Gavin smiled. “I imagine that didn’t go over well.”
“Not particularly, but seeing as how the enchanters had been building up the constables with devices to allow them to withstand magical attacks, there wasn’t much they could do. In the end, the enchanters who remained within the city decided to move underground. That is, until the constables began to hunt them.” Gaspar looked around the room. “There was a time when I would’ve given anything to find a place like this.”
“Why? So that you could advance your career?”
“I was already advanced enough,” Gaspar said. “There was a time when I believed we had to remove the threat of those with power. I believed it was my responsibility to ensure that others who possessed magic were no longer a danger to the city.”
“You don’t feel that way anymore?” Gavin asked.
“I don’t feel a commitment to the city, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I don’t know what I’m asking.”
Gaspar finally followed Gavin into the room.
The only thing Gavin could make out was that a sense of power remained here. He paused at one of the shelves with various strange artifacts on it. Gavin beckoned for Gaspar to join him. “What do you think of this?”
“It looks like he was collecting other items of power.”
Gavin looked around. Erica hadn’t cared that Gavin had brought her here. In fact…
“It makes me wonder if the Mistress of Vines knew about Cyran and hoped I would bring her here.” That would have indicated a greater level of forethought than he would expect out of her.
Unless she’d been aware of him for longer than he’d known.
“Maybe, but if she wanted that, why would she have attacked you when she did?”
“I don’t know,” Gavin said.
As he looked all around him, he didn’t see anything that made much sense. The items in here were all strange, though even “strange” didn’t quite suit them. There were bowls and paintings. Some of the artifacts were sculptures; little figurines that looked intricately designed. Others were nothing more than loops of rope, stacks of books, or even empty jars.
What had been inside of them?
Nothing here gave him any answers. In fact, he only had more questions.
“None of this is going to help us find the Mistress of Vines,” Gavin said.
“Do we want to do that, or do we want to find these other enchanters?”
“This isn’t going to help with that either,” Gavin said.
Gaspar looked around. “No, I doubt it will. If we had someone with magical knowledge, we might be able to use this better, but without that…”
“What do you suggest?”
“I suppose we could regroup at the Dragon and see what the others might’ve come up with. Your friend has been proving himself,” Gaspar said.
Gavin smiled at how difficult it was for Gaspar to admit that Wrenlow had been finding out information. “I’ll be sure to let him know.”
“Oh, I’m certain you will.”
“We need to keep Alex safe,” Gavin said as he looked around. “But she might know something about the items here.”
“Do you trust her enough to bring her here?”
Gavin shook his head. “I don’t think we should.”
“Good. When I first met you, you struck me as appropriately suspicious, so if that had changed, I was going to start worrying.”
“I don’t know enough about her.” He thought about the beating he’d taken. “She seemed too willing to stay in the fortress. At least, her attack on me suggested that she was.”
“Which makes me question her motivations,” Gaspar said.
“It’s all so damn unusual,” Gavin muttered.
He headed toward the door and took one more look around. There were dozens upon dozens of different magical devices here, but none of them were things with an obvious use like the sword, which Cyran must have kept it contained to keep it from getting stolen.
Gavin took a deep breath and shook his head. “We need to find others with magic. We need to be able to search for those…”
“What is it?”
“That’s it.” Gavin should have considered it before, but he’d been caught up in everything he’d been doing.
“What is it?”
“I think I know how we can look.”
“Oh, do tell,” Gaspar said.
“The constables. We need their enchantments.”
Chapter Seventeen
The street was mostly empty. Gavin had sheathed his sword, and as he hurried along, he tried to ignore Gaspar’s grunts as they hurried through the streets.
“Do you have to make that much noise?” Gavin asked.
“How much noise would you like me to make? I’ve heard you sleeping. You snore as loud as a bear. You do everything loudly,” Gaspar said.
Gavin ignored him, sweeping his gaze along the street, looking for any sign of movement from whoever that might be out there. Once they found the constables, the next step would be to sneak up on them and incapacitate them.
“I still think this is a terrible idea,” Gaspar said.
“Your objection is noted.” Gavin glanced over to him. “When you were with them, did you have any items like that?” He hesitated to mention the constables too loudly. He never knew who might be listening. Gavin didn’t think that anyone was out here following them, but if there was, he didn’t want them to know that they were intending to go after the constables.
“When I was with them, they were just getting started.”
“Getting started hunting those with magic?” Gavin asked.
“There was less understanding about what they were doing.”
“I don’t know. It sounds to me from what you’ve said that there was a pretty good idea about what they were doing.”
“I don’t think they understood the consequences,” Gaspar said.
Gavin turned to look at Gaspar behind him and shook his head. “What consequences do you think there really have been through all of this?”
“When it comes to missing out on these opportunities for other power, there are consequences.”
Gavin shrugged. He had seen places different than this, places where magic was used more openly. In his mind, that was one of the benefits of Yoran. He didn’t think that those who ruled in the city had any greater justification for their power, but at least they weren’t using magic as a reason to rule.
“So you don’t have one of these enchantments,” Gavin said.
“If I had one, don’t you think that I would have offered it?”
“I think it depends on what you might get out it.”
“You can think anything you want. I’ve been far more helpful with you than I have with anyone else in the city.”
“What do you mean by that?” Gavin asked.
“You think you’re the only person who’s come thinking they can disrupt the typical patterns here? But you get things done. You’ve been useful. So for that reason alone, I’ve helped you. And it’s a far sight more than I’ve helped anyone else, so be thankful.”
Gavin watched him a moment, debating whether to thank him or argue with him. “You do know I’m not trying to disrupt anything.”
Gaspar grunted. “You’re not trying, but you’re still doing quite a good job of it. Damn it, but the things taking place within the city are things that need to change. The fear of magic has been unreasonable.” He said that quietly, and his gaze darted around the street, almost as if he was afraid that somebody else might hear what he was saying. “At the same time, I also realize I’m not in any position to make those changes,” Gaspar added.
There was something in what he said that suggested to Gavin that Gaspar wanted change. Probably because of Desarra, but maybe there was more to it. He’d never pushed to find out what Gaspar did on his jobs, but he made it sound like he had some noble purpose.
“There are ways you could help,” Gavin said.
“Maybe, but that involves me wanting to. I wanted to ensure that those I work with are safe, and you, boy”—he added the “boy” more aggressively than he usually did—“have made it very clear that you aren’t always concerned with that.”
“I want to keep the Dragon safe.”
“You say that, but maybe stop bringing danger to it.”
Gavin opened his mouth before shutting it again. Danger continued to follow him to the Dragon, despite his intentions. “I’m not trying. It’s just that bad people keep coming to it.”
“Because of you.”
There was movement from a crowd at the end of the street, and Gavin headed toward it. He was looking for a crowd; anything that might suggest constables. In the last few days, they had been a constant presence, so he expected that they would be here. So far, he hadn’t seen any.
“Why do you think we’re having a hard time finding them when we want to?” Gavin asked.
“The constables don’t have any sort of supernatural ability,” Gaspar said. “They aren’t magical.”
“They do have enchantments though.”
“Be careful how loud you say that.”
Gavin looked at him. “Why? Because you fear that the constables will hear us?”
“Yes.”
“I thought you said that their enchantments were only to help them detect magic.”
Gaspar shook his head. “There are many different kinds of enchantments. You think that just because I was a constable that I’d be privy to all their secrets, but that’s not the way it works. I don’t know about all of the enchantments the constables have. Possibly the ability to listen, or perhaps something else.”
In the distance, there was more movement from the crowd of people along the street. He saw something, though it didn’t seem to be constables. “Come with me.”
Gaspar sighed loudly as Gavin hurried up the street.
He had no idea if he was heading in the right direction, but as he raced forward, Gaspar kept pace with him. The old thief breathed heavily, and Gavin couldn’t help but feel as if he were doing it intentionally.
They reached another intersection, and Gavin found what he was looking for: three constables who were stopped in front of a home. He hesitated, motioning toward them so Gaspar knew they were there too. A few others were out in the street with them, but they looked as if they attempted to avoid their notice, speeding along the street.
“I can see them,” Gaspar said.
“Yes, but you’re also old. How am I supposed to know what you can see?” Gaspar turned to him, and Gavin chuckled again. “Easy. I just wanted to make sure that you saw them.”
“You need to cut out your jabs.”
“When you do, then I will.”
“Fine,” Gaspar said.
They hurried along the street. Gavin stayed near the buildings, a row of homes with several shops. The homes were all squeezed together, narrow buildings that stretched two to three stories high, and though they were better maintained than some in the city, they were still run-down. One of the homes had a shattered window in the upper level, and it had been boarded over. Another’s door was askew.
Why would they leave the door ajar?
Still another building had evidence of scorch marks along the outside, though it hadn’t been completely burned. It was like a fire had come through but had been put out just in time.
Signs jutting out from the buildings marked the businesses. This wasn’t the typical merchant section of the city, so the buildings here had once been homes and were later converted into businesses. The owners probably lived above their shops.
When they caught up to the constables, Gavin looked over to Gaspar. “What do you suggest?”
“This is your plan.”
“How many of them will have this enchantment?”
“I don’t really know.”
“For someone who worked with them, you’re not a lot of help.”
“I never promised I would be.”
Gavin had seen constables in pairs before. This was the first time he’d come across a trio. He’d have to incapacitate all three to determine who might be the one with the item he needed. Doing that while also making sure that he wasn’t seen was going to be tricky.
“How about we just follow them for a while,” Gavin suggested.
“If you say so,” Gaspar said.
“If we attack them now, then we run the risk of them seeing us.”
“It’s more than just them seeing you.” Gaspar motioned to the people in the buildings nearby.
Gavin frowned as he followed the direction of Gaspar’s gaze, and he realized that the old thief was right. The people here would potentially betray them. Reporting to the constables what happened might earn them a level of protection for themselves.
He moved toward the constables, staying as hidden as he could. There didn’t seem to be much of a pattern behind what they were doing. They paused in front of several buildings, standing there for a moment before moving on.
“I think they’re detecting magic,” Gavin whispered.
“Probably,” Gaspar said.
“How do you think it works?”
“Probably the same as any other enchantments.”
“How?” Gavin asked.
“You don’t have experience with enchantments?”
“I have this,” he said, tapping on the enchantment that allowed him to communicate with Gaspar and Wrenlow. The enchantment that Anna had given them was different than the one that Gaspar and Wrenlow had shared. There was still a chain that connected the ear piece to the primary enchantment but the metal was a darker silver, and it had a stranger weight to it. “But I don’t have others.”
“Given the type of work you do, I would’ve expected that you’d want access to enchantments,” Gaspar said.
“They can be dangerous to rely upon.”
Gaspar continued to frown at him. The constables turned a corner, and Gavin hurried ahead, trying to keep up with them. He positioned himself so that he could watch the constables. In front of this building, they paused for a little bit longer. A different idea came to him.
If they followed long enough, the constables might help them uncover an enchanter. From there, Gavin and Gaspar could use that knowledge to figure out where the other group of enchanters would be.
Still, all of it would take too much time. He had no idea how long they were going to have with this, only that he suspected that the Mistress of Vines would make her next move soon. She wasn’t afraid of anything they might do—and she wanted Alex for some reason. Perhaps they should release Alex to the Mistress of Vines and see what happened. Gavin looked over at Gaspar, and he doubted the old thief would agree to something like that.
The constables moved on.
“They haven’t found anything,” Gavin observed. “I suspect the sorcerers in the city are much better at hiding their presence.”
“We don’t have many of them here. It was a wonder that your friend stayed for as long as he did.”
“You keep calling him my friend, but you do remember him attacking me.”
“Fine. Your old friend? Is that better?”
“A little bit,” Gavin muttered.
“We’ve all got friends like that,” Gaspar said.
Gavin looked over. Could the old thief actual be trying to make him feel better?
They made their way along the street and watched as the few people who were out continued to move away from the constables. The constables stopped at another building and lingered in front of the door. This time, they did something different—they opened the door.
It was a slightly smaller building than some of them, only two stories high, and it had been maintained recently, painted with a deep green. The shutters were neat and tidy, and all of the windows were intact. It had been well cared for, which meant it likely was somebody’s home.
“They found something,” Gavin said. He ran forward.
“What ar
e you doing?”
“Now’s our chance.”
“Now?” Gaspar asked. “They’re inside someone’s home. If they… I see.”
“Good. Then you can help.”
Gavin reached the doorway. He paused, glancing along the street, but he didn’t see signs anyone out there was paying attention to them. Darting forward, he reached for one of his knives but changed his mind.
The El’aras dagger.
He had no intention of killing any of the constables. Doing so would only draw their attention to him. That is, unless he killed all three of them. Gavin didn’t want to do that either.
But he wanted to be ready for the possibility of magic used around them. If the constables had detected anything in this home, he needed to be cautious. The blade didn’t glow. That reassured him, though he still questioned what the constables had detected.
He stayed as low as he could and grabbed the nearest constable. He wrapped his hand to cover the man’s mouth and jerked him back, slamming his free hand into the side of his neck. The constable collapsed.
When he was down, Gavin dragged him away.
Gaspar looked over. “What did you do to him?”
“He should be out for a little while,” Gavin whispered.
It was a brutally effective technique—and one he hadn’t used in quite some time—but in close quarters, it was the right move to use. That left two constables.
“Check him. See what you can find,” Gavin said.
Gaspar nodded. It was a wonder he didn’t argue.
Gavin sprinted forward, and he found the other two constables searching a back room. He snuck up behind the nearest one, quickly wrapped his arms around to silence him, and dropped him with the same technique he’d used on the first.
He spun to avoid detection, but the remaining constable noticed him.
Gavin lunged. He tried to keep his head down and twisted as he lunged, wanting to get to the constable without him noticing what Gavin was doing. He wrapped his arms around the constable’s throat and held tightly. The constable struggled, thrashing for a moment, but Gavin used his strength and brought him down.
The Chain Breaker: Books 1-3 Page 45