本文首发于2024年1月8日，译文发布于2024年1月8日

By Seanan McGuire

卡娅使出全力在庄园里狂奔。没想到泰莎迅速追了上来，但卡娅知道，她现在跑这么快，之后势必要付出代价：泰莎为了与远比她年轻体健的鹏洛客并驾齐驱，不得不耗费大量的魔力。用魔力换来的东西总是有其代价。

两人在一扇挑高的雕饰门前停了下来。门外围着一圈侍者和家仆，却没人把门打开。当他们看到泰莎和卡娅冲过大厅，脸上都露出了如释重负的表情。

「干嘛？」泰莎问道。「你们一个个杵在门外做什么？」

「夫人，门锁住了。」其中一名侍者说。「莱瑞莎去找钥匙了。」

「你们怎么会不知道钥匙放在哪里？」

眼看泰莎的怒火即将引爆，卡娅轻轻把手放到她的手臂上。「冷静，」她说：「我不用钥匙，就连在卡洛夫庄园也能来去自如。」她瞥见泰莎眼中闪过一道异光，便停下脚步。「除非这扇门设有结界，鬼影无法进出？」

「作为预防措施，庄园大部分区域都设有结界。」泰莎说。「你或许可以试试从地板下穿上楼，但那样做也难保会成功。」

「太好了。也就是说有人陷入困境，我们只能袖手旁观。」

卡娅的不悦溢于言表，而这一次，泰莎也无言以对。没有人吭声。

时间一分一秒过去，等待变得愈发难以忍受。泰莎心焦地看了一眼门口。刚才引起她们注意的尖叫声响亮又凄厉，那是人在遭遇真正危险时才会发出的声音。然而此刻，上锁的房间里却是鸦雀无声，连一丝有人在里头走动的声音都没有。

他们继续在原地枯等莱瑞莎归返，就在这时，伊泽霖统领从大厅疾驰而来，他庞大的身躯轻轻松松就填满了整个厅堂。他身下坐骑的长长翼羽一路拂过，把桌上的家庭用品和小摆饰都扫落在地。「我们在阳台上听到尖叫声，」他说：「我花了好一会儿才找到一扇够大的门让我通过。这里发生了什么事？」

「抱歉坏了你的兴致，伊泽霖。」泰莎说。「我们正在等一名侍者拿钥匙过来开门。」

「如果里头有人受伤，或者发生犯罪事件，光是在这干等并非最好的做法。」伊泽霖说。他抬起前腿，意有所指地看向门口，再看向泰莎，等候她的默许。

泰莎没有犹豫片刻。她之后随时可以向他讨修缮费。

「把门撞破。」她说。

两下重踢之后，门应声从铰链处断裂，落地裂成两半。卡娅先一步冲进去，这次泰莎没有利用魔法加速，便慢慢跟上。其他家仆徘徊不前，等待危险排除，伊泽霖则在外头的大厅里来回踱步，若非因为他体型过大，他也想陪同进入。

众人听到卡娅发出一声短促的惊呼，接着陷入凝滞的寂静。

泰莎无法忍受多一刻的沉默，唤道：「卡娅？卡娅，你还好吗？」

卡娅出现在门口，脸色苍白得几近死灰。「我没事。」她说。「泰莎，叫人去找凡妮法过来。」

在别的情况下，泰莎可能会提醒卡娅，她已经没有指挥权了；让一名前公会长对她发号施令，可能会大大危及并削弱她的权威。但卡娅脸上的神情让她闭上嘴巴。

「所有人都下去，」她看着周围的仆人说：「去找析米克联合的凡妮法，告诉她我需要她过来。如果她问原因，就说我现在需要跟她谈谈。」

卡娅听后似乎很满意，转身又回到房间里去。

泰莎叹了口气，然后向伊泽霖点头行礼。「很抱歉，伊泽霖，但这个房间太小，恐怕无法容下你与我们同行。」

「我明白。」伊泽霖说，然后转向剩下的仆人。「帮我找一位魔调局的侦探过来。这里应该要有局里的代表在场。我会在这里等着，留意任何的风吹草动。」说完，他就沉到地上，摆出警戒的姿态。

没有哪个保全人员比统领更可靠了。泰莎转身，深深吸了一口气，然后跟着卡娅的脚步进入房间。

这是一间小客厅。像这样的房间，卡洛夫庄园里到处都有，一般用来招待客人或进行商务谈判。但由于今晚举办庆祝晚宴，这类用途既不切实际也不大可能，因此这间客厅就暂时成了衣物寄放室，堆满了宾客的外套与斗篷。卡娅刚进房间，目光就锁定在地板中央的那堆外套上。不——不是外套。

是躺在外套上的什么。

泰莎走到她旁边，全身顿时僵住，一手紧紧握住手杖的手柄，彷佛要把手指给折断了。

析米克联合的人鱼洁加娜宛若艺术品般，摆设于那堆外套中央。虽然衣堆边缘有一些挣扎痕迹，但她的身体周围并没有；她就像个被摆得漂漂亮亮的洋娃娃，左手举到脸部高度，脸微微侧向一边。若不是因为她明显没有了呼吸，她看起来简直像是躺成睡姿要人替她画肖像画一样，鱼鳍和头发都飘散得极具美感。

「她死了。」泰莎没必要多说，但卡娅默默点头响应。尸体上虽然没有明显的伤口或谋杀迹象，但她们是欧佐夫人，当死亡摆在面前，她们自然看得出来。

洁加娜四周的外套似乎是随意混搭，昂贵的面料和廉价的亚麻布交错相叠，这么草率的处理，与洁加娜精心设计的姿势相比，显得十分奇怪。卡娅往后退一步，没有移开视线。洁加娜死去时是独自一人，只来得及发出一声尖叫。现在，她的死应当获得见证。

从这个角度，卡娅看见一片花瓣的边缘从洁加娜的手指间露了出来。卡娅皱了皱眉，再次走近弯腰细看。

「怎么了？」泰莎问，尖锐的声音里透露着忧心。

「有一朵花⋯⋯」卡娅说，弯得更低。「是黑鸢尾花。你在楼下摆设的花艺布置有用到黑鸢尾花吗？」如果洁加娜在倒下时顺手抓了附近的花束，也许就能告诉她们她是在哪里遇害的。

怎么可能呢：尖叫声是从这个房间传出来的。这个不起眼、上了锁的小房间。凶手哪有时间在庄园的其他地方杀害洁加娜，再把她搬到这里，尤其还要摆成那样的姿势。不等泰莎摇头，卡娅就已经意识到自己的问题是多么愚蠢。

「我选用的花材都尽量避免让公会外的人联想到丧葬，或是葛加理。」泰莎说。「这就表示，其中一个欧佐夫代表色不能用了，但考虑到大家对装饰品的观感，这么做很值得。所以没有百合花，没有黑鸢尾花，也没有哀悼者之星。」

「总之，洁加娜肯定是在哪里找到的。」卡娅直起身子，正要多说些什么时，大厅传来的一阵骚动吸引了她的注意。「应该是凡妮法来了。」她说着便转身离开，留下泰莎和尸体独处。

卡娅走进大厅，没见到凡妮法，倒是看到一群魔调局的侦探簇拥着伊泽霖。统领直挺挺地站着，翅膀半展，与欧瑞梨怒目相向。欧瑞梨看见卡娅过来，便挥了挥手从统领面前转身离开，表示对他无话可说。

「原来你在这。」她说。「凡妮法正在赶来的路上，而伊泽霖的人呢，正在封锁这整栋屋子，说泰莎禁止任何人离开庄园。想必是出了大事吧。」

「对。」卡娅说。此时没有必要撒谎。

「没立即召唤高阶军团并不符合标准程序。」

泰莎走到卡娅身边，扬起一边眉毛。卡娅瞟了她一眼。不过，预期中的火爆冲突并没有上演。

「我一直鼓励庄园的员工要主动积极。」泰莎说。「我得查查究竟是谁在评估情况后，精准预判到我之后会下令封锁庄园。这么出色的预测能力应该得到奖励，但如此自作主张也该受到斥责。」

「这么说，封锁屋子确实有其原因啰？」欧瑞梨问。「我的部下也在协助封锁，但那些人，」她不屑地对伊泽霖和那群侦探挥挥手。「没有必要瞎搅和。现在的状况应该交由专业人士来处理。所以现在到底是什么状况，泰莎？」

「我希望等凡妮法到来再说；你我都很清楚，隔墙有耳。」泰莎双手叠放到手杖顶端，卡娅这时才意识到，泰莎站的位置，刚好让她们两人完全挡住了通往身后房间的入口。真是聪明，又不费工夫。

脚步声沿着大厅逐渐靠近，伴随着原生质与地板摩擦产生的轻微唰唰声。所有人转过头去，只见析米克联合的领袖凡妮法走过来，身边跟随着三名低阶公会成员。她的眉头紧蹙，显然相当不悦。

「泰莎，这是什么意思？」她开口问道。「为什么把我像普通罪犯一样传唤过来？为什么俄佐立和波洛斯不准我的人民离开？」

「我其实想到隐蔽一点的地方谈这件事。」泰莎说。「你愿意移驾到图书室吗？」

「免了。你没有给我任何解释就召唤我过来，现在还想用同一招拖延时间？很抱歉，但无论你有什么话，请现在就说。」

泰莎皱起眉头，拄着手杖的双手再次握紧。「那好吧，凡妮法，我非常遗憾地通知你，析米克联合的洁加娜惨遭杀害。」

在场的人尽管知道有某件可怕的事发生，但听到这消息，无人不感到天打雷劈。凡妮法身体摇晃，满脸的惊愕。伊泽霖转过身，开始对他的探员下令，但欧瑞梨猛地张开羽翼，阻止他们越过她。

「有个危险的杀人犯在外逃逸！」欧瑞梨喊道。「现在不是外行侦探玩扮家家酒的时候。接下来就由波洛斯教团接管。公会将着手这个案件，就跟我们往常一样。」

魔调局侦探马上出声辩驳。卡娅与泰莎交换了一个眼神，对于这场正在酝酿的纷争，泰莎看起来和她几乎同样感到厌烦。

「我先失陪了。」卡娅用低沉而温和的声音说道，虽然她实际上想要尖叫。泰莎点点头，待在原地，卡娅转身大步离开，消失在大厅尽头，留下双方人马继续争吵不休。

卡娅来到了宴会厅，里头几乎空无一人，只有少数几个侍者仍靠着墙边徘徊。这里从来不是聚会的主要场所，更像是一个喘息的空间，供那些厌倦欢庆的宾客暂时远离人群。如果她先前不是为了回避某些对话而逃至私人阳台，当大家发现洁加娜尸体时，她人应该会在这里。

宴会厅的其中一面墙是挑高的玻璃门，外头就是稍早向贵宾致谢的大阳台。门还敞开着。如今外面的天空不再绽放着彩色烟花，下方飘来的声音，也不再是恣意狂放的欢庆声，与她起初踏进庄园时的氛围大相径庭。她走到阳台边缘向下望，只见晚宴宾客排成一条条曲折的长龙，每列队伍前方都站着一名俄佐立参议院成员和一圈发着光的真相束环。没想到他们这么快就施好咒了，卡娅感到钦佩的同时，不禁猜想俄佐立是否早就有所准备，认定今晚会出差错。波洛斯的军团兵就守在施咒法师附近，以免他们受到干扰。

这正是俄佐立和波洛斯的作风——出席一个表扬魔调局的晚宴，随时准备介入并阻止欧瑞梨口中的「外行侦探玩扮家家酒」。她不认为参议院会在没有出现问题的情况下主动挑起事端，但现在机会来了，他们就急着证明自己仍然是拉尼卡的律法代表。一切其实都没变。就算整个时空陷落了，各公会仍会拚尽全力保住自己的权威。

而且只要瞄一眼今晚庆祝晚宴的宾客名单，就算不是天才，也看得出来必然会出乱子。十公会中有八个派代表出席——她没见到底密尔会堂的人，葛加理群落也同样缺席——公会之间发生摩擦的可能性极高。她眉头一皱，再次扫视人群。十个公会中有八个⋯⋯但她今晚也没看到多少个拉铎司人，不是吗？只有朱迪思，穿着一身极为显眼的黑红配色皮革。

朱迪思在凶杀案发生前就不见了踪影。

倍觉不安的卡娅掉头离开，走回被她丢在大厅的那群人。不论俄佐立现在扮演的角色是否是自己一手策划的，他们的真相束环将会证明在场宾客有无罪嫌。几名支持律法师的波洛斯军团兵手中拿着一叠纸，她猜应该是正式的宾客名单。他们一个人也不会漏掉。

当她回到大厅，那里只剩下伊泽霖一人，他的前爪交叠在身前，眯起眼盯着衣物寄放室的门。看见卡娅回来，他好气又好笑哼了一声。

「大家都在里面吗？」她问。

「泰莎带凡妮法去一个私人房间，喝杯卡萨达酒平复情绪。」他说。「我派了一个人跟着她们，确保她们不会落单。其他仆人都去协助维护庄园安全，或是协助把宾客集中起来进行侦讯。我的部下则到里面调查现场。」

「我进去看看状况，再跟你回报。」卡娅说完就溜进房间。

案发现场已布下了屏障结界，除了授权调查员外，任何人都无法闯入这道魔法防护线。已经在里头的魔调局侦探被赶到一个角落去，一个个脸上都写着挫败与恼怒。凯澜按捺不住满腔热血，想要出手相助，却只能眼巴巴看着那些俄佐立成员把房间翻了个底朝天，在每一个狭缝裂口中寻找本案的蛛丝马迹。卡娅揪起五官。泰莎要是知道他们对她的壁纸干了什么好事，肯定会把他们给杀了。

只有洁加娜的尸体没被动过，依旧以优美的睡姿躺在那张外套堆成的床上，手心里囚禁着黑鸢尾花，披散的头发如鱼鳍般展开。

「感谢你愿意帮忙，但我们不需要欧佐夫的协助。」欧瑞梨说，打断了卡娅对尸体的观察。「我们会找出凶手的。」

「我看到下面的庭院里亮起了一圈圈的真相束环。」卡娅说。「如此惊人的速度与效率，看来俄佐立早就有备而来呢。」

「卡洛夫庄园举办宴会，还邀请众公会一同为魔调局和鹏洛客庆贺？」欧瑞梨的嘴角微微勾起。「这邀请函上根本是写着『必出乱子』几个大字嘛。俄佐立和波洛斯公会当然要做好万全准备，随时应对突发状况。」

一名袖子上绣有俄佐立会徽的女性从卡娅旁边挤到欧瑞梨面前，低着头等候上级回应。

「什么事？」欧瑞梨问。

「战领，除了这间房内的人、公会长泰莎与凡妮法，以及伊泽霖局长外，其他人都已侦讯完毕，」俄佐立人语气急切。「连大仲裁者拉温妮也接受了审问。她派我来请求两位也遵循相同程序。我们都必须证明自己的清白。」

「你会召唤真相束环吗？」欧瑞梨问。

年轻的俄佐立人用力吞口水，然后点头。

「好，那就问吧，问完就让我们继续调查。」

那名女性向后退了一步，差点跌跤，然后举起双手，喃喃念咒，召唤真相束环。圈环骤然升起，围住了卡娅和欧瑞梨两个人，卡娅对此暗自感激。有公会长同在真相束环内的话，她的提问应该不会超出事件范围。一个在侵攻战争中遭受个人损失的律法师，要在解除束环之前多问一些⋯⋯私人问题，完全不是难事。真相束环虽无法强迫回答，但人在猝不及防的情况下，很可能不小心说太多。

这位年轻的公会法师似乎坚决要展现出参议院的美德：公正无私。她的提问快速、精准、沉着。你们之中有人直接或间接伤害洁加娜吗？没有。你们之中有人将她杀害吗？没有。你们之中有人知道凶手是谁吗？没有。你们之中有人怀疑谁是嫌犯吗？

卡娅用力咽下了朱迪思的名字，说服自己只是好奇，还没有上升到怀疑的程度。

俄佐立人解除真相束环。「军团长，能否允许我跟那些调查员谈谈？」

「去吧去吧。」欧瑞梨说，挥手示意她离开，她便前去对房间里的其他人使用真相束环。

于此同时，卡娅一直盯着欧瑞梨看。「你们从头到尾嚷着说事情要交给专业人士处理，结果你对案情一点猜想也没有？」

欧瑞梨背过身去。「负责调查的是俄佐立，不是波洛斯。我只是应拉温妮的要求来维持秩序，毕竟她不能同时出现在两地。再说了，她这人宁愿动身去追查真相，也不想留下来监督他人。」

「你们两公会果然是串通好的。」卡娅说。欧瑞梨欣然接受她在这里扮演的角色，证实了自己的猜测。

「你是不是离开拉尼卡太久，忘记这里是怎么运作的？」欧瑞梨抬起眉毛，回头望着她说。「没错，这里确实有些地方变了，但这座城市的核心依然一如往昔，未来也将永远不变。俄佐立负责维持法律；波洛斯负责执行。那帮把保家卫民当儿戏的外行人士永远取代不了我们。」

卡娅两眼冒火。「公会并不是一切。」

「你之前领导欧佐夫的时候也是这么想的吗？如果是的话，那就难怪他们在第一时间就把你给换掉了。公会就是拉尼卡。」

「好啊，那我请问拉尼卡大人，你知道这里发生了什么事吗？还是你和我们其他人一样，一无所知？」

还没等欧瑞梨回答，两人背后就传来清喉咙的声音。她们转过身去，看见一名人类男子站在门口。他的肤色比卡娅还要浅一些，头发乌黑但两鬓已经斑白，身上穿着一件天蓝色长版大衣。几个已经从真相束环解脱的俄佐立人，都对他投以恶狠狠的眼神。他没有理会他们，而是把注意力放在卡娅和欧瑞梨身上。

「我相信我大概知道这里发生了什么事。」他一派轻松地说，彷佛在要一杯茶似的。

「敢问你是⋯⋯？」卡娅问道。

「啊，是的。我明白这听起来很可疑。」他走进房间，观察洁加娜的遗体。「但别担心，我已经通过了真相束环的侦讯。我不是你们要找的凶手。不过呢，我可能会是你们的救星。」

「他没有受到邀请。」一名负责召唤真相束环的俄佐立法师说，她的语气紧绷且不悦。「有的话，我铁定会在名单上看到他的名字。」

「你叫什么名字？」卡娅问。她感到越来越烦躁。现在不是玩游戏的时候。

「抱歉抱歉，我没跟你说吗？我叫阿奎斯波费。有些人称我为『大侦探波费』，我在这方面还挺有两把刷子的。」他走近洁加娜的尸体，蹲在地上，两眼迅速上下左右扫视现场。尽管房间里的俄佐立成员明显感到不适，却没有人出声反对。而一直在等待机会提供协助的魔调局侦探，反而是一脸放松，显然对这个人充满信任。卡娅对他产生了兴趣。

「有人碰过尸体或尸体周遭吗？」他问道。

「没有。」欧瑞梨回答。

「这样的话⋯⋯若把她手中的花朵算在内，在这里可解读成析米克的代表物，那么她摆出的姿势刚好能让身体底下的每件外套都露出各自的公会标志，拼贴成一个花纹。」

「什么意思？」卡娅问道。

「你过来看。」他说，示意她靠近些，但他自己依旧蹲在原地。出于好奇，卡娅照他的话做，并没有反抗他近乎专横的召唤。

她一到他身边，波费就直起身子，用手指了指尸体及周遭。「仔细看。你看到了什么？」

「洁加娜，还有一堆外套。」卡娅照实回答，一边寻找波费提及的花纹。然后她眨眨眼，移到侧边换个角度看。但无论她怎么站，底密尔的标志都没有出现。「我没有看见底密尔。」她说。「但今天没有底密尔人出席，这也说得通。」

「这个设计融入了十公会的徽记。」波费说，他指的是由多件外套透过不同程度的折叠、拼贴而成的背板花纹。「葛加理人同样没在邀请名单上，但他们的徽记出现了好几次——看到这些扣环拼成的下颚骨形状吗？我敢打赌，如果你把她的手挪开，她的手臂底下就会露出一个与底密尔徽记极为相似的折叠花纹。」

卡娅摇了摇头。「还真是大费周章。不敢相信我居然没看出来。」她说。

「你也没注意到底密尔会堂有一位成员出席了晚宴。」

卡娅一惊，准备反驳，却发现波费认真地看着她，眼神中没有任何批判意味。他不是在批评，只是在陈述他观察到的情况。

「谁？」她问。

波费露出微笑。

说服欧瑞梨留在现场并非难事，尤其是在伊泽霖起身提醒她，一直想要主导现场调查的人是她之后。至少她现在允许魔调局的侦探执行他们的工作了。波费揭露出来的信息让她羞愧难当，不得不承认侦探还有些用处，尽管有多么不情愿。泰莎和凡妮法至今还没回来，虽然到了这个时刻，所有宾客都知道这里出事了，但他们没有理由往谋杀案的方向猜。

然而波费却不知何故看出了端倪，并顺着他的猜测追到了源头。他们下楼到主楼层的路上，卡娅都一脸狐疑地盯着他看。他似乎没有注意到她的目光。她才不会上当呢。这短短几分钟的相处就足以让她明白，无论是多么微小或是无关紧要的事情，他都注意得到。

「真相束环都是根据宾客名单来进行召唤与查证的。」波费突然开口。「如果某人没出现在名单上，并且小心翼翼避开束环，那就能轻易逃过侦讯。如果那个人有充分理由，不想在必须说出真话的条件下接受审问——比方说，一名底密尔间谍与知名刺客——就能利用我们调查中的漏洞，一直躲到大门打开为止。老实说，我唯一想不通的是，这个人为什么要在庄园逗留这么久，以致自己也被封锁在庄园内。她的技巧明明更高明。」

「她在哪里？」卡娅问。「我没看到有人穿着底密尔配色的服装。」

「你真以为底密尔的密探会让自己轻易曝光吗？要不是她刻意避免与瑟雷尼亚盟会的成员接触，我可能还不会注意到她呢。毕竟她穿着盟会配色的服装，照理来说他们应该是她最亲密的同伴，不是她回避的对象才对。」

「原来如此。」卡娅说，用全新的视角重新扫视人群。但她很快又回到拉尼卡人的思维模式，认为没有人会穿上非隶属公会配色的服装，除非他们想惹事生非。瑟雷尼亚盟会的成员分散在人群中，像其他侦讯完毕但没获得释放的宾客一样，漫无目的地走来走去。

波费站在在楼梯底端，环顾四周，然后对自己点点头，穿过人群走向庭院边缘，那里自然是最低阶公会成员的聚集地。卡娅紧随在后，一面观察人群，一面寻找他眼中看到的线索，那条让他一心一意追踪的无形轨迹。

当他们来到人群边，波费示意卡娅稍退一步，然后自个儿继续前进，直到一名穿着瑟雷尼亚绿白配色服装的黑皮肤女子几乎站在他们两人之间。她的礼服剪裁完美，贴合身型，是当季流行时尚的最佳典范；除了招来欣羡或嫉妒的目光外，她没有理由吸引他人注意。

没有任何理由，除了她全身上下看不见任何公会标志。以她如此精准的打扮来说，这点疏漏确实是格外突兀。也不是没道理，卡娅心想。穿着其他公会的配色并不违法。然而，佩戴其他公会的盾徽就有可能带来不良后果。

「艾庄塔小姐，」波费朝那女人走近一步：「恐怕我们需要和你谈谈。请跟我走一趟。」

女人猛然转身，张嘴发出嘶嘶声，露出惊人的吸血鬼尖牙。那一瞬间，她整个人的气质有了一百八十度的大转变，从百无聊赖的名媛变成被逼入绝境的掠食者。她瞥了卡娅一眼，明显是将鹏洛客视为更大的威胁，于是她径直冲向波费，将这名调查员撞倒在地，然后在人群中辟开一条直线，朝着树篱迷宫奔去。

「如果她进入迷宫，我们就永远找不到她了！」卡娅大喊，旋即转身追去。

「尽量别让她离开视线——我会从这里想办法帮忙。」波费说，他把自己撑起地面坐好，没有站起身的意思。

卡娅跑得很快。然而，艾庄塔更快，加上她有先跑的优势，她和树篱迷宫的距离早已领先卡娅一半以上。但卡娅不甘示弱，善用将自己化为无形的能力急起直追，省得还要绕开宴会宾客。直接穿过他们，岂不更有效率。

尽管如此，艾庄塔无疑会先她一步到达迷宫——至少在周遭世界突然颠倒过来之前是如此。霎时间，灰色鹅卵石街道和狂欢人群消失，取而代之的是一根根高耸入云的蓝色光柱。她们前方不再是树篱迷宫；相反的，艾庄塔跑进了一条卡娅再熟悉不过的小巷，那是一条位于欧佐夫领地心脏地带的巷子。

这股魔法，无论来自何方，感觉不具有恶意，也不像是用来愚弄她的精妙幻术。事实上，从艾庄塔慢下脚步并疯狂四处张望、扫视周遭建筑物以寻找出口的反应来看，这反而助了卡娅一臂之力。她再次猛然加速，将体力发挥到极限。在突然变得很安静的街道上，她的脚步声如同石头落入平静湖面，发出阵阵回声。艾庄塔回头瞄了一眼，然后猛地往左拐进一条巷子，卡娅知道，那是个死胡同。

就在她距离吸血鬼不到十英尺时，两人周围的白色地貌突然坍塌，艾庄塔就这样一头撞上了凯澜。这名年轻的魔调局调查员一脸惊讶，双臂倒是认份地紧扣住这名底密尔逃犯。她奋力挣扎、龇牙低吼，但他摇着头不肯松手。卡娅跑向二人时，他依旧抱着艾庄塔不放。

「刚刚那个是什么鬼？」她问。

「那是我的杰作。」她身后传来一个气喘吁吁的声音。她转过身，只见明显筋疲力尽但已站起身的波费，踉踉跄跄穿过半散开的人群，加入他们三人。她再定睛一看，发现他并没受伤，只是累坏了。

「那是什么魔法？」

「我把这里的景象变成另一个地方的景象，我可以重现我所见过的任何东西。」波费边说边敲打自己的太阳穴，他的视线越过卡娅，看着艾庄塔奋力从凯澜手中挣脱。「还好吗，年轻人？」

「当然，先生。」凯澜说。「感谢您协助我们逮捕这名恶徒。」

此时，俄佐立的公会成员开始朝他们的位置聚集，其中最大一群人是由拉温妮领头。凯澜双手抱得更紧，扬起下巴，表现出一副决不退让的态度。波费走上前，把手轻轻放在他的手臂上。

「现在不是我们坚持立场的时候。」他说。「他们什么也没找到，是我们找到了可疑罪犯。他们没有协助追缉，是你抓住了她。若不是我们，这一切根本不可能发生，只要认知到这点就心满意足了，魔调局不需要这个光荣。」

凯澜不情不愿地点点头。拉温妮走上前来，开口下令。

「立刻将嫌疑犯押回俄佐立拘禁。」她的声音响彻整个庭院。

凯澜松开艾庄塔，站到卡娅和波费身边，等候在一旁的俄佐立人旋即将艾庄塔再次逮捕。三人留在原地，静静看着她被拖走。

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MURDERS AT KARLOV MANOR | EPISODE 2: MONSTERS WE BECAME

Kaya ran through the manor as swiftly as her legs could carry her. Teysa still caught up quickly, moving with a speed that Kaya knew would cost her later: for Teysa to be running alongside the much younger, fitter Planeswalker, she had to be drawing deep on her magical reserves. That sort of thing always came with a price.

The pair came to a stop at a tall, ornate door, still closed despite the ring of servers and household servants standing outside it. They looked uniformly relieved when they saw Teysa and Kaya charging down the hall.

"Well?" Teysa demanded. "Why are you all just standing around?"

"The door's locked, ma'am," said one of the servers. "Larysa's gone looking for the key."

"How do you not know where the key is?"

Seeing that Teysa's temper was hanging on by a thread, Kaya set a hand on her arm. "Easy," she said. "I don't need keys, not even in Karlov Manor." She caught a flicker of something in Teysa's eyes and paused. "Unless this door is warded against ghosts?"

"Much of the manor is, as a precaution," said Teysa. "You might be able to come up through the floor, but even that would be a questionable approach."

"Great. So someone's in trouble, and we're just going to stand around."

Kaya's displeasure was radiant, and for once, Teysa had no answer to it. No one spoke.

The seconds stretched into minutes, becoming intolerable. Teysa cast an uneasy glance at the door. The scream that had drawn them had been loud and piercing: the sound of someone in genuine danger. And for all that, the locked room was silent now, without even a hint that someone was moving around inside.

They were still standing there, waiting for Larysa to return, when Ezrim came galloping down the hall, the massive archon easily filling all available space. His mount's long primary feathers swept household items and bric-a-brac off tables as he passed. "We heard the screams on the balcony," he said. "It took me a moment to find a door that could accommodate me. What has happened here?"

"My apologies, Ezrim, for the disruption," said Teysa. "We're waiting for one of my servers to return with the key."

"If someone is hurt, or a crime was committed here, waiting is not in our best interests," said Ezrim. He raised a foreleg, looking meaningfully from the door to Teysa as he waited for her acquiescence.

Teysa didn't hesitate. She could always bill him later.

"Break it," she said.

Two heavy blows and the door snapped off its hinges, breaking clean in two as it fell inward. Kaya rushed forward, faster than Teysa now that the other woman wasn't using magic to speed her steps. The servants hung back, waiting for the all-clear, while Ezrim, who would dearly love to have accompanied her if not for his size, paced in the hall outside.

All of them heard Kaya's quickly cut-off gasp, followed by frozen silence.

Teysa couldn't allow the moment to linger. "Kaya?" she called. "Kaya, are you all right?"

Kaya appeared in the doorway, face grayish with pallor. "I'm fine," she said. "Teysa, send someone to find Vannifar."

Under other circumstances, Teysa might have reminded Kaya that she was no longer in charge; allowing a former guild leader to give her orders could undermine her authority in a dangerous way. The look on Kaya's face stopped her cold.

"All of you, go," she said, looking around at the servants. "Find me Vannifar of the Simic Combine and inform her that her presence is required. If she asks why, say only that I need to speak with her immediately."

Kaya appeared satisfied with this. She turned, vanishing back into the room.

Teysa sighed before nodding politely to Ezrim. "My apologies, Ezrim, but I don't think the room is large enough for you to join us."

"I understand," Ezrim said and looked to the remaining servants. "Find me one of my detectives. The Agency should be represented here. I will wait here and watch for signs of trouble." With that, he sank to the floor, assuming a guard position.

There could be no better security than an archon. Teysa turned, taking a deep breath, and followed Kaya's path into the room.

It was one of the many small sitting rooms scattered around Karlov Manor, intended for entertaining guests or conducting business negotiations. With the celebration making such gatherings impractical and unlikely, this one had been pressed into use as a cloakroom of sorts, filled with the coats and cloaks of the attendees. Kaya had stopped just inside, eyes locked on the pile of coats at the center of the floor. No—not the coats.

What was arrayed atop the coats.

Teysa stepped up next to her and froze, hand tightening on the handle of her cane until it looked like her fingers were going to break.

Zegana of the Simic Combine was artfully arranged at the center of the pile. While there were signs of a struggle around the edges, there were none around her body; she was posed as prettily as a doll, her left hand raised to the level of her face, which was turned slightly to the side. If not for the fact that she so clearly wasn't breathing, it would have looked like she was posing for a portrait of herself in repose, fins and hair arranged to their best possible advantage.

"She's dead," said Teysa needlessly, and Kaya nodded in silent agreement. There were no visible wounds or signs of foul play, but they were of the Orzhov; they knew death when it was presented to them.

The coats around Zegana's body were a seeming mismatch, expensive fabrics and cheap linens overlapping with a carelessness that looked almost strange, given the precision of Zegana's posing. Kaya took a step back, not averting her eyes. Zegana had died alone, with only time for a single scream. She deserved to be witnessed now.

From her new angle, Kaya saw the edges of a flower petal protruding from between Zegana's fingers. Frowning, Kaya stepped closer again, bending to see.

"What is it?" asked Teysa, voice sharp with worry.

"A flower …" said Kaya, bending farther down. "A black iris. Did you use black irises in any of the floral arrangements downstairs?" If Zegana had grabbed hold of a bouquet as she was falling, maybe that could tell them where she'd been killed.

But no: the scream had come from this room. This small, unremarkable, locked room. There hadn't been time for Zegana to be killed elsewhere in the manor and then moved, especially not with the way she'd been arranged. Kaya realized how foolish her question was even before she saw Teysa shaking her head.

"I tried to avoid arrangements that would strike people outside the guild as funereal or remind them of the Golgari in any way," said Teysa. "It meant I lost one of our signature colors, but it was worth it for the reactions to the décor. No lilies, no black irises, no mourner's stars."

"Well, Zegana found one somewhere." Kaya straightened and was preparing to say more when a commotion from the hall caught her attention. "That will be Vannifar," she said, and turned, leaving Teysa alone with the corpse as she walked away.

Kaya stepped into the hall, where she found not Vannifar but a cluster of Agency detectives and Ezrim. The archon was standing, wings half-mantled, as he glared at Aurelia. Aurelia saw Kaya and turned away from him, waving one hand in a dismissive gesture.

"There you are," she said. "Vannifar is coming, and Ezrim's people are locking down the building. They say Teysa has forbidden anyone to leave the manor grounds. Something has happened."

"Yes," said Kaya. There was no point in lying.

"It was inappropriate not to summon the ranking legionnaire immediately."

Teysa, stepping up beside Kaya, lifted an eyebrow. Kaya glanced at her. The expected explosion, however, did not materialize.

"I've been encouraging the house staff to show initiative," said Teysa. "I'll have to find out who looked at the situation and correctly intuited a lockdown as my next order. They deserve a bonus for their excellent predictive skills, and a scolding for their arrogance."

"So there is a reason to lock down the building?" asked Aurelia. "My people are helping with the lockdown, but they," she waved a dismissive hand at Ezrim and the detectives, "have no business being involved. They need to let the professionals handle whatever's happening. What is happening, Teysa?"

"I would prefer to wait for Vannifar before saying anything; you know as well as I do that the walls have ears." Teysa folded both hands over the top of her cane, and Kaya realized the other woman had positioned herself such that between the two of them, they completely blocked off access to the room behind them. Clever, and easily done.

Footsteps approached down the hall, accompanied by the soft swishing sound of protoplasm brushing against the floor. Everyone assembled turned, watching the approach of Vannifar of the Simic. Three lower-ranked members of the Combine accompanied their leader, who was frowning, looking distinctly unamused.

"Teysa, what is the meaning of this?" she asked. "Why did you summon me like a common criminal? Why are the Azorius and the Boros telling my people that we're not allowed to leave?"

"I was hoping to do this in a less open location," said Teysa. "Would you be willing to step into the library?"

"No. You summon me without explanation, and then you try to delay offering up the same? I'm sorry, but whatever you have to say, you say it here and now."

Teysa frowned, hands tightening again atop her cane. "Then Vannifar, it is with the deepest of regrets that I inform you that Zegana of the Simic Combine has been killed."

The effect on the gathering crowd, all of whom had known that something terrible had happened, was nothing short of electric. Vannifar swayed, expression one of pure shock. Ezrim turned to start snapping orders at his agents as Aurelia snapped her wings fully open, preventing them from getting past her.

"There's a dangerous killer on the loose!" Aurelia shouted. "This is not a time for amateur detective work. The Legion will take over from here. The guilds will handle this, as we always have."

The Agency detectives immediately began to argue. Kaya exchanged a look with Teysa, who looked almost as disgusted as she did by the brewing dispute.

"If you'll excuse me," said Kaya, voice low and mild when what she wanted to do was scream. Teysa nodded, staying where she was as Kaya turned and stalked away, vanishing down the hall, leaving the squabbling parties to their fight.

The ballroom was largely deserted when Kaya arrived, save for a few servers still milling near the walls. It had never been intended as a center point of the gathering, more a retreat for those who wearied of the celebration and needed a moment away from the crowd. If she hadn't been escaping certain conversations by retreating to the private balcony, she would have been here when Zegana's body was discovered.

The grand balcony where the guests of honor had been acknowledged ran all the way along one wall of the ballroom, tall glass doors standing open. The sky outside no longer lit up with colored fire, and the sounds drifting from below were very different from the unfettered celebration that had been going on when first she went inside. Walking to the edge, she looked down to see the partygoers standing in long, looping lines, each one ending at a member of the Senate and a glowing verity circle. They had cast their spells with admirable speed, making Kaya wonder if they hadn't been preparing for something to go wrong tonight. Boros legionnaires stood near the casting mages, protecting them from interference.

It would be just like the Azorius and the Boros to come to a party intended to honor the Agency prepared to step in and prevent, as Aurelia put it, "amateur detective work." She didn't believe the Senate would have started a problem if one hadn't presented itself, but now that they had the chance, they were eager to prove that they were still the law on Ravnica. Nothing ever really changed. The whole plane could have fallen, and the guilds were still desperate to hold onto their authority.

And it didn't take a genius to look at the guest list for tonight's celebration and see that trouble was all but guaranteed. With eight of the ten guilds represented—she hadn't seen anyone from House Dimir, and the Golgari Swarm was similarly absent—the chances of rough edges scraping against one another were incredibly high. She frowned, scanning the crowd again. Eight of the ten … but she hadn't seen many Rakdos tonight, had she? Only Judith, glaringly visible in her black and red leathers.

Judith, who had vanished before the killing.

Troubled, Kaya turned away from the crowd, heading back toward the people she'd left behind in the hall. Whether the Azorius had orchestrated their role in this or not, their verity circles would prove the guilt or innocence of the attendees in short order. Some of the Boros legionnaires supporting the lawmages had been holding sheets of paper she assumed were the official guest lists. They wouldn't miss anyone.

When she reached the hall, only Ezrim remained, his front talons folded in front of him and his narrowed eyes fixed on the coatroom door. He huffed frustrated amusement at Kaya's return.

"Everyone in there?" she asked.

"Teysa led Vannifar to a private room to take a glass of kasarda and compose herself," he said. "One of my people accompanied them, to be sure they're never left alone. The other servants have gone to assist with securing the property and rounding up the guests for questioning. My people are investigating the scene."

"I'll let you know what's going on," Kaya said and slipped into the room.

Barrier wards had been deployed inside the scene, forming lines of protective magic impenetrable to anyone but an authorized investigator. The Agency detectives who were already inside were clustered in one corner, all of them looking frustrated and annoyed. Kellan was virtually vibrating with the desire to help the various Azorius members as they tore the room apart, searching every crack and crevice for clues of what had happened here. Kaya winced. Teysa was going to kill them for what they'd done to her wallpaper.

Only Zegana's corpse, still in orchestrated repose on her bed of coats, remained untouched, the black iris caged in her palm, her hair spread out around her head like a fanned-out fin.

"While your willingness to help is appreciated, we don't need Orzhov assistance," said Aurelia, snapping Kaya out of her brief study of the corpse. "We'll find the killer."

"I saw the verity circles lighting up in the courtyard below," said Kaya. "With that sort of speed and efficacy, it might seem like the Azorius were planning for trouble."

"A party at Karlov Manor, with all the guilds invited to celebrate the Agency and a Planeswalker?" Aurelia's lip curled. "The invitations might as well have said 'trouble guaranteed.' Guilds Azorius and Boros both came ready for something to need our attentions."

A woman with the Azorius crest on her sleeve pushed past Kaya to Aurelia, bowing her head as she waited for acknowledgment from her superior.

"What is it?" asked Aurelia.

"Warleader, with the exception of the people in this room, guildmasters Teysa and Vannifar, and Chief Ezrim, everyone has been questioned," said the Azorius, anxiously. "Even Grand Arbiter Lavinia has allowed herself to be interrogated. She sent me to ask you to agree to the same. We must all be above reproach."

"Can you cast a verity circle?" asked Aurelia.

Swallowing hard, the young Azorius nodded.

"Good. Then question us, and leave us to our investigation."

The woman stepped back, almost stumbling, and lifted her hands, murmuring the incantation to call her circle into existence. It snapped up around both Kaya and Aurelia, something for which Kaya was obscurely grateful. With a guildmaster inside the circle, hopefully the questions would be restricted to ones that were relevant to the situation. It would have been all too easy for a lawmage who had suffered personal losses in the invasion to ask a few more … personal questions before allowing the circle to dispel. The verity circle couldn't compel speech, but someone who was caught off guard might say more than they intended.

The young guildmage seemed determined to demonstrate the evenhanded fairness that was the hallmark of the Senate. Her questions were quick, precise, and calm. Had either of them done harm to Zegana, either directly or indirectly? No. Had either of them killed her? No. Did either of them know who had? No. Did either of them have suspicion of who might have done so?

Kaya managed to swallow Judith's name, telling herself that her curiosity didn't rise to the level of suspicion.

The Azorius dropped the circle. "With your permission, Legionnaire, I'll speak to the investigators?"

"Yes, yes," said Aurelia, waving her off to begin casting her verity circles on the other occupants of the room.

Kaya, meanwhile, was staring at Aurelia. "All that noise about letting the professionals handle things, and you don't have any suspicions?"

Aurelia turned away. "Azorius is handling the investigation, not Boros. I'm just here to keep order, at Lavinia's request, since she can't be in two places at once, and would much rather be searching for answers than supervising someone else."

"Your guilds did plan this," said Kaya, suspicions confirmed by Aurelia's easy acceptance of her role here.

"Were you away from Ravnica so long that you forgot how things work?" asked Aurelia, looking back to her with one eyebrow raised. "There have been changes, yes, but the core of the city remains as it has always been, as it will always be. The Azorius keep the law; the Boros enforce it. A group of amateurs playing at protection will never displace us."

Kaya glared. "The guilds aren't everything."

"Did you feel that way when you led the Orzhov? If you did, it's no wonder they replaced you at the first opportunity. The guilds are Ravnica."

"Well, then, Ravnica, do you have any idea what happened here? Or are you as clueless as the rest of us?"

Before Aurelia could answer, someone behind the pair cleared their throat. Both women turned. A human man stood in the doorway, skin a few shades lighter than Kaya's, hair dark on top but graying at the temples, dressed in a long azure coat. A few of the Azorius who had already been released from the verity circles shot him sour looks. He paid them no mind, attention fixed on Kaya and Aurelia.

"I believe I may have some idea of what happened here," he said, as calmly as if he were requesting a cup of tea.

"You would be …?" asked Kaya.

"Ah. Yes. I see how that might sound." He stepped into the room, studying Zegana's remains. "Fear not. I have already allowed myself to be interviewed via verity circle. I'm not your killer. I may, however, be your savior."

"He didn't have an invitation," said the Azorius mage who had been casting the verity circles, her tone tight and unhappy. "I would have noticed his name on the list."

"And what name is that?" asked Kaya. She was getting frustrated. This was no time for games.

"I'm sorry. Did I not say? I'm Alquist Proft. Some people call me 'the great detective Proft,' and I have some skill in this arena." He moved closer to Zegana's body and crouched low to the floor, his eyes flicking rapidly from one aspect of the scene to the next. For all their apparent discomfort, none of the Azorius members in the room objected, while the Agency detectives who had been waiting for the opportunity to assist visibly relaxed, clearly trusting the man. Kaya looked at him with new interest.

"Has anyone touched the body or its surroundings?" he asked.

"No," said Aurelia.

"In that case … including the flower in her hand, which we can interpret as being representative of the Simic in this specific instance, she has been arranged such that the sign of each guild is visible on the coats beneath her, and a pattern has been formed."

"What do you mean?" asked Kaya.

"Come here," he said, beckoning her closer without rising from his position. Kaya obliged, too intrigued to object to his high-handed summons.

Once she had stopped beside him, Proft straightened, indicating the body and its surroundings with a sweep of one hand. "Look closely. What do you see?"

"Zegana, and coats," said Kaya dutifully, searching for the pattern Proft had mentioned. Then she blinked, shifting to the side to get a different angle. No matter how she stood, the Dimir logo failed to appear. "I don't see Dimir," she said. "But there aren't any Dimir in attendance, so that makes sense."

"This design incorporates all ten guild seals," said Proft, indicating a panel pattern which occurred, in various degrees of folded-over, on several of the coats. "The Golgari are likewise absent from the invite list, but their seal is visible several times—see the way these buckles form the mandibles? I would wager that, if you move her hand, a folded pattern greatly resembling the Dimir seal will have been covered by the position of her arm."

Kaya shook her head. "That's a lot of trouble to go through. I can't believe I didn't see that," she said.

"You've also failed to spot the one member of House Dimir in attendance."

Kaya startled, ready to object, only to find Proft already looking at her with an earnest lack of judgment. He wasn't criticizing: he was describing the situation as he saw it.

"Who?" she asked.

Proft smiled.

Convincing Aurelia to stay behind hadn't been difficult, especially not once Ezrim rose and reminded her that she had been the one who wanted to take ownership of the scene. At least now she was allowing the other Agency detectives to do their jobs, Proft's revelation having shamed her into accepting their usefulness, however grudgingly. Teysa and Vannifar had yet to put in a return appearance, and while all the guests knew that something was happening by this point, there was no reason for them to suspect murder.

Although Proft had somehow suspected and followed his suspicions back to their source. Kaya eyed him speculatively as they descended the stairs to the main floor. He didn't seem to notice. She wasn't fooled. Only a few minutes with him had been enough to illustrate that he noticed everything, however small or inconsequential it might seem.

"The verity circles were cast and checked according to the guest list," said Proft, abruptly. "If someone failed to appear on the list and evaded the circles with care, they could easily escape questioning. If it were someone who had good reason not to want to be questioned under conditions of absolute truth—say, a Dimir spy and known assassin—it would be simple to exploit the gaps in our investigation until the gates are unlocked. Honestly, the only thing I don't understand is why the individual in question lingered long enough to be caught by the lockdown. She's far too skilled for that."

"Where is she?" asked Kaya. "I didn't see anyone wearing Dimir colors."

"Did you really think a Dimir agent would make their presence so apparent? I might not have seen her, had she not been taking such exquisite care to avoid interaction with members of the Selesnya Conclave. Given that she was wearing the colors of their guild, they should have been her closest companions, not a reason to step aside."

"Oh," said Kaya, scanning the crowd with new eyes. She had fallen so quickly back into the Ravnican way of thinking, where no one would wear the colors of a guild they weren't affiliated with unless they were looking for trouble. Members of the Conclave were scattered through the crowd, milling as purposelessly as the other guests who had been questioned but not released.

At the base of the stairs, Proft looked around, nodded to himself, and struck out across the party, heading for the fringes, where the lowest-ranking guild members had naturally assembled. Kaya followed closely, watching the crowd as she tried to see whatever it was that he saw, whatever intangible trail he was so intent on following.

As they reached the edge of the crowd, Proft motioned for Kaya to step back, then continued onward on his own, moving until a dark-skinned woman in Selesnya green and white was standing almost exactly between them. Her gown was perfectly tailored, fitted precisely to her form, and a beautiful exemplar of the season's fashions; there was no reason for her to have caught anyone's eye apart from admiration or envy.

No reason, save for the lack of any guild logo visible on her person. It was a jarring omission, given the precision of the rest of her attire. Makes sense, Kaya thought. There were no laws against wearing another guild's colors. Wearing their shield, on the other hand, could come with consequences.

"Miss Etrata," said Proft, taking a step toward the woman. "I'm afraid we need to speak with you. Please come with me now."

The woman whipped around, lips drawing back in a hiss which revealed her impressive vampiric incisors. Her entire demeanor changed in that instant, going from bored socialite to cornered predator. Casting a glance at Kaya, she clearly marked the Planeswalker as the greater threat. Charging straight for Proft, she knocked the investigator to the ground and began to cut a straight line through the crowd, heading for the hedge maze.

"If she gets in there, we'll never find her!" shouted Kaya, already turning to give chase.

"Try not to lose sight of her—I'll do what I can to help from here," said Proft, pushing himself into a sitting position without rising from the ground.

Kaya was fast. Etrata, however, was faster, and that, in addition to her head start, put her more than halfway to the hedge maze when Kaya began gaining ground, largely by dint of turning herself intangible to avoid dodging around partygoers. Charging straight through them was more efficient.

Still, Etrata was going to beat her to the maze, no question—at least until the world abruptly inverted itself around her, gray cobblestone and gathered revelers being replaced by columns of towering blue light. They were no longer racing toward the hedge maze: instead, Etrata was running down an alleyway that Kaya knew all too well, deep in the heart of Orzhov territory.

The magic, wherever it was coming from, didn't feel malicious or like an elaborate attempt to trick her. In fact, based on the way Etrata was slowing and looking frantically around, scanning the surrounding buildings for a way out, this was helping Kaya more than anything else. She put on another burst of speed, pushing herself to her physical limits. In the sudden silence, her footsteps echoed like rocks dropped into still water. Etrata glanced backward over her shoulder before making an abrupt left turn into what Kaya knew was a dead-end alley.

She was within ten feet of the vampire when the white landscape collapsed around them and Etrata plowed directly into Kellan. The young Agency investigator looked surprised, even with clasped arms around the runaway Dimir. She struggled and snarled, but he shook his head, not letting go. He was still holding her when Kaya ran up to the pair of them.

"What was that?" she asked.

"That was me," said a winded voice, from behind her. She turned. Proft, clearly exhausted but back up on his feet, was staggering through the semi-dispersed crowd to join them. A further look told her he wasn't injured, just exhausted.

"What kind of magic is that?"

"I make what's in here become out there, and I can recreate anything I've ever seen,'" he said, tapping his temple as he looked past her to where Etrata struggled to escape from Kellan. "Everything all right, young man?"

"Absolutely, sir," said Kellan. "Thank you for helping us apprehend this miscreant."

Members of the Azorius guild were already beginning to converge on their position, with Lavinia at the lead of the largest cluster. Kellan tightened his grip, jaw jutting out briefly in stubborn determination. Proft stepped forward, setting a hand gently on his arm.

"This is not the time to stand our ground," he said. "They found nothing; we found a possible culprit. They didn't assist in the chase; you captured her. The Agency doesn't need the glory if we can have the satisfaction of knowing that without us, none of this would have been possible."

Kellan nodded, grudgingly. Lavinia drew close enough to speak.

"Remand the suspect to Azorius custody at once," she said, voice ringing over the courtyard.

Kellan released Etrata, standing next to Kaya and Proft as she was swiftly apprehended again by the waiting Azorius. The three of them remained where they were, watching as Etrata was hauled away.