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“I knew you’d be the best person to reach out to.” Dawson stepped aside so Tanaka could see the relic. The Wielder’s eyes widened.
“I have never seen it in person before. Is it still functioning?”
The image of her calling Inseeli from the dark dimensions replayed in her mind.
“Yes, very much so,” Dawson replied, and Mira was grateful he didn’t give further details. “You better lock it up tight. The council is after it.”
The old man smiled softly. “Oh, I’m aware. Don’t worry.”
He pulled out a protective casing and placed it on the table.
No wonder Dawson didn’t tell her any of the details. He was going to sell the relic. She had assumed they would destroy it. How naive of her.
“Eight million quants, as discussed,” Tanaka said, and handed him a suitcase.
Dawson actually made money off this. When it was all done, Tanaka placed the relic in the protective casing.
“Pleasure doing business with you,” he said, and then flipped a coin and disappeared.
“You sold it?” Mira asked, incredulous, once he was gone.
“Of course I did. I couldn’t keep it. Once the council found out, they would have used me to bring it to them.”
“You should have destroyed it.”
He laughed. “Spoken like a true Caster.”
“It would have been the right thing to do.”
“No, it would have been a waste of money.”
As if he needed more.
“Don’t worry. Nobody can get to the relic now. Tanaka has the best security in all the spheres. Dealing in dark artifacts comes with certain risks.”
“It would have been even safer if we’d destroyed it.”
“I don’t really see how that would have benefitted me.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Unbelievable.”
He chuckled. “Come, I want to show you something.”
Dawson led her through the winding hallways of his estate. When he opened a heavy wooden door, her mouth fell open. Books and scrolls were neatly organized on massive shelves that reached the tall ceiling. Stepping into the library, she was stunned by the size of the collection.
“This is incredible,” she managed to say as her eyes traveled over the rows and rows of shelves.
He smiled proudly. “I am ready to accept your apology anytime.”
“Apology? For what?”
“For calling Harrington’s mansion better than my estate.”
She laughed, having forgotten about that silly competition between the two Wielders. “Ah, so this is you bribing me into liking the estate better?”
“Not bribing. I’m simply showing you the evidence of why mine is superior.”
Her hand traveled along a row of old books bound in leather, and she stopped at one in particular. “Is this a first edition?”
