Page 95 of Arcane Entanglement

The mage’s mind raced as they left the occult researcher’s office and made their way to the Artificers’ lab.

“That Millbrook’s killer went to such lengths to misdirect us tells me time is of the essence in finding out what their goals are.”

“I agree,” Rufus said grimly. “Let’s hope that bunch of lunatics has better news for us.”

The Artificers’ lab was a stark contrast to Quentin's cluttered office. Here, everything was meticulously organised, from the gleaming instruments and machines atop the surfaces, to the carefully labelled artefacts lining shelves and cabinets against the walls.

Alas, the environment did not reflect the personalities of the people who worked there. The reputation of the AFD’s artificers for being crazed eccentrics had even reached the continent, much to the Commissioner’s ire.

Evander was surprised to see Brown when they entered the room.

The alchemist wore goggles as he stood beside a man in his fifties fiddling with the knobs of a machine that was sending lightning through a convoluted glass and metal mechanism to a clear, cylindrical chamber. The crystal vial pulsed with a faint blue light inside it where it was held between two clamps.

The hairs on the back of Evander’s neck stood on end at the magic crackling the air around the object.

Brown noticed them first. He removed his goggles, his expression brightening.

“Your Grace, Inspector. I assume you’re here about the vial?”

The gleam in the alchemist’s eyes told Evander they’d found something.

“Have you discovered what it is?”

Elias McAndrew, the chief Artificer, turned off the device he’d been manipulating. The cloud of magic around the crystal vial dissipated.

“Long time no see, your Grace.” McAndrew removed his protective glasses and pinned them with an excited stare. “I must say, whoever made this thing is a prodigy.”

“How about you tell us what it actually is, first?” Rufus asked impatiently.

McAndrew grinned and opened the compartment holding the vial. He removed it from the brackets and handed it to Evander.

“As near as we can tell, it’s some kind of conduit for raw energy.”

A chill danced down Evander’s spine as he stared at the object warming his palm.

The artificer and the alchemist continued speaking, oblivious to his growing dread.

“The liquid inside is a stabilising agent of some sort,” Brown explained. “What it’s meant for won’t be clear until we see the device it’s intended for.”

“Device?” Rufus repeated.

McAndrew nodded. “This vial is a component of something larger.”

Evander’s pulse quickened. “Some kind of artefact?”

McAndrew and Brown shared a glance.

“That’s our best guess, yes,” Brown said.

A troubled light darkened McAndrew’s eyes for a moment.

Evander lowered his brows. “What is it you’re not telling us?”

McAndrew hesitated, his gaze flitting to the vial. “I suspect whatever the device is, it can potentially harness massive amounts of energy.”

The coldness gripping Evander intensified.

“What kind of energy?” Rufus said warily.