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“Yes, thank you,” Jadren agreed.Though he made a face when Gabriel handed him the snifter.“You know, Phel, if you want to compete with the High Houses, you’re going to have to up the quality of your liquor offerings.”
“If only in that arena,” Gabriel replied, lifting his own snifter in an air toast, “you and Nic are in agreement.”
“An Elal always brings their own level of snobbery to any enterprise,” Jadren said, making it sound as if he was only agreeing with something Gabriel had observed.
Gabriel set his teeth, refusing to be baited.“Is there a reason for this visit?I do have work.”
Jadren nodded easily.“I signed your contract.”
“I noticed.”
“Regardless of it being highly irregular.”
Gabriel said nothing.
“Even though I didn’t need to, given that my mother ensured you can’t kick me out.”
Gabriel only raised a brow.
Jadren bit out an impatient sigh.“I dislike cooling my heels and doing nothing.May I have entrée to the workshop space, Lord Phel?”
Oh, that.“Yes,” he answered easily, resisting the urge to smile at Jadren’s obvious irritation that he’d been made into a supplicant.Gabriel fished out the key and handed it to Jadren.“Let me know if your wizardry is insufficient to use this in the lock,” he said, adding a tone of sympathy just to ruffle the arrogant wizard’s feathers.“And stay clear of the water-filled pit.No one is to approach it without my express permission.I’ve warded it to prevent any accidental incursions.”
Jadren grunted, examining the silver key.“You made this, I take it?”
“For internal use only,” Gabriel replied, watching the other wizard carefully.“I understand the lock itself is centuries into common domain.”
Snorting softly, Jadren eyed him, turning the key in his fingers.“Your familiar is at least redressing some of the lacunae in your understanding of Convocation trademark law.But I’m not here to report your enchanted artifact transgressions to my esteemed mother, if that’s your concern.”
“My concern is that I don’t know why youarehere,” Gabriel said softly.
Jadren flashed a quick grin.“I am a wizard of mystery.”He held up the key.“You made this from moon magic?”
“From moonlight,” Gabriel conceded, figuring the other wizard knew plenty about him already.If the NDA and contract didn’t muzzle him, nothing would.“Moonlight solidifies as silver,” he added, refraining from saying that he didn’t know why.
“There are rumors, you know,” Jadren said thoughtfully, holding the key up to the light, “that sun magic wizards can make it into gold.I never credited those stories.”When Gabriel didn’t reply, Jadren huffed without humor.“After all, why bother selling products if you can simply make your own gold?”
Gabriel recognized the question in there.“The silver persists, and it passes muster as real silver, but the magic spend is considerable.”
“Not for a wizard with access to the most powerful familiar known to exist.”
Smiling thinly, Gabriel didn’t say he had no intention of draining Nic to line his pockets.They had other ways of enriching House Phel.
Jadren dipped his chin and pocketed the key.“This ever-replenishing water flask—got a sample?”
Going to his big fancy desk, Gabriel opened a drawer and retrieved the flask.It was his only one, but he could always make another, Convocation trademark law notwithstanding.He and Vale wouldn’t be traveling anytime soon.
Jadren took it, examining it much as he had with the key.Focusing his wizard senses, Gabriel could determine that the man was using wizardry to analyze the flask, but not exactly what kind of magic Jadren used.Interesting, given Jadren’s missing MP scorecard.Oblivious to Gabriel’s scrutiny—or studiously ignoring it—Jadren unstoppered the flask.“Not a very sophisticated mechanism,” he noted.
“Isn’t that your department?”Gabriel inquired blandly.
“Fortunately for you, yes.”Jadren sniffed the contents.Pouring some water onto his palm, he tasted it, brows climbing in what might be appreciation.“It’s pure?”
“Naturally.”
“Is that difficult?”
“Not for me.”
