"Hold it just a moment longer, Karn," the old woman directed the silver golem, who was supporting a tree trunk that had been stripped of its branches and was now like a massive stick. Had he not been built to withstand intense heat he could not have survived what came next. An immolating blast of flame soon engulfed him and the tree trunk.

Once the trunk was aflame, Karn placed its base into the deep pit that had been dug for it and stepped back, away from the inferno. His metallic form glowed with the heat and made ticking sounds as it began to cool. He brushed soot off his arms and looked up at the blazing tree trunk with satisfaction, as the old pyromancer jumped down from the rock on which she had been perched.

"Impressive, for an old woman," he teased.

"I may be ancient, but I'm not dead," she quipped, meeting the silver man's gaze with a smile. Then she clapped him on the shoulder, unaffected by the heat, and said, "Come on. That should be the last one."

"Wait, I like to watch this part," said Karn.

Just then, a group of water mages from the Tolarian Academy were extinguishing the flames to leave behind a post from which the builders could now be hoisted up, to begin scraping the charred wood, leaving it smooth and ready to use. There was a seemingly endless line of similar posts around which stonemasons were building a wall that reached high above the tree line all around the rocky epicenter, wherein there could just be seen the glowing mouth of a cave that went deep into the earth.

"Thank you, Jaya!" one of the water mages called, as she and Karn began heading away from the worksite. "And Karn! Your services have been instrumental in making this work. We couldn't have done it without you."

"Always happy to lend a helping hand," said Jaya, with a wink, as she cast a burst of flame from her open hand.

The water mage smiled and returned to his fellows, while Karn and Jaya returned to the camp. They sat down around a firepit, where a few of the off-duty mages and workers had gathered for drinks and food, just as dusk was beginning to fall. Jaya helped herself to a small portion, while Karn rested with his hands on his knees and watched sparks crackle and rise from the firepit.

"Where are you off to next?" Jaya asked, before taking a spoonful of stew from her bowl.

"I think I'll settle down for awhile now," Karn replied. "It's time I return to making artifacts."

"It's good to get your hands dirty, every once in a while," she agreed.

"What about you?" asked Karn. "Do you have any plans?"

"Not really," she answered with a shrug. "I'm too old to make plans. I just go where the winds take me."

Karn chuckled a bit. "You like to drift on the winds of time like those sparks there."

Jaya looked at the sparks that rose from the fire and smiled. "I suppose so. That's very insightful, Karn. See, this is why I've always liked you."

"I thought it was because I'm useful," he teased.

"Well, that too," she said with a wink. Then she took another bite of her stew and they sat in silence for a time and Jaya looked up at the open sky. Stars were just beginning to show. It was going to be a beautiful night.

"What do you think is in that cave?" Karn asked suddenly. "Don't you think it's a bit unusual that they've asked us to help build this wall around it, but they never told us what it's for?"

Jaya shrugged. "We're not part of the Academy."

"Yeah but, why does it glow? I've never seen a cave glow like that. I just think it's strange, all the secrecy surrounding it."

She looked at him from the corners of her eyes but said nothing. It wasn't that she didn't wonder the same—it was that she didn't think it was a good idea to go poking around. She also wanted to believe the deans of the original campus were trustworthy people.

After sipping some of the gravy of her stew, she said, "There are plenty of reasons to keep magical research a secret, Karn. You know how dangerous it can be if these things fall into the wrong hands. They're taking necessary precautions."

"I suppose you are right," he answered, although he didn't sound entirely convinced.

They fell into another silence, until some commotion at the edge of camp commanded their attention. Karn rose and looked toward the commotion, while Jaya finished the last of her stew and set the bowl aside. When she rose, she saw two familiar faces headed in their direction.

Karn had recognized them first. "Jhoira! Teferi!" He moved forward to embrace them, one at a time.

Teferi pounded on the golem's metal frame, and teased, "Arty Shovelhead, it's good to see you!"

Shaking his head, Karn replied, "You haven't called me that in centuries. You must be in a particularly jovial mood to use that old nickname again."

"Ah, I feel like a young man again, it's true," said Teferi, with a glance toward Jhoira that said it all.

Jhoira smiled and stepped forward to embrace Jaya, as she came to greet them.

"How did you find us?" asked Jaya, when the initial greetings were over.

"A little bird told me where to find you," said Jhoira, "but Karn I was not expecting to see here. It's good to see you, old friend."

"It is good to see you again, too, Jhoira," said Karn, bowing with a hand over his chest where his heart would be if he was not a creature of artifice.

Teferi chuckled, and said, "Wait 'til Ajani learns that I found you first. He's already frustrated that I always beat him at cards. Now, I've beaten him again."

"Don't get too full of yourself, kid," Jhoira teased, playfully jabbing him with her elbow.

"Ajani is looking for me?" asked Karn.

Teferi nodded. "And I was sent to look for Jaya."

Jaya squinted her eyes in understanding. "Jace sent you?"

Another nod from Teferi confirmed this, and he said, "We need your help." He then explained about the coming Phyrexian invasion of Lorwyn, and the confirmation that Tezzeret had been working with them all along. Jaya and Karn listened attentively. Both were fully aware of the dangers and the implications of everything they were up against. Nevertheless, they were not about to stand down from the fight.

"We're with you," said Jaya. Karn nodded in agreement, as she went on, "It'll be good to work with the Gatewatch again. How's my little Chandra?"

"As fierce as ever," answered Teferi with a laugh.

"I figured," said Jaya, not without a hint of amusement and even a little pride.

"There's more," said Teferi.

"More than the Phyrexians preparing to take over another plane in their mission to destroy the whole Multiverse? What could be worse?"

"Ah, but this time it's a bit of good news," said Teferi. "But for this, we'll need to talk in secret. Jhoira has offered us a place on the Weatherlight to continue our discussion."

"Very well," said Jaya. "Lead the way and we'll follow."

The Weatherlight was a somewhat bittersweet sight to the old pyromancer, as she followed them toward the old skyship. So many memories, both good and bad, were connected to that ship—the most recent memory of helping defeat the Cabal and the demon Belzenlok. Jaya couldn't help feeling a twinge of sadness as she thought of that time and of all that had happened since.

On board the ship, they went to the privacy of Jhoira's quarters, where they gathered around a table set with rum and stale bread. Jhoira offered some, but Jaya accepted only the rum—the thought of fighting Phyrexians again called for strong drink.

"So, tell me," said Jaya, before Teferi had a chance to get settled, "what's this big secret we had to take with us here?"

Teferi and Jhoira exchanged glances, the hint of smiles on the corners of their lips. Finally, Teferi turned back to Jaya with a grin. "Liliana's alive."

Jaya spit out her drink and looked at the tankard, wondering just how strong was that drink? "Liliana Vess? The necromancer?"

"Alive and well, yes," Teferi confirmed. "And she's back with the Gatewatch."

The old pyromancer raised her eyes in a gesture of thanks to whatever gods or powers may be. "I thought I'd heard you wrong. You know I was always strictly opposed to assassinating the necromancer. We all saw what was happening to her after she changed sides."

"Indeed," said Teferi.

"So, how'd it come about? When I last left her in Dominaria, hot on the necromancer's trail, Kaya was determined to slay her no questions asked. Nothing I said would deter her from her mission."

"It's a long story," said Teferi, "and Kaya would tell it better."

Jaya shook her head in disbelief. "I'll be damned." Then she laughed, tears stinging at her eyes, and said, "Even at my ripe old age, I still find reasons to be amazed."

Teferi shifted in his chair. The wood creaked under his weight. "There's one more thing—Jace and Liliana…" He swallowed uncomfortably and Jaya smiled knowingly.

"They have a history, from what I understand."

"Yes, well…now it's more than history. They're, ah…they're married."

"Really?" asked Jaya, impressed. "Well, good for them."

They fell into a somewhat awkward silence, until Teferi cleared his throat and announced, "I suppose it's time we return to Ravnica then—will you follow straight, or do you need time to prepare?"

"Teferi," said Jaya, leaning her elbow on the table, "when you're as old as me, you find there are less things holding you back."

The old time-mage chuckled. "I'm not that much younger than you, Jaya."

She gave him a wink, and said, "Ah, only about 400 years or so?"

"Give or take a few," he answered with a grin. Then he turned to the silver golem, who had been silent and contemplative. "What about you, Karn?"

The golem looked up and cast his gaze around the people at the table. "Can she be trusted? Liliana Vess?"

Teferi sucked in air. He knew this was a question that would be asked time and again, and everyone who supported her would need to be prepared to answer it.

"Yes," he said finally. "I believe she can. I know she can. She's changed, Karn. Gideon's sacrifice changed her. And now she's risking everything to work with us again, when she could have stayed in hiding and never shown her face on Ravnica again."

Jaya rested her hand on her knee, and marveled, "I'm surprised she'd risk showing up on Ravnica at all, frankly. But where was she hiding before? How did she end up back with the Gatewatch? And married to Jace, for that matter?"

"It's…a long story," Teferi answered. "I'm sure they can catch you up on it better than I."

While he rose and Jaya followed, Karn remained seated. "The last time Liliana saw us we were her enemies. Jaya was involved in the first attempt to assassinate her, before she turned on Bolas. What if she still harbors resentment against Jaya?"

"Like I said, Karn, she's changed. You will have to see her, to speak with her, and you'll know what I mean. I promise you she does not harbor any resentment. If anything—and don't tell her I said this—I think she's more afraid of everyone else than any of us need to be afraid of her."

"Very well," said Karn, rising from the table and towering over the rest of them. He had been sitting on the floor of the room, having no need for a chair that would be too small for him anyway.

Teferi stepped aside to say his farewells to Jhoira. Jaya tried not to watch the pair, almost like young lovers bearing all the sorrow of having to part. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, despite her smile. When the two of them shared a tender kiss, Jaya averted her gaze and gave a reassuring smile to Karn.

"Don't worry, Karn. If Liliana wanted to hurt us, she'd never stand a chance against a whole houseful of people who care about us. And if they trust her, then I trust her."

Karn gave a slight nod and then then waited for Teferi, so they could all 'walk to Jace's house together.

KAYA

Finally, a break-through: her Orzhov sources had been looking for Teyo Verada long enough before, at last, they returned to her with confirmation of his whereabouts. He was still on Ravnica, as she suspected. Now she was heading to find Jace—no doubt in his sanctum—so she could deliver the good news that she had sent those same Orzhov sources to summon the kid to the Gatewatch headquarters so she didn't have to do it herself. That was the one good thing about being the head of a guild, after all.

Walking through the house, she chuckled quietly to herself, remembering Ajani's frustration when he returned just the other day and found that Teferi had already located Jaya AND Karn. The meeting on that particular morning was amusing, to say the least.

Feeling mischievous as she approached the door to Jace's sanctum, she decided to have a little fun and sneak up on Jace by going through the door in her ghost-form. In one swift movement, she stepped through the closed door and returned to her normal living form.

Almost as soon as she became visible again, she heard Jace's voice rise, chastising, "That still doesn't excuse how you've been treating everyone!"

The horror of her mistake was realized when she saw Jace and Liliana standing at the far end of his sanctum, clearly in the midst of a quarrel. It was Jace who was chastising, to which Liliana hissed, "You don't understand!"

"Yes, I do," Jace answered firmly. "You think you're the only one who's suffered in all this? I'm hurting, too, Lili. I wanted this, too."

He stepped up to Liliana and placed a gentle hand on her cheek, attempting to lift her face, but she refused to look at him. Showing unbelievable patience, he stroked her cheek with his thumb and then pulled her into an embrace, running his fingers through her raven hair which hung loose over her shoulders and down her back. He then kissed the top of her head, while she just stood there unwilling—or unable—to reciprocate his tender affection.

Kaya couldn't hear it, but he whispered something to her and then she noticed Liliana slacken into his embrace, although she remained still and silent. Upon looking closely, however, she noticed a slight tremor and realized Liliana was probably crying as Jace held her to him. It was amazing to see him in action, soothing the woman who forever was refusing to admit she needed anyone. He continued caressing and kissing the top of her head, and speaking in a low, soothing voice. Finally, Liliana slipped her arms around his waist, and then he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She seemed so tiny, of a sudden—so fragile. It was something Kaya never thought she'd ever see and yet she realized she was intruding on a very tender, private moment.

She moved to leave, but by now Jace had become aware of her presence and he gestured for her to wait. Damn it. She had hoped to slip away unnoticed.

Stepping back into the shadows to wait, she hoped the moment wouldn't last too long, because it was beginning to grow awkward. Maybe that was why Liliana always hid that side of herself from everyone. It was kind of weird to see it. But then, she realized it was kind of also an honor and a privilege.

Once Liliana had exhausted her tears and they managed to clear the air, Jace pulled her into a tender kiss. Kaya looked away. This was growing even more awkward. Thankfully, it came to an end after that and Jace walked Liliana to the door, holding her hand the whole way. They spoke in low voices a moment longer, Liliana's voice surprisingly soft and childlike. Then she went away and Jace closed the door.

With a sigh, he said, "You can come out now. Thank you for waiting and I'm…sorry you had to see all that. Next time, knock."

"Yeah, definitely gonna do that from now on," she said, stepping out of the shadows. "I…um…hope everything's all right…?"

"Yeah," Jace said quickly. "Yeah, everything's fine. What can I do for you? I'm assuming you didn't just come here for a ghostly prank."

Kaya snickered. "No, there was definitely a reason for me to come here. It's about Teyo."

"You found him, I take it?"

"My associates did, yes," she replied proudly.

"Okay, great. So, where is he? Will he be joining us soon?"

"I…don't know. I've sent my associates with a direct message, asking him to come meet with the Gatewatch, but that was only just this morning and the part of Ravnica where they found him is a few days' journey from here, so I don't expect to hear back from them for a while."

"Shouldn't you have just 'walked there yourself, instead of sending them? What if they get there and he's moved on by then?"

"Won't happen," she said confidently. "He's staying with his sweetheart in another part of the city. Apparently, they share a flat together now."

"His…sweetheart?" Jace raised his brow skeptically.

Kaya forgot that even though she had worked closely with them during the War of the Spark, Jace had never actually met Araithia Shokta, being that she had that unusual feature of being invisible to all but a few people. Deciding it was best not to go into it she cleared her throat, and said, "Uh, yeah. He's met some girl here and they're…um…pretty close."

"Right," said Jace, clearly disinterested. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Well, let me know when you have more of an update. At least we've got everyone else back with us, for the time being. Our numbers are growing, and that's what counts."

"Um, what about…Vraska?"

"Oh," said Jace. "I've…sent her an invitation. She'll be coming to one of our meetings soon."

"Great," said Kaya with a nod. She was trying not to feel the awkwardness of the situation, but it was all too apparent as they both just stood there without talking.

Finally, Jace said, "Okay, well, if there's nothing else then…"

"Right," said Kaya, immediately starting toward the door. She was all too eager to get on with her day.

VRASKA

The amount of security at Jace's house was, honestly, a little overblown. It amazed Vraska how many steps she had to go through to be admitted, even after she had been invited! And it wasn't that she was unknown or new to the place. Lavinia knew damn well who she was and that she was invited by Jace, so Vraska took it all as an intentional slight; Lavinia had never really been fond of her.

Once she was, at last, admitted beyond the foyer she was immediately intercepted by Jace who appeared from the shadows as if he had always been there. She glared at him and even considered turning him to stone.

"That was unnecessary," she grumbled.

"I know," he said with that characteristically charming smile. "I had to pay you back for all your fuss."

"So, it was your doing all along? I should have figured."

"Who else did you think was responsible?"

"Never mind that," said Vraska. "Now, I'm here. What do you want?"

"Well, I invited you here for a meeting with the Gatewatch."

"Yes, I gathered that," she sighed. Then, dripping with sarcasm, she asked, "Are we having the meeting here in the hall?"

"No, but I need to talk with you first. There's…some new developments of which you need to be made aware before the meeting."

She stared tiredly. "Like what?"

He ran his fingers through his hair and tipped his head to the side—characteristic of his lack of confidence when he was hiding something important. She would almost have thought it was cute, if she wasn't long since over him and all his peculiar mannerisms. Not that there wasn't a part of her that could want to be with him again, if not for the fact he would forever remain faithful to a ghost. That was the sticking part—the one thing she could not get over with him. She refused to be second best—especially to a dead woman.

Vraska crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him impatiently. "Out with it, Jace."

"Okay, but it's really important that you promise me—promise me you will keep it a secret. You cannot tell anyone, no matter how tempting. No one outside this residence can know what I am about to tell you."

She raised a brow. This was important, apparently. "Okay, fine. You have my word. I won't tell anyone anything, no matter what. Anything you tell me now in confidence remains here between us."

He smiled faintly. "Thank you. It's…a matter of life and death, Vraska. But you also have to promise me you won't let personal feelings get in the way."

"Personal feelings?" She almost laughed. "Jace, now you are really being weird. Not that you haven't always been a little weird—one of your greatest charms, I suppose, even if you do often baffle me."

He chuckled and ran his fingers through his hair again, only this time he seemed more at ease. "I seem to have that affect on a lot of people, but I'm used to it, I guess."

"You said it, not me," she replied with a genuine smile. He was cute, she would give him that.

Just when he was about to speak, however; when he was about to finally tell her whatever it was that he was holding back; a door opened from one of the drawing rooms. When she saw the raven-haired woman, dressed in a flowing robe of black and crimson, drifting through the doorway lost in thought, all the blood drained from Vraska's face and her breath caught in her chest…

LILIANA

Loathing. That was the word. And yet, it still wasn't strong enough for what she felt as she regarded the gorgon woman standing a little too close to Jace in the hall. Naturally, the feeling was mutual—once the moment of surprise had passed, the gorgon's yellow eyes burned through Liliana as the two women regarded one another with venomous curiosity.

Of course, Liliana was well aware the Golgari guildmaster could petrify her in an instant. Nevertheless, she found herself unconcerned as she met Vraska's hard gaze without fear. Then she turned to look at Jace, who stood awkward and silent.

Through gritted teeth, she demanded, "What is she doing here?"

Before he could answer, Vraska turned to Jace. "I knew you were hiding something!"

"That's…what I was trying to tell you," Jace answered pathetically. Then he sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his hair. "Vraska, meet Liliana. As you can see, she's alive and well."

"Clearly," answered Vraska, turning her gaze back to Liliana. "This is what Kaya was going to tell me, I presume? What she wouldn't tell me because I was unwilling to meet with her alone."

"Yes," Jace replied firmly.

"Excuse me," Liliana interrupted, crossing her arms and impatiently tapping her foot. "When are you going to answer my question, exactly?"

Jace hooked his arms through hers and pulled her aside, speaking in a hushed tone, "Darling, I told you she would be coming to meet with us about a possible alliance."

"I get that, Jace, but where is the 'us' part? Because all I see is the two of you huddled together in a cozy little tête-à-tête."

The gorgon made a noise that Liliana took to be a snicker—either that, or she was about to spit. "If you think Jace and I were having an intimate rendezvous, you've lost your mind. You are the very reason he and I didn't last—and that was when we thought you were dead. But if you don't mind, I'd like to understand what is going on here, because last I knew you were dead—or supposed to be."

Liliana frowned. "No one was talking to you."

"Can we…not do this right now?" said Jace, standing between them and holding out his hands. "There is literally nothing to fight about."

"We're not fighting," they both said in unison. Then they looked at each other in a moment of horror and glared before turning their heads to look the other way. Liliana crossed her arms over her chest, she was so put out that they had actually agreed on something.

"Okay, well, here's the thing," said Jace, "Vraska came for the meeting, but I asked her to come early because I wanted to brief her on the whole…you being alive thing…before she found out from seeing you. But clearly, you've wrecked that, so now there's no point to it."

He turned to Vraska then, and said, "So, Vraska, as I was going to tell you: Kaya did not kill Liliana; the Chain Veil was surrendered willingly after they faked her death; Kaya helped her go into hiding; and I didn't know any of this until happenstance brought us together. To make a long story short, she's back with the Gatewatch again because the enemy we're up against is bigger than all of us. We all need to put our differences aside and work together if we have any hope of defeating the Phyrexian menace."

Liliana cleared her throat, and said, "You forgot to add the part about us being married…"

Jace held up his forefinger. "I was getting to that."

"Were you?" Liliana asked skeptically. "Because it didn't seem like it…"

Vraska finally spoke up, "I'm…really not surprised. The man's always had feelings for you. Obsessed is what I called him, back when I left him because he literally wouldn't stop talking about you."

"This is getting…really awkward," Jace interjected, rubbing his forehead.

"Deal with it," Liliana hissed. "You brought this upon all of us. You should have told me she was coming here."

"I did!" Jace protested vehemently.

"No, you said she was coming to meet with us—not just you."

Jace put a hand to his face. "I…already explained this to you."

"Well, you still should have warned me!" she growled.

"She does have a point," said Vraska.

Jace gave her a look and Liliana smirked, thinking the gorgon wasn't half bad. If it wasn't for their obvious rivalry, they could almost be friends. Of course, it was not really a rivalry, considering Liliana was certain she was the better woman—not just for Jace, but in general. When it really came down to it, Snake Head really didn't stand a chance. She almost laughed aloud at the ridiculous nickname she had only just then come up with, but managed not to even smile.

"Okay," said Jace. "I'm sorry. I should have told you I was going to meet with her alone before the meeting. But now that it's all out on the table, can we just move on? We have more important things than this to discuss and I'd really rather we not make this anymore awkward than it already is."

"Fine," said Liliana, walking ahead without another word.

Jace followed after her, his cloak rustling in her wake. After some hesitation, Vraska brought up the rear.

Once they had arrived in Jace's sanctum, Liliana went straight to her seat at the table. She dramatically pulled out her chair—to the right hand of Jace's seat at the head of the table—and sat with her feet up and her ankles crossed, in a show of being perfectly at home in her rightful place.

Vraska took a seat at the far end, and the two women waited in cold silence as Jace eagerly busied himself with preparing the papers he needed to have on hand; probably notes of some kind, but either way it was exactly what Liliana had expected. Work and study were always his ways of ignoring anyone and anything that made him uncomfortable.

Liliana crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Vraska. When the gorgon turned to look at her, Liliana looked away and pretended she had been staring out one of the tall windows the whole time. Then she decided to assert her dominance more firmly. She got up, walked to Jace, and leaned against the desk where he was going over his papers. He stopped and, without lifting his head, raised his eyes to look at her.

"Yes…?"

With a smile, she reached out to touch his chest, taking the fabric of his tunic between her thumb and forefinger. Speaking in a hushed tone, so that gorgon woman wouldn't overhear, she said, "My love, I want to apologize for my behavior just now. I should never have doubted you."

Jace glanced around her at Vraska, who Liliana assumed was watching, and then he pursed his lips and met Liliana's gaze, taking her hand in his. He knew what she was up to. Nevertheless, he said, "Thanks."

"I've just been missing you a lot lately," she admitted, slithering up alongside him so that their bodies were pressed together perfectly. Although it was entirely calculated, she really meant what she said. Naturally, it took a moment of pure jealousy and insecurity to get her to admit to it. "And when I saw you with her, I just…lost my mind for a moment."

"Can we…not talk about this right now? We're about to have a meeting."

"Oh, of course," she replied, meeting his gaze with an adoring smile as she straightened his collar. "I just wanted to be sure we're okay."

"We're okay," he assured her, finally taking her hand and pulling it away from his collar.

She knew he was well aware of her powerplay and refused to take part in it, but she was determined to have her way. Slipping her arms around his shoulders, she met his gaze, and whispered, "I love you, Jace."

He sighed because he knew she had won their battle of wills in that moment—he couldn't very well not say it. "I love you, too."

She pulled him into a kiss and, even though she knew how much he hated public displays of affection and her proclivity for one-upmanship, he gave in and kissed her back. She felt his mind touch hers; soothing and tender. With that one gesture she instantly felt all her fears and insecurities begin to fade. He had, at last, given her exactly what she had been needing.

When she pulled away and searched his gaze, she heard his voice in her head, saying, You don't need to do this, Lili. I love you. I chose you. And I will never not choose you.

The corner of her mouth twitched—an attempt to smile. Then, perhaps to reassure her one last time, he took her face in his hand and drew her into another tender kiss.

Now, she heard his voice in her head once again, I think you have made your point. So, if you don't mind, we have a meeting in less than five minutes and I do need to prepare…

A smile turned up the corners of her lips and she took a deep breath, before projecting back, I've missed us.

He met her gaze. I have, too. Then he offered a faint smile and she, at last, was appeased. She returned to her place at the table and stared down the table at Vraska, who kept her gaze lowered appropriately. Liliana was more than pleased—the gorgon had been rightfully put in her place and the necromancer felt secure in her own. This, just in time before the others began showing up and the once quiet sanctum became filled with noise and activity, while they waited for everyone to arrive and the meeting to begin.

The meeting was long and required a great deal of explanation and debate. Vraska was resistant to the idea of any kind of alliance at first. However, by the end she had finally agreed to at least consider an alliance between the Golgari Swarm and the Gatewatch. She could not promise their services to the cause, unless the Phyrexians came to Ravnica, but she was willing to pledge her own aid when the time came to stop them from invading Lorwyn and any other plane that might be affected.

After the meeting concluded and everyone began to go their own ways, still uncertain that she could trust the gorgon, Liliana followed Vraska out at a distance before confronting her in the foyer. She had planeswalked, so that she would appear right before Vraska when she was about to leave—another show, naturally. It had the desired effect, as the gorgon was stopped dead in her tracks and became speechless.

When she was able to shake it off, she said, "What, are you here to kill me? Because I can turn you to stone faster than you can summon a specter."

"Who says I'd summon a specter to kill you?" said Liliana, her arms crossed as she leaned casually against the doorframe. "There are infinitely more interesting ways to be rid of you, if that's what I wanted."

"Then what do you want?"

"To warn you," Liliana replied simply. Then she stepped closer, meeting Vraska's gaze with a wicked smile. "If you are thinking of betraying us to the Living Guildpact, or—."

"Relax," said Vraska, cutting her off with a wave of her hand. "I'm not going to betray you. I concede to the winner. Jace loves you. He always has. And for him, I will keep you being alive and your presence here a secret. You have my word."

"This is not about winning Jace," Liliana insisted. "There never was competition. This is to ensure we can trust you—because I'm taking great risk to be here, and I want to be sure you understand the importance of us working together. Once the Phyrexians are dealt with—if they can ever truly be dealt with in full—we will no longer have need to work together. But until then, we have to be willing to put our differences aside."

"Jace said the same thing, pretty much," Vraska replied. "And I do understand. That's why I'm here in the first place, and why I haven't already taken the liberty to petrify you and take credit for doing what Niv-Mizzet wanted done many years ago. Because, if this were about me, I would have done it by now."

"I'm sure you would have," said Liliana, maintaining a hold on her gaze. "We are not all that different, you and I. We are both women who know our value and are not unwilling to take what is ours to take. As long as we are clear on where we stand, I think we will work well together."

Vraska inhaled deeply. "We will see. Now, as you are the lady of the house, may I have your permission to take my leave?"

"Of course," said Liliana. And with a smile she stepped aside to let Vraska pass. Then she lifted the hem of her skirt from the ground and went off to find Jace, her spirits lifted for the first time in weeks.