The Chain Breaker: Books 1-3

by Holmberg, D. K.

  There had to be magic somewhere. Which meant they had to be careful. He held the El’aras dagger away from him, using its light to see. It was enough for him to be able to make out some faint outlines in the room, but not much more than that. He continued to look around him, but he didn’t see anything all that helpful.

  Gaspar quickly moved through the house and peeked across counters, opening and closing cupboards quickly before moving on. He had a practiced style, and Gavin could only shake his head. He imagined that Gaspar had broken into countless other homes like this, doing this dozens upon dozens of times before.

  “How often do you take jobs like this?” Gavin asked.

  “Do we really need to have these conversations?”

  “I was just curious.”

  “Save your curiosity for another time. Curiosity gets men killed while working.”

  Gavin chuckled. “The man I trained with said that curiosity made you stronger.”

  “Maybe in your line of work,” Gaspar said. “The kind of work I do, curiosity can end with a knife in your back.”

  “The same thing can happen in my world.”

  “Right, but in your world, you deserve the knife in your back.”

  “You don’t think thieves do too?”

  “Not the kind of thieving I do,” Gaspar whispered.

  “And what thieving do you do exactly that makes it so you don’t deserve such a fate?”

  Gaspar ignored him, and he continued rummaging around the room. He disappeared through a doorway, and Gavin followed into what he realized was a bedroom. Gaspar had the wardrobe pulled open and finished sorting a stack of clothing, then pulled out a drawer and worked through that.

  “There’s nothing here,” Gaspar said. “Some of Erica’s clothing, some for a boy about the size she described, and nothing else. Not really.”

  “Did you expect anything else?” Gavin asked.

  “You never know.”

  And here Gavin thought that he was the only one who’d been on edge and suspicious of Erica. Gaspar had been as well, which shouldn’t have surprised him. You didn’t get to be a skilled thief anywhere in the world, especially in a city like Yoran, without having some level of suspicion.

  “I guess now we have to hope that Wrenlow can get information about the layout of the Captain’s home for us to use,” Gavin said.

  Gaspar pushed past him, heading back out into the main part of the home. Once again, he traced his hand along the counter, working through it as if he might find something more. He turned and straightened. “I might be able to help with that.”

  “You might be able to help how?”

  “I might know someone,” Gaspar said.

  “You told Wrenlow it was impossible. Who might you know?”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “Why?” Gavin asked.

  “Well… because she used to be my wife.”

  Gaspar moved past him and stepped out onto the street, closing the door behind him. Gavin swept his gaze around the house one more time and noticed the glow still coming off of the dagger.

  He walked outside and closed the door, then looked over at Gaspar. “You know you can’t just leave it at that.”

  “I think that I can,” Gaspar said. “Besides, I don’t owe you an explanation.”

  “You don’t owe me anything, but I sure would like it if you’d share.”

  “Yeah? Well you’d better get used to disappointment.”

  Gavin laughed and followed Gaspar along the street. His mind worked through the various types of people that Gaspar might have been married to, and he wondered if Gaspar would even allow him to meet her. Whatever else happened, Gavin was determined to follow the thief, if only so he could see who would have married him.

  Chapter Five

  The house Gaspar led him to was nothing like what Gavin would’ve expected. This section of the city consisted of enormous well-appointed homes, but this one was quite different than even the surrounding ones. There was something incredible about the massive stone structure that sat apart from the others and loomed high over the surrounding landscape.

  The home was enormous and enclosed within a low outer wall. It could have been a manor home, but for the lack of a high surrounding wall and the bells trees that usually grew in the gardens within.

  “This is where your wife lives?”

  Gaspar shot him a glare. “Don’t make me regret letting you come with me.”

  “I’m not going to make you do anything. I just thought—”

  “There’s your problem. Don’t go digging into my past unless you want me to do the same with yours. I’d wager you got more skeletons than I do.”

  Gavin laughed. “I’d take that wager. Besides, you aren’t going to be able to deter me.”

  “I think I can try.”

  Gavin was unaccustomed to seeing Gaspar unsettled like this.

  Maybe I should be kinder to the old man.

  Gaspar was doing this to help, though Gavin hadn’t even wanted to accept the job in the first place. He’d been drawn into this because both Gaspar and Jessica had wanted him to take it.

  “What’s her name?”

  “There you go again, asking questions you don’t need to know anything about.” Gaspar stared at the wall, looking as if he were debating whether to head inside.

  “If we’re going to visit her, at least tell me her name.”

  “I said I was going to visit her, not you.”

  “If she might know something—”

  “If she knows something, I’m going to be the one to ask those questions. Not you.”

  “Fine,” Gavin said, raising his hand. “But I think I need to go with you because at your age you’re probably deaf in one ear and someone has to catch the other half of it.”

  Gaspar’s frown deepened. He let out a heavy sigh, opened the gate, and made his way toward the door of the home. Gavin followed him. He was going to have to ask Jessica about this later.

  Did I even have to wait?

  He tapped on the enchantment and waited a second for it to transmit, then said, “Can you ask Jessica about Gaspar’s ex-wife?”

  There was a pause, and then Wrenlow coughed. “Ex-wife?”

  “Right. That’s what I said. Gaspar claims she might know something about the Captain, so see if Jessica knows more.”

  “I can find out, but I don’t know if she’s going to say anything. You know how she feels about him.” There was a pause. “How did Gaspar’s ex-wife get brought up at all?”

  “Well, we went to Erica’s home and didn’t find anything other than some clothing. I think Gaspar doubts you’ll find out enough information about the layout of the Captain’s home.”

  “That’s not very nice.”

  “I’m just telling you what he said. Anyway, what does Jessica know?”

  “Just a minute.” There was silence on the other end, and Gavin hurried toward Gaspar. The man stood at the door, hesitating with his hand outstretched.

  “Don’t you bother him about this,” Jessica said. Her voice came from a distance, and he could imagine her yelling at him through Wrenlow’s side of the enchantment.

  “I’m not doing anything,” Gavin said.

  “If he doesn’t want to talk about it, then you don’t talk about it.”

  “I think he owes us—”

  “He doesn’t owe you anything.”

  Gavin imagined Jessica looming over Wrenlow, his book spread open in front of him while trying to protect it from her.

  Gavin shook his head. “Why don’t you put Wrenlow back on?”

  There was a moment of silence. “I don’t think she’s willing to talk about this,” Wrenlow said. “Don’t push him too hard. I guess that’s the only advice I can give you.”

  “Thanks. I have that sense.” Gavin tapped on the enchantment and joined Gaspar at the door. “Well?”

  “Well what?”

  “Are you going to knock or not?”

  “I�
��m deciding whether it’s worth it.”

  “Didn’t you say we need to help Erica and that boy of hers?”

  “Maybe,” Gaspar said.

  “Well, if you want me to do whatever I can to help him, then you need to do whatever you can in order to help him.” Gavin resisted the urge to smile. He suspected that Gaspar knew though.

  Gaspar’s face was a dark thundercloud. It was almost enough to make Gavin laugh again. He reached past. Gaspar grabbed for his wrist, but not before Gavin got a good solid rap at the door.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Gaspar hissed.

  Gavin flashed a grin and shrugged. “I figured you weren’t going to…”

  He trailed off as the door opened. Gavin looked at the woman on the other side of the door and frowned. This wasn’t who he expected.

  The person who answered was no more than fifteen, maybe sixteen.

  “Is she…” he whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

  Gaspar elbowed him, and Gavin jumped off to the side, wincing.

  “Is your mother home?” Gaspar asked.

  The girl looked at Gaspar and nodded. “I’ll go get her. Who should I say is visiting?”

  Gaspar frowned for a moment. “Just tell her it’s an old friend from the Roasted Dragon.”

  The girl tipped her head, studying Gaspar with a quizzical expression on her face before nodding. When she left, she closed the door most of the way, but it remained open a crack.

  “Is she yours?” Gavin whispered.

  “I told you to be quiet.”

  “I think it’s a reasonable question, at least in light of everything.”

  “In light of what?” Gaspar asked.

  “Of the fact that she’s here. She’s in the home of your ex. And…” Gavin wasn’t sure he should finish.

  Gaspar watched him with a look of murder in his eyes. For a simple thief, he certainly gave off an air of danger in a way that surprised Gavin.

  “We aren’t going to talk about this,” Gaspar said.

  “I could just go and ask Jessica. You did say that you were a friend of hers from the Roasted Dragon.”

  “I’m warning you, boy. Don’t push me.”

  Gavin started to chuckle but straightened at the look on Gaspar’s face. He really should be careful. Seeing that expression, he decided not to say anything else. Instead, he took a step back, crossed his arms in front of him, and waited.

  Gaspar shifted his weight, moving from foot to foot. Gavin didn’t know the old thief to be nervous about anything, so it surprised him.

  When the door finally opened again, the woman standing in the doorway had dark hair, much like the younger girl. She had a round face and was dressed in a colorful gown. She was lovely, but she was nothing like the kind of person Gavin would’ve expected—not that he had any idea about the kind of woman that Gaspar would’ve been with.

  The woman’s eyes widened when she saw Gaspar. “What are you doing here?” she whispered.

  “I wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t a real issue.”

  “I thought you couldn’t visit with me anymore.”

  “And I don’t think I really can,” Gaspar said. He glanced past her, his gaze looking into the home. “But someone needs my help.”

  “Someone always needs your help, Gaspar.”

  “Desarra—”

  She shook her head. “Don’t. You don’t need to say anything. Much like I don’t need you to say anything. After all, didn’t we agree we both knew we couldn’t be together anymore?”

  “You know what happened.”

  Gaspar’s back was tense, and Gaspar looked toward him, as if trying to indicate something to him. Maybe trying to tell Gavin he needed to turn away; to not listen.

  How could he not listen though?

  “Can we come in?” Gaspar asked.

  Desarra looked over at Gavin, frowning. “I’m sorry. I should be more polite. I didn’t know you had someone with you. An apprentice?”

  Gaspar glanced over at him. “This one doesn’t think he needs anyone’s help.”

  “So he’s more like you,” Desarra said, smiling.

  “Unfortunately,” Gaspar muttered.

  “I don’t think you should come in. Not today.”

  “I understand. Can I ask you a question in confidence?”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s about…” Gaspar trailed off as he looked past her again, and he seemed to notice the other girl. He waited for a moment before sighing. “Perhaps now isn’t a good time.”

  “Now is fine,” she said.

  “I don’t know that it is. Until we have more privacy, I…”

  She stepped forward, giving the younger woman a pointed glance, and then pulled the door closed. Once outside, she stayed there with her hand on the door, looking at Gaspar. Gavin had seen an expression like that in other people’s eyes before, and seeing somebody look at Gaspar like that was surprising.

  It was affection, but it was a pained sort of affection.

  “You really shouldn’t have come,” she whispered.

  “And I wouldn’t have, were it not necessary,” Gaspar replied.

  “I…” She looked over at Gavin, and she shook her head. “What is it you needed to know?”

  “I need access to the Captain’s fortress.” Gaspar kept his voice low, and he sighed as he said it, looking all around him.

  “You know I can’t get that for you.”

  “You can’t, but you know someone who can.”

  Her eyes widened. “Gaspar—”

  “Another child has been abducted, and we believe the Captain has him held there.”

  Another?

  There was more to what Gaspar knew than he let on.

  “Are you sure?”

  “This was left behind,” Gaspar said, reaching into his pocket and flashing the marker Erica had found. “Everything we’ve been able to uncover suggests this is the Captain’s.”

  Desarra took the coin, held it in her hand, then flipped it one way and then the other as if she’d practiced the motion. Gavin looked to Gaspar but he made a point of looking away from him. Desarra frowned as she studied it. “This is the Captain’s marker. It’s unusual, though.”

  “Why unusual?”

  “It signifies someone from his household.” She looked up at Gaspar. “Are you sure about what you’re saying? The Captain is not known to abduct anyone. He works in…” She looked to Gavin a moment then back to Gaspar, who nodded. “Different matters. It’s how he was able to move up in his position in the city.”

  What sort of different matters?

  There was more going on here than Gavin knew.

  “I’m not really sure at all. All I know is that this was left behind, and the person who found it is missing her son.”

  “How old is he?”

  “Ten.”

  “So young,” she whispered.

  “So young,” Gaspar said. There was a hint of sadness in his voice.

  Gavin watched him and tried to understand just what it was, but he didn’t dare say anything. Though he knew little about Gaspar, Gavin had a sense that his hearing this much of their conversation was more than what Gaspar wanted.

  “I’ll see what I can come up with,” she whispered. “I don’t know how long it’s going to take me to figure it out, but I’ll see what I can do.”

  “That’s all I can ask,” Gaspar said.

  Desarra took a step toward him, holding her hand out. Gaspar didn’t move toward her. She hesitated. It was only a moment, but it was a moment Gavin saw.

  Letting out a pent-up breath, she nodded. “I can send word to the Dragon, I assume?”

  “You can.”

  She smiled sadly at Gaspar before nodding at Gavin. “Nice to meet you. Be careful you don’t follow too closely in his footsteps.”

  Gavin could only nod back.

  When she stepped inside the house, Gaspar took a quick breath, turned, and motioned for Gavin to follow. “Let
’s get moving.”

  “Just like that?”

  “What else do you think we need to be doing?”

  “I guess I’m curious, that’s all.”

  They reached the low wall and stepped through the gate, and Gavin paused to look back at the house. It might be his imagination, but he thought he saw someone looking out through the window.

  “Don’t push,” Gaspar said. “I know what you’re thinking.”

  “I doubt that.”

  “I can see it in your eyes, boy. You’re thinking I’m going to tell you some grand tale about my ex-wife, but you’d be wrong.”

  “It seems to me that neither of you wants it to be ex anything,” Gavin said.

  “Is that right? What makes you such an expert on things like this? I thought you were an assassin.”

  Gavin looked around. The crowd of people that was out on the street was far enough away that they wouldn’t have heard, but it was a measure of Gaspar’s irritation that he’d even said that much as loud as he did.

  “You might think otherwise, but I was trained to observe,” Gavin said.

  “You could have fooled me. In fact, you did fool me. From what I can tell, the only things you’ve been able to observe are jack and shit.”

  Gavin nearly smiled, but the irritation within Gaspar was enough to keep that at bay. He followed Gaspar. “What happened?”

  “I told you that I’m not going to talk about it.”

  “Fine. Is she yours?”

  Gaspar stopped and spun toward him with a knife out. Gavin’s training kicked in, and he chopped down on Gaspar’s arm, knocking the knife to the ground.

  He stepped back, holding his hands up. “I’m sorry,” Gavin said.

  “No. At least you’re competent in something.” Gaspar quickly grabbed the knife off the ground and slipped it back into his sheath. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

  “Is she yours?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “If it’s going to complicate any of our jobs, it does.”

  Gaspar glared at him. “No, she’s not mine. Is that what you need to hear?”

  “How long ago were you and Desarra together?” Gavin asked.

  “That’s not the kind of crew we are.”

  “Then what kind are we?”

  “I’m helping you so that you can get this boy,” Gaspar said. “That’s the only reason I’m doing this.”