"Go. The warrant has arrived. Apartment and shop. I need you to go to both to make sure there are no places hidden by spells," Lombardi said as he came in. "Go with Matt."
The wizard's apartment was located within a residential complex. The housemaid who opened the door stepped aside and remained motionless, staring at them wide-eyed while he and Matt checked every room.
They found no trace of the ring.
During the drive to the shop, Zeyang leaned back against the seat, nibbling at the knuckle of his right index finger. Liam and Andy had found nothing at the shop, and he doubted his inspection would change things.
He kept wondering whether the Museum object and the ring were connected.
The shop was on a small street in the old town. A small store where the wizard sold his services and take-away spells.
The owner waited stiffly inside and denied knowing Lou Riddle.
As soon as he stepped inside, Zeyang felt as if he had entered a shop of lights. Most of the objects glimmered with magic.
There was also a secret hiding place where they found a pouch containing a bluish powder and a stone that emitted a very strong light to Zeyang's eyes.
They left the place empty-handed as the shops were closing.
"Want me to take you home, boss?" Matt asked, looking at him.
Zeyang shook his head against the seat. "I left my bike at headquarters."
"Are you sure? You look wrecked. Tomorrow I can come pick you up."
"No thanks, I'm fine," Zeyang replied, even though his eyes burned and his head ached.
The officer raised an eyebrow but added nothing: he knew Zeyang well enough to know he didn't like interference in his life.
When he arrived at headquarters, Lance, the doorman, told him there was someone waiting for him in his office.
Matt waved goodbye from the car and drove off, while he went up to the upper floor.
He stopped short when he saw Lu Shen sitting in one of the armchairs in his room. He was reading a book.
He stepped forward, straightening his posture and putting on a smile. "Have you been waiting long? …wait?" It had come naturally to address him informally.
The wizard stood up, closing the book. "No," he replied politely. "I wanted to leave you this book. It might be useful to you," he continued, switching to the informal as well. Then he looked at him more closely. "Are you all right?"
Zeyang nodded, stretching his smile further.
Lu Shen observed the pale, drawn face but said nothing more. "Good, then I'll go."
"Thank you," the other said, indicating the book. "I'll take care of it and return it to you."
The wizard nodded. As he passed by him, he stopped. "I believe you have overused your power these days. You must restore your inner energy before using it again. Seekers often have frail health precisely because of excessive use of it. I know you can't shut it off, but you must allow yourself the proper breaks."
Zeyang held his breath and remained silent, looking at him. No one ever came this close to him. No one had ever allowed themselves to speak of his fragility.
Lu Shen moved on and left.
The detective turned and watched him disappear down the corridor, then picked up the book. It was an ancient handwritten tome. The drawings showed magical artifacts, with descriptions beneath them.
He carefully put it into his backpack and then left.
In the corridor he met Lombardi. "How did it go?" the chief asked him.
"Nothing," Zeyang replied, adjusting the backpack on his shoulders.
"Don't come in tomorrow. Rest. And try to eat something decent tonight," the werewolf told him.
The detective nodded and left.
---
When he got home, he let himself fall onto the bed. His stomach, however, reminded him that he had skipped both lunch and dinner, and that the night before he had eaten barely a sandwich.
He got up with difficulty and went to check the refrigerator, but found nothing, then moved on to the kitchen cupboards, where he found a package of instant noodles. He heated the water and sat down to eat them, then put on his pajamas and buried himself under the covers.