The Chain Breaker: Books 1-3

by Holmberg, D. K.

  “I didn’t bargain for anything,” he said with a smile. “He made the bargain. I was to remove you. Now that you’ve been removed, or will be, the bargain has been satisfied. That didn’t mean I had to leave you with him.”

  Cyran narrowed his brow. “I’ll escape. When I do, I will come for you, Gavin. Don’t think I will make the same mistake again.”

  Gavin walked over to him and shoved the dagger against his neck. “If I see you again, I doubt you’ll get the chance.”

  “You always made Tristan proud,” Cyran sneered.

  Gavin turned, and it seemed as if bands of power started to wrap around him. He broke free of them, borrowing briefly from the core strength within him. As he did, he looked over at Anna and found her watching him.

  That wasn’t magic, was it?

  Tristan had taught him to reach for his core energy, nothing more than that.

  What if it was something more than that, though? What would it mean for me?

  Nothing. Gavin had to believe it meant nothing.

  The El’aras dragged Cyran out, leaving Gavin alone with Anna.

  He took a deep breath, then remembered Anna had been saying something before. “Why was it good I summoned you?”

  “Because of something I should’ve told you before. Perhaps I shouldn’t tell you even now, but considering what you offered me, I suppose it is a fair trade.”

  “What sort of trade?”

  “The Apostle for knowledge,” she said.

  Gavin stared at her, waiting.

  “The man you know as Tristan. Your mentor. He lives.”

  The Jade Egg

  Chapter One

  Gavin Lorren darted through the forest near the outskirts of the city of Yoran. It was supposed to be quiet here, and there was a certain sense of calm, but that wasn’t the reason that he came. He came chasing someone.

  Magic—he was certain of it—in a place that had long ago exiled it.

  Trees arched high overhead, the branches sweeping far above him. Gavin hurried through the trees, ignoring the peacefulness, the shadows, and all of the stillness of the forest that was around him, trying to find the person he’d followed.

  There had been magic. He was sure of it.

  Why the forest, though?

  As he ran between the trees, he was reminded of the last sorcerer he’d dealt with in the city. That had brought him to the forest as well. It couldn’t be a coincidence.

  He focused on the core energy within him while he jogged.

  Ever since the El’aras attack and the knowledge that his friend Cyran had betrayed him, Gavin had begun to wonder whether the core reserves he’d learned to harness were more than just physical and mental conditioning. He’d been taught to reach into the depths of his own reserves, to draw upon hidden strength, but now he had to question whether it was something else. It might be magic.

  He reached a small clearing in the forest. Gavin couldn’t feel any sense of magic—or really anything at all. He’d lost sight of the blasted person he’d chased, which meant that now he was out in the forest alone, and didn’t feel anything. The only thing he could feel was the power deep within him that he’d always called his core reserves. He didn’t know if he was grasping for anything magical. It had never seemed magical before.

  Training had taught him to harness that strength. Tristan had taught him to reach for that power so he could be something more. As he reached for it now, he couldn’t help but feel as if there was some aspect to it he still didn’t understand. If he had someone magical around to test him, it might be different. It was part of the reason he’d come running after the source of magic he’d detected with the dagger, but only partly.

  Gavin pushed that thought away. He didn’t really want anybody who had magic to test him. It was far better—safer—for him to continue what he’d been doing, to work and practice and train. The only problem was that the city of Yoran had changed.

  Letting out a heavy sigh, he shook himself from his reverie. The forest was quiet around him. The smell of earth drifted up from the ground, which was damp from the recent rain. The wind also carried the bright fragrance of the trees’ leaves and the scent of the flowers nearby—things that should be relaxing, but were not as much as he would hope. Not when he’d felt that magic only moments before.

  And he was convinced it had come into the forest; away from the city.

  Gavin pulled out the small silver sphere that Anna, one of the El’aras, had given him. He bounced it in his palm for a moment, tempted to use it—the same way he’d been for the last few days. Really, he’d been tempted by his curiosity in the weeks and months since the El’aras had left.

  Could I uncover something more with it? Could I be something more? But how could I even think to ask that?

  He shook his head.

  “What are you doing?”

  The voice intruded on the silence, and Gavin jerked his head around. It took him a moment to remember that Wrenlow was in his ear and not physically here with him. The magical enchantment Anna had given him was so much clearer than the old one they’d used before. The new enchantment fit into his ear, surrounded his lobe, and was attached by a silver chain to a band around his neck.

  “Chasing some damn source of magic,” Gavin said.

  “Did you find it?”

  “I lost it. I don’t know where they went.”

  “Are you certain about what you detected?”

  Gavin hesitated. “I thought I was.”

  “Well, Jessica wants you to return to the Dragon,” Wrenlow said.

  Gavin continued to look around the forest. There was an eerie sort of calm here that pressed on him. He didn’t know if it was the strangeness of the forest or if it was him, but he could feel something odd about this place. It had been where the Apostle had attacked. Which was why it seemed too much of a coincidence that he’d ended up out here and drawn by magic.

  He turned away from the trees. Staying here was doing nothing for him. In reality, even staying in Yoran was doing nothing for him. Ever since his employer had disappeared, his job offers had too—though technically Gavin had captured his employer and sent him off with a sorcerer.

  Gavin had always been able to find some work, but it was a matter of doing the work he wanted to do. He wouldn’t accept just any job—only the right kind.

  With few jobs to choose from, he might be better off moving to a new city, especially now, knowing that his old mentor might still be alive. There were places beyond Yoran he could travel. Until he had a better sense of why Tristan would conceal his survival, Gavin needed to dig.

  At this point, he felt he was biding time before the inevitable need to leave. Maybe it’d be easier for him to get moving now and head out of the city. He might even leave Wrenlow here.

  His friend wouldn’t be pleased. Wrenlow would want to come with him, especially after everything they’d been through together in their travels around the country. But for Gavin to investigate Tristan’s survival, he would have to go someplace Wrenlow wouldn’t be able to follow.

  He hiked along a narrow path leading him through the trees and then out of the forest, and was greeted by the outskirts of Yoran. The massive, sprawling city rested on the northern aspect of the nation of Henethell. The buildings were all made of a gray stone harvested from several miles down the road, joined with a mortar that cast a thick green color to it. Thatched roofs covered most structures, though the roofs of some buildings toward the center of the city were made of slate—something rare in this part of the world.

  The crowd of people moving through the street was not nearly as dense as the throngs farther into the city. Most people avoided this area and the nearby forest because of the rumors and myths that were spread about dangerous creatures within the trees. People who’d heard stories about what existed beyond the forest might be more afraid of it were they to learn those were more than rumors.

  Gavin took in a deep breath. The edge of the city had a different energy
and smell than the forest. He was a city boy at heart, having been raised and trained in one of the powerful Southern fortress cities. Though he hadn’t spent much time within others during his training, he’d certainly spent plenty of time around them in the days since he’d left his mentor. Standing here now, he could feel the vibrancy like an energy that swirled around him.

  “Are you coming?” Wrenlow asked.

  “I’m on my way.”

  “Good. Jessica seems to think she has a job for us. She needs you here now, though.”

  Gavin frowned. “Jessica has a job for us? She knows the kind of work I do.”

  “I know she does, and I don’t know if it’s exactly the kind of job you’d normally take.”

  “Why don’t you screen it for me.”

  “She doesn’t want me to. Just get here as quickly as you can.”

  Gavin started to laugh, and the people passing by looked at him strangely. He couldn’t blame them. A thin man wearing a strange brown cloak with a conspicuous dagger hanging from his belt was laughing to himself. If he saw someone like that, he would’ve viewed the person as a little bit mad as well.

  He flashed a smile at the nearest person, and they darted away.

  Gavin was taller and more muscular than most within the city. It was both a blessing and a curse. It was difficult to blend in, and he worked incredibly hard to master that ability. He hunched over, trying to hide his height. Even now, years after his training had essentially ended, Gavin still struggled to blend into a crowd.

  Wrenlow’s comment struck him as odd.

  As quickly as I can?

  That meant something was off.

  He jogged forward, but the streets were packed, forcing him to take a detour. At another, he had to loop through an alley before seeing a way through.

  What’s going on here?

  Something seemed determined to keep him from getting back the way he wanted. Gavin hurried through the crowd, elbowing past people, then paused.

  Constables marched along the street. They wore gray cloaks that covered heavy mail, and they were out in more force these days. Most people in the city didn’t have any idea why that would be, but he knew they were patrolling for the El’aras and any evidence of magic. Magic was outlawed in Yoran, and the constables must have some way of detecting its use, though Gavin didn’t know how they managed that. Probably magic as well.

  Gavin didn’t think the El’aras would remain within the city, but he didn’t really know. They could have lingered, and he wouldn’t be any wiser to that. After all, he hadn’t known that they were in the city in the first place until his last job. Before that, he thought Yoran would be one of the last places to house El’aras. Perhaps that was the point. By hiding here, they were protected by the unlikely nature of existing in a city where they were unwelcome and feared.

  The constables stayed in pairs, their boots thumping across the cobbles. He followed them for a moment before veering off to another side street. He proceeded until he reached one of the main thoroughfares in the city. Another pair of constables was here. Strange. Though he’d seen more recently, there were even more out today.

  Is there something taking place in the city that I don’t know about?

  The constables stopped every dozen feet or so before moving on. Even stranger still.

  Gavin had been in Yoran long enough to be accustomed to seeing constables out on their patrols. Most of the time, they were harmless. They patrolled the streets not only to keep peace but also to search for signs of enchantments. It was one way that the people of Yoran prevented magic from being used around them.

  Of course, the constables weren’t necessarily good at their jobs.

  “Have you heard any buzz about increased constable patrols?” Gavin whispered through the enchantment.

  “What was that?” Wrenlow’s voice pierced his ear, and he adjusted the volume slightly. The new El’aras enchantment gave him far more control than his older enchantment had.

  “The constables. I’ve seen more in these few streets I’ve walked today than I have in several days. Something’s going on.”

  “Something is always going on with them,” Wrenlow said. “I don’t think you can use what you’re seeing now to make that determination. Just get back, will you?”

  Gavin frowned. He’d been taught to look for patterns, and this was the kind that piqued his curiosity. Wrenlow might need him back, but he needed to see what was going on here.

  He slipped along the street, watching for anything that might provide him with an answer, but nothing explained what they were doing. As he trailed behind them, he had to twist out of sight to avoid suspicion. He didn’t want to draw too much attention.

  Gavin waited as they made their way along the street. They stopped outside of a plain-looking building with no storefront, which suggested it was a home. He remained in the shadows, watching and frowning as the constables lingered outside.

  What were they doing?

  The crowd moved past them in between him and the constables, obscuring his view.

  “Has there been a sudden influx of magic users?” he asked.

  “I would have heard about it,” Wrenlow said.

  “Can you look into it?”

  “I’ll see what I can find. Maybe Gaspar will have heard something as well.”

  Gavin stared for a moment and shifted, moving along the street to get a better view of the two soldiers. When they started moving again, there was no evidence of what the constables had done. He clenched his teeth. He had no reason to rush in and evaluate the scene.

  Why should I, when doing so would only draw notice to me?

  “Check with Imogen too,” he said to Wrenlow.

  “Why her?”

  “I think she knows more than she lets on.”

  “I think you’re reaching.”

  Gavin smiled. There was one thing that he’d come to learn about himself—he needed to trust his instincts. There was something more to Imogen and the strangeness he detected around Gaspar’s apprentice. He might not know what it was, but he was determined to find out. He supposed he could simply ask Gaspar, but that would take some of the fun out of it.

  As he turned the corner, the constables stopped again. Like before, he could see no sign of what they were doing, especially with passersby blocking his line of sight. The constables simply stood there, and it didn’t seem as if they were talking to each other.

  “I don’t like this,” he said.

  “What is it now?”

  “The constables.”

  “Can you forget about them? I told you that Jessica wanted you to come back.”

  “I know she does, but I’m not entirely sure I need to be taking the job she has to offer.”

  “Can you at least come back so that she can hear it from you. She won’t be thrilled if she has to hear it from me.”

  Gavin sighed. “Fine, but you’re going to keep digging into this. I need to know what’s taking place here.”

  He trailed after the constables as they continued, but then he stopped. A section of the street had been blocked off. All of the people around had been pushed back, leaving nothing but an empty street. That was strange.

  As he stood there, a caravan of wagons moved through. All three were ornately decorated, made of gray and black lacquered wood. Dark metal ran along the length of each one, as if to prevent someone from breaking into them. Far more protection than what wagons in the city needed.

  They were each guarded by several constables. Others moved in either direction along the street, preventing anyone from getting too close.

  What is this?

  Gavin stayed with the crowd that followed the procession. The wagons turned at the intersection up ahead.

  An explosion rocketed through the street.

  He hurried forward, but three figures dressed in dark robes arrived first. They raced toward one of the wagons with obviously enhanced speed—either naturally endowed or enchanted—and moving faster
than he could even track. Gavin frowned at them. He had tried using speed enchantments before, but they disrupted his normal training. He found it easier to work without them. These people used enchantments with an incredible skill.

  He’d never seen anyone use enchantments so openly in the city before. They must not have feared exposure, or they were completely unconcerned about the constables catching them. Given how quickly they moved, that was a real possibility.

  They broke toward the wagon, knocking past the constables. Then they were gone.

  The constables darted after them, also at incredible speed. Enchantments too? He hadn’t known the constables used them. That made them far more dangerous. He would have to be more careful moving through the city.

  The other constables pushed back on the crowd, keeping them at bay. Gavin had no interest in what was going on or in getting any closer to the constables, but he remained transfixed. Whatever he’d just observed was unusual, especially in Yoran.

  In all this time, he hadn’t seen anyone attempt to attack the constables before. The others were on edge, and a dozen of them moved away from the wagon, driving back the crowd.

  An unfamiliar figure jumped from one of the other buildings. They landed on top of the central wagon and snuck inside. None of the constables seemed to have noticed.

  Gavin waited, smiling to himself. Whatever this person was after had to be incredibly valuable. And the first attack had been a feint. This was the real attack. The person soon crawled back out of the wagon, jumped with incredible power, and landed on one of the nearby buildings. Their movement had to be enchanted as well.

  The constables realized too late that they had been targeted again. This time, they surged toward the wagons, which started rolling rapidly along the street before disappearing around a corner.

  Gavin ignored the caravan. He wasn’t concerned about that. What he was curious about was who had been daring enough to attack the constables and what they were after. He followed the figure, who raced along the rooftop and disappeared.

  He was tempted to chase, though doing so along the rooftop would be difficult. Getting involved with the constables wasn’t something he wanted anyway. Instead, he turned back toward the direction of the Dragon.