Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

Pairing: KaitoxShinichi

Chapter Rating: T

Collection Summary: No matter where or what they are, their lives are always entwined. KaiShin stories in fantasy settings.

Chapter Summary: A promising lead in the investigation of Toichi's murder takes Kaito and Shinichi to the home of the secretive Ebon Mages.

Chasing Shadows

[Castle Verse]

Part 8

They rose early the following morning and ate a simple breakfast with Ethan in the hotel's small restaurant.

"So how does this work exactly?" Kaito asked as the three of them set out for their meeting with the Order.

"Well," Ethan began. "It's pretty straight forward. They have a special examination room for people bringing gems. They'll ask us to lay everything out. Then we'll be asked to wait while they go over everything and decide what the Order will buy. Anything that they don't buy but approve, we'll be allowed to take to the jewelers' market. We'll get a special pass for that."

"Will they ask us to leave right away if the Order buys everything?" asked Shinichi.

"No. We should get a week long pass either way—unless we somehow offend them anyway, like if they discover we tried to pass them a fake or something. Or if they think our goods are too low quality. Then we'd be kicked out right away. But since everything we brought is at least decent, we shouldn't have to worry about that."

"And do we just watch them conduct their examination?" asked Kaito.

"You can if you want to. If you don't, you can visit the parts of the building that are open to the public," Ethan replied. "I like to go to the gallery. They have some truly spectacular artwork there. There's also a refectory and a library. Really, the only thing you can't do is leave the building."

Kaito frowned. "What, you mean like we're prisoners until they're done examining our merchandise?"

"Er, I wouldn't put it that way." Ethan laughed a little awkwardly. "Frankly, most people who are here to sell gemstones wouldn't want to wander off anyway. I mean, they are gems after all."

"I was wondering about that actually," the magician said. "Shouldn't one of us stay to watch the exam? I'm not saying I don't trust these people or anything," he added hastily like he was worried that he might be offending someone. "It just seems like it would be the smarter thing to do."

Ethan only shrugged. "Like I said, you can if you want to, but the Ebon Mages have a pretty good reputation in these things. That's why people with gems to sell like to bring them here when they can. I've never heard anyone complain about being cheated by the Order. In fact, most people feel they pay exceptionally well—above market value even for anything they really want."

"I guess that's good then."

"It is," the older man agreed readily. "It means we can just relax and wait until they're done."

"I like the idea of the library," Shinichi commented. "Have you ever been there?"

"I'm not really a big reader," Ethan admitted, looking embarrassed. "And it's kind of a hassle getting in. So I've never gone in myself. I've passed by the door though."

"What did you mean when you said getting in was a hassle?" asked Kaito.

"Let's see. To enter, you have to undergo an examination so that they can be sure you're not a mage in disguise, non-Ebon mages not being allowed and all, though that shouldn't be a problem for any of us since we're not magicians. But then they also interview all non-residents about what you'll be looking for. I believe they track your position while you're in the archives to make sure you only go where you say you'll go and don't venture into the magic archives. Those are strictly off limits."

Kaito whistled. "I can see why you think it's a hassle."

"I'd still like to go though," Shinichi murmured, putting as much wistfulness into his voice as he could.

"Don't worry, Miss Shina, I'm sure I'm making it sound worse than it is," Ethan said hastily. "Just take some time now to think of which parts of the archives you'd like to visit. Then you should be able to get through the interview quickly and have plenty of time to check out the books."

They were greeted at the grand, stone Order building by a pair of grim-faced guards who asked them for the names and business before checking their tokens. It was only then that they were finally allowed inside. They were met immediately by an Order mage who led them across the echoing entrance hall, through several long corridors and up a flight of stairs into a chamber where a long table sat waiting covered in a thick, velvet cloth stitched with glimmering runes. More mages were waiting for them here.

As Ethan had predicted, they were directed to lay out their wares. Together, the three merchant representatives did so, lining their selection of gemstones up in glittering rows. Kaito marveled silently to himself. He knew a thing or two about gems, and these were quality stones. He wondered if it might be possible for him to purchase some of them if the Ebon Mages didn't buy them all. A magician could always find a use for good gems.

Once they were done, the mage who had brought them to the interview room asked to see their tokens. In his hands, the silver coins flashed and became gold.

"These will grant you entry to the gallery and other such areas," he explained. "You may stay here if you wish, but, if you do not, feel free to look around. When we are done with our assessment of these stones, the tokens will turn blue. Return here at that time, and we will go over our decisions with you."

Since none of them really wanted to hang around and watch the mages work, the three merchant representatives left. Since Ethan remembered that Shina wanted to see the library, he led them to a guarded corridor that he said led to the archives. Knowing that he couldn't allow himself anywhere near the mage detection spells, Kaito professed to be in dire need of something to drink and asked his 'wife' if she would be all right on her own. Shina assured both men that she would, and the trio parted ways.

Shinichi took a deep breath, braced himself and headed down the hallway. He didn't have far to go before an enormous pair of double doors appeared before him. There was a guard seated at a table by the doors, but Shinichi didn't even notice him at first. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the forest of tall shelves beyond the doors, which were currently propped wide open. All those books! The library at Clover Castle was far from small, but this… And to think, none of the bookstores they'd been able to visit had had much of a selection. It really wasn't fair that he would only be allowed a handful of hours here.

The guard cleared his throat loudly, making Shinichi jump.

"Did you want to go inside?" the man asked with an amused quirk to the corner of his mouth the suggested he already knew the answer.

Shinichi blushed. "O—oh, uh, yes, I would, if I can." He quickly reviewed what Shiho had told them. The guard before her had a thin mustache and a diagonal scar under his right eye just as Shiho had predicted, so this had to be the guard she had described: a mage skilled at combat but whose arrogance tended to blind him to other people's skills.

"He thinks anyone who can't use magic is beneath him and lacking in intelligence," Shiho had said. "Just act like a silly tourist, and you shouldn't have any trouble with him. He likes showing off too, so, if you need anything, just pretend you're an idiot who thinks he's amazing and praise him a lot. He won't be able to resist showing off just how much more he knows. HE particularly likes showing off in front of women."

"I'll need to see your token," the guard said.

"Oh, right." Shinichi made a show of fumbling through his coat pockets before eventually coming up with the gold token. He held it out to the guard, who took it, gave it a careless once over then passed it back.

"All right. Now I'll have to cast a detection spell on you to make sure you're qualified to enter the library," he said, rising to his feet and walking around the table to stand in front of Shinichi. "It's best if you don't move until I'm finished."

Shinichi widened his eyes and took a tiny step back as though he were nervous. "Wait, a spell?"

He smiled condescendingly at 'her'. "Yes. Just to determine whether you are a mage. It won't hurt."

"Oh. Um, okay. So, uh…do I need to do anything?"

"No. Just stay where you are and don't move until I say you can."

Shinichi nodded mutely and waited. He was somewhat bemused by the way the man squared his shoulders, shook back his sleeves then raised his arms. Talk about unnecessary drama. But keeping in mind what Shino had said, he did his best to look cowed by the dramatics. His Kaito liked to show off too, but Kaito's idea of showing off was to do amazing things and make them look easy, not to make a big fuss over not very much.

An orb of light ignited between the guard's upraised hands, and Shinichi flinched in surprise. The reaction got a smirk from the guard, which only further lowered Shinichi's opinion of the man. Still, he managed to put on a nervous face as the orb of light was lowered over his head because he was feeling some real trepidation. He wasn't a mage, but he did live with one. Was it remotely possible that the detection spell would pick up traces of that? But it seemed he had been worried for nothing because, once the light had enveloped him then vanished, the guard nodded and returned to his table, pulling out a guestbook.

"I'll need your full name, why you're here and a list of the topics you're interested in."

"Oh, well, I'm actually here with my husband." Shinichi had to work hard not to stutter over the words, and he couldn't suppress a faint blush. "He works for the Oyumis. My name is Kozuki Shina. And, well, they told us we were free to look around until they were done reviewing the gems we brought. And I've always loved to read. So when I heard there was a library here, I just had to come and see it."

"Of course. We do have an incredible collection. And which parts of our archives did you wish to visit?"

Shinichi frowned, endeavoring to look as though he was thinking hard. "Really, I' like all kinds of books. Maybe something historical, like about famous artifacts. Or maybe about myths. I've always loved hearing the myths and legends from different places. Oh! Or maybe something about jewels. I feel like I should learn a bit more about them since my Kaito's getting into the gemstone business. Though I guess I might prefer stories…"

The guard's eyes slowly glazed over as Shinichi rambled until he finally cut 'her' off with an impatient wave of the hand.

"I'll put you down for the myths and legends archives then. You should have plenty to look over there. We even have several books on myths and legends around gems," he added as an afterthought. "I'll give you the directions. Just wait a moment."

And so it was with a certain sense of satisfaction that Shinichi strode into the splendid library.

Once inside, he forgot all about the guard as the sheer magnificence of the seemingly endless sea of books washed over him. It was breathtaking! Shelves upon shelves all packed with books stretching as far as the eye could see! And all of it bathed in a soft, gold green light that made you feel as though you were walking through tranquil woods on a clear, summer morning. Again, Shinichi lamented that he had so little time to explore this treasure trove.

The guard's directions led him to a series of shelves deep within the library well out of view of the front doors. And though Shinichi had passed a few other visitors on his way through the library, this particular area was currently deserted. He thanked whatever higher powers might be listening for that because he couldn't afford to be seen using one of the library's magical logs.

According to Shiho, every archive contained a magical log book which could be identified as it was always set on a black, marble pedestal near the heart of that archive. The log books could only be accessed by people who knew the proper passwords, which was why the Ebon Mages didn't typically worry that a visitor might look through them. Not, granted, that the information in those books would typically be considered all that important. But someone accessing the log books would not only be able to see a record of all the books the library contained but also who had recently borrowed said books. It was an expedient tool for searching for books as well.

It took Shinichi only a few minutes to locate the myth and legends archive's log book and open it with the three current passwords. The book opened on lists upon lists of titles, but he placed his hand flat on the pages as Shiho had instructed and said, "Search."

Instantly, the pages went blank. Shiho had said he would have ten seconds to tell the log any key words relating to the books he wished to find. Only books that contained all those words would appear.

"Pandora," he told it. "Jewel, immortality."

The pages filled with text again.

Shinichi's heart rate sped up in growing excitement, but he forced himself to take a deep breath and calm down.

There were six books on his list—which was frankly more than he had dared hope for.

"Impossible or Not? An Exploration of Legendary Magic," he read out loud. That sounded very promising, but unfortunately the book wasn't in this archive. And it was checked out anyway. The Fountain of Youth and Other Myths was in this archive but was also checked out—as was Cursed Jewels Through the Ages and The Nameless Empire. In fact, Shinichi saw with dismay, every book on his list was checked out no matter which archive they were in. What was more, they had all been checked out by the same two people. He committed their names to memory. He also memorized the titles and authors just in case. If they were lucky, they might be able to find the books elsewhere.

Then he told the log to "Clear" and shut its cover. He hoped Kaito wouldn't be too disappointed.

-To be Continued-