I was certain that Ern’s parents knew even less than I did. I felt humbled by the fact that they were so determined to pass along Ern’s words.
Nika looked skyward as we walked. Rain was getting all the more likely, and she urged us to hurry. At the far end of the garden was a tree, planted to give the garden a little more for the eyes to enjoy. Given its purpose, it wasn’t a particularly good place to hide things, but that was if you were human. When you knelt down to dog-level, you could see a number of potential hiding spots.
For a moment, I wondered why Ern would hide anything out here, but I quickly remembered that everything in the house that was even remotely suspicious had been confiscated.
“There’s a bone in here,” said Nika, kneeling down to search through a likely scrub, “but I don’t see anything else...”
“Let me take a look,” I said, kneeling down beside her.
There was indeed a bone nestled into a little section of dug-up earth, but beyond it was a small bag hanging from the back branches. It was odd—I wasn’t sure how Nika could have missed it, and even when I pointed it out she couldn’t spot the purple bag. It was only after I took it in hand that Nika and Reinald noticed it.
“It’s made of the same material as the House Elders’ coats,” said Reinald.
“But it’s much smaller than I expected,” said Nika. “I was expecting a tool or an item of some kind—something much bigger than this.”
It was reasonably heavy, however, and felt like it had a rock or something inside of it. I opened the bag to reveal a black sphere.
“Is it a jewel of some kind?” I asked, marveling at how smooth it was.
It looked like obsidian. It was cool to the touch, and it seemed to dully reflect the light when I held it up. I was amazed at how neatly it had been crafted into a sphere. It might have been worth quite a bit were we to have it appraised, but that seemed too simple a thing for Ern.
All three of us were left scratching our heads at the discovery. Nika and I had both been expecting something more...useful. Some kind of utensil or otherwise, perhaps a booklet. This jewellike sphere gave us more questions than it did answers.
“Ern wouldn’t have hidden just a jewel...” I muttered.
“I’m certain that’s no ordinary stone,” said Reinald. “I’m not sure how long it has been hidden there, but all the same, it’s unnaturally clean.”
“You’re right,” uttered Nika. “The bag too. The fact that we couldn’t see it also indicates that the bag was under the influence of magic.”
“She also went to the trouble of using Elder material for the bag. This is what she intended for us to find, there’s no doubt about it.”
That was one question answered, but there were still so many others left to go.
“Let’s bring it inside,” said Nika. “It looks like it’s about to rain.”
It pittered and pattered around us, and it was only a matter of time before the rain would begin in earnest. We went back inside, and tea was served. I felt decidedly awkward about how things had turned out—I’d given Reinald what I promised, but it was so puzzling in and of itself.
“So, how are we supposed to use it?” asked Nika.
“I don’t feel anything odd when I touch it,” mused Reinald.
We were huddled around the dining room table, the black sphere sitting between us.
“It looks like obsidian, but it’s not,” Reinald continued. “And yet it doesn’t look like just an ordinary stone either. Any ideas, Nika?”
“My apologies, but I am woefully uninformed when it comes to jewels. All I see is a black stone.”
“A stone. Just a stone...?” I muttered.
Reinald let the sphere roll around on his palm while he sipped at his tea. The wind outside had grown stronger, and it rattled the windows. It would have been one thing if the sphere changed or transformed in some way, but it did nothing when we touched it.
How is this supposed to help us destroy the box, then?
“Could we learn something more by showing it to another mage?” asked Nika.
“Six would be our best bet, but he hasn’t responded to us at all today.”
“Which is to say, you saw him yesterday?”
“Yes. It would seem his business with the emperor has concluded.”
I wonder how Six feels about Ern’s passing...?
“Six, he...” started Reinald. “No, I think it’s best you ask him yourself.”
Until I could, I had to decide exactly what I wanted to ask him. I was trying to stay calm, but so much was going on all at once that I felt my brain hitting its upper limits. I couldn’t deny I was high-strung, and there was likely a lot I couldn’t see clearly at present.
“Well, I can’t make heads or tails of it,” I said finally. “Feel free to take it with you, Sir Reinald, and best of luck.”
“Would you mind keeping a hold of it, Karen?”
“Not in the slightest, but do be aware that even if I do, I still can’t do anything.”
“I don’t like the idea of keeping this in the palace, especially when its exact use is still unclear. I’d like you to keep it here until Six has a chance to take a proper look at it. The Conrad home has already been thoroughly searched, and Ern’s possessions confiscated—it’s unlikely the knights will think to search here again.”
Six was not the only mage in the royal palace. There were others, and Reinald worried that there could be trouble if any of them sensed the sphere. I was happy to go along with the suggestion, though admittedly it made me a little nervous to be in possession of something so very important. Still, it being a keepsake of sorts, I wanted it close at hand.
“I’ll send Six as soon as I can,” said Reinald. “And I’ll also ensure the Quach couple are safe—I’m sure that will go a long way toward assuaging your worries, yes?”
“You know me too well. If you could do that for me, I can concentrate more thoroughly on the box, yes.”
“We’ll want to increase security around here too. Nika?”
“I’ll put Haring and Elena on it. They’re newly married, so they’re a perfect fit. It’ll be refreshing for them too, so make use of them as you see fit, Karen.”
“As glad as I am for the reassurance, Nika, is it really okay to throw our neighbors into work so suddenly? They’re newlyweds, after all. I feel bad asking them for so much.”
“Don’t. They’re workaholics who don’t rest even when you tell them to. Putting them on your security detail is about the most rest we can hope for from them.”
That was the reason they were at home. They were supposed to be on leave.
“Speaking of rest, they’ve been inviting a lot of friends to their home of late. You can hear them in the garden—they’re very lively.”
“Haring is a man with many friends, and he enjoys playing host and treating them all well. I’m sure many wish to celebrate his union with Elena.”
“As a result, however, Elena keeps telling me she rarely has a moment to relax.”
I had always thought of her as an extrovert, but actually, it was Haring who preferred to surround himself with company.
“My subordinates aren’t a nuisance to you, I hope,” said Reinald.
“Elena and Haring know restraint, and their parties never run into the late night. That said, I have told them that I don’t like being left out of all the fun.”
Reinald raised his teacup to his lips and spoke not a word. Nika merely nodded. Words were, it seemed, entirely unnecessary. It wasn’t just the Conrads who knew about the parties—the whole neighborhood was aware of them. And while nobody else suspected anything, I happened to know what was hidden in Elena and Haring’s home, and so I did suspect something.
The underground waterways beneath Elena and Haring’s house had to be explored, but it wasn’t like Reinald could just send search teams in. The entrance to the waterways—and their connection to the Tower of the Eye—had to be kept secret, which left a question: How do you keep a confidential search under wraps in the middle of a residential area?