Published at 22nd of October 2023 9:42 am

Book 2: Chapter 28

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Marta pushed Garrett through the halls of the mansion, heading for the back garden, where the party would be kicked off, giving Garrett the time to observe the other guests who were starting to gather. Curiously, the more people that gathered, the slower they all moved, as no one wanted to be one of the first few to enter the party, lest they seem overeager. Garrett didn’t mind, however, so he ended up ahead of the majority of the crowd.

“Marta, what did Henri mean by paying the cost?” he asked in a quiet voice.

“Every mysterious artifact has a cost associated with using it,” Marta whispered back, after checking to make sure no one was in earshot. “If you don’t pay it, the artifact will go out of control.”

“I see. So we not only need to understand how the mirror operates, but also what its cost is?”

“Exactly.”

Walking into the back garden, Garrett saw large tables piled with refreshments dotted around a wide, perfectly kept lawn. Small paths came off the main lawn, winding their way between hedges that hid small gardens, each with a different theme. It looked like many of the gardens that Garrett remembered from his time in the palace, and it was clear that Count Hotis had spared no expense. The count himself was standing in the middle of the garden with his wife, a demure looking woman of indeterminate age who was squeezed into a dress a size too small.

“Welcome,” Count Hotis said, giving his best politician’s smile, despite the fact that he had no idea who Garrett was.

“Thank you for your hospitality in hosting me,” Garrett replied, mirroring the count’s fake warmth. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for some time and learning about some of the city’s economic opportunities.”

Picking up the clues that Garrett was providing, the count immediately identified Garrett as one of the select group of merchants who had been invited to the party and real warmth appeared in his eyes, along with a sliver of greed. While the count was a committed social climber, it was a sport that required an inordinate amount of gold, gold which was held in the deep pockets of the merchants who used parties like this to make deals and connections.

“It is my pleasure,” the count said, bowing slightly. “We’ll be having a private card party with a select group tomorrow evening, after dinner, and I hope I’ll have the chance to see you there.”

“That sounds delightful. Oh, look at me forgetting things. I’ve brought you a small gift. A trifling token of my appreciation for your generous invitation.”

Taking out a small box that he had hidden under the blanket that covered his legs, Garrett gave it to the countess, who looked flustered. It was not common for guests to give gifts to the hosts, but Garrett’s cover was that of a merchant from another city, and the count figured that it might be common there, so he nodded at his wife with a smile, indicating that she should accept it. Murmuring something inaudible, she took the box and cracked it open, revealing a beautiful rainbow light that caused her to gasp. Nestled in a bed of silk was a smooth crystal that contained what appeared to be a flower with petals the color of a rainbow. Gentle light spread from it, captivating her attention.

Unsure why his wife was staring, the count glanced in the box and his eyes went wide, his hidden greed turning into unconcealed avarice. The crystal was absolutely beautiful, and he could already tell that his wife was completely smitten with it. Like lightning, his mind wove a scene where other nobles saw the stone and wanted one of their own, only to have to pay a premium to get it through him, lining his pockets with a sea of gold. With a cough, he closed the box, patting his wife’s hands as he took it from her and called his steward over.

“Please take Mr. Klein’s wonderful gift up to the Countess’ dressing table. Mr. Klein, I look forward to getting the chance to talk to you more and deepen our relationship over the next few days.”

“Likewise,” Garrett replied, bowing his head in response to the countess’ curtsy.

As Marta pushed Garrett to the corner of the garden, he could feel the curiosity practically radiating from her but he didn’t say anything. More people arrived, with the other merchants that were in attendance coming early and the nobles arriving after them. As the garden filled, servants began to bring trays around offering drinks to the waiting guests. Finally, after almost an hour, the count officially kicked things off with a short speech, and the party got underway.

For most of the party, Garrett remained in his corner, watching as the other nobles milled about, occasionally drawing sympathetic glances from those nearby. He was dressed in a black and crimson doublet with a matching cloth across his legs and was handsome enough that more than a few of the noblewomen gave him a second glance, but there was a certain picturesque melancholy to his look that made them keep their distance.

A few times, the count made sure to stop over, chatting with him for a minute or two before he returned to his rounds, but other than that, Garrett mostly sat silently by himself. Marta, who was standing behind him except when she would go and get him food or a refill for his drink, was doing her best not to fidget, so when she froze, Garrett knew something was about to happen. Strolling out from one of the small gardens with a young woman on his arm came a middle aged man with long silver hair tied back in a ponytail. Immediately, Garrett knew that he was looking at Eben, and not just because of the badge the man wore on his arm, or the distinct silver hair.

The same sense of familiarity that Garrett had felt with the hair pins radiated from Eben, almost as if the dream was calling out through him. Eben, who had been focused on the young woman, must have felt the same thing because his gaze swung up, meeting Garrett’s. For half a second they looked at each other, each taking the other’s measure, and then Eben looked down, a graceful smile on his face. He whispered something to the young woman who giggled and floated away, her dress swaying, as he turned to walk over to Garrett.

“Pardon the intrusion, my good sir, my name is Eben.”

“Garrett.”

“Garrett? Oh, you must be Mr. Klein.”

Seeing Garrett’s eyebrows rising, Eben laughed and waved his hand.

“I took a glance at the guest list before arriving and remembered seeing your name. You’re a merchant from Port Reverie, is that right?”

“I do business wherever I am,” Garrett replied, his eyes straying to the band on Eben’s arm. “Are you an exorcist?”

“Are you familiar with us?”

“A bit. I have an interest in mysterious artifacts, and I’ve heard that you specialize in dealing with artifacts that have gone out of control.”

“Indeed. You speak as if you have had your own experiences with mysterious artifacts,” Eben said, a sharp light hidden behind the friendliness in his eyes. “I’m always interested in hearing those sorts of stories.”

Nodding, Garrett looked a bit troubled, as if he was remembering a difficult memory. After a moment, his eyes brightened and he leaned forward slightly, causing Eben to lean down toward him in turn.

“I’ve heard that the Count found a mysterious artifact of his own. And seeing you here, I’m starting to think it might be true. A mirror, if my sources are correct.”

Feeling Marta tensing behind him, Garrett ignored her and lowered his voice even more.

“I have a particular interest in mirror artifacts, because I actually have one of my own.”

Shocked by the revelation, Eben’s breath quickened.

“It… it wouldn’t happen to be a small hand mirror? With a woman combing her hair on the back?”

Surprise suffused Garrett’s face and he nodded quickly.

“You know of it?”

“Indeed.”

Straightening up, Eben thought for a moment and then gestured for Garrett to follow him. Without speaking, they wove their way through the guests, Marta pushing Garrett along behind Eben as they left the garden and found a small sitting room off the main hall in the house. Inside, Eben paced back and forth a few times before stopping and facing Garrett.

“I get the feeling that you would not agree to handing over the mirror, even if I inform you of how dangerous it is.”

Chuckling, Garrett shook his head, a sly smile appearing on his lips for a second before vanishing.

“I am well acquainted with the danger posed by mysterious artifacts, and feel more than suited to dealing with them.”

A twinge of suspicion ran through Eben’s gaze, but he hid it quickly and took a seat.

“In that case, I can only assume that your goal in revealing so much to me is to cooperate?”

“It's nice dealing with smart people,” Garrett said, nodding. “Let’s just say that this city isn’t the only one that has groups who deal with supernatural items and events. The dream does not only exist in this place.”

Straightening up, Eben nodded, his posture relaxing.

“You needn’t say any more. It would appear that our goals are aligned. How much do you know about the situation?”

“Honestly, very little. I know that the larger mirror was unsealed and sold to the Count’s daughter. I acquired an invitation for the purpose of discovering more about it, and seeing if it was possible to reseal it.”

“Then let me fill you in,” Eben said. “There have been two disappearances, all suspected to be the work of the mirror.”

Hearing Eben’s words, Garrett’s expression fell and he shook his head.

“That’s not good news. Have you seen it?”

“The mirror? No. According to what I could get from the count’s servants, it’s been moved into the basement somewhere. The problem is that there is a sea of stuff down there and no one knows where the mirror is. One of our agents has been searching but hasn’t found anything.”

“Do you think it's hiding itself intentionally?” Garrett asked, causing Eben’s eyes to grow wider.

“I hadn’t considered that possibility, but it could be. If it is, then the grade of the artifact would be much higher than we previously thought. If you have the hand mirror, however, maybe we could use that to find the large mirror.”

“That was my plan, but I think it might be best if we worked together on it,” Garrett said, nodding. “We should move soon, though. Or I fear we might lose more people.”

“I agree. What about tonight? Things should mostly wind down by two or three in the morning, but there will be enough people about that we shouldn’t stick out.”

Nodding, Garrett pointed toward the floor.

“Let's meet here. I’ll bring the mirror, and we can go down to the basement to see if we can find the other mirror. Do you have companions, or will it just be you?”

“I have a small team who will be in place to support us in case things get bad,” Eben nodded. “I’ll meet you here tonight.”

Standing up, Eben shot a glance at Marta and then left the room, leaving Garrett and Marta alone. After a few seconds, Marta opened her mouth to say something, but Garrett cut her off.

“Let's return to the room.”

Closing her mouth, Marta pushed Garrett out of the room and carried him up the two flights of stairs, soon arriving at the room they had been assigned. Opening the door, they entered and found the other two members of the team waiting for them. Henri was sitting by the fire, reading a book, but Grant was pacing nervously, his feet wearing a groove in the carpet.

“How did it go?”

“Ah! I have so many questions!”

Grant, and Marta, who had both spoken at the same time, looked at each other and then looked at Garrett, who raised his hand to stop another outburst.

“Henri, I’ve arranged with Eben to meet at three in the morning, to go look for the mirror which has been taken to the basement. I informed him that I had the small hand mirror that completes the set, and he agreed to have his team assist me in finding it.”

“You have the small mirror!” Grant said, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.

Shaking his head, Garrett wheeled over to his luggage and pulled out an object wrapped in cloth.

“No, I have a fake,” Garrett said, holding up a silver mirror that looked like the one he had taken from the necromancer. “I thought it might be useful, so I had it made this past week.”

Standing up, Henri strode over and took it from Garrett, looking it over carefully before nodding in relief.

“It's fake. At a distance it looks correct, but up close, it is clearly different.”

Letting out a long breath, Marta relaxed.

“Wow, even I was convinced that you actually had it. You shouldn’t mess with stuff like that, because mysterious artifacts really are incredibly dangerous.”

Smiling briefly, Garrett brought the subject back on track.

“If we can find the mirror, what is the process for figuring out how it works and what its cost is?”

“Unfortunately, there is no easy way,” Henri replied, giving the mirror back to Garrett. “Most often, our plan is to activate it and hope we survive whatever happens, long enough to figure out the curse and the cost. But until we know where it is, there is no way for us to come up with a concrete plan. If it's in the basement, then we’ll want to get down there early to hide, so that we’re in position when it's time to act. Grant and I will do that now, and you and Marta will meet with Eben like you planned.”

Glancing out the window at the dark sky, Garrett closed his eyes for a moment and nodded.

“That sounds like as good a plan as any. If you don’t mind, I’m going to rest a bit. All this excitement is quite draining, and I’d like to be full of energy and ready to go before we meet with Eben.”

“That’s fine,” Henri nodded. “We’ll see you in the basement.”

Refusing Marta’s offer to help him into the bed, Garrett wheeled his chair to the window and looked out over the glimmering light of the city, the ghost of a smile on his lips. He was about to roll into a dangerous situation with an uncountable number of variables outside his control, which was not at all his style. Half of his mind couldn’t understand why he was taking a risk like this, but the other half was loving it. Closing his eyes, he felt his connection to the dream and a moment later, he opened his eyes into a misty, fog covered world.

Five hours until we meet. Just enough time to stack the deck.

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