141 The Sponsor (2/2)

Kallista laughed, and this time, it was genuine laughter and not the merchant bullshit she gave everyone else.

\”You are intelligent, Dean,\” she said, leaning over the table so that she could peer into my eyes much closer. \”There is something I want more than the offers you've given me… I want your fairy gift.\”

If I was a cartoon character, my eyes would have popped out of my sockets after hearing what I just heard.

\”Wait… what?\” I asked.

Kallista leaned back on her chair and crossed her chest.

\”I want your fairy gift, Dean,\” she repeated.

\”Dean, no,\” Aura whispered urgently into my ears. \”Your gift… it's not like most fairy gifts.\”

I knew that. We'd talked enough times about the Sense Knights of the old Fairy King for me not to know just how much potential my fairy gift had. But it was Ty we were talking about. I couldn't just abandon him, not if all I needed to do was give an eye. At least, I hope that was all I needed to give.

\”How would you take it from me?\” I asked.

\”Dean…\” Aura began, but I turned to her and said the exact same thing I'd been thinking just now.

\”Dear spirits, I won't cut out your eyes, boy,\” Kallista laughed again. \”Although it is interesting that you'd think so… No, all I want is for you to bless my talisman with your gift.\”

Kallista pulled out a rectangular case she'd hidden underneath her well-endowed breasts and dropped the case onto the table.

I reached out and took it, inspecting the wooden case that was roughly the size of an iPhone.

\”Open it,\” she urged.

I did as she asked and separated the two halved of the wooden case. Inside was a blank card that was strangely similar in proportion to the tarot card I often saw in my mind's eye whenever I activated Fool's Insight.

\”It's a gift card,\” Aura breathed. \”But those are incredibly difficult to create.\”

Kallista nodded. \”They are indeed hard to procure, but I have my ways.\”

\”Someone clue me in… what is this gift card?\” I asked confused.

Aura plucked the card from my fingers and inspected it herself.

\”Gift cards are created from mana-infused tree bark, which gives them the ability to hold the power of a fairy gift for later use,\” she answered.

\”Wow… that's amazing,\” I said, plucking the card out of Aura's fingers and inspecting it again.

\”But the power stored in them can only be used once and then the card becomes useless,\” Aura explained. \”Creating a single card is very expensive which is why many have deemed gift cards a wasted investment.\”

\”And yet,\” Kallista interrupted. \”With the right gift, such a card would hold great value. Indeed, I imagine a gift of the senses would fetch as high a price as what you'd ask from me for your friend.\”

I placed the card down on the table.

\”I never told you about my gift,\” I said, raising an eyebrow.

Kallista raised an eyebrow of her own when she replied with, \”Is that really so surprising? I make it a point to learn whatever I can of those I choose to have dealings with, especially young human commanders who've shown incredibly speedy growth in the short time since his arrival.\”

There was a smirk on her face that I couldn't help but copy. I would have done the same in her shoes. In fact, I did do the same which is why I had so much faith in this salamander auctioneer.

\”If the gift card is temporary, I assume you won't take all my power from me,\” I guessed.

Kallista nodded. \”A night's worth per card, I believe.\”

\”A night's worth?\” I glanced down at the card on the table.

There was only one there, but then I noticed that there were more cards in the case, a total of three.

Both Aura and I glanced at each other. No Fool's Insight for three whole nights with one of those nights being the night of Samhain itself. That was a scary proposition. After all, I'd relied on my fairy gift so much that I'd feel naked without it even for a single night.

Luckily, Aura was quick on the uptake which is exactly why I asked her to stay with me for the meeting. She was the haggler after all.

\”If we agree to this, then we'd prefer the trade happens after we rescue Ty and escape the desert,\” Aura insisted. \”Preferably when we're all back at Hoodwink Tower.\”

Kallista shook her head.

\”That simply won't do, princess,\” Kallista disagreed. \”I can agree to a little risk but I would need proof that this investment will not turn sour.\”

She raised one finger to our eye level.

\”One card tonight and we can defer the others once we're all in a friendlier place,\” Kallista insisted.

Aura and I gave each other another worried glance. But eventually, I had to agree to Kallista's demand. There really wasn't another option.

\”Fine…\” I picked up the card I'd placed on the table. \”How do I use this thing?\”