“Meddlesome?” Gavin said. Who was this person? They seemed far too calm for someone who had just broken into—and killed everyone—at the Captain’s fortress. “I’m more than just meddlesome.”
He used everything that he could from the core reserves and exploded outward against the barrier. He expected that it would burst him free.
Only it didn’t.
The barrier around him bulged, but it didn’t shatter.
Shit.
He should have expected it to be more challenging than that.
The sorcerer took a step toward him. Gavin managed to shift his hand just a little bit, enough for him to grab the hilt of the sword he carried.
“Interesting,” the sorcerer said.
His voice was deep and carried with it a bit of a grating quality that left Gavin on edge. Too many sorcerers were like that. The man was tall, and he exuded a sense of energy. He had dark robes that draped around him, and his balding head gleamed in the faint moonlight. He held one hand out from him, which Gavin knew meant that he was preparing to use a spell, though Gavin was ready to carve through any magic. With the El’aras dagger, along with whatever the sword could do, he didn’t have to worry about the magic of any sorcerer.
“Who are you?” the man asked.
Gavin braced for the inevitable squeeze of power. The bands constricted around him, and he remained ready for the sorcerer to try something different. Thankfully, it seemed as if the sorcerer were mostly concerned about why Gavin could resist the magic.
What he needed was to unsheathe the sword. The sword could cut through magic, and in this case, he’d need to use the blade to escape.
Gavin called upon the core reserves again, summoning them from deep within, and then he exploded outward. The energy around him bulged once more.
He tensed and pulled on the blade, drawing it out of the scabbard. It was free, but the bands of magic constricted him again, preventing him from doing anything with the sword.
The sorcerer took another step toward him, unmindful of what Gavin might be able to do.
Let him feel that way, Gavin thought.
He pushed again, resisting the magic. He was running low on energy, and he didn’t know how much more he might be able to withstand. Using that energy, he could resist the bands of power around him, but there was the danger he could weaken himself to the point where he wouldn’t be able to fight.
Gavin pushed one more time. The bindings bulged, spreading away from him, and he was able to bring the blade up. He carved through the bindings, parting them on either side of the sword.
The sorcerer gasped. He took a step back, but Gavin slammed the hilt of the sword against the sorcerer’s forehead. The bright white light within the blade flickered for a moment before fading.
Gavin dragged the sorcerer back to the edge of the street and looked around. In the darkness, it was difficult for him to see anything else nearby. Maybe he should have left the sorcerer awake long enough for him to use the light of the blade to make sure everything was safe.
He crouched near the sorcerer, who didn’t exude the same strength as he had when standing. Maybe there was an element of an enchantment in the way he had used that power. He searched him briefly but didn’t find anything on his person. The fabric of his robes was incredibly soft, and there was a hidden embroidery worked within it.
Finally, he tapped on his enchantment. “I caught the person who killed the Captain. I think. A sorcerer.”
“Again?” Wrenlow asked.
“This one had a different technique.”
“What sort?”
“I’m not entirely sure. He attempted to use a different kind to hold me.”
“Attempted?”
“Well, it worked for a little while,” Gavin said.
He dragged the sorcerer backward, and Gavin quickly reached into his pouch and pulled out a length of enchanted rope. He tied the rope around the sorcerer’s wrists and ankles, binding them tightly, then moved into an alley.
Gradually, the sorcerer started to come around. The sword glowed softly. Gavin crouched next to him again and held the blade up near the sorcerer.
He smiled at him. “You and I are going to have a conversation.”
The sorcerer looked up at Gavin and glanced toward the blade, and then he started to jerk on the ropes.
“Enchanted,” Gavin said. He lifted the sorcerer, propping him up against the wall. Thankfully, the sword continued to glow. He needed the light to see and to ward off the darkness that he hated. “If you try to wrap me in bands of power again, you’ll see that I don’t have nearly as much patience the second time. Now, you and I are going to talk,” Gavin said again.
The sorcerer snarled at him. “You have made a grave mistake.”
“The only mistake I made was not knowing there would be another stinking sorcerer out here tonight.”
“You would attack one of the Fates?”
“I’m more than happy to attack fate, though I don’t think that’s what you’re getting at.”
“No, you fool. The Fates.”
Gavin slammed the hilt of the sword back into the sorcerer’s forehead again. He dragged him along the alley as he held on to the blade.
Thankfully, it maintained a hint of light that glowed from it, though Gavin no longer knew if any of that light came from him. He thought it was mostly coming from the sorcerer, though there were times when the blade glowed that made him question whether he was the one responsible for it.
“Are you catching any of that?” Gavin asked into the enchantment.
“I don’t know anything about the Fates,” Wrenlow said.
“I guess I’m bringing him back to the Dragon to question him,” Gavin said.
“I’m sure Jessica is going to be thrilled.”
He reached the central part of the street before pausing.
“Why was he out here?” he wondered.
“You want to figure this out now?”
“I need to know what he was after.”
The house with the red awning.
What was he after there?
Gavin dragged the sorcerer along the street. Maybe it would be better if he carried him, but with the way the sorcerer had attacked, what were a few bruises?
The street narrowed as he walked, the buildings on either side of him seeming as if they pressed in upon him. The air carried a dampness to it mixed with a foul stink. A cat cried out somewhere nearby, and Gavin tensed a moment. There was nothing else.
He stayed cautious as he made his way the street, worried that he might need to use the darkness to conceal himself. Most of these buildings were still houses, but not all of them were. Some were larger, and some were much more impressive than others, and all their windows were dark. It didn’t take long to find the one with the awning again.
Gavin started toward it, still dragging the sorcerer. He felt something. It was like the wind shifting, nothing more than that, but with the darkness and him already being on edge, Gavin dropped low.
Something whistled over his head.
Gavin grunted in frustration and swept the sword around in a tight arc. It met a hint of resistance and then cleaved straight through it. There was a cry and a spray of warmth.
He grabbed the sorcerer, dragging him toward the building. He wasn’t about to pause to think about who he’d killed.
This was not how this night was to have gone.
Just question the Captain. That was it.
Things were never as simple as he intended. This was no exception.
He reached the building, still dragging the sorcerer. A soft shuffling movement came from behind him, and Gavin turned, holding the blade up. Through the hint of glowing, he detected five shadowed figures. They wouldn’t be more than he could manage, but the noise would be considerable. Even though he couldn’t make out all the details, they were of varying heights. Two of them wore dresses, while the other three had on jackets and pants. One of the women had a hat tilted on
her head, angled off to the side and shading her face. The shadows that lingered near the figures made them difficult to see.
He glanced down at the sorcerer. He was still out.
The five started toward him. Gavin held out the blade. None of them seemed armed with swords, which almost made it an unfair fight.
“You really don’t want to do this,” he said.
No one answered, and Gavin shook his head before starting toward them.
He slipped the sword back into the sheath. Then he called upon the remaining energy within him and jumped. The power allowed him to launch up and over those closest, landing in the middle of them.
He dropped down, swinging his leg around and tripping one man, and he caught him in the midsection as he fell. Gavin twisted and spun, and he kicked at another. His heel caught the man in the knee, and he brought his fist up, driving it into the man’s face. There was a satisfying crunch as something broke.
Twisting again, he slammed his elbow into another of the attackers that tried to get too close to him. Gavin drove it all the way through and brought his fist back up, catching the attacker in the forehead.
He jumped, using a hint of the core reserves to gain height. He rotated in the air and spun his legs out from him. As he did, he kicked and connected with the forehead of another one of the attackers. Gavin grinned as he landed, though now only one man was remaining.
“You’re skilled,” the man said.
Gavin smirked. “You have no idea.”
“You made a mistake, though.”
“What was that?”
“You left him alone,” the man replied.
Almost too late, Gavin realized the sorcerer was behind him. Gavin spun and felt something starting to sneak around him. He’d sheathed the sword. He’d also used up considerable reserves.
He called upon a hint of that energy, enough to flow through him, and jumped. It carried him up and swept him away from the magic trying to wrap around him. Gavin unsheathed the sword in that movement and flipped in the air, carving through the band of magic as he landed.
Somehow, the sorcerer had managed to free his hands and legs, which suggested there was somebody else with him.
Where are they?
Magic made the blade glow brightly, and Gavin spun in place, searching for a sign of the attacker. He didn’t see anyone, but they had to be here.
Another burst of power came from behind him. Another sorcerer? It would explain how the sorcerer he’d brought here had gotten out so easily.
Gavin darted toward a nearby alley. If nothing else, he needed to figure out what the sorcerer had taken from the Captain. He reached the alley, and power started to build. The blade was glowing, and Gavin swept out with it, slashing at the energy he detected.
The sorcerers turned toward him, spreading out. They glowed brightly. Gavin hadn’t seen anything quite like that before.
The first sorcerer grinned at him.
Shit.
A burst of energy exploded into him, knocking Gavin into the alley.
“What’s going on?” Wrenlow asked.
“Ambush,” Gavin muttered. “It seems as if the sorcerer I thought I’d contained managed to break free of the enchanted ropes.”
“How is that even possible?”
“How am I supposed to know? I’m no sorcerer.”
The ropes had been enchanted by Olivia, an enchantress who should’ve managed to hold a sorcerer with them. When she had bound Gavin in those ropes to test their strength, he had to draw upon a considerable source of power to break free of the bindings. Not that he was more powerful than a sorcerer, but he did have experience breaking through bindings. That they would fail against a sorcerer—and so quickly—surprised him.
Gavin needed to try a different approach. Staying here wasn’t going to be the safest strategy. He had to get out of here. He could figure out what they’d taken from the Captain later.
Escape first.
The dagger flashed with an occasional pulse of power, suggesting that magic continued to flare. That had to be the sorcerer. Gavin didn’t see him anywhere nearby, but he could detect the use of magic reflected in the glow of the El’aras dagger. He could practically feel something as it slammed against the building, though he didn’t know if that came from the sorcerer or if there was somebody out there with enchantments. If it was someone with enchantments, Gavin had a better chance of dealing with them. If it was the sorcerer…
He had to be careful anyway because he had limited reserves of power. Not like the sorcerer, who seemed to have incredible access to magic.
Another blast struck at him.
Gavin raced toward one of the darkened buildings and slammed a shoulder into it, realizing as he did that he’d headed toward the building with the red awning. With a burst through his core reserves, he popped the door open. The room was empty. Gavin backed in. Power continued to build from the sorcerer.
He had to escape.
“Balls,” he whispered.
“What was that?” Wrenlow asked.
“I’m not going to be able to get out this way.”
“You could take them on.”
“I’ve already used too much energy,” Gavin muttered.
“Then run,” Wrenlow said.
His only option was to go through the back of the building.
Gavin backed up and felt movement behind him.
He spun, sweeping the sword, and managed to cut through a surge of magic. The blade glowed brightly, and the sorcerer that was there was not supposed to be there.
How did they appear behind me?
Gavin darted forward. He rolled into another room, threw the door closed, and jumped to his feet. The room was empty, much like the last. No decorations. A rug across the floor but no furniture. Nothing other than a window. That was the only other way out of here.
Gavin raced toward the window and pushed it open, and he looked out into the night. The window looked out onto an alleyway. He paused for a moment, lingering as he looked down, then jumped through the window.
He crept back along the alley. “You need to give me directions from here,” he told Wrenlow.
“Where are you?”
“An alley outside of a window off the back of the building.”
“What do you want me to do about it?” Wrenlow asked.
“I was hoping you might be able to offer me someplace to go for safety,” he said.
There was silence for a moment, and Gavin continued making his way along the alley, looking from side to side for any sign of movement. He didn’t notice anything, but he couldn’t tell if he was alone or not. For all he knew, he was not. The sorcerer had surprised him—twice. It wouldn’t be a stretch to think it could happen again. He listened to the sounds of the street, but he didn’t detect anything else out there with him.
Gavin watched the blade to see if it might glow. “Wrenlow?”
“I’m trying to help you, but…”
“But what?”
Wrenlow sighed. “If you’re in the part of the city I think you are, I don’t see any way for you to go.”
“What do you mean?” Gavin asked.
“If you are where I think you are, then there isn’t any place for you to go.”
Gavin frowned, trying to think of another option.
Shadowed movement came down the alley, and his sword started to glow.
Magic.
The damn sorcerers.
Worse, he was trapped.
Chapter Six
Gavin was in a fenced-in area, the walls towering overhead, and much as Wrenlow had suggested, there really wasn’t any way for him to escape other than heading back in to face the sorcerers he detected.
He looked for another possibility.
The sword continued glowing, and it took on an increasing brightness compared to what it had before. Gavin didn’t know if that meant the sorcerers were getting close, but he suspected it couldn’t be anything good.
“There migh
t be something you can try.” Wrenlow’s voice came through the enchantment.
Gavin waited. He couldn’t see anything on the other side of the walls but increasingly thought that he would have to try.
“If my map is correct”—and Wrenlow’s tone of voice suggested that he would be shocked if it weren’t—“then if you take the wall to your left, there should be an alley to buildings over, and from there—”
“I’m on it.”
Gavin took a running start at the wall, and he jumped, pushing off while summoning power from his core reserves at the same time. The jump carried him up, higher than he would’ve expected, and he reached the top of the wall more easily than he had anticipated. He landed there, and it gave him a moment to pause. The sword continued to glow, and Gavin scrambled forward, jumping to a nearby rooftop until he found the alley Wrenlow had described.
Gavin backed along the alley as quickly as he could, looking in either direction. He was cautious as he moved through the streets, cautious as he headed along the alley. He gripped the El’aras dagger tightly, watching for signs of the glowing light that signified magic. So far, there had been nothing.
The streets were quiet as well. He didn’t know what to make of that, only that with the silence, any movement he made would be noticeable. He had to be careful. He didn’t need to be drawing any extra attention to himself.
The wind whistled softly, increasing in intensity since the last time he’d heard it, and an occasional rumble of thunder came in the distance. Maybe there would be a storm. There hadn’t been many in his time in Yoran. He didn’t know if a storm would help or hinder him.
“Gavin?”
“Just a moment,” he whispered. “I think there’s something here.”
“What is it?”
“Some sort of danger coming my way,” Gavin said. He rested his back against a building in the alley, looking in either direction. The alley was completely dark, and he saw no movement. He held out the El’aras dagger but didn’t find anything with that either.
“What sort of danger?” Wrenlow asked.
“The kind that involves men creeping toward me,” Gavin said.
The Fates of Yoran (The Chain Breaker Book 3) Page 6