Chapter 33

LILIANA

It had been ages since she set foot on the Prismari Campus—something she tended to avoid at all costs. Even now, as she moved along the Opus Walk toward the faculty building, Professor Liliana Vess struggled not to visibly cringe at the thought of meeting with either of the Prismari deans. She wasn't sure which of the two was least appealing. Dean Nassari was certainly the more flamboyant one; she did sometimes find them amusing, but their over-the-top energy and enthusiasm often left her feeling mentally and emotionally drained after too much time in their company. On the opposite end of the Prismari spectrum was Dean Uvilda, who took the logical and strait-laced nature of blue mana to the extreme; such that Liliana often wondered if being flayed alive was less excruciating than having to endure a conversation with her.

Either way, in her search for Will and Rowan, it seemed inevitable she would need to speak with at least one of the deans of the twins' alma mater. At least the campus was fairly empty, with students being out until the start of the new semester. The only people who were typically present on university grounds this time of year were faculty, staff, security, and alumni who were there for work and research purposes. That was Liliana's favorite time to be at Strixhaven—when it was overall quiet and peaceful, and she didn't have to be bombarded with the chaotic swarm of so many coalescing energies.

As Liliana made her way through the over-decorated fray that made up the main hall of the Prismari faculty building, she heard a cool and collected voice speak her name. Even without looking, she already knew it was Dean Uvilda.

"Professor Vess, I heard you were on sabbatical indefinitely. What brings you to our little corner of the university?"

Liliana turned to regard the blue-skinned djinn with a forced smile. The dean stood perfectly straight and unmoving, her hands behind her back. She didn't even blink. Liliana had never trusted djinn from any plane; the djinn of Arcavios were no exception. The fact that they never slept didn't earn them any points, either. Nevertheless, she had to play nice to get what she needed.

"Dean Uvilda, you are just who I was looking for."

"I find that hard to believe, Professor," Uvilda replied, her cerulean eyes scrutinizing Liliana with a cold dismissiveness that was almost as bad as the burning hatred of an angelic gaze. "What could Witherbloom's most infamous necromancer want with a Prismari art critic of the highest caliber? Surely, you are not here to request I critique one of your…creations. That they call necromancy an 'art' is beyond even my understanding."

Art critics have such a narrow view of what constitutes art…

Rather than giving voice to what she was thinking, Liliana said, "It's not my work that brings me here. I'm looking for Will and Rowan Kenrith, actually. I was told they would be working here over the summer."

"No, I am not aware they are working here—and I should know, after all."

Liliana hummed her disappointment. "That's unfortunate."

"I did see them, however," Uvilda offered.

"Did you? Was it recent? Where did you see them, exactly?"

"A day and a half ago, at the Biblioplex. But I haven't seen them since—and certainly not here. Beyond that, I have nothing further to offer."

"Thank you, Dean Uvilda," Liliana managed, as she turned to leave. Then she paused and looked over her shoulder with a smirk. "And as for my art, rest assured that I would never waste my talent on a critic of your caliber. Good day."

The dean was left speechless, and Liliana smiled to herself as she walked away. Would Jace be pleased if he was there? No, but she really couldn't help herself and Uvilda had it coming. If the so-called Dean of Perfection was going to throw out insults like spare change, she had to expect they would come back to her one of these days. Everyone else might crumble at her criticisms, but Liliana was not about to be defeated by the petty opinions of a narrow-minded perfectionist. She had gotten what she came for; she no longer had to play nice.

The Biblioplex was the last place Liliana expected to find the twins when she returned to Strixhaven, so the fact that they had been seen there was too important to dismiss. When she walked through the entrance, she found the librarian was currently occupied with a seemingly helpless researcher asking a thousand useless questions. With a twinge of pity, Liliana rolled her eyes, grateful not to be stuck in Isabough's position. It seemed she had no choice but to seek the help of that nosy old tome.

As she turned to head into the stacks, however, she found herself standing face-to-face with the Silverquill dean she had carried on with until the day Jace showed up on Arcavios. The dean stood, looming, with that wicked look in his eyes that won her over when she was in a particular mood for what he had to offer. "Liliana, it's good to see you. I was under the impression you would be away from Strixhaven for some time. How goes your sabbatical?"

"Dean Lu," she offered with a polite nod. "It's going well, thank you. It's been very productive."

He narrowed his gaze. "Most people call me Dean Embrose, yet you have chosen to distance yourself such that you use my surname. It's a pity, really. I preferred when you called me Embrose, and without the title. I do so enjoy the sound of my name on your lips."

A longing gaze fell to her lips just then. She couldn't deny it was pleasing to have such a lasting effect on a man who was known for his iron will and self-control in everything but her. From the moment she first met his gaze with a purpose, some years ago, he had been enthralled to her. She smiled.

"I prefer to keep it formal. It maintains the necessary boundaries between us."

"I remember a time when there were no boundaries between us… What changed? It all seemed so dreadfully sudden."

"For one thing, working together creates something of a conflict of interest…"

"Don't give me that," he spat. "Rules of professionalism meant nothing when you were standing over me with a crop…" He seemed to notice the nostalgic gaze she took on, for only a moment, and he latched onto it with a vengeance. "We can have that same fun again. There is nothing to stop us, except ourselves—may the rules be damned."

"It was fun," she agreed. "But it's over now. Time to move onto bigger and better things."

"There is nothing better than what I had with you. I did not know what it was to feel alive until you showed me the way."

"That's only the adrenaline talking," she insisted with a smirk. "It's the body's natural response to pain."

"I don't care what it was, Liliana—I never wanted it to end."

"It was never meant to be anything serious, Embrose," she said, holding his gaze. "You knew that from the beginning."

"I did. Yet I cannot help that my feelings changed…"

He stopped speaking and they waited as another instructor passed them by with a load of books. Once they were out of ear shot, he stepped closer, and began, "Liliana…"

"No," she said, stepping back and holding out a hand. The tips of her fingers grazed the front of his uniform. She pulled her hand away. "We can't do this here. There are too many people. Too many eyes on us."

"What difference does it make? They already know about us. Everyone knows. They may be idiots, but they're keen enough to figure that out. Or keen enough to listen to the gossip, at least."

"The fact that you wrote poetry dedicated to 'a blooming lily of withering death' didn't exactly help prevent the rumors from spreading."

"You're right, it didn't," he agreed, running fingers through his perfect hair, knocking loose a wayward lock that fell away from the others. "But a part of me wanted them to know it was you that had filled and inspired me. It was you that had breathed in me new life, in ways that no one else ever has. Liliana, you were my muse. You gave purpose and meaning to my words, but ever since you stopped seeing me, I'm lost. I can't eat. I can't write. I can't speak. My poetry has dried up without you."

"Embrose, please—you flatter me."

"Is it flattery if it's true?"

"If it's meant to sway me to your cause, then yes, it's flattery. Don't get me wrong, Embrose—I've enjoyed being your muse. But now it's over and I've moved on."

"My heart aches to hear you say that. Liliana, I would give up everything for you—you know that. I was even ready to leave my wife for you before you left me in the dust."

"I never asked you to leave your wife."

"Nevertheless, I was going to do it anyway. But now I don't know what to do with myself—I'm desperate. I am filled with agony over the loss of you."

"Write a poem about it," she suggested with exhaustion.

His countenance grew cold then. Her mockery was not lost on him, not even for a second. Unlike most of the others she worked with at the college, Embrose Lu was one of the quick ones. It was his brilliance that had first attracted her to him, apart from his diabolic good looks. But his was a brilliance that was ever fixed on himself; far more than hers had ever been and that is what ultimately ruined any chance they might have had for a lasting relationship. Naturally, rather than face the fact that her interest in him had already begun to wane, he would blame the end on Jace.

"Your new lover—is he still around, or have you moved on from him, too?"

She smiled sweetly, and answered, "That's none of your concern."

"Is he like you, then? Does he walk the planes of existence, too?"

"He does. What of it?"

"Then that's what draws you together? What makes him appear more suitable than I am."

Her eyes raised to the ceiling, not unintentionally. "If that's what makes it easier for you to understand and accept it, then yes, that is what makes him more suitable."

"Then you are still seeing him."

"Seeing him? No. I've married him."

"Was it that serious? I had no idea."

"Yes, it was. And unlike you, I take my vows rather seriously."

Embrose smiled and glanced around, as if he seemed to understand. "I see. Is he here with you? Should I expect to see him appear suddenly in a flash of light, or coming from around a corner somewhere to stake his claim?"

"Nobody stakes a claim over me, first of all; so, let's get that straight right now, Embrose."

"Ah yes, there she is—that fierce dominating power that so captivated me… I've never met a woman like you before—a woman with true power. I can honestly say, I have never let a woman do to me the things you have done, nor will I ever again."

"You didn't let me do anything," she said with a smile. "I took what I wanted, and you obeyed."

He sniffed in apparent amusement. "You have to admit, I was your equal. Everything you did was as much my desire as it was yours."

"Was it, though?"

"Damn it, Liliana, don't toy with me. If I didn't want it, would I be here begging for it now?"

"Is that what you're doing? Begging? Because it doesn't seem like begging, at all—you're on the verge of making demands, and I will not be commanded by anyone."

"Do I need to drop to my knees, to show you how desperately I need you?"

"You may do as you please," she answered, poised and confident, "but it won't make a difference. I will not be moved."

"Is there really nothing I can do to have you back, even for one night?"

"I will not be unfaithful to my husband."

"If you don't say anything, he'll never know."

She almost laughed. "You don't know Jace."

"Is that it? Is that his power over you?"

"He has no power over me—none that I do not surrender of my own free will."

"Yet, you refuse to surrender to passion?"

Now she did laugh, but he continued.

"Do you never think of our nights together? Never yearn for me, the way you once did?"

"Even if I do," she conceded, "what difference does it make? I won't betray my husband. No amount of selfish desire will ever change my devotion to him."

Embrose frowned. "If he is a mind-mage, how do you know your devotion to him is even real? How can you be certain it is your will that keeps you faithful, and not his? How can you be certain anything you feel for him is not really him controlling your mind?"

"Because it is not my mind, but my heart that bends to him. But you wouldn't understand that, Embrose. You don't know what it is to really love someone. And that is what separates the two of us. In the end, you will always choose yourself, but I have chosen to live for others. Good day, Dean Lu."

She left him then, confident that she had shut him down and put him in his place. Of course, she knew there could be a backlash from him at some point in time. He was the Dean of Shadow, she a mere professor. When it came to politicking, he held more sway with the other deans. She knew, however, that the rest of them had all been aware of the illicit nature of his relationship with her. It had been overlooked, in part because he was one of them and in part because they all feared her power as a planeswalking necromancer. And when it came down to it, if he were to move against her openly, they would at least be smart enough to see that he was only doing so out of spite rather than anything legitimate.

There was another thing that gave her a sense of security at the university; something stronger than fear, and that was genuine respect. While they had originally feared her, once they realized her true nature and discovered who she really was, after some years of working closely with her, most of the other deans had grown to regard her highly and were even considering raising her title to that of Esteemed Professor of Necromantic Arts. Only Dean Lisette objected, of course, on the grounds that she had not been working as a professor long enough to be given that distinction. It was almost decided, however, despite Lisette's objections. Even Dean Uvilda, that forever critical djinn, had no objections. The only thing Uvilda cared about was art; that, and her own position. At this point, Liliana was confident that against the others, neither Embrose nor Lisette could truly damage her position at the university.

Moving on to remain focused on the task at hand, it was almost a relief when she came upon Codie. At least the chatty codex did not bring any charged energy to the table. Excitable though he was, Codie was as neutral as a lump of clay. When asked whether he had seen the Kenrith twins at the Biblioplex recently, he was all too eager to help. So eager, that he wouldn't stop yapping, as usual.

"They were here, Professor," he explained, "numerous times the other day. First, they were here looking for a very specific book."

"What was the book?"

"Now that is the strange thing—it is not normally a popular book, by any means. Which is unfortunate, because every book is a good book—at least, if it is found in this library—but on that particular day, I had to help them locate it, because it had only just been returned and was still not on the shelf. Once it was finally located, the girl checked the book out and they left. Then they came back to return the book, but the girl had only checked it out for less than a day, which is very unusual if you ask me…"

"I didn't."

"…but as long as the books are properly cared for and don't come back with any damage, it's not for me to ask why they should only wish to check them out for less than a day. It seems to me a book should be kept for the full duration of time allotted, so that it can be thoroughly enjoyed. But when I asked if they had found the book not to their liking, they claimed it had been just what they were looking for—and yet, they kept it for so brief a time that I can hardly believe they truly got anything worthwhile out of it! What's even more unusual was that they insisted on helping me reshelve it as soon as it was checked in! Well, I was appreciative of the help, but it seemed an odd request. Of course, I granted the request, as long as they allowed me to accompany them so I could see that it was placed where it belonged…"

"Codie," she said firmly, "just tell me where and what it is."

"Oh," he said, almost seeming disappointed that their reunion was already coming to an end. "Well, it should be in the mystery section. It was a work of fiction. An anthology, to be more specific. Probably wouldn't be of any use to you, Professor."

"Codie, the title."

"Ah yes, the book is called, Seek Me on the Hidden Path, and Other Short Mysteries."

She almost laughed. They couldn't have chosen a more obvious title.

Before Codie could launch into a lengthy explanation of the book, she chimed a quick 'thank you' then twirled around and walked away. When she located the book on its shelf and pulled it out, sure enough, there was a clue left inside. She heaved a sigh. Will certainly loved riddles and puzzles, so it was not a surprise when she saw it was written in his hand on a slip of paper:

To she whom art of death do teach,

if thou show intent to reach:

Seek us in that realm of birth

There to find a trail of mirth.

She rolled her eyes at the pathetic simplicity of his riddle, and murmured, "I'm too old for this." She glanced at the riddle again, and thought, At least, he has the sense to consider my work art. Then she sighed and placed the book back on the shelf, returning to her quarters in the Witherbloom faculty building to consider her next move.

Back in her office, she tossed the riddle on her desk and went to pour a drink. Savoring the wine with every sip, she cast her gaze around the room until it fell on her old crown, resting on its stand and partially illuminated by a ray of sunlight that had managed to slip through the tangle of trees to come in through the open window at just the right angle. How unlikely, she thought, as she stared at the crown until the sunlight shifted enough to leave it in shadow again.

Finishing off the wine, she set down the cup and walked over to take the crown, holding it in both hands. Was it a coincidence that it was illuminated just then, at a time when she was beginning to doubt herself? More than a symbol of her former life, it was a symbol of her strength. That strength, that power, had come at great cost and she had needed it in times of struggle. Without that power, she might never have made it through everything she had faced to get to where she was that day. And whenever she began to doubt herself, in times now passed, that crown had served to remind her of who she was and who she was capable of being—even now as a changed woman.

She had changed, certainly for the better; but she realized it would not serve her or her friends, for her to deny that part of her that gave her strength. And her crown, while not itself bearing any true power, was a powerful icon, both for herself and others. Perhaps it was time to start wearing it again, after all. She would never cease working to become a better person—to become the person Gideon believed she could be—but if there was one thing about which old Tezzeret was right, it was that she had, in her desperation to become noble, allowed her wings to be clipped.

Never again, she thought, as she walked toward the mirror and placed the crown on her head. She smiled at her reflection. She was Liliana Vess, damn it. And that crown was a part of the image she meant to display to all who should fear her—all who dared to challenge her friends and the wellbeing of the Multiverse.

Feeling a renewed sense of vigor, she returned to her desk and stood looking down at the riddle again. She laughed. "A trail of mirth? Really, Will? I can't believe I'm playing games like this at my age… You couldn't have just said, 'we're on Eldraine' or something more to the point? Nine Hells."

She crumpled up the slip of paper and tossed it in the wastebasket. Then she straightened her crown, and said, "All right then. I'll play your little game if I must. To Eldraine, it is."

And with that, she disappeared in a whirling cloud of black smoke.

NISSA

Her eyes burned as she looked out at the wasteland the once lush forest had become. The others stood beside her on the hill, and Chandra moved to take her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. As if that was enough to heal the ache of a wounded plane—a plane that Nissa loved and felt almost as much as Zendikar. Lorwyn was dying.

"We came too late," she murmured, as they gazed out at the destruction.

After Jace and the others returned from Ravnica, the group moved on to stay in Lys Alana, the capital of the Gilt-Leaf clan, as their honored guests. Even Liliana was invited to stay with them in the palace, since she was held in an odd sense of esteem after healing Aya, the daughter of the Gilt-Leaf clan's highest ranked general, Owyn. She had politely declined, staying only one night in the palace, before leaving for Arcavios in search of the twins.

The others had only just begun to get used to their temporary quarters in Gilt-Leaf palace when they received word of Phyrexians spotted near Wren's Run, the most prized hunting grounds in Lorwyn's Great Forest. With an army of Gilt-Leaf warriors, the planeswalkers started out toward Wren's Run to meet with the armies of the other clans, but by the time they arrived the Phyrexians had moved on, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Great oaks that had stood for centuries were cut down or uprooted, the wildlife that had been brought from all parts of Lorwyn and carefully maintained for hunting were slain and left to rot, and huge gouges were left in the earth where precious ores had lain untouched for countless centuries. Now, there was nothing left of this once magnificent part of the Great Forest, and Nissa felt the forest's pain as if it were her own.

"It's not too late, Nissa," Chandra tried, her voice solemn yet hopeful. "There's still time."

Jace stepped forward as he continued surveying the path of destruction. "At least they left us a trail to follow. Most of the damage is still fresh. They can't have gotten far."

Nissa turned on him with tear-burned gaze. "It is a trail of death. Remember that, as we follow it. Everything you see here was a life. The animals. The trees. These were all lives cut short, and many are still in pain—still dying."

"Can you heal them?" asked Chandra. Dear, precious Chandra…

Shaking her head slowly, Nissa said, "There are too many. I cannot save them, or I will not have the energy for battle. To save the rest of the forest, I must let this part die…"

"It will come back," said Tyvar, coming to place a hand on her shoulder. He was an elf. He understood her dilemma better than the others. He knew what she was feeling, even if his senses were not as keen.

Nissa cast him a look of gratitude with a slight nod.

"But first," said Teferi, "we must put an end to the Phyrexian threat. We can't lose our focus, Nissa."

She nodded. "I know, Teferi. I have not lost focus. I will use the forest's pain to drive me forward in this battle. It has only strengthened my resolve. The Phyrexians cannot just be stopped—they must be destroyed."

They waited only long enough for the other clans' armies to catch up, and then they moved together as a united front to follow the Phyrexians' path of destruction. They travelled for two days, but they had to stop to sleep for one night, and that one night had put them back because the Phyrexians did not need rest. On that second day, even before the scouts returned to tell them they had spotted a large group of Phyrexians ahead, they knew they were approaching because they could hear the mechanical buzz of activity, the crunch of trees being destroyed. They knew it was time they prepared for battle and this time they were ready when a Phyrexian horde appeared.

While the armies fell into battle formation, the planeswalkers positioned themselves to work together in their own way. Immediately at the sight of the advancing horde, Jace cast a protective shield around his allies, giving telepathic directives for them to stay together. Arlinn transformed into her wolf form as Kaya unsheathed her ghostly blades. Showing off, Ajani pulled out his battle axe and cast a double helix of lightning and flame to destroy the first wave of Phyrexians before they reached allied lines. Chandra, hair aflame and holding sprouts of fire in her hands, shouted excitedly when she saw the leonin's latest trick.

Meanwhile, Nissa brought thorn-covered vines from the earth to foil the advancing horde. She grinned as she made the vines wrap around some of the Phyrexians, coiling tighter until they were crushed, while others were impaled on the gigantic thorns. Then with a prayer to the Worldsoul of Lorwyn and other leyline spirits, she called forth elementals from among the trees, showing them the horrors of the enemy they faced and urging them to fight back against the evil that was seeking to destroy them. It worked. Suddenly, several of the surrounding trees began to crack and bend as they clawed their way out of the earth. Running alongside one of them, Nissa grabbed ahold and climbed into its branches to go along for the ride and gain a better vantage point.

Nissa! she heard Jace's voice in her mind. Stay where I can see you!

I'm going where I can best be of use! she replied. You just protect the others and let me do what I'm best at!

Then she saw movement from the corner of her eye and turned to see Tyvar had climbed into the tree elemental with her. She gave him a nod, which he returned, and then the two of them held tightly to the branches as a wave of Phyrexians attempted to take the elemental down. Once the force of the initial impact had passed, Tyvar jumped down to one of the lower branches and pulled out a sword to begin stabbing and slashing at the enemy, while Nissa drew mana from the surrounding forest to bolster the elemental's strength against the onslaught. Then she pulled out her sword and jumped down to join the fray.

JAYA

It had been impressive to see Ajani's flame and lightning helix leveled against the first wave of Phyrexians that were advancing toward them. The first line fell in droves, slowing their advance and creating a barrier of dead that should have kept them off, but the bastards were resilient. After the initial halt caused by the loss of their first line, Jaya watched a particularly large and hideous Phyrexian creature that appeared to be made solely of metal and bone begin to go along and clean up the fallen line by literally absorbing the dead into itself. As it did so, pinkish flesh began to form around its bone and metal frame. She had seen a lot of strange things in her long lifetime and very few things surprised or horrified her anymore, but this was certainly one of those times when she was left in horror.

"What the hell is that thing?!" she shouted, as she sent a wall of flame toward the creature. To her surprise, it seemed unphased by the flame wall and continued eating or absorbing the fallen and becoming more hideous as it began to change form.

Kaya came up alongside her, ghostly blades prepared, and shouted, "I know that thing! It's the creature I was sent to kill on Kaldheim. I don't know what it is, but we couldn't kill it then and when I cut off one of its arms it just regrew!"

"It's a praetor," said Jace, suddenly appearing alongside them.

Kaya jumped. "Gods and monsters, Jace, warn us when you're going to do that!"

"Sorry," he said with a faint smirk. Then he explained, "It's called Vorinclex."

"Great," said Kaya. "Do you know how to kill it?"

His expression seemed to suggest he didn't have the answer.

"Well, apparently it's immune to flame," said Jaya, watching it closely and wondering why it hadn't seemed to notice them. Suddenly, she asked, "Are we invisible?"

"Yes," Jace confirmed. "That's why you can see me."

She gave a nod and turned to watch the creature, Vorinclex, once again. It was now using that same absorption technique on their fallen allies. She grimaced. "I've never seen anything like it in all my centuries."

Chandra came over to them then, and said, "Hey, guys, don't you think we maybe shouldn't be standing around right now?"

"We need to adjust our strategy," said Jace. Then he nodded toward Vorinclex, "The appearance of that guy there has thrown everything off and we have to figure out how we are going to deal with it."

"We're invisible," Jaya explained.

"Right, well, Nissa's NOT invisible," said Chandra, "and neither are the rest of our people, so we need to figure it out fast and continue helping them before we lose, and that thing decides to make US its lunch."

"That's what I'm trying to do, Chandra," said Jace. "I just need time to think…"

Losing her patience, Chandra cried, "We can't think our way out of everything, Jace!"

"I'm with Chandra," said Kaya. "Standing around and thinking isn't going to win this battle for us. We've already done enough of that. Now, we just need to get our hands dirty and try to destroy that thing before it destroys us."

Jaya could see the frustration and helplessness in Jace's countenance as he hung his head and hunched his shoulders, his arms hanging there at his sides. She could see that he was feeling defeated, and he didn't have Liliana there to help bolster his spirit, so Jaya decided it was time she stepped in.

"You young pups are always eager to get yourselves in the middle of things, but the problem is you never think it through, and that's where things always go wrong. No, we can't stand here thinking forever, but take it from someone who's lived a long time—we've got to put some thought into this, or we're more likely to make a bad move that could foil the whole thing. Now, where's that old time-mage? Now is definitely the time for him to work his magic, so we can have time to think."

Jace gave her a grateful nod and then his eyes began to glow. Moments later, Teferi came over to them, and said, "I've got a better idea."

"A better idea than what?" asked Chandra.

Teferi smirked. "Jace asked me to slow time around us so we can think about how to destroy that," he indicated the praetor, "but if I slow time around it instead, that will help our allies and give us more time to think about how we can deal with it. At the very least, if we slow its reaction time, that might give us an edge."

"Ah, the Liliana method," said Jaya with a smirk.

Jace gave her a look, while Chandra and Kaya seemed confused.

"It's what he did to Liliana when we were trying to assassinate her in the War of the Spark," Jaya explained.

"It almost worked, too, if it wasn't for the Chain Veil and Bolas," Teferi remarked.

"Okay," said Jace, "well, I'm just going to say I'm glad it didn't work. But yes, I think it could help us in this instance. It's at least worth a try."

Teferi nodded and stepped forward to begin casting his time-slowing spell around Vorinclex, while Chandra and Kaya watched, both poised to strike at a moment's notice. Oh, the eagerness of youth…

Meanwhile, Jaya stepped up to Jace and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He startled at her touch, but then he relaxed and placed a hand over hers in a gesture of thanks.

"She's okay and she'll return to us soon enough."

"I know, Jaya," he replied, watching Vorinclex's slowed movement as if he was studying the creature to figure it out. "We are certainly in more immediate danger than her or the twins are likely to be."

She tilted her head in consideration as she waited for him to go on.

"I just have this…feeling. Something's not right. With the twins taking off and Liliana going after them…"

"You think she would betray us?"

"No, nothing like that," he said, fixing her with a gaze suggesting annoyance that she would even think that way. Then he explained, "What if they've been lured away? You know, what if this is part of Tezzeret's plan to drive us apart so he can work us all from different angles."

"I think you're overthinking it, Jace," she replied. "Trying so hard to always stay one step ahead can lead to all sorts of wild ideas." Paranoia is what she was really thinking, but she wouldn't say it.

"He's always been at least one step ahead of us, which is what makes all this seem…planned. Keeping us distracted here while he's trying to do something somewhere else, and maybe Liliana and the twins are walking right into his trap." He sighed. "I should have gone with her."

"She was right to make you stay," Jaya observed. "You're needed here."

"This is one of those times I wish I could be in two places at once."

They fell silent and she observed him, as he continued observing the praetor and the larger battle going on around it. Then she said, "Jace, I'm going to be blunt with you. Liliana can take care of herself. She's survived a lot worse than anything Tezzeret might throw at her, and she doesn't need you to be her knight in shining armor."

She paused, giving him the opportunity for rebuttal, but he seemed to silently concede. Then she continued, "If you want to protect Liliana, take my advice: give her space to do what she needs to do, and trust that when she needs you, she'll let you know."

"Are you kidding, Jaya? That's terrible advice. Liliana is the last person to ask for help, even when she needs it most."

She squinted her eyes at him. "You sure about that? She may not come right out and say, 'Hey, I need help!' But she's pretty good at getting what she needs when she needs it. You just need to relax and let her be."

"You mean, let her leave the house on Ravnica, don't you?"

Jaya confirmed with a nod.

Jace exhaled deeply. Then suddenly he was switching his focus back to the task at hand. "I've got it! I know how we can destroy that thing! Come with me."

And then he was off, leaving Jaya to catch up both mentally and physically with the sudden change and hoping that whatever insane idea he had come up with would work.