the lap of a fladline was evidence of that.

Faine pressed herself against the back wall, constrained between Ginevra and Ilian. She hoped this wouldn't become a common occurrence and was relieved to spot Ametrine attempting to catch her eye from across the room. It was informal and rude to speak over their leader, so Faine shrugged and waved her over to stand with them, and through no explanation, observe what was about to happen.

"Thank you for joining me so quickly," Celestia began from the front of the room. The mantle she stood in front of, made of white stone and protected by two pillars, held the bottom of a golden mirror. It was the only accent of color in the white room beside the sofas and cherry red dining table. "I have received word on a recent mission of ours and it appears we've been hiding secrets from each other."

Her intimidating stare slowly moved around the room, falling on the faces of every single beast standing around. She looked as much of a mortal as Ilian but the fangs beyond her bright red lips told otherwise. Shapeshifters were often bullied for appearing as weak as mortals but instigators never lasted long after that. Not when shifters changed themselves into dragons and swallowed them whole.

Celestia had that same, raw intimidation.

"Two members of Silver Willow recently left for a mission and came across intel that mortals, yes, mortals, were going missing throughout Pinedon-specifically in Olhathas as the city is mortal-filled. They're ripe for the picking," Celestia went on to say. She clamped her hands together over her waist, holding them in the way a fine princess carried herself. But Celestia wasn't that. The skin she wore hid the beast underneath.

A seennouk standing in the shadow of a window's curtain raised his feathered hand above the crowd. "To be fair, boss, mortals can defend themselves," he said.

"That is true. All of us can defend ourselves." Celestia didn't shift her stare away from his. "It's also fair to point out you've targeted mortals in the past for being born as such."

It wasn't until the room silenced completely that Faine understood the impact Celestia had on her subjects. One step out of line, one comeback or threat and they'd face her wrath. Everyone stiffened, even her, and she was glad to be towards the back of the room instead of standing directly in front of the leader of Silver Willow.

The seennouk didn't speak again. His half beak drooped as he stared at the white marble beneath his boots. His presence faded from the minds of everyone in the room.

"We came to the conclusion that these mortals were being used for a greater purpose. Targeted for their weakness. Although we don't know their exact use, it's clear what association has handled them so cruelly."

Faine held her breath.

"Steelmaw."

There were many sinwolves in the room and at one collective moment, everyone understood why that was so. They weren't gathered randomly; the summons went to the many involved or those that had the slightest pinch of association with the sinwolf pack.

Eliphas looked to the floor, his mouth tightened and his arched back slumped even further than it normally was. As if he was trying to curl into himself and hide from the lingering eyes staring at the top of his head.

"In case anyone is missing the clear information, I'm talking to the sinwolves in the room. Those involved with Steelmaw and those that know of such a notorious pack. Provide me information now and you face no punishment," Celestia said.

No one spoke. If possible, everyone in the room was holding their breath and trying to curdle into a ball. Faine was glad to have the warmth of Ilian pressing against her right arm and the stiff shock of Ginevra to her left. In a flash, Celestia's red eyes darkened.

"Eliphas," she barked. The sinwolf's stare rose to meet hers, albeit unwillingly. "Why don't you tell me what you know?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, nor do I wish to understand what you're inferring," Eliphas said, his tone smooth and unbothered. "Steelmaw is not using humans for anything. Your spies gathered false information."

He scratched at his nose and Faine narrowed her eyes. Ticks, ticks, ticks. And not the kind dogs-or his kind-carried around like passengers.

"Are you entirely certain, Eliphas? Surely, this job is important to you, as is your pack. I'd hate to take one or the other away from you. Steelmaw is your birthright and Silver Willow is your inheritance. Surely, you can go without one or the other," Celestia threatened. It was as much as a threat as lava underneath the surface of the world. Unseen, yet there and waiting to strike.

"Steelmaw does not waste their time with weaklings, we have important matters to tend to."

"Like what? I understand Steelmaw is credited, but I've never quite understood your operation or benefit to Pinedon. Silver Willow, well, that's easy. We stop crime, yet regulate it ourselves so the land doesn't grow weak. What has Steelmaw done to benefit this land?"

Eliphas scratched at his nose again. His next words had to be chosen carefully. "That information is classified, my leader. I cannot reveal Steelmaw's intentions."

A grin that concealed daggers stretched across Celestia's face. That amusement didn't reach her eyes. "You're sworn to secrecy." She tipped her chin. "As your boss, I command you to share this information into the room; I don't care about who you're involved with."

The sinwolf revealed his large palms, paws, rather, in innocence. "I promise you; we have no involvement with mortals." Just like that, his face softened. It was a trick. All of it. Faine knew that from the trend of him scratching at his nose again when Celestia looked away for a brief moment.

Faine nudged Ilian's arm with her own and stood on her toes to whisper in his ear. "Watch his ticks."

He didn't have to question her or turn to anyone else for a better explanation. Faine turned to Ginevra and signaled with a similar movement as Eliphas's. At least the two members of Silver Willow flanking her were smart enough to pick up a hint.

"We are an esteemed pack; sinwolves don't make such drastic mistakes as the ones you're pinning me for," Eliphas regarded. Just as Faine expected, he scratched at his nose.

That was all it took. Ilian stepped forward, narrowing his way through the crowd, and whispered the same truth in Celestia's ear. She listened carefully and stared at Eliphas all the while.

The sinwolf finally caught on. His glare whipped over to Faine and she met it, dead on, and didn't hold back. She wasn't scared of him, though she worried her neck was as vulnerable as those mortals. Precisely why she blocked off the hidden passageway and weakened the entrance to her room. For threats like Eliphas.

Ilian returned to Faine's side and he, too, met Eliphas's stare. They were in deep shit now. One of the most dangerous members of Steelmaw knew who was revealing the truth, and Eliphas, though he tried to hide it, knew everything about the mortals.

"I'll only ask this one more time," Celestia said, not at all kindly. "What did Steelmaw want with the mortals?" A stare hardened-as solid as stone.

Eliphas shifted his weight to the opposite hip. "Steelmaw has no association." He scratched at his nose a few seconds after delivering that lie. Too late for many to spot, but perfectly timed for Celestia to notice.

"One more lie and you're gone," Celestia growled. She revealed her fangs. "I will banish you from Silver Willow-for life-if you do not reveal the truth to what your shitty sinwolf pack has in store for those mortals. In fact, every sinwolf in this base, along with your entire pack, will meet the same fate. Death."

With that declaration, she made Eliphas the target of every sinwolf in the room. If he would not speak, they would. It happened so quickly, within the hardening of Celestia's stare, that Faine wondered if she had this planned all along. If similar threats held the weight over the heads of everyone standing in this room. What would her threat be? What would make her leave? Her life, Faine supposed. That was all she had left; she made that clear from the beginning.

Eliphas stared at his leader through lowered brows. "Bait," he said simply. Growled, rather. "We were using them as bait to train young sinwolves to be skilled hunters."

"You knew this all along?"

"I did. I had to protect my pack from being targeted by those that wished to help the mortals."

That made Celestia laugh. "Targeted? As if your kind isn't the one causing all the problems. The suspects are always the ones to blame the victims, you fool."

It was a slap to the face for every sinwolf in the room. Faine was uncertain how many members of Steelmaw actually stood within the room, but each of them was tense enough for her to believe that all of them had some association with the mission she just solved.

"I want all members of Steelmaw on their knees," Celestia ordered. "Ten lashes for each."

A punishment, then. Some sinwolves stepped forward, including Eliphas, and Celestia snatched a whip from a guard that extended the weapon towards her. Faine's blood ran cold. It wasn't a guard, a warrior, or the solver of the mission that delivered the punishment. It was her. Shapeshifters were strong; they held the strength of whatever beast they could craft themselves into, and she wouldn't hold back.

Kneeling in a line in the middle of the room, the rest of Silver Willow pressed against the walls in a circle, the sinwolves rested on their knees. Their clothes discarded, their hands clenched, and at the end of the line, Eliphas made certain that his stare never left Faine's. He'd watch her the entire way, from the beginning of his punishment-until the end.