Isabella witnesses a meticulously planned operation by The Obsidian Hand – the swift, silent disappearance of a minor city official who dared to question a Sterling-backed project, making her feel the overwhelming, suffocating power of the society, and the terrifying prospect that she herself is now inextricably caught in their web. A single, obsidian raven feather, identical to the society's symbol, is found on the official's now-empty desk.

A Shadow in the Mirror