KAYA

"Oh, there you are. I wondered where you'd gone off to after the meeting the other day."

Tyvar Kell had been introduced to the Gatewatch a couple days earlier, but after the meeting he appeared to have slipped away and was nowhere to be found. Kaya wondered if he had chosen not to be a part of their mission after all, so she was surprised when she walked into the parlor and found him there, bent over a large globe and studying it intensely.

When he heard her voice, he stood up, and said, "Oh, hey Kaya."

"Where were you, anyway?"

He shrugged. "Just out…"

"Hmm, okay," she replied, wondering why he was being so mysterious. She probably didn't want to know.

"What is this thing?" he asked, pointing.

"A globe…?" came her response. Then she realized he had likely never seen one before. "It's like…a map of the world. Here, watch. If you spin it—like this—you can find all the different regions and districts and basically all of Ravnica laid out as it would look if you were hovering in the sky above the world."

"Ravnica is round like a ball?"

"Uh, yeah," she said, trying not to sound annoyed by a seemingly simple concept. It just seemed like something he would understand by now, since he'd been planeswalking for a few years. "Most worlds are spherical, from my understanding. Talk to Jace—he can explain it way better."

She cracked open a bottle of beer and collapsed in a cushioned arm-chair. It had been a long day and she was ready to kick-back and enjoy the rest of the evening. Suddenly, Tyvar was standing over her, looking at her curiously. She sighed heavily. "What?"

"You seem very…tense."

"You noticed?" she asked, sarcastically. Then she sat up and shook her head. "Sorry. I had a rough day, but I don't mean to be taking it out on you."

He sat down on the coffee table next to her chair and looked at her eagerly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. How have you been?"

"Okay, I guess. I've just been exploring the city, meeting new people. That kind of thing…"

"I was afraid something had scared you away."

He straightened his back and puffed out his chest. "The only thing that scares me is to die without a sword in my hand."

"You sure about that?" Kaya smirked.

Tyvar relaxed his chest and gave her a questioning look. Then he insisted, "Nothing scares me."

"Not even Liliana?"

Tyvar nearly choked and suddenly his cheeks grew warm. "Oh."

Kaya raised her brow. "You snuck away so fast I didn't even get the chance to lay into you about making a fool of yourself the other day. What were you thinking, hitting on her like that? You know, she's Jace's wife."

"Yes, I…realized afterward."

"You're lucky he wasn't jealous or he might have scrambled your brain," she said with a smirk. Then, realizing he was embarrassed and maybe even a bit depressed, she said, "Hey, don't worry about it. I'm sorry. You didn't do anything wrong, okay? Liliana has that effect on a lot of guys—and some women, too. Just…be careful. Don't do anything stupid, all right?"

He nodded and then fell quiet for a time. After a period of thoughtfulness, as though he was fighting some kind of battle within his head, he asked, "Is it true she's the same necromancer Liliana who's known for perpetuating great evils throughout the Multiverse? The one who's supposed to be dead?"

Kaya inhaled deeply. This is never gonna end…

"You mean Liliana Vess?"

He nodded.

"Who told you she's the necromancer Liliana Vess?" she asked, pointedly.

Tyvar seemed hesitant to answer, probably afraid she would get mad at whoever had revealed her identity. And if he thought that, he was right—she would be mad, because it was too damned important not to let just anyone know she was still alive. She had half a mind to go find out for herself, if he didn't give her their identity soon, because they deserved a thorough tongue-lashing for being so careless.

Then he shrugged, and said, "I mean, how many Liliana necromancers can there be, really? Especially ones who can walk the planes and were indebted to four demons and an elder dragon before she killed them all…"

Damn. Nobody told him. He's just put all the pieces together on his own.

"It's her, yes," she confirmed.

"Then how can she be your friend? Jace's wife? A member of this heroic group; this Gatewatch? The things I've heard of her…"

"Listen, Tyvar, you gotta trust me on this. She's done a lot of terrible things in the past, made a lot of mistakes that cost people their lives and who knows what else, but she's good at heart—she's trying to atone for her past and make up for all the wrong she's done by doing good. She's probably the most complicated person I've ever known, I won't lie. But…after Ravnica—after the War of the Spark—I was the one who was supposed to assassinate her. I didn't know her then and I didn't care about her one bit. I was more than ready and willing to make her pay—to take her out and move onto the next assignment, even though she had plenty of people trying to convince me she deserved a second chance."

"She killed the dragon who was stealing other 'walkers' sparks?"

Kaya nodded. "She did. If it wasn't for her turning on him when she did…I dunno, I don't think any of us would have stood a chance. And she did take him out, so we have her to thank and that was the point some of the others made—that she made the right choice in the end and deserved to be pardoned. I didn't agree with them, though, so I went after her and…then I found her and, damn it, I got to know her and realized maybe they were right and I was wrong."

"So, you let her live?"

Kaya held up her hands. The answer was obvious.

Tyvar was contemplative again. Kaya was glad he was quiet, though, because it allowed her to nurse her beer in silence. She felt bad for the kid, when it came down to it. He was an outsider here. Even though he'd been welcomed into the fold, he was way behind everyone else in so many things, that it wouldn't be a surprise if he felt kind of inadequate amongst them. It was no wonder he had disappeared for a few days—they had all grown so used to each other, used to doing things a certain way, that being a new addition to their group was probably not a comfortable position.

She didn't have that problem when she joined up. The Gatewatch had been in a state of transition then, with members leaving or dying, and the War of the Spark had bound them all together in a very special way that made it easy for Kaya to feel like she was one of them right from the start. Tyvar didn't have that privilege, and suddenly she realized her mistake. She had brought him here, but she had done little to actually help him adjust and fit in. She had left him to find his place on his own, when there was hardly a place for him.

Just when she was about to say something to that affect, to apologize and promise to do better, they heard a commotion in the rooms overhead and Kaya sat up. What was going on…?

KARN

"It's called leisure time, Karn," said Teferi, with a jovial spirit. "Come on, you've been around long enough—you should know what that is."

Karn stood by the table, looking at the cards that were laid out and watching Teferi demonstrate the rules of the game. It was not that he didn't know what leisure time was—he simply had no use for it.

"I understand perfectly, Teferi," Karn replied. "It remains a useless endeavor for an artifact creature. I have no need for leisure. Nor do I need rest, in the traditional sense."

Teferi sighed and threw down the cards, sat back in his chair, and crossed his arms over his chest. "So, you'll not play with me, old friend?"

"I will play," said Karn, finally stepping up to the table. He attempted to pick up the cards Teferi had dealt to him, but his first attempt was failed. He had never found picking up thin slices of paper an easy thing. His second attempt was more successful, and so they began to play.

It was not fun. Neither was it boring. It simply remained useless, apart from the apparent pleasure Teferi derived from it. For that reason, Karn considered it an enjoyable activity.

"Normally, I play with Ajani," Teferi explained, as he selected his next card to play. "But he's not expected back from Lorwyn for another day or two. It's amazing how few of the people in this house are willing to play a game or two of cards."

"Perhaps it is because you are too competitive and do not only play a game or two," Karn suggested. He had seen the way Teferi became when he played cards. Once he started, he could go for hours into the night, and no one but Jace could best him. Most wouldn't even try.

Teferi sat back and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I suppose that's true."

"It is," Karn said simply. Then he laid down his hand. "By my understanding of the patterns and rules of this game, I believe you have been defeated."

Teferi stared at the cards, his mouth agape. "That's…impossible."

"Improbable," Karn insisted, "but not impossible. The objective is simple, taking into account the various mathematical principles around which it is based."

The old time mage sat back in his chair and wiped his face with his palms, shaking his head in disbelief. "No one ever beats me."

"Untrue," said Karn. "Jace, although he rarely makes time for leisure, has a rate of about forty-eight percent. Ajani's rate is around twenty-three percent."

"You…know the probabilities of them defeating me? You've hardly played with us! Most of the time, you're just standing there unmoving, as if you were asleep."

"You are aware I do not sleep, Teferi," said Karn with a smile. "I stand and I make observations."

Teferi chuckled. "Karn, you are a wonder, even now."

He was about to say more, but they were interrupted by the sound of strained voices and quickened footsteps in the hallway. Karn turned to look and Teferi rose from his chair. Something was happening and they needed to find out what…

ROWAN

Playing with fire was natural for a pyromancer, but Rowan was not a pyromancer. That was Chandra's gig. And Jaya's. Rowan's was a world of electrical energy, which was something in between the fire of Chandra and the lightning energy of Jace's friend Ral. She knew well how to make use of these energies, but she still didn't understand them fully. She thought Strixhaven would teach her everything, but after graduating she was still left with more questions than she was answers. Professor V said that was normal; that the more you learn, the more you realize you don't know, etc. etc. etc.

Lessons and platitudes were hardly of interest to Rowan. She preferred movement. Action. Creativity. Adventure. Those were the things that stirred her interest and her passions.

She thought joining the Gatewatch and going to Ravnica was going to bring all those things, but so far it had mostly been sitting around Jace's house and waiting for something to happen. And she thought being at Strixhaven was boring!

After a few weeks on Ravnica, Rowan had finally grown tired of waiting around and began going out daily and exploring the city on her own. She wished Professor V could go with her—she had even asked her once, and she said she wished more than anything she could, because she was sooo sick of staying cooped up in Jace's house. But Rowan understood the dangers Professor V would face, given her state of infamy on Ravnica, so she had to learn to go it alone.

When she was returning to Jace's house one evening, after a rather uneventful outing, Rowan found Arlinn Kord wandering the hallways, carrying a knapsack. When Arlinn spotted her, she said, "Hi there, Rowan. Have you seen Liliana around?"

"Professor V? No, I just got back."

"Hmm." Arlinn looked down at her knapsack. "I've been all over the house looking for her, but nobody's seen her."

"Did you check the roof?" Rowan asked.

"The roof?"

"Yeah, there's like this…garden up there or something. She goes up there whenever she needs some fresh air."

"I knew Nissa went up there sometimes, but I never thought to look there for Liliana."

"Anything I can help you with?"

"No," Arlinn stammered, although she smiled pleasantly. "I just wanted to bring her something I picked up on my last 'walk to Innistrad. Sort of a peace offering, I guess."

Rowan smirked. "Why do you need a peace offering for Professor V?"

When there was no answer, Rowan said, "She's really not all that bad, once you get to know her."

"So I've been told," Arlinn said wistfully.

"She's an amazing teacher," Rowan went on. "I mean, she's hard on her students sometimes, I won't kid you—and there were plenty of days when she was just over it. But, like, she really does care about all of her students and when she's not in a bad mood she's hilarious."

"Hmm, I see," was all Arlinn said. She seemed to be thinking about it, at least.

Rowan knew Arlinn was still skeptical, though. "Honestly, just…don't be afraid of her, you know? She'll respect you more if you're just chill with her."

"She doesn't strike me as someone who would be 'chill' with anyone," said Arlinn.

"Well, I mean, don't get too familiar with her—she'll never tolerate that from anyone. Except maybe Jace. He can get away with almost anything…" She snickered. "Be polite. But don't ever show fear; she sees fear as weakness and then you'll just become another amusement."

"That doesn't sound nice at all," said Arlinn, with a hooded gaze.

Rowan shrugged. "Well, if you wanna make peace, take my advice. Just give her a chance."

Arlinn regarded her with curiosity. "You seem to know her pretty well."

"She's been a good mentor to me. Like, she really does care. She just shows it in different ways than what most people expect." She gave it a thought, and then added, "Like a cat."

Arlinn raised a brow and wrinkled her nose. "I'm not really a cat person."

"Oh." Rowan had forgotten Arlinn was a werewolf. She'd never actually seen her in werewolf form. "Well, cats are just as capable of affection and can care as much as dogs, but most people don't get them. They're not easy to read."

"Don't cats see everything as potential prey? I mean, if it moves, they'll kill it. Maybe they'll keep it alive long enough to play with it, until they grow bored with it. If that's what you mean, when you say that she's like a cat, I can definitely see it."

"You gotta trust me on this," said Rowan. "I promise if you just give her a chance, you'll find out she's really not a bad person. She's just got this whole persona she puts on, but she's really just trying to protect herself. She might never admit it but she...can be hurt easily."

"Okay, well…I'll try to keep that in mind. Thanks, Rowan. I'm going to go check for her on the rooftop, then. I'll see you around."

"Yeah, no problem. Catcha later!"

When Arlinn walked off, Rowan headed to her room for a hot bath. She threw her hair up and settled into the steaming, soapy water. Releasing a long, deep breath, she closed her eyes and let her mind wander. She must have fallen asleep. Suddenly, she was aware of someone out in the hallway, shouting. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but she recognized the voices.

Rowan sat up in a hurry and scrambled to get dressed. Whatever was happening, she had to find Will and make sure everything was okay.

LILIANA

The air was cool and fresh that evening, as two women—one who had gracefully aged and one who was far older than she looked—stood on the rooftop of Jace's residence, leaning on the balustrade overlooking an immense river gorge. They talked of old times, some which they shared and others which they shared only a knowledge of, while watching the people below walking or riding the streets that were really bridges crossing rivers and other, lower streets.

And they did more than just talk together—even better was that they laughed.

It felt good to really laugh—tears at the corners of one's eyes, the ache in one's face muscles and abdomen, and the sense that nothing should be taken all that seriously. Jaya always had that affect on Liliana. Perhaps it was that they had both lived long enough to really understand life, to see through everyone else's pretenses; even their own. Something about them both being ancient, and both being women, created a bond between the two that allowed them to fully relax and be themselves in each other's company, and to laugh at the absurdities of life within a complex world. Many complex worlds, actually.

"Do you remember that time Jace showed up on the Weatherlight after a turn on Ixalan," Liliana asked through her laughter, "and he was rambling on about some calculations or other, and you asked—I'll never forget—'Who's the bookworm in the bathing suit'?"

Jaya burst into a fit of laughter, and murmured, "Oh yes!"

"Nine Hells, I could have died," Liliana continued, snickering. "Had I not been so annoyed with him for disappearing in the first place I might have lost my composure entirely."

"Would that have been such a bad thing?" asked Jaya, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Probably not, I suppose," Liliana admitted. Then she said, "That was the moment I really came to have a great deal of respect for you."

Jaya smiled and placed a hand on Liliana's arm. "My dear, we may not draw our power from the same sources—nor share the same backgrounds—but I daresay we have a great deal more in common than not." She paused, before adding, "And I'm glad to have you still with us. I always knew I liked you, from the moment we met."

By reflex, Liliana raised her brows in genuine surprise. "Me?"

"Oh yes, you," said Jaya, with a stern yet affectionate look that briefly reminded Liliana of her grandmother. "Who else would I be talking to—a tree?"

Liliana allowed herself to smile at Jaya's jest. "I guess I never really thought of myself as being very likeable."

"I think that's part of the problem," said Jaya. "You set yourself up to fail that way. If you think of yourself as unlikeable, you'll never be likeable, because you'll always make choices to compensate for your feeling of inadequacy. You'll say to yourself—and tell me if I get this right, because I think you know what I'm talking about—'Why should I care what anyone thinks of me? I'll do whatever I want and to hell with the rest of them.' Does that sound about right?"

With a deep breath and a tilt of her head, Liliana confirmed, "Yes, that…sounds like me. I hate to admit it."

"Admitting to our faults is the first step in fixing them. If we never admit we need to do better…"

"We'll never be better?" Liliana finished.

Jaya shot her a point with her forefinger, as Liliana settled in to consider the ancient pyromancer's wisdom. Finally, she said, "Thank you, Jaya. There is much I can learn from you."

"We can learn from each other. If there's one thing about getting older, you learn that you're never too old to learn. And you can learn from anyone, younger or older. Now, at my age, there aren't a great deal of people who are older, but you get the idea."

Liliana chuckled and looked down at the streets again. She noticed Rowan heading home from some outing or other and smiled faintly. She was glad to see the girl getting out more, although she wished she could join her.

With a heavy sigh, Liliana turned to lean her back against the balustrade, and asked, "Jaya?"

The old woman hummed a responding question.

"Do you think…? Jace and I…" She paused. How could she say it? "Would I make a good mother?"

"Now, that is an interesting question."

"I don't like the sound of that," Liliana mused.

"No, no," said Jaya. "I don't mean it in a bad way. I was just thinking, I don't know of any cases of a child being born of two planeswalkers. I'm sure it has happened, at some point in the history of time. That's one thing I know for sure that's older than me."

They shared a chuckle, and then Jaya continued, "Now, I would imagine the strain of 'walking might be too much for an unborn child, but maybe it could happen."

Liliana tilted her head thoughtfully. Was that why she couldn't stay pregnant? Was the act of 'walking itself the cause of her miscarriages? But then, there were periods of time when she hadn't 'walked anywhere but still lost pregnancies. So, was it planeswalking or was it the magic itself which inhibited her? There was so much to this she still didn't know, despite all the research she—and Kollema—had put into it. The whole problem seemed endlessly complex.

Jaya was silent for a time, while Liliana pondered these questions, but then she said, "I…heard about your recent loss. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"It's nothing new," Liliana said, raising her head to affect indifference. "Happens all the time. I stopped caring centuries ago."

She sensed Jaya didn't believe it for an instant, but she was too polite to say anything. Finally, she reached out to place a hand on Liliana's shoulder, and said, "For what it's worth, I think you'd be an excellent mother. You and Jace would make beautiful children, too; provided everything mixed right."

Liliana almost laughed. She knew what Jaya meant, and she appreciated the humor in that moment. She also appreciated Jaya's vote of confidence. After a pause, she said, "Thank you, Jaya."

Patting her hand, Jaya said, "Be patient. Everything works out in time—you know that as well as I do, or darn near as well. When the time is right, your time will come. I only hope I'm still around to see it. In the meantime, we've got Phyrexians to fight—if we ever get around to it. Jace sure does like his books and his reports, but they don't ever seem to make anything happen."

"He likes to make sure everything is in place before he acts. He hopes to make fewer mistakes that way. If he sees every possibility before it comes to pass, he hopes he will always be prepared no matter what happens."

"Smart boy, if a bit naïve. Are you going to be the one to tell him that's impossible, or shall I?"

Now, Liliana did laugh. "I think it's best if we let him figure that out for himself. He doesn't like to be told."

"You're in for it, then," Jaya teased, "if you ever have children together. You know, children tend to get traits from both their parents." Then, after a pause, "Ah, but you sound like you've already got a good handle on it with Jace. You're certainly getting a lot of practice."

Liliana gasped, at first not believing what Jaya just said. Then the two shared another bout of laughter, which came to an end only when they heard the door opening and Arlinn appeared. When she caught sight of them across the rooftop from where she came through the door, she smiled and started toward them, saying, "Ah, Liliana—Rowan said I might find you here. I'm not interrupting…?"

"No, not at all," said Jaya. She turned to Liliana, and asked, "Do you want me to stay and supervise, or…?"

Liliana chuckled and shook her head, saying quietly, "That won't be necessary."

"All right," said Jaya, with a stretch. "I'm going to go rest these old bones. I'll see you at the morning's meeting, bright and early."

Jaya greeted Arlinn as they passed, the latter coming and the former going. Liliana waited, watching Arlinn with a hint of suspicion. As she came nearer, Liliana said, "You've been looking for me?"

Arlinn pulled a knapsack off her back and began rummaging through it, as she said, "Yes, I took a turn on Innistrad the other day and, while I was there, decided to look for a gift."

"Ooh, I do love gifts," said Liliana. "I hope it's a dagger. Or a severed head. It's amazing what one can do with severed heads, especially if they've got their vocal chords still attached."

She looked at Arlinn with a wicked smile, waiting for her to react. There was a momentary pause during which Arlinn looked confused and could almost look horrified but, much to Liliana's surprise, she managed to keep her composure intact. Then, "Hmm, no severed heads, I'm afraid. But I did find this bottle of wine I thought you might enjoy."

With that, she pulled a large bottle of wine from the knapsack and handed it to Liliana. Accepting the offering, Liliana looked at the label, and asked, "Where did you find this?"

Arlinn grinned. "I take it that's a good one?"

"Only the finest and rarest vintage known to Innistrad. Hells, this is probably older than Edgar Markov. I've known of it, but I've had yet to taste it."

"Well, perhaps you and Jace can save it for a special occasion, then. I'm glad I found something you'd like. Now that I know you like daggers, though, I'll keep my senses alert."

Liliana looked up from admiring the bottle and smiled. Then she set it on a table nearby, so as not to drop it, and said, "Thank you, Arlinn. I don't even know how to repay you."

"It's a gift. You don't owe me anything." Then, after a pause, "Well, I wouldn't mind a sip when you are ready to open it. Wine older than Edgar Markov must really be something."

"I'm sure a sip is about all one would need. Anything more might leave one comatose."

Arlinn burst out laughing. It was a full, genuine laugh. Liliana watched her, thinking she had misjudged her. She began to speak, but there was suddenly a flash of green and then they looked into the garden to find Nissa on her hands and knees, clutching her abdomen. Blood dripped from between her fingers. Liliana gasped and they both ran to her, just as the elf collapsed.