Gatecrash

They approached an Azorius guard station and checkpoint. An archway of elegant white marble stretched across the road, with an intricate triangular guild symbol of the Azorius at its apex. A band of Azorius lawmages raised their swords to the oncoming Rakdos horde, chanting the minutiae of legal protocol as if it were scripture.

“In accordance with public conduct code, section four-two-one, subsection D,” droned one of the officials, “you are requested to reverse your trespass and proceed to the nearest registered guild boundary.”

“Any incursion beyond this point shall be considered warrant for the request of a writ of barred action,” recited another.

A third lawmage just stammered the same phrase over and over. “Entry hereby denied. Entry hereby denied.”

When the snarling Rakdos rioters reached the archway, they smashed through the lawmages like a bull through a curtain. The Azorius officials’ shining swords were more reference material than weapon, their blades etched with runes of law. Some of the lawmages gave way, and Exava laughed and made rude faces at them, knowing they couldn’t stop her horde without days or weeks of intricate bureaucracy.

The rioters proceeded around a turn. The horde flipped horse carts, smashed shop windows, and trampled pedestrians. Exava grinned with all her teeth, stretching the stitches at the edges of her mouth. As the throng of Rakdos cultists marched, she began to chant, and the cultists chanted with her.

***

Jace leaned against Lavinia’s door frame like a book propped up diagonally. A globe of lamplight, identical to the staid and precise globes throughout the towers of New Prahv, lit only half his features. The rest of his face was still hidden under the hood of his cloak. Between them was Lavinia’s desk, full of tomes, architectural charts, ancient maps—evidence of deep study in the Azorius archives.

“Didn’t expect you,” said Lavinia.

“You should be asking yourself why I would come,” said Jace.

“Would you like some tea? I could send for the hussars. My captain of the New Prahv guard brews a mean pot.”

“You do, and I vanish. I leave and never come back. And your case never goes anywhere.”

“Until I track you down.”

“Believe me. Where I can go, you’ll never be able to follow.”

Lavinia sat back in her chair and sighed. “Well, my ‘case’ is already nowhere. You’ve been handed off to the Boros, did you know that? The Boros, whose idea of a proper investigation these days is barging into random addresses with a fireball spell. But I’m not even sure you’re such a hot property anymore.”

“I’m not. Before I had my hands on something of value, something dangerous—you would have been right to track me down. But I’ve lost it. And I need to get it back.”

“And you thought you’d break into the Azorius guildhall, and ask your arresting officer? That was your plan to get yourself some help on that score? You’re not a very good criminal, are you?”

“You’re after the truth. I think you know I can be of help in finding it.”

“You know what’s sad? It’s that part of me believes you. But I don’t help those who think they’re above the law.”

“I’m not trying to escape justice. I’m using everything in my power to expedite it. You want to solve the case of the kidnapped Selesnya woman? I can tell you which guild is responsible for the abduction.”

“The Rakdos. We already know that.”

“Go deeper.”

“We know Exava was involved. The demon’s most trusted witch.”

“Deeper.”

Lavinia paused. “You think someone put her up to it? Another guild?”

“Think. Who benefits from guild infighting? Who wants to rouse the ranks of the Selesnya, and start a riot with the Rakdos, so that the public sees nothing of their own schemes?”

“The Izzet? We know they’re up to something.”

“But they’re being anything but subtle about it. In fact, the Izzet helping the cause. Helping draw attention away.”

Lavinia’s eyes glazed over. “House Dimir.”

“After setting up Emmara’s kidnapping, a Dimir agent attacked me for something I no longer have. And I need to recover it as soon as possible.”

Lavinia looked up at him. Jace gave her an opportunity to speak, but she said nothing.

“Now’s when you ask, ‘What did you lose?’ ” Jace said. “And I explain the strange situation I’m in.”

A smile of realization spread across Lavinia’s face. “Don’t tell me. You lost your memories.”

“How did you know?”

“And the Dimir were after them? That is a predicament you’ve got yourself into. And now you don’t even know what it is you’ve lost.”

“That’s about the sum of it. Your investigation told you all this?”

“Unfortunately, no. Kavin did.”

“Kavin came to you? When?”

“He gave me something.” Lavinia produced a sheaf of scribbled notes, but she hid them against her chest. “He managed to save some information as you were destroying his memories.”

“May I see that?”

“Sorry. It’s evidence in your case, I’m afraid.”

“Officer Lavinia. Unless I recover what I’ve lost, people will die. Including, I think, Emmara Tandris.”