“What is it?” Gaspar asked.
“Someone else who shouldn’t be here,” Gavin whispered.
“Why?”
“Sumter. The tattoos are distinctive. They’re too far away.”
Gaspar squinted as he looked at the fallen man. “Think she hired him?”
Gavin shook his head. “If she’s El’aras, then she’d have other El’aras with her.”
“What about the men you were attacked by in the street?”
“At least one of them was El’aras. The others…”
Could the others have been El’aras as well?
He didn’t think so. He’d incapacitated them far too easily for that to be the case.
“Come on,” he said.
The blade still glowed. Whatever else they were going to have to face, there was still magic ahead of them.
Gavin hurried along the hall.
Something jumped.
He swung the dagger and twisted, kicking quickly. The force of both blows slammed into the attacker and caught him off guard, tossing him back. Gavin moved off to the side, rolled forward, and drove the dagger into his chest. Once the man went still, Gavin studied his face as well. Another one from Sumter. It was strange that, so far, he didn’t see any El’aras. That didn’t necessarily mean they weren’t here. Given what he’d encountered with this woman already, he suspected El’aras would be guarding her.
He moved forward. When they neared the door, three shapes caught his attention.
“Give me a minute,” he said.
“We may not have a minute,” Gaspar replied.
“Well, that’s what I need.” He took a deep breath, focusing on his reserves of power, deciding that now was as good a time as any to use what he had left. Once he was outside of the manor house, back on the street, he could finally relax. But for now, he had to hold onto that energy.
Power flooded into him, and he darted forward. The nearest attacker was quick, though maybe not El’aras-quick. Gavin thrust his dagger into the belly and carved to the side. He turned and dropped down, sweeping his leg around. He hooked it and jerked the next person down. He spun with his fist, driving it into the man’s forehead. Then he rolled, twisted around, and drove his elbow into the midsection of the third attacker. Gavin jumped to his feet and brought his knee up, connecting with that same person’s chin. The guard collapsed.
When it was done, he turned and smiled at Gaspar.
There were two men behind the thief. One of them had a glowing blade, though there was something about the El’aras that seemed unusual.
“Gaspar?”
“I’m aware of them, boy.”
“I need you to take one small step toward me,” Gavin said.
“How do you expect to get past?”
“Just trust me.”
Gaspar locked eyes with him for a moment, and then Gavin jumped. By holding onto that core and concentrated energy within him, he was able to jump far higher than he normally could. He flipped over Gaspar, landing between him and the other two attackers. He brought down the one whose sword wasn’t glowing, carving through his thigh and then stomping quickly to keep him from moving.
It left only the El’aras, who he recognized as the one he’d faced in the street—though he didn’t know if it was the same one who’d attacked Jessica.
“Hand her over, and your death will be quick,” the El’aras said.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Gavin said.
He darted forward. The El’aras was quick, skilled, but in the small confines of the hallway, the longer sword was at a disadvantage to the dagger.
Gavin twisted and swept his dagger around to block the first sword thrust. Then there was another, but he blocked that as well. He deflected each one that came at him. Still, he was forced back.
The swordsman was more skilled than Gavin, but skill wasn’t always the most crucial factor, especially not in a hallway like this. He moved forward so that he could get to the El’aras, who blocked each slash of the dagger.
Each time Gavin thought he could get closer to the El’aras, he was deflected. He moved as quickly as he could but wasn’t fast enough. He was forced back again and again.
“Come on, boy,” Gaspar said.
Gavin glanced back briefly enough to see Gaspar standing in the doorway, holding the woman over his shoulder.
“Go,” Gavin said.
“What about you?”
“I’ll buy you time. Get to—”
He didn’t have the chance to finish. The sword came whistling toward him, and he had to drop, rolling so he didn’t take a blade to the neck. He kicked, his boot connecting with the man’s knee and dropping him. Gavin lunged and grabbed the El’aras, slamming him to the ground.
The guard was strong, but Gavin had trained for years, and he was stronger. More than that, he had tapped into his core reserves. The power wasn’t infinite and would eventually fade, and he’d begin to fail. But for now, by holding onto that power, he could draw on what he needed to get free.
He continued slamming the El’aras against the ground. The man started to lose consciousness. Gavin brought the dagger around, but in a surge of strength, the El’aras wrapped his leg around Gavin’s chest and pushed him away.
Gavin still had the El’aras dagger, and he grabbed the sword that was nearby.
The El’aras watched him. “You will suffer if you harm her.”
“Who is she?”
“She is the Risen Shard.”
Gavin frowned. “That doesn’t sound very kind.”
The El’aras glared at him. “You will—”
Gavin darted forward, twisting in a Sudo-style kick, and he caught the El’aras in the chest, then in the shin, then in the forehead. The man collapsed without another word. Gavin brought the dagger up to remove this El’aras as a threat, when a shout from the manor yard caught his attention.
“Another time,” he whispered. He scrambled away and hurried into the yard.
Five men faced Gaspar. He had a short-bladed knife in hand, but with the woman on his shoulder, he wasn’t able to do anything. Gavin raced forward and jumped over Gaspar, landing in front of him. He spun while holding onto the dagger and the sword in a deadly flurry of movements.
If there was one thing that Tristan had trained him to do, it was to be a master of all fighting styles. That included the sword. He didn’t need to use it often, but when he did, he didn’t doubt his skill. He carved through two men before they had even realized he was there. By the time he got to the remaining three, they backed away warily, watching him.
No. Watching the blades.
They were still glowing, which meant there was still someone using magic nearby.
Maybe it was the woman.
He thought she was unconscious, but with the kind of power she had, it was possible she used magic even while incapacitated.
Gavin jammed the blade into one of the attackers, then turned and reached the next one. He stabbed the dagger into the man’s side and sliced upward. Then there was only one remaining. Gavin darted toward him, but the man turned and ran, disappearing into the darkness. He wanted to give chase, but there was no time. It was better for them to get out of here.
He glanced at the other fallen attackers. They didn’t all have the same sun-kissed skin as those who’d lived in Sumter their entire lives, but all of them had the markings.
What was going on?
He’d gotten himself involved in something, and now he had to figure out how to get out of it. Somehow, this woman was at the heart of it all.
They hurried through the manor house grounds and reached the wall. Gavin helped Gaspar up first while holding onto the woman, then he passed her up and over to Gaspar. When they landed on the other side of the wall, Gavin looked around.
“This has been fun,” Gaspar said.
“Has it?” Gavin asked.
“Probably more for you than for me, but I must say I’m left with more questions than I had before
.” He looked at Gavin with a strange expression in his eyes.
“Don’t blame me. Blame her.”
“I’m thinking both of you share some blame.”
Gavin held Gaspar’s gaze for a moment before shaking his head. “Let’s get back to the Dragon before Wrenlow gets too angry with me for having silenced him.”
“Why would you do that?”
“I don’t need him shouting in my ear while I’m dying.”
Gaspar barked out a laugh. They started off and blended into a crowd. Gavin looked at the dagger and the sword, and both of the blades continued to glow.
He couldn’t shake the troubled feeling it gave him.
Chapter Fourteen
A fire crackled in the hearth of the Roasted Dragon, giving a warmth to the room that Gavin didn’t feel. Two lanterns provided light from the opposite wall, though shadows still drifted around and filled the inside of the room. Those lanterns cast a pale light on the woman. She was bound, her wrists and ankles tied to the chair, and the dagger Gavin held was angled toward her. He sat in the chair opposite her, watching.
“I can see why you didn’t want to hurt her,” Wrenlow said.
“It’s not like that,” Gavin said.
“Still, I can see why.”
Gavin shook his head. “Anyway,” he muttered.
“Anyway? That’s all you’re going to give me?”
“I don’t know if you deserve anything more than that.”
“You silenced me. That wasn’t the deal,” Wrenlow said. “You keep in communication with me. That way I know you aren’t hurt.”
“In this case, I didn’t need you chattering in my ear.”
“Will the two of you stop?” Gaspar asked, dragging a chair over and taking a seat next to Gavin.
He looked over at the thief. The dark lines around his eyes were deeper than they had been. He looked tired—as tired as Gavin felt. By the time they’d reached the Dragon, Gavin was exhausted from holding onto the strength, that power of his core, for too long. He needed to replenish his stores, to rest. Even if it was for only a little while, he needed to recover.
The inside of the Dragon was quiet. It was nothing like it’d been before Jessica had been hurt. There’d been a vibrancy then, a sense of activity, a life. It was almost as if when she’d been hurt, the tavern had been hurt with her.
“We need to question her,” Gaspar said.
“Why do you think I wanted to bring her with me?” Gavin asked.
“The same reason your kid suggested.”
“I’m not a kid,” Wrenlow said, looking indignantly at Gaspar.
“To me you are,” he said.
“I think the entire city is a kid compared to you,” Gavin said.
Gaspar grunted. “Maybe. What’s going to happen when she comes completely around and starts to wrap that power around you again?”
“We just have to be ready for it.”
“Ready?”
“I don’t really know. I don’t have any special protections against magic.”
Gaspar watched him for a moment. “You don’t?”
“No. Do you?” Gavin asked.
“No, but I suppose if I needed to find them, I could get them.”
“Considering that you were with us when we were forced into a job by a sorcerer, I would’ve expected you to decide that was necessary by now.”
“Possibly,” Gaspar said.
Gavin could only shake his head. “Possibly.”
The woman started to move, twisting in place, and Gavin turned his attention to her. Her chin was tilted slightly toward him, and she had a pale complexion and long golden hair. Power seemed to radiate from her, and yet he couldn’t move. She was incredible. Though Jessica rested upstairs, still recovering, he thought she’d understand his inability to take his eyes off this woman. He rarely saw someone this beautiful.
If it turns out she’s a slaver, would I still be unwilling to harm her?
The woman opened her eyes. The dagger started to glow more brightly.
“Don’t,” Gavin said. “If you use magic on any of us, we’ll stick a knife in you.”
“Where am I?” she asked.
“You’re with us,” he said, smiling broadly and sweeping his hands around him. “You’re alive. You should be thankful for that.”
“Thankful?”
“Maybe not thankful exactly, but you’re alive. Isn’t that enough?”
The woman continued glaring at him, and her gaze drifted from Gavin to Gaspar and finally to Wrenlow.
Maybe Wrenlow shouldn’t have been there. He looked away, and Gavin could only shake his head. If she was going to use magic on any of them, it was most certainly going to be Wrenlow, especially now.
“Who are you?” Gavin asked, sliding his chair forward and holding onto the El’aras dagger. “Your guard—husband?—called you the Risen Shard.”
“Because I am,” she said.
“What is that?”
“Does it matter?”
“Not to me, but I’m looking for a reason not to kill you, so I figure it’s in your best interest to tell me as much as you can.”
“And if I don’t give you that reason?”
“I suppose I’m going have to finish my job.”
“The one Hamish hired you for.”
“As I told you back at the house, Hamish wasn’t the one who hired me. I don’t know who my employer is, only that it goes through an intermediary. Who do you think has a reason to want you dead?”
“Many people,” she said softly.
“I’m sure. Especially if you wrap everybody in power the way you did with me.”
“You did have a dagger to my neck.”
“I did,” Gavin said, smiling. “Give me a name. I’m not going to call you Risen Shard.”
“Anna,” she said.
“Just Anna?”
The woman nodded. “That’s all you need.”
Gavin glanced at the others. Wrenlow might be able to use this information when questioning his contacts. If not, maybe Gaspar would be able to find something. They were already looking into the title “Risen Shard,” searching for anything to explain who she was and why she’d been targeted. Gavin wasn’t optimistic that they would find anything.
“The El’aras aren’t supposed to be in Yoran,” he said.
“And yet we are,” she said.
“Why did you attack me here?”
She looked around the inside of the tavern before settling her gaze back on him. “I have never been here before.”
“Your people have. They attacked me.”
“Did they?”
“There were five El’aras that attacked here. A friend of mine nearly died. I know what I saw,” he said.
She tipped her head back, eyeing him. “Do you?”
Gavin growled, sliding his chair closer to her. “You do realize what kind of person I am, don’t you?”
“Perhaps even better than you do,” she said softly.
“Who within Yoran would want you dead?”
“That’s a different question, with a different answer.”
“That’s the same question I asked before.”
“It’s not. Not really,” Wrenlow said. Gavin looked over at him, arching a brow, and Wrenlow shrugged. “Well, it’s not. You asked her who wants her dead. She told you that many people do. And now you asked her about who in the city wants her dead. You got more specific.”
“Thank you,” Gavin muttered.
“Your friend is correct,” she said.
“That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
“Enough,” Gaspar said, twisting in his chair so he could face her. “We need to know who in Yoran wants you dead.” There was a violence within his eyes, something that raged just beneath the surface.
Gavin understood. Gaspar was still angry about what had happened with Jessica.
“I don’t know,” Anna replied. “There shouldn’t be many who even know I’m here.”
“Why not?”
“Because my presence has been hidden intentionally.”
“You’re hiding out here?” Gavin asked.
Anna looked over at him, and she tipped her head in a slight nod. “Hiding. Staying safe. Or, I had been staying safe, until you found me.”
“Well, I didn’t really have to work all that hard. Hamish was the one who found you and guided me to you. So if you thought you were safe here, I’m afraid you were wrong.”
“I haven’t been seen many places,” she said. “And I’ve been wrong many times.”
Gavin could only shake his head. “You might be more trouble than you’re worth.”
“Perhaps.”
Gavin leaned back, watching her. There was something about how much she irritated him that he couldn’t help but enjoy at the same time. She was powerful, and most of the time, he hated being around those who were more powerful than him. If there was one lesson he’d learned incredibly well from Tristan, it was to avoid those who might be more powerful than him.
“Listen,” he said. “We could’ve killed you back at your house, but we didn’t. I want to know what’s going on so I can better understand.”
“Better understand so you can decide whether to kill me?” she asked.
“Yes,” Gavin said.
“Is that how you do your jobs?”
“Sometimes. Especially when I have troublesome targets like you.”
Wrenlow gasped, and Gavin ignored him. The dagger continued to glow, and he didn’t even know if there’d be any way for him to do anything to her. He’d already seen how she could push back any power he might try to use against her. With her connection to magic, she might be able to stop the knife from getting too close.
“Why would Sumter be involved in attacking you?” He watched her, looking for spark of recognition, but there was nothing.
“I don’t know,” she said.
Gavin sighed. Despite his best intentions, he believed her. “Tell me why you’re in the city.” He flipped the dagger and slipped it into the sheath. He crossed his arms over his chest, watching her.
The Chain Breaker: Books 1-3 Page 15