Chapter 84 | Purchasing CloudWeave Bed
The jewelry store next door was larger than the relic shop he had visited earlier.
The air was different here. The display cases near the entrance held rings and earrings, but Dexter walked past them without a second glance. He moved deeper into the store, until he reached the necklace section at the far end.
He still condone find it.
Then he pulled out his phone, opened the image of Mira’s necklace again, and walked to the clerk’s desk.
The clerk was a woman also. Dexter turned the phone screen toward her.
"I am looking for something that matches this," Dexter said.
The clerk studied the image on Dexter’s phone for a long time.
"This is a type three relic, possibly type four," she said in a professional tone.
"Pieces like this do not circulate through standard retail channels. They are typically commissioned by the major families. The Ashfords, the Vances, the Hargroves. When items of this caliber are produced, they are reserved for the wives and daughters of those households. You would not find one in a public shop."
Dexter’s frown deepened. "What about the auction houses?"
The clerk shook her head slowly. "Even at auction, a piece like this would draw fierce bidding from the major families. A private individual without family backing would find it nearly impossible to secure. I am not saying it is impossible, but it would be very, very difficult."
Dexter was quiet for a moment.
"Can I get an imitation?" he asked.
The clerk’s expression tightened. She glanced toward the front of the store, then back at Dexter. "I am not supposed to discuss that,"
She said quietly. "Recommending imitation goods to a customer is against store policy. I could lose my position."
Dexter held her gaze for a moment, then reached into his pocket. "Two thousand. Just for the information."
The clerk frowned and shook her head.
"Three thousand."
She shook her head again, but this time she did not step back.
She did not walk away. She stood exactly where she was, her fingers resting on the edge of the display case, her eyes flickering with something that was not quite refusal.
"Five thousand," Dexter said.
The clerk was still for several seconds.
She looked at the floor, then at the ceiling, then at the front of the store where a manager was visible through the glass partition, sorting through inventory paperwork.
Then she looked back at Dexter and gave a small, slow nod.
"There is a place," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "About an hour from here, east of the commercial district, past the old warehousing blocks. Tell them Mara sent you."
Dexter smiled as he nodded. "Thank you."
The clerk smiled, tilting her head slightly, and said, "You are welcome. Please come back and purchase more items if you wish. I am always here to help."
Dexter pursed his lips and rolled his eyes.
She was shrewd. Five thousand for a sentence, and now she was already angling for a return visit that might bring more. But she knew her business, and he could not fault her for that.
He turned and left the store without another word.
The black market was an hour away, and he fully intended to go there.
But on his way, he passed a building that caught his attention.
It was a furniture store, but not the ordinary kind. The storefront was wide and grand, with large display windows showcasing elegantly arranged room sets that looked like they belonged in a mansion rather than a retail floor.
The sign above the entrance read Celestine Home, and beneath it, in smaller script,
Furnishings for the Extraordinary.
Dexter paused. He wanted to purchase beds for the girls and himself so he went inside.
As expected, it looked really nice. A sales representative approached him with a polite smile, but Dexter waved her off and headed straight for the elevator.
"Which floor has the beds?" he asked as the doors closed.
"Third floor, sir."
The third floor opened into a long, wide gallery lined with beds.
Dozens of them. They ranged from simple platform frames to elaborate four poster designs with canopies and carved headboards.
Each bed was made up with premium linens and arranged in its own small vignette, complete with nightstands, lamps, and accent pillows, as though inviting the customer to imagine falling asleep right there in the store.
Dexter walked the length of the gallery, scanning each option. Queen sizes, king sizes, California kings.
He sat on several of them, testing the firmness.m but it dishes reach his requirements.
Then he reached the end of the gallery and found a bed that stopped him in his tracks.
It was a king size platform bed with a low, sleek frame made from dark ironwood, a material so dense that it was rumored to be slightly resistant to mana.
The frame alone was striking, but the mattress was what commanded attention. It was thick, easily a foot and a half deep, and it had a slight iridescent quality to its surface,
Dexter sat down on the edge.
The mattress yielded beneath him like sinking into warm water.
It was soft, impossibly soft, but it did not collapse.
There was structure beneath the softness that rose up to meet his weight and distribute it evenly, so that he felt supported and cradled at the same time.
He shifted his weight, leaned back, and felt the mattress adjust to the new position without a sound.
No creaking. No springs pressing against him. Just a smooth, effortless conformity to his body.
A female assistant appeared at his side. She was tall and composed, with her hair pulled back in a neat ponytail and a tablet clutched against her chest.
"That is the Cloudweave Sovereign," she said, a note of pride in her voice. "The mattress is constructed from layered Cloudwool sheared from lunar rams, which are raised on the high altitude pastures of the northern mountain ranges. Cloudwool is naturally temperature regulating, hypoallergenic, and possesses a unique cellular structure that distributes pressure so evenly that it eliminates virtually all contact stress on the body. The inner core is made from compressed essence silk, which provides the structural support. The outer covering is woven from moon thread, which gives it that slight shimmer you are seeing."