I found another section:
If The Circle falters, the world will burn?—
“So he was obsessed with you,” Ace spoke behind me.
I squeaked and jumped to my feet, the journal slipping from my hands and hitting the ground with a loud thump. The journal broke apart into a disintegrated pile of ash.
“I mean, I can’t blame him.” He reached forward and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “I’m obsessed, too.”
“Just the confused ramblings of an old man, if you ask me.”
“Maybe. But he had one thing right.”
“And what’s that?” I brushed off my hands on my pants.
“You are dangerous.”
That shouldn’t make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but it did. I rolled back my shoulders and lifted my chin. “I am.”
“And modest.”
“Learned from the best.” I dropped my gaze and studied the wooden box in Ace’s hand. “What do you have there?”
Ace lifted the item. It was a simple thing with no inlaid designs or carvings, but it was well made. The wood was smooth and stained. The pieces fit together seamlessly.
“It’s the only thing unlabelled in his closet,” Ace said.
Interesting.
“And locked.”
“The plot thickens. Are you going to look around for the key or are you going to ask me to grope you again for the lock picks?”
His grin spread across his face and heat flashed in his gaze. “Do you promise to say yes, if I ask?”
“No.” I paused. “Maybe.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Sadly, there’s no need for you to manhandle me right now. At least not to open the chest. I went ahead and unlocked it.” He swung the lid open.
An old-looking dagger sat on top of faded black silk. I reached out and ran my fingers along the gem-studded hilt. “It’s pretty.”
“I think it’s phaanon.”
“What makes you think that?”
“I could touch the blade.”
“Huh.” I let my magic out and caressed the metal with my power. It wasn’t iron. It was some other kind of metal.
Something sparked in response to my magic. It didn’t flare or come to life, so much as it sputtered. A tremor of sadness vibrated along my connection to the object before it fizzled out.
“There’s something wrong with it,” I said.
Ace nodded. “I think it’s broken.”
“O’Reilly had a lot more secrets in his closet.” I glanced down. “And fireplace than I ever expected. I just thought he was a grumpy old man. Turns out he was also conniving and plotting the complete collapse of our society.”
“He was full of layers.” Ace nodded.
