New Haven looked different through the eyes of a woman trying to change the world.

The last time I'd driven through these streets, I'd been a nameless fighter in the Warren district, sleeping in a rented room and punching my way through underground rings for cash.

Now the convoy. Six black SUVs, Crimson Fang security, Silvermere's senior leadership. Rolled through the city center toward the Grand Meridian, the convention complex Valtherion's team had spent weeks converting into the most secure diplomatic venue on the continent.

Valtherion hadn't exaggerated about his resources.

The Meridian occupied an entire city block. Glass and steel and old stone, three stories of event halls and...