本文首发于2023年12月5日，译文发布于2023年12月5日

By Seanan McGuire

卡洛夫庄园的天空飞舞着令人眼花撩乱的色彩，在一连串魔法的作用下变得生动活跃。欧佐夫公会购买了第十区的每一支伊捷烟火，创造出一场权力与富饶的挥霍展演。看见了吗？它这么说着，甚至是对那些不够幸运或不够受宠而没收到邀请的人说。看见了吗？有这么多资源任我们处置，所以我们能把它们花在娱乐上。现在拉尼卡已经安全了：我们不必像战时那样担忧与节约。这是经过计算的花费，每一道喷发的色彩或自空中落下的幻影花朵都提醒着生活在欧佐夫集团阴影底下的人们谁才是他们的 救世主。

大门敞开，让那些选择时尚性地迟到而非有礼守时的宾客进入，而低阶公会成员则检查邀请函与身份，以确保没有人能够偷溜进去。比起穿着精美制服的内场员工，一些身穿低调版制服的侍者端着同样低调的开胃小菜来回穿梭，与较为不幸的人分享罕见的公会赠礼。泰莎－集团最新任的首领－正站在庄园最高的阳台上，一边看着聚集的人群，一边从杯中啜饮着掺有彭巴酒的浓烈咖啡。

一如往常地无声无息，卡娅走向她身旁，并在抵达栏杆时停下脚步。相较于泰莎那评估资产的眼神，她俯瞰的眼神更为慎重：泰莎看似正在衡量她们底下的群众价值，而卡娅则在估算一旦出了差错他们所有人要花多久才能逃生。而且，不同于泰莎，她两手空空。

泰莎斜眼看她，用眼睛上下审视着她那近乎不得体的鹏洛客外型。卡娅已将她的探险服换成适当的拉尼卡服装，带有金色装饰的黑色与白色，浅色的公会符号泼洒于她的胸口右侧。要不是她的紧绷站姿以及她评估广场时四处飞掠的视线，她看起来几乎就像还属于这个公会。

「你应该喝一杯，」泰莎说。「当你两手空空地走着，你让我看起来像个吝啬的主人。」

「但你确实是个吝啬的主人，」卡娅不带怨恨地反驳。「或至少是个精打细算的主人。你在这场盛会花的每一分zib将会转为一枚金zino回收，否则你就不会是趁我不注意时以计夺权的那个人了。」

泰莎面露微笑。「我很想念你。你总是能把我看得如此透彻。」

「隔着距离会更清晰。」

「没错，而且当他们入侵拉尼卡时你正在远方。」泰莎的笑容变得跟刀子一样锋利。「你欠我这一晚，卡娅。无论你旅行得多远，你还是个需要还债的欧佐夫成员。当拉尼卡需要你的时候，你不在这里。」

「如果我当时待在这里而不去守护多重宇宙，现在我们就不会站在这里！」卡娅怒斥。「你竟敢表现得好像我因为不能待在这里而不再关心拉尼卡。我」－她开始结巴，声音在喉咙里变得粗哑，然后低头看着自己的脚－「我尽力了。」

「没错，而今晚，你得为我尽力，」泰莎说道。「调查局已帮助我们掌控并遏制在那场 …令人不悦的事件之后出现的混乱局面。少了他们，我们手上就会有超过两个无用的公会。十个公会可能都会被入侵者摧毁，然后我们的时空会变成什么模样？因此今晚，我说微笑你就微笑，我说鞠躬你就鞠躬，如果你不想记得欠我的债，那就记得你欠欧佐夫的债吧。」

这一次，卡娅答复的表情更像是咆哮，紧咬着牙齿的样子看似真的疼痛。但她还是点头默许，而且当泰莎触碰她的手腕时，她并没有抽开。

「来吧，老朋友，」泰莎说道。「如果我不照顾其他宾客的话，我就会是个差劲的主人，而且我整晚都没看你吃过任何东西。」

「我不饿，」卡娅说。「待在这里让我的胃不舒服。」

「如果你因为顽固到不吃东西而昏倒，你依然未偿还债务，」泰莎说道。「就算你顽固到不愿享受这个傍晚，但菜单由我监管，而且我拒绝错过果馅卷饼。」她经过卡娅向门走去，把大部分重量倚靠在她的手杖上。她头也不回，显然在期望服从。

「我会偿还债务，」卡娅低声说道，一边走在她身后。

阳台的门通往一间设备齐全的图书馆，墙上陈列着罕见的书本以及镀金手稿。有两名低阶公会成员站在门的两侧，阻止派对宾客们「不小心」闲逛进入一个已要求他们回避的空间。泰莎在经过的同时朝他们点头致意，一道冷漠的浅笑，接着他们便站得更挺，因受到集团首领的关注而备感荣幸。

即使卡娅在左边那个人捧着的盘子里投入代表她的硬币，他们也没多看她一眼。她赶上泰莎的步伐，一边回头看着他们。

「他们忘得还真快，是吧？」她问道。

「就算你不在其中，这个世界仍持续运转，」泰莎说道，并开始走下那带着些微弧度的宽敞阶梯前往一楼。狂欢者散布于下层阶梯上，手里拿着高脚杯与小餐盘，一边用尽手段争夺由较高的物理位置所赐予的一丝优势。泰莎在经过的同时向每一位点头致意，她那微小、冷静的笑容从未动摇过。卡娅知道那份笑容。泰莎称之为「第二十四号：我的关注让你备感荣幸。」有那么一刻她很钦佩泰莎的冷静，然后她们就抵达一楼，穿越大厅来到一扇狭窄的侧门前－它通往挤满群众的庭院。

外面传来的爆炸声与色彩抹除了那一刻，取而代之的是令人眼花撩乱的拉尼卡精英。没有人笨拙到在泰莎抵达时大声叫喊或喜形于色：随着泰莎带领卡娅走入凉爽的夜风中，一边以拥有者的方式把一只手放在那位较高女子的肩上，她只收到人们点头、微笑，以及稍微抬了一下眼镜示意。

用安静到没有其他人听见的声音，她喃喃说道，「今晚别让我难堪。记得你是为了什么而来。」

她们一同走入群众中。

庭院里的人们几乎以同心圆状排列，而且组成每一个圆圈的人都比下一个内圈的人稍微不重要。最接近大门的外圈是由低阶公会成员组成，大部分都待在跟他们一起进来的团体内，而且一想到要在这样的公共场合试图与人结盟就令他们感到不安。下一个内圈就没有这样的屏障存在，中阶公会成员在此打转，以优雅的社交技巧进行一场又一场的对话。

并非每一个公会都像欧佐夫或析米克那样重视社交敏锐度，但就连伊捷和古鲁都有他们的发言人，而那些成员都已被挑选为当季社交活动的公会代表。没看见拉尔查雷克令卡娅感到非常讶异，她原本预期他会代表他的公会。或许人们认为邀请一位鹏洛客已相当过时，除非你已适当地将他们系上牵绳。

这里没有尴尬或无礼：只有拉尼卡人那炫目的社交活动，他们的存在证明了拉尼卡值得被保护。看见了吗？他们看似正说着。我们还在这里，我们依然灿烂辉煌，而且我们值得救赎。

泰莎带领卡娅穿过这一切，毫不费力地拉着她穿过各种社会阶层直到她抵达最内圈。它围绕着伊泽霖的巨大形体，这位高大的统领已占据了庭院中心，他显然正专注地与俄佐立参议院的现任首领拉温妮交谈。

各公会最高阶的与会者隔着一定的距离站在他们自己的圈子里彼此交谈，同时以掠夺者般的兴趣看着拉温妮是否即将把他们的讨论提升至言语冲突的程度。

「伊泽霖从不属于任何公会，但身为一个拥有多位知名俄佐立同事的统领，拉温妮总是认为有朝一日他会想通并加入参议院，」泰莎喃喃说道，她的话只让卡娅听见。「想象他在这场入侵事件过后掌权会令她感到多么不悦。雪上加霜的是，大部分的同事都追随他。如果你问我的话，对这座城市来说这是意外的好运－他拥有绝佳的分析思维，无懈可击，而且不受公会束缚。」

卡娅皱眉。「如果他不属于参议院，为什么拉温妮要纠缠他？」

「谁知道呢？或许她正试图把他赢回来。噢！托西密！」泰莎转身，突然满脸笑容，她的手从卡娅的肩上滑落。

卡娅抓住机会逃开，同时走向一位拿着一小盘培根芦苇串的侍者并灵巧地从中拿起一串。那位身穿欧佐夫色彩的侍者敬畏又带着些许恐惧地看着她。

「你就是她，」他说。「我们的前任首领。那位鹏洛客。」

「我是，」卡娅说道。她吸一口气，让自己平静下来。「泰莎要求我来参加这场盛会。」

「亲爱的，我并没有要求你参加。你是仅次于贵宾的人物，」泰莎突然出现在她身后说道，并在侍者咽下足够的敬畏之意而说些什么之前匆匆把她带走。「你不会在这里遇见很多人－当然，你认识他们所有人，当时你的确待在家，陪着我们－但这里有很多你需要看见的人。」

卡娅无法抗拒泰莎拉着她走向托西密与欧瑞梨，而他们显然正热烈地谈论着缺席的底密尔公会。朱迪思站在附近，一边啜饮着高脚杯中某种苍白闪烁的液体，一边厚颜无耻地偷听，眼中闪起一道被逗乐的残酷火花。一如往常，她身穿黑色与红色服装，与优雅盛装的群众形成鲜明的对比。

在泰莎走近的同时，托西密正严厉地对欧瑞梨说，「认为拉札夫已死是非常天真的事。那个男人将会活得比我们所有人久。我不知道他在计划什么，但他正在计划某些事。泰莎，告诉她拉札夫没死。」

「同样身为一个公会长，在没有更好的理由下，出于我自身好奇心而试图召唤他的灵魂将会是越界的行为，」泰莎流畅地说。「不过，我可以肯定我没有在逝者之间看到他，尽管事情一直非常忙碌，而且近期的亡者灵魂都想解决它们的事务。因此很少灵魂能负担得起这项服务。」

「难道没有办法延长它们的信用额度吗？」托西密问道。

「为了解决这场危机我们已延长足够的信用额度，」泰莎说道。「难道你要我们为了这群鬼魂破产吗？」

一只巨大的绿雕猎豹缓步而过，随着它持续踩着它的蔬菜步伐，它的绿叶尾巴也甩过他们的头顶。朱迪思笑了。

「没错，破产的风险确实非常接近。」她轻蔑地挥了一下手，并在介入这场讨论的同时撇开这个话题。「但我看你带来了今晚的战利品。哈啰，卡娅。你还好吗？最近有发动任何入侵行动吗？你是否注意到每当你出现在城里时，所有公会的危机处理部门都会开始运作？」

「我们没有发动这场入侵，我们阻止了它，」卡娅说道。「拉尼卡是多重宇宙的一部分。它一直都是，即使人们曾经假装拉尼卡是唯一的时空。影响其他时空的事物也会影响这里。我们尽可能努力且迅捷地战斗。」

「许多拉尼卡人死了，」朱迪思说道，她的轻浮姿态已消失。

「鹏洛客也是，」卡娅说。「我在那场战斗中失去了朋友，就跟你们一样。而且，不只是死亡。拉尼卡并没有独自哀伤。」

朱迪思开口准备响应，却在卡娅看着她的时候停下动作。这位鹏洛客的眼睛后方有一座在她们上次会面时仍不存在的墙，这座坚不可摧的屏障将卡娅围在里面并阻隔了其余的世界。彷佛她在大入侵期间的某个时刻封闭自己并还没想起该如何打开。感到不安，朱迪思移开了视线。

在这个松散的圆圈中央，伊泽霖的坐骑起身，一边甩动巨大的翅膀以重置羽毛，然后踱步离开，而伊泽霖则安稳地坐在它背上。泰莎把手放回卡娅肩上。

「很抱歉，」她说。「差不多是时候开始今晚的重点活动了，可不能让我们的英雄错过这一刻。」

卡娅低头看了一眼自己的脚。

「你还真按部就班地让事情持续运作啊，」托米克突然出现在泰莎另一侧说道。

朱迪思回复笑容，现已更有自信。「噢，你们看，」她说。「三位集团首领排排站。你们认为哪一个最会让书本保持平衡？或者－很抱歉，托米克。对你来说，现在已经是伊捷成员了吧？」

「我丈夫的公会不是我的，」托米克生硬地说道。「泰莎，我们需要前往宏伟阳台了。」

「职责所在，」泰莎说道，一边拉着卡娅转身离开。

「你欠我一份人情，」等他们一超出其他公会长能够听见的范围后，托米克便喃喃说道。

「我不需要这份援助，」泰莎说。「就算我需要，我手边还有个英雄。卡娅会救我的。」

卡娅什么也没说，并允许自己被一路推着走。透过她眼角的余光，她观察着从身旁经过的人群看见她的反应。有些人回避，彷佛她的火花会传染并且在这里需要他们的时候使他们消失至其他时空。其他人则露出鄙夷或贪婪的眼神。她还不习惯在这些特定的脸孔上看见这些情绪，于是她认为最好还是不做反应，别让他们知道她看见了。

泰莎的手是一种近乎永恒的慰藉，引导着她穿过人群，即便一有机会她就会坚持介绍卡娅为「来自欧佐夫的多重宇宙英雄」。至少托米克看似理解卡娅的不自在：他怎么可能不理解，尤其当拉尔就是其中一个替拉尼卡永远不知道的损失哀悼的人？殒落的生命，熄灭的火花，这一切就只是为了填补非瑞克西亚的无尽贪婪？他默默地走着，虽然没加入泰莎那自私自利的引介，但也没阻止她。

在经历一段感觉起来至少有五倍久的路程后，他们来到通往宏伟阳台浅层阶梯。伊泽霖早已抵达，而卡娅则羡慕他能够轻松地穿越人群。没有人想阻碍一位正在执勤的统领。不过，对于一位公会长以及一位所谓的英雄，他们却无比自在地挡在她们面前。

泰莎开始登上阶梯，同时把更多重量倚靠在她的手杖上。即使她搭在卡娅肩上的手已抓得更紧，尽可能用另一名女子来稳定自己，但托米克却往后退，无法协助他的上司又同时让这看起来不像在评论她的身体状况。卡娅看了她一眼。

「你觉得很痛吗？」

「不，」泰莎说。「当我逐渐变老，阶梯也变得更有挑战性。没什么值得烦恼的。这里！」

随着她们登上阶梯顶端，泰莎离开卡娅，同时示意她走向一排欧佐夫律法师与精算师之间的一个定点。托米克也移动至行列中，站到卡娅左侧并鼓励地握了一下她的手。她短暂地向他笑了一下，因此错过了泰莎走向阳台栏杆施咒的那一刻。她施放了一道不引人注意的结界，那将会增强她每一个字的音量直到它充斥于整个庭院。

「各位拉尼卡市民，欢迎来到卡洛夫庄园！」她说。

群众鼓掌，有的人出于礼貌，其他人则充满热情－但每个人的热情都不及那位身穿华服且一直待在甜点桌旁的鬼怪，迫使每个想尝点甜食的人都会成为他发展人际关系的目标。泰莎的表情在看见他的一瞬间变得僵硬，但马上又转为完美无瑕的平静。

「当我要求各位放下自己的公会与职责并接受一晚欧佐夫的款待时，我知道我要求得太多了，而且我希望我们有符合你们的高度期望。今晚有两个目的。今晚，我们将庆祝欧佐夫的前任首领－卡娅－在非瑞克西亚入侵期间与我们并肩作战，并拯救了拉尼卡与多重宇宙！」

迎接这份陈述的是一波稍微节制的掌声。认出了给她的提示，卡娅向前走了半步并挥手，整段时间都咬着她的脸颊内侧。彷佛那场战斗是某种值得庆祝的事。存活，是，但那场战役，不是。

掌声止息。卡娅退了回去。泰莎再次朝庭院微笑。「但或许更重要的是，今晚我们要向拉尼卡循魔调查局的成员致敬。」

这一次，掌声震天，接连不断，看似永不止息。泰莎站到一旁，将她的位置让给伊泽霖，于是他便带着与其魁梧体型不相干的肃穆举止移至定位。半披着他的翅膀，他看向群众并轰隆地说道，「我们有幸能以各种对我们开放的方式为拉尼卡城服务。透过为非瑞克西亚人留下的混乱带来秩序，我们所做的并不亚于任何市民该做的事。

「但正如我们服务这座城市，城市也服务了我们，而且我们很荣幸能受到各位的支持－并且没错，还有各位的资助。」

笑声于群众之间传开。才刚从经过的侍者手中取得一杯卡萨达酒，泰莎带着得意的笑容向他致意，并愉快地收下这个玩笑话。卡娅忍不住想着伊泽霖稍后就会为此付出代价，就等关上门后。如果泰莎认为自己有充分的理由，她绝对会严厉斥责一位统领并寻求赔偿。

那就是她为何如此适合领导这个集团的原因。比卡娅更适合。伊泽霖还在说话，但他念出的那些名字对卡娅毫无意义。显然前六个人没出席这场盛会，毕竟无人现身领取他们的奖赏。接下来的三个人走出群众来到他身边，自豪地站着让他把沉重的手搭上他们的肩膀，并且仪式般地为了他们在办案时扮演的角色而感谢他们。

他们看起来因获得表扬而高兴，甚至当泰莎把小钱包递给他们时显得更喜悦－她一点都不吝于散财。如果现金回馈是这段程序的一部分，显然公会能从这场团结的展演中获取比卡娅所推测更多的利益。

伊泽霖清了清喉咙。这个声音传遍庭院，宛如一场风暴的开端。

「上个月你们有许多人在场，当时一位古鲁神明挣脱公会掌控并蹂躏了整个第九区。要是我们依赖公会的立即支持，Anzrag原本会持续狂暴数日。但凯澜调查员及其团队的迅捷思考与行动阻止了这场狂暴，而且那位神明已被适当地拘禁于一个证据胶囊内。凯澜，请走上前。」

群众再次鼓掌，此时有一位身穿蓝色上衣与外套且具有深色头发的纤瘦男子走向伊泽霖，显然在众目睽睽之下感到不自在。卡娅能够体会这份感受。

「调查局感谢你，拉尼卡感谢你，而且我也感谢你，」伊泽霖说道，同时把一只手放在凯澜肩上。凯澜设法挤出一道紧张的笑容，接着伊泽霖把手移开，泰莎也把钱包递给他。然后，以一种几近无礼的速度，凯澜逃离阳台并冲向阶梯，与托米克和卡娅擦身而过。

「真希望我也能那么做，」卡娅喃喃说道。托米克快速又无趣地笑了一声。

「今晚泰莎把你管得死死的。」

「我是她今晚的『英雄』。」卡娅叹了一口气。「我不想老是被提醒那场侵略，但她说我在事件发生时不在这里而对公会有所亏欠，老实说，她说得没错。」

「拉尔－」

「拉尔不在新非瑞克西亚。拉尔没看到事态有多严重。杰斯 …」她颤抖了一下，摇了摇她的头。「有好几周，我一闭上眼就会看见他。他已奋力抵抗，但他输了。也因此，我们都输了。」

「那是一场不可能的战斗。」

「或许吧。」泰莎依然分心地与伊泽霖交谈，也早已解除放大他们音量的结界。卡娅看着他们。「我想这就是我脱身的时刻，至少离开一会儿。当泰莎问起我的行踪时，就告诉她我去享用自助餐了，可以吗？」

「我会的，」托米克说。

「谢谢你。」她转过身并溜进群众盘绕时自然成形的缝隙中。在走下阶梯的途中，她从凯澜身旁经过，此刻他正犹疑地朝洁加娜与凡妮法露出笑容，而她们则以锐利的眼神盯着他看，上下打量他。她们看起来既恼火又不悦，彷佛他因为太靠近她们而打扰了什么东西。

卡娅知道自从凡妮法推翻前任会长起这两位就一直不和。看见她们一同出现在这里还真怪。

「你非常肯定你不是那位家喻户晓的波费侦探吗？」洁加娜问道。

「很抱歉，」凯澜说道。「我不太确定那个人是谁。」他的眼神慌张地左右飘移，然后停在卡娅身上。「但我一直想跟此刻的英雄聊聊。不好意思。」

没等她们响应，他就弯身钻过这两人之间，并冲到卡娅身旁。卡娅困惑地看着他。

「你需要跟我谈什么？」

「离开这里，」他说。「请原谅我，但我以寻找线索维生，而你的表情告诉我此刻你就跟我一样不自在。」

卡娅眨了眨眼，从吃惊转为笑声。「难怪他们会向你致敬。我正要去自助餐区。要陪我去吗？」

凯澜明显松了一口气并勾住她的手臂，接着这两人便走向一楼，而泰莎－不知何故，难以置信－正在自助餐区旁边等候，她将注意力集中在那位身穿俗气华服的鬼怪身上，宛如一只盯着鸟儿看的猫。

「－付款，」当这两人走近时，她正如此说着。

鬼怪看似紧张。「我是透过合法管道取得我的邀请函。」

「我并没有说你不是，」泰莎说。「只是比起用手段溜进一场与你无关的庆典，你的资源可能有更好的用途。好好想想吧，克仑可。你还欠卡洛夫家族。」

不是欧佐夫公会：清楚点出是卡洛夫家族。真有趣。卡娅专注在克仑可身上，一边厚颜无耻地偷听着。

「你会拿到你的钱，卡洛夫，」克仑可说道，紧张感逐渐消逝。「全额，再加上说好的利息。至于今晚，我是一位受邀的宾客，而这个正反映了你差劲的待客之道。」

「我认为你需要的是专注，」泰莎说。「或许 该说，心无旁骛。」

她原本会说更多，但他们上方却爆发一场骚动，吸引了所有人的注意。在阳台上，伊泽霖面无表情地看着泰莎的三名守卫把一个身穿古鲁部落配色服装且不停叫嚣的半人马拖走。那个半人马显然怒气冲天，一边挣扎着试图逃脱。

「－无权！」他咆哮着。「Anzrag是我们的责任，我们的神，你们必须把祂还给我们！祂只是依照本能行事啊！」

卡娅别过头去，把注意力转至苦恼的凯澜身上。「没有什么是真的改变了，不是吗？」她问道。「它换了一件新装并自称为改造，但表面下一切都一样。」

「我不太理解。很抱歉，」凯澜说道。

她摇了摇头，发出一道微弱、苦涩的笑声。「没关系。只要明白真正改变的是那些你不会再见到的脸孔。那些离开你的人。」

「你是指Yarus吗？自从我们拘禁他以来，他一直设法让我们释放他的神。我们已试着解释说一旦我们的调查终结，我们就会把Anzrag释出至俄佐立参议院，而且他应该去跟他们谈，但他看似不在乎。」

在阳台上，Yarus的吶喊已被寂静取代。卡娅转身看见他被拖往大门，依然奋力抵抗那些逮捕他的人，但已不再咆哮。他反而恶狠狠地瞪着伊泽霖，未曾将视线从这位高大的统领身上移开。

欧瑞梨走向自助餐区，翅膀半披在肩上，有那么一刻卡娅苦涩地想着为何所有她最想回避的人看似都在跟踪她；但欧瑞梨却走向泰莎，一边以尖酸刻薄的语调说道，「这份调查应该由波洛斯公会执行。我们知道如何在不引起公会内部动乱的情况下维持和平。」

凯澜发出一道声响，人们原本可将之解释为嘲笑。欧瑞梨转向他，翅膀张得更开，随着泰莎进行干预，卡娅也看见了自己的机会。她弯身绕过自助餐区并走出另一侧的门，经过拿着一盘盘新鲜薄片面包的侍者，然后冲向半隐藏在一根大理石柱后方的阶梯。

一路上无人拦阻，她直到阶梯顶端才停下，从宴会开始后第一次无拘无束地呼吸，并询问自己打算前往何处。回到她曾经与泰莎身处的阳台吧，位于所有的混乱与喧嚣上方，她可以在那里思考。加快速度，她追溯稍早时的脚步，只停下来贿赂门口的守卫，然后走出到傍晚的空气中。

天空很美丽，尽管持续不断的烟火遮挡了星辰。她比较想看星星。她总是喜爱拉尼卡的星辰。她靠在墙上，同时闭上眼睛。

她能够离去。这非常容易。不像她关心的一些人，她的火花仍一如往常地燃烧着并且能带她穿越黑暗虚空前往任何地方。她能返回凯德海姆，看看泰瓦如何调适他的新限制，或者前往多明纳里亚，或是依尼翠，或是阿拉若－没有极限。她不需要待在这里。

她感觉到自己开始探出，渴望转为现实，然后停止，睁开眼睛并将脚跟深深地踩在阳台上。泰莎或许用了最糟的方式来表达她的观点，但她说得对：在拉尼卡最需要她的时候，卡娅却让自认为重要的事将她带走。如果她留下来，她或许能将欧佐夫塑造为一种更良善的力量。如果她当时拒绝加入突袭队而让某个人取代，或许他们就会成功。你永远也无法知道，但若她当时留在这里，她或许能改变一切。

卡娅移动到阳台边缘，将她的手靠在栏杆上，然后往下看。自助餐旁的对话已升级为挥舞手臂与翅膀和提高音量，但泰莎却不在那里。朱迪思也不在；无论她如何搜索群众，那名女子的红黑色醒目服装却一无所踪。

随着她观看底下的人们移动，隔着安全距离，无法靠近她，她的呼吸也变得平稳。她才刚开始觉得自己或许能返回楼下，此时来自后方的脚步声引起了她的注意，于是她转身看见泰莎正迎面走来。

就这么一次，另一位女子并未露出自鸣得意的笑容。泰莎带着一种不寻常的严肃表情。「卡娅，原来你在这里，」她说。

「我只是需要一点喘息的时刻，」卡娅说。

「我了解。即使对我来说，这也快超出负荷，而且我知道那场入侵伤了我们也伤了你，但我很高兴我找到你了。」泰莎异常颤抖地深吸一口气。「有件事我需要告诉你。一件重要的事。而且需要在你独处的时候。」

「之前也就只有我们两个。」

「不太算。」泰莎挥了挥手。「在晚宴开始之前，一直有人潜藏以确保我没有任何需求。我们需要独处。」

「好吧。怎么回事？」

泰莎准备响应，同时庄园内部传出一声尖叫，淹没了她的话并粉碎了这一刻。

卡娅没有丝毫犹豫便朝尖叫声冲去。这一次，如果拉尼卡需要她，她不会让他们失望。

想了解更多？点击下方图片，或后台输入“搜索”，在博识都“狂搜乱寻”吧！

MURDERS AT KARLOV MANOR | EPISODE 1: GHOSTS OF OUR PAST

The sky over Karlov Manor danced with a dizzying array of colors, brought to life by shimmering cascades of magic. The Orzhov had purchased every Izzet pyrowork in the Tenth District, creating a profligate display of power and plenty. See? it said, even to those not fortunate or favored enough to have obtained an invitation. See? We have so many resources at our command that we can spend them on frivolities. Ravnica is safe now: we do not need to worry and conserve for wartime. It was a calculated expenditure, and every burst of colors or illusionary blossoms falling from the sky reminded the people living in the shadow of the Orzhov Syndicate who their saviors were.

The gates stood open, admitting those guests who had chosen fashionable lateness over polite promptness, while lower-ranking guild members checked invitations and identification, making sure no one snuck inside. A few servers in toned-down versions of the more elaborate uniforms worn by those working the interior walked back and forth with trays of equally less elaborate starters, sharing the rare largess of the guild with the less fortunate. Teysa, newest head of the Syndicate, stood on the manor's highest balcony, watching the gathering throng and sipping from a glass of strong coffee laced with bumbat.

Soundless as ever, Kaya stepped up next to her, stopping when she reached the rail. Her glance downward was more calculating than Teysa's proprietary appraisal: where Teysa looked like she was measuring the value of the people below them, Kaya looked like she was assessing how long it would take them all to escape should things go wrong. Also, unlike Teysa, her hands were empty.

Teysa slanted her a sidelong glance, eyes raking along the length of the barely presentable Planeswalker's form. Kaya had swapped her adventuring clothes for proper Ravnican attire, black and white with golden accents, the symbol of the guild a pale splash across the right side of her chest. If not for the tension in her stance and the way her gaze darted from place to place as she assessed the plaza, she might almost have looked as if she still belonged.

"You should have a drink," said Teysa. "You make me look like a miserly host when you walk with empty hands."

"But you are a miserly host," Kaya protested without rancor. "Or at least a calculated one. Every zib you spend on this gala will come back to you a golden zino, or you're not the person who outmaneuvered me and seized the reins while my back was turned."

Teysa smiled. "I missed you. You've always seen me so clearly."

"Clarity gets easier with distance."

"Yes, and you were distant when the invasion came to Ravnica." Teysa's smile sharpened like the knife it was. "You owe me this night, Kaya. No matter how far you've traveled, you're Orzhov enough to pay your debts. When Ravnica needed you, you weren't here."

"If I'd been here instead of defending the Multiverse, neither of us would be here now!" snapped Kaya. "Don't you dare act like I stopped caring about Ravnica because I couldn't be here. I was"—her voice faltered, turning thick in her throat, and she glanced down at her feet—"I was doing my best."

"Yes, and tonight, you do your best for me," said Teysa. "The Agency has helped us to control and contain the chaos that followed the … unpleasantness. Without them, we'd have far more than two useless guilds on our hands. All ten might have been gutted by the invaders, and then what would have become of our plane? So tonight, you smile when I say smile, and you bow when I say bow, and you remember your debts to the Orzhov, if you don't want to remember your debts to me."

This time, Kaya's answering look was akin to a snarl, teeth clenched in an expression that seemed like it might actually hurt. But she nodded her acquiescence, and when Teysa touched her wrist, she didn't flinch away.

"Come, old friend," said Teysa. "I would be a poor host if I didn't attend to my other guests, and I haven't seen you eat a thing all evening."

"I'm not hungry," said Kaya. "Being here unsettles my stomach."

"If you faint because you're too stubborn to eat, your debts remain unpaid," said Teysa. "And even if you're too stubborn to enjoy the evening, I oversaw the menu, and I refuse to miss the strudel." She walked past Kaya to the door, leaning heavily on her walking cane. Clearly expecting obedience, she didn't look back.

"I pay my debts," Kaya said in a low tone and walked after her.

The balcony door led to a well-appointed library, the walls lined with a ransom of rare books and gilded manuscripts. Two lower-ranking guild members flanked the doors, keeping the party guests from "just happening" to wander into a space they had been asked to avoid. Teysa nodded to them as she passed, a small, cool smile on her lips, and they stood at straighter attention, honored by the attention of their Syndicate's leader.

Neither of them gave Kaya a second glance, even as she dropped her symbolic coin into the plate held by the one on the left. She matched her pace to Teysa's, looking back at them.

"How quickly they forget, huh?" she asked.

"The world moves on even when you're not in it," said Teysa, beginning to descend the wide, gently curving stairs toward the ground floor. Revelers dotted the lower steps, goblets and small plates in their hands, jockeying for the sliver of advantage granted by a higher physical position. Teysa nodded to each as she passed, her small, cool smile never wavering. Kaya knew that smile. Teysa called it "number twenty-four: you are honored by my attentions." She had a moment to admire Teysa's unflappability, and then they were at the floor, cutting across the hall to a narrow side door, which opened onto the packed courtyard.

The blast of sound and color from the outside wiped the moment away, replacing it with a dazzling array of Ravnica's elite. None were so gauche as to yell or otherwise express delight at Teysa's arrival: nods, smiles, and small lifts of people's glasses were all that she received as she led Kaya out into the cool night air, settling one hand on the taller woman's shoulder in a proprietary fashion.

Too quietly for anyone else to hear, she murmured, "Don't embarrass me tonight. Remember why you're here."

Together, they moved into the crowd.

[hr /]

The people in the courtyard had arranged themselves in almost concentric circles, with each circle made up of people considered slightly less important than those on the next circle in. The outer circle, nearest the doors, consisted of low-ranking guild members, most sticking to the groups they'd come in with, uneasy with the idea of trying to craft alliances in such a public place. No such barriers existed on the next circle in, where the mid-ranked guild members swirled, moving from conversation to conversation with the grace of the socially adept.

Not every guild prized social acumen the way the Orzhov or Simic did, but even the Izzet and Gruul had their public speakers, and those had been the members chosen to represent them at what was clearly being treated as the social event of the season. Kaya was abstractly surprised not to see Ral Zarek, who she would have expected to find representing his guild. Perhaps it was considered unfashionable to invite a Planeswalker, unless you had them properly leashed.

No awkwardness or bad manners here: only the dazzling whirl of Ravnican society, their very presence a reminder of everything that made Ravnica worth preserving. See? they seemed to say. We are still here, and we are still glorious, and we deserved salvation.

Through it all, Teysa guided Kaya, pulling her effortlessly through the tiers of society until she reached the innermost ring. It had formed around the great form of Ezrim, the massive archon having occupied the center of the courtyard, where he was apparently deep in conversation with Lavinia, current head of the Azorius Senate.

The highest-ranking attendees among the guilds stood at a respectful distance in their own circle, chatting among themselves while they watched with predatory interest to see whether Lavinia was about to escalate their discussion to the level of verbal conflict.

"Ezrim has never belonged to any guild, but as an archon with several known associates among the Azorius, Lavinia always assumed he would one day see sense and join the Senate proper," murmured Teysa, her words intended for Kaya's ears alone. "Imagine her displeasure when after the invasion, he took on leadership. Insult to injury, most of those associates followed him. A stroke of luck for the city as a whole if you ask me—he's a brilliant analytical mind, above reproach, and not bound by guild affiliation."

Kaya frowned. "If he can't be affiliated with the Senate, why is Lavinia pestering him?"

"Who knows? Maybe she's trying to win him back. Oh! Tolsimir!" Teysa turned, suddenly all smiles, her hand slipping from Kaya's shoulder.

Kaya seized the opportunity to duck away, moving toward a server with a small tray of bacon-wrapped asparagus spears and neatly plucking one from the assortment. The server, who wore Orzhov colors, looked at her with awe and a small measure of fear.

"You're her," he said. "Our former leader. The Planeswalker."

"I am," said Kaya. She took a breath, steadying herself. "Teysa asked me to attend the gala."

"I didn't ask you to attend, dear. You're the next best thing to a guest of honor," Teysa said, looming behind her and whisking her away before the server could swallow his awe enough to say anything else. "There aren't many people here for you to meet—you know them all, of course, from when you actually spent your time at home, with us—but there are many people you need to see."

Kaya didn't resist as Teysa pulled her toward Tolsimir and Aurelia, who were apparently deep in a conversation about the absent Dimir. Judith stood nearby, shamelessly eavesdropping as she sipped from a flute of something pale and sparkling, a cruelly amused spark in her eyes. She was dressed in black and red, as always, standing out sharply against the more elegantly attired crowd.

As Teysa approached, Tolsimir was saying sharply to Aurelia, "It's naive to think that Lazav is dead. That man will outlive us all. I don't know what he's planning, but he's planning something. Teysa, tell her Lazav isn't dead."

"As a fellow guild leader, I would be overstepping to attempt to summon his spirit without better cause than my own curiosity," said Teysa smoothly. "I can, however, confirm that I haven't seen him among the departed, although it's been very busy, with all the spirits of the recently dead trying to settle their affairs. So few of them can afford the service."

"Is there no way to extend them credit?" asked Tolsimir.

"We've extended enough credit toward the resolution of this crisis," said Teysa. "Would you have us bankrupt ourselves for the masses?"

A vast topiary panther lumbered by, its leafy tail swishing over their heads as it continued on its vegetable way. Judith laughed.

"Yes, the risk of bankruptcy is plainly very near indeed." She flicked a hand in a dismissive gesture, brushing the topic aside as she inserted herself into the discussion. "But I see you've brought your trophy of the evening. Hello, Kaya. How have you been? Started any invasions recently? Were you aware that whenever you're in the city, all the guilds activate our crisis management divisions?"

"We didn't start the invasion, we stopped it," said Kaya. "Ravnica is part of the Multiverse. It always has been, even if it used to be possible to pretend that Ravnica stood alone. What impacts other planes will impact here. We fought as hard and as swiftly as we could."

"Ravnicans died," said Judith, levity gone.

"So did Planeswalkers," said Kaya. "I lost friends in that fight, same as you did. Not only to death, either. Ravnica doesn't grieve alone."

Judith opened her mouth to answer and stopped as Kaya looked at her. There was a wall behind the Planeswalker's eyes that hadn't been there on their last meeting, an unbreachable barrier keeping Kaya in and the rest of the world out. It was as if she had slammed shut at some point during the invasion and had yet to remember how to open. Unsettled, Judith looked away.

At the center of their loose circle, Ezrim's mount rose, shaking its great wings to resettle the feathers, and prowled away, Ezrim seated firmly on its back. Teysa returned her hand to Kaya's shoulder.

"You'll have to excuse us," she said. "It's almost time for the keystone event of the evening, and it wouldn't do to risk our hero missing the moment."

Kaya glanced downward at her feet.

"You do keep things ticking away by the numbers," said Tomik, appearing at Teysa's other elbow.

Judith's smile returned, more assured now. "Oh, look," she said. "Three leaders of the Syndicate in a line. Which one do you suppose balances the books best? Or—I'm sorry, Tomik. Is it Izzet now, for you?"

"My husband's guild is not my own," said Tomik stiffly. "Teysa, we're needed on the grand balcony."

"Duty calls," said Teysa, pulling Kaya with her as she turned away.

"You owe me for that," murmured Tomik once they were far enough from the other guild leaders to not be overheard.

"I didn't need a rescue," said Teysa. "Even if I had, I had a hero at hand. Kaya would have saved me."

Kaya said nothing, allowing herself to be pushed along. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched the people they passed reacting to her presence. Some shied away, as if her spark might turn contagious and whisk them off to other planes when they were needed here. Others watched with disdain, or with avarice. None were emotions she was used to seeing on these particular faces, and she found it best not to react, not to let them know she saw.

Teysa's hand was an almost comforting constant, guiding her through the crowd, even if she did insist on introducing Kaya as "Orzhov's own hero of the Multiverse" every time the opportunity presented itself. Tomik, at least, seemed to understand Kaya's discomfort: how could he not, when Ral was one of those who grieved the losses Ravnica would never know, the lives lost, the sparks extinguished, all to feed Phyrexia's endless hunger? He walked in silence, not joining Teysa's self-serving introductions, but not stopping her, either.

After a journey that felt at least five times longer than it was, they reached the shallow set of steps leading up to the grand balcony. Ezrim was already there, and Kaya felt a pang of envy for how effortlessly he'd passed through the crowd. No one wanted to interrupt an archon on a mission. A guild leader and a so-called hero, however, they felt perfectly comfortable stepping in front of.

Teysa began to climb the stairs, leaning more heavily on her cane. Tomik stepped back, unable to assist his superior without it looking like a comment on her fitness, even as her hand on Kaya's shoulder gripped tighter, using the other woman for stability as much as anything else. Kaya glanced at her.

"Is it hurting you?"

"No," said Teysa. "Stairs just grow more challenging as I get older. Nothing worth fretting about. Here!"

As they reached the top of the stairs, Teysa stepped away from Kaya, gesturing her toward a spot in the line of Orzhov lawmages and actuaries who had come to observe. Tomik moved to the line as well, settling to Kaya's left and giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. She shot him a brief smile and thus missed the moment when Teysa stepped up to the balcony rail, casting an unobtrusive enchantment that amplified every word she spoke until it filled the entire courtyard.

"Citizens of Ravnica, welcome to Karlov Manor!" she said.

The crowd applauded, some politely, others with more enthusiasm—although none showed more enthusiasm than the goblin in gaudy finery who had stationed himself near the dessert table, forcing anyone who wanted something sweet to subject themselves to his attempts at networking. Teysa's expression hardened for an instant when she saw him, before snapping back to perfect unblemished serenity.

"I know I asked a great deal of you all, when I requested you step away from your own guilds and duties for an evening of Orzhov hospitality, and I hope we have lived up to your high expectations. Tonight's purpose is twofold. Tonight, we celebrate Orzhov's own former leader, Kaya, for her role in the salvation of Ravnica and the Multiverse during the Phyrexian invasion, during which she fought with us!"

A more restrained wave of applause met this statement. Recognizing her cue, Kaya took a half-step forward and waved, biting the inside of her cheek the whole time. As if that fight were something to be celebrated. Survival, yes, but the battle, no.

The applause died down. Kaya stepped back. Teysa smiled at the courtyard once more. "But perhaps even more importantly, tonight we honor the members of the Ravnican Agency of Magicological Investigations."

This time, the applause was raucous, and rolled on and on, seemingly without end. Teysa stepped aside, ceding her place to Ezrim, who moved into position with a gravitas that was only tangentially connected to his imposing size. Half-mantling his wings, he looked at the crowd and rumbled, "We are privileged to serve the city of Ravnica in whatever means are open to us. By helping to bring order to the chaos the Phyrexians left in their wake, we have done no less than should be expected of any citizen.

"But as we have served the city, the city has also served us, and we have been honored by your support—and yes, your funding."

Laughter rippled through the crowd. Teysa, who had acquired a flute of kasarda from a passing server, offered him a smirking salute, taking the ribbing with good spirits. Kaya couldn't help but think Ezrim would pay for that later, behind closed doors. Teysa would absolutely tear strips out of an archon looking for restitution if she thought she had cause.

That was why she was so well suited to lead the Syndicate. Better suited than Kaya had ever been. Ezrim was still speaking, but the names he recited meant nothing to Kaya. The first six or so were clearly people not in attendance, as none appeared to accept their honors. The next three stepped out of the crowd and up to his side, standing proudly as he set a heavy hand on their left shoulder and thanked them ceremonially for the part they'd played in the investigation.

They looked pleased by the praise, and even more pleased by the small purses handed to them by Teysa, who didn't flinch at the act of giving money away. The guild clearly stood to profit even more from this show of unity than Kaya had been assuming if cash rewards were a part of the proceedings.

Ezrim cleared his throat. The sound rolled across the courtyard like the beginning of a storm.

"Many of you were present last month, when a Gruul god broke loose of guild control and wreaked havoc across the Ninth District. Anzrag could have continued his rampage for days, had we been reliant on the guilds for immediate support. But the quick thinking and actions of Investigator Kellan and his team brought the rampage to a halt, and the god has been properly contained within an evidence capsule. Kellan, please approach."

The crowd applauded again as a slim, dark-haired man in a blue tunic and coat stepped up to Ezrim, clearly uncomfortable with the eyes of the crowd upon him. Kaya could sympathize.

"The Agency thanks you, Ravnica thanks you, and I thank you," said Ezrim, placing a hand on Kellan's shoulder. Kellan managed a nervous smile before Ezrim took his hand away and Teysa handed him the purse. Then, with a speed barely shy of impolite, Kellan fled the balcony for the stairs, brushing past Tomik and Kaya.

"Wish I could do that," muttered Kaya. Tomik laughed, quick and unamused.

"Teysa has you on a tight leash tonight."

"I'm her 'hero' for the evening." Kaya sighed. "I don't want to be reminded of the invasion at every turn, but she says I owe the guild for not being here when it happened, and honestly, she's not wrong."

"Ral—"

"Ral wasn't on New Phyrexia. Ral didn't see how bad it was going to be. Jace …" She shuddered, shaking her head. "For weeks, I saw him every time I closed my eyes. He fought as hard as he could, but he lost. And because of that, we all lost."

"It was an impossible fight."

"Maybe." Teysa was still distracted talking to Ezrim, having dispelled the enchantment amplifying their voices. Kaya eyed them. "I think this is where I make my escape, at least for a little bit. When Teysa asks where I am, tell her I went to raid the buffet, will you?"

"I will," Tomik said.

"Thank you." She turned on her heel and slipped into the natural gaps the crowd formed as it eddied. Halfway down the stairs, she passed Kellan, now smiling uncertainly at Zegana and Vannifar as they fixed him with too-sharp eyes, taking his measure. They looked ruffled and unhappy, as if he had interrupted something by coming too close to them.

Kaya knew the pair had been on poor terms since Vannifar unseated her predecessor. Seeing them here together was odd.

"Are you quite sure you're not that detective Proft everyone's been talking about?" Zegana asked.

"I'm sorry," said Kellan. "I'm not sure precisely who that is." His eyes, darting wildly from side to side, fixed on Kaya. "But I've been meaning to speak with the hero of the hour. If you would excuse me?"

He ducked between the pair, not waiting for their reply, and rushed to Kaya's side. Kaya looked at him, bemused.

"What did you need to talk to me about?"

"Getting out of here," he said. "Forgive me, but I look for clues for a living, and your expression tells me you're as uncomfortable right now as I am."

Kaya blinked, startled into laughter. "No wonder they honored you. I was heading for the buffet. Escort me?"

Kellan took her arm with visible relief, and the pair descended to ground level, where—somehow, impossibly—Teysa was waiting next to the buffet, her attention fixed on the gaudily dressed goblin as intently as a cat might fixate on a bird.

"—payment," she was saying, as the pair approached.

The goblin looked nervous. "I acquired my invitation through legitimate means."

"I didn't say you hadn't," said Teysa. "Only that there might be better uses of your resources than worming your way into a celebration unrelated to yourself. Think, Krenko. You owe the Karlovs."

Not the Orzhov: the Karlovs specifically. Interesting. Kaya focused on Krenko, eavesdropping without shame.

"You'll get your money, Karlov," said Krenko, nervousness fading. "In full, and with the agreed-upon interest. For tonight, I'm an invited guest, and this reflects poorly on your hospitality."

"I think what you need is focus," said Teysa. "A lack of distractions, perhaps."

She would have said more, but a ruckus broke out above them, catching everyone's attention. On the balcony, Ezrim watched impassively as three members of Teysa's security dragged away a shouting centaur dressed in the colors of the Gruul Clans. The centaur was clearly enraged, struggling to break free.

"—no right!" he howled. "Anzrag is our responsibility, our god, and he must be returned to us! He acted only according to his nature!"

Kaya turned away from the scene, focusing on a distressed Kellan. "Nothing ever really changes, does it?" she asked. "It puts on a new coat and calls itself remade, but it's all the same under the surface."

"I don't quite understand. I'm sorry," said Kellan.

She shook her head, with a small, bitter laugh. "It's fine. Just realizing that all that really changes is the faces you don't see anymore. The people who leave you."

"You mean Yarus? He's been trying to get us to release his god since we detained him. We've tried explaining that we'll release Anzrag to the Azorius once our investigation is complete, and he should talk to them, but he doesn't seem to care."

On the balcony, Yarus's shouting had been replaced by silence. Kaya turned to see him dragged toward the gates, still fighting his captors but no longer howling. Instead, he glared murder at Ezrim, never taking his eyes off the massive archon.

Aurelia walked up to the buffet, wings half-mantled, and Kaya had time for one bitter thought about how all the people she most wanted to avoid seemed to be following her before Aurelia was heading for Teysa, saying in a cutting tone, "This investigation should be in the hands of the Boros. We know how to maintain peace without causing unrest within the guilds."

Kellan made a sound that could have been interpreted as a scoff. Aurelia wheeled toward him, wings spreading wider, and as Teysa moved to intervene, Kaya saw her chance. She ducked around the buffet and through the door on the other side, passing servers with fresh trays of canapés as she made her escape toward a set of stairs half-concealed behind a marble column.

It wasn't until she reached the top of the stairs without anyone stopping her that she paused, took her first unrestrained breath since the party began, and asked herself where she was going. Back to the balcony where she'd been with Teysa, high above all the chaos and the noise, where she could think. Moving faster, she retraced her earlier steps, pausing only to bribe the guards at the door, and stepped back out into the evening air.

The sky was beautiful, although the ongoing fireworks blocked the stars. She would have liked to see the stars. She had always liked the Ravnican stars. She leaned against the wall, closing her eyes.

She could leave. It would be so easy. Unlike some of the people she cared about, her spark still burned as bright as it ever had and would reach across the Blind Eternities to carry her wherever she wanted to go. She could return to Kaldheim, see how Tyvar was adjusting to his new limitations, or head for Dominaria, or Innistrad, or Alara—there were no limits. She didn't have to stay here.

She felt herself begin to reach, desire becoming reality, and stopped, opening her eyes and digging her heels into the balcony. Teysa might make her point in the worst possible ways, but she was also right: when Ravnica needed her most, Kaya had allowed her own sense of what mattered to take her away. If she'd stayed, she might have been able to shape the Orzhov into more of a force for good. If she'd refused her position on the strike team so someone else could hold it, maybe they would have been successful. There was no way of knowing, but if she'd stayed here, she might have changed everything.

Kaya moved to the edge of the balcony, resting her hands on the rail, and looked down. The conversation by the buffet had escalated to arm and wing waving and raised voices, but Teysa wasn't there. Neither was Judith; no matter how she scanned the crowd, the woman's eye-catching red and black eluded her.

Her breathing leveled out as she watched the people move below, safely distant, unable to reach her. She had just started to feel like she might be able to go back downstairs when a footstep from behind her caught her attention, and she turned to see Teysa approaching.

The other woman wasn't smirking, for once. Teysa wore an expression of uncharacteristic seriousness. "Kaya, there you are," she said.

"I just needed a moment to breathe," said Kaya.

"I understand. This is a lot to deal with, even for me, and I know the invasion hurt you as much as it hurt us, but I'm glad I found you." Teysa took a deep, oddly unsteady breath. "There's something I need to tell you. Something important. And I needed to catch you alone."

"We were alone before."

"Not really." Teysa waved a hand. "Before the gala began, there were people lurking to make sure I didn't need anything. We needed to be alone."

"All right. What is it?"

Teysa started to reply as a scream rang out from inside the manor, drowning out her words and shattering the moment.

Kaya didn't pause to think before running toward the sound. This time, if Ravnica needed her, she wouldn't let them down.