[Suzerain of Sheol]

Her Servant finds her seated near the window, her hair disheveled by sleep. Leila gazes across the expanse of the city from her high vantage; she can see the silhouette of the place he mentions framed against the breaking sun.

In a soft voice, she says to him, "Already, you bring us the advantage, with the war not even truly begun." The magus tilts her head, stifling the effort to turn and look at the Servant she cannot see. "I will be more vulnerable coming out of the summit than at any other point in this war. I wouldn't go at all, if not for the chance to learn of our enemies. I'll be relying on you, Rasputin."

She rises and begins to dress in her uniform. "I expect it will be chaos and Hell in the streets the instant Ruler sets us loose. We should do our best not to engage, it plays to our strength to let them winnow each other before we strike."

She buttons the last clasp on her blouse. "What are your thoughts, Caster?"