Is the "Black Council" just ... Cowl?

[vincentric]

As PG comes well before SF, Marcone didn't have Namshiel's coin at the time of the attack on Arctis Tor.

[The_Sibelis]

As PG comes well before SF, Marcone didn't have Namshiel's coin at the time of the attack on Arctis Tor.

and... Harry doesn't talk to Mab about it until after he's killed Nam's host and Marcone has the coin, at the end of SmF.

[g33k]

and... Harry doesn't talk to Mab about it until after he's killed Nam's host and Marcone has the coin, at the end of SmF.

Mab was there.  She never needed to be told who the attacker was.
Harry named T.Nammy; but I notice that Mab never actually confirmed that.  She reacted strongly & angrily, but not with anything resembling a "yes that's right."

[The_Sibelis]

Mab was there.  She never needed to be told who the attacker was.
Harry named T.Nammy; but I notice that Mab never actually confirmed that.  She reacted strongly & angrily, but not with anything resembling a "yes that's right."

Mab was a statue at the time, but I was pretty sure the trail of hellfire ended before Harry actually breached the inner courtyard? Indeed tho, the fact she hurts him in that scene under guise gives it meaning to me too. I have long interpreted that she's actually furious at Harry there, but unable to actually act. In the sliding timelines theory I think Dresden welding lash is actually the likeliest candidate overall. His and Molly's timelines seem pretty intricately tied with him rather invested first and foremost in saving her. Other times TT is involved they go through specific steps to prevent being spotted or noticed tho.(like the group seen at splattercon!!! I think was actually Dresden and Co. In disguise) The Nam connection is just the best reasoning I can find for why he'd go all out with hellfire... Tho he may have HAD to vs Mabs forces. She wanted to hurt Harry there, but couldn't for something he might potentially do in one timeline/traveling event. Not privy to the why, but seems the result of the attack was Nemesis escaping into Maeve, which sets up later events.
I'm actually on the fence between Justin and Elaine=cowl and Kumori and Future alts of Harry and Molly 🤷‍♂️ the former makes more sense from the evil plotters perspective, but I find greater meaning in what they do in their appearances if they're future alts. Specifically, I think they'd make a multi jump with each incarnation being a direct result from the current unaltered timeline. Like sliders, except they're traveling backwards down connecting branches to try to get back to the current timeline.(that'd make 'the circle' the circle of Dresden's casting the spell work?)

[g33k]

... They know who is on the other side. They will take precautions. Meetings in a totally dark room keep Anduriel in the dark (sorry). So could using sign language ...

Totally bright & shadow-free is another option.  Recall the description of Vadderung's offices.

But even if an "inner circle" or "senior council" can keep their own meetings secret (I think you're right, that it's very likely(*)) it's a VERY different matter to keep their operations secret.  As soon as they come out of their sanctum and begin interacting with their cats' paws and dupes... as soon as things start happening...  then they show up on the various "radars" of the various supernatural powers.  And then the smart manipulators -- the Mabs and Anduriels -- will be able to infer a LOT from what they see them doing.

... Mab has agents, but doesn't have that supernatural intel ability that Andy does, or Ivy.  Keep it small and quiet, you can hide from her ...

I am honestly unclear that we know (or rather:  I suspect we do not know) what sorts of "supernatural intel" may be available to the Queen of Air and Darkness.  It's only a few books ago that we learned about Anduriel's shadow-spying ability.  Given her wide-ranging powers and her proclivity for being a step ahead of everyone else, I (strongly) suspect that there's something there, as-yet unrevealed.

But "small and quiet" doesn't make the big changes.  You can either hide from Mab, or set ambitious plans in motion.  Once you begin acting on your ambitions, Mab will notice you!


(*) OTOH, some of these secret info-gathering methods are not at all well-known.  Luccio, captain of the WC Wardens, seems ignorant of Anduriel's abilities, for example; and I suspect she'd know, if the Senior Council knows (n.b. the SC keeps secrets from one another, per WoJ, so maybe an individual or two knows of Anduriel's power (or maybe not), but the WC (including the SC) as organizations do not know).