The Fates of Yoran (The Chain Breaker Book 3)

by D. K. Holmberg

  Gaspar grunted. “We? Suddenly you’re one of the constables?”

  There was more to the question. Both knew it.

  Gavin didn’t know what he felt about Yoran, but he wasn’t about to let sorcery overwhelm the city. There were too many people here he cared about.

  “I think the constables are more than they’re letting on,” Gavin said.

  He watched Gaspar as he said it. If he was right, then Davel wouldn’t be the only constable who had some connection to the enchanters. It might not be as strong as some, but he believed there was a connection there.

  Gaspar looked back at him, saying nothing.

  “Anyway, there are some strange smoke creatures that have attacked in the city. I don’t really know anything about them, only that they’re tied to magic in some way. There’s a way of containing them,” Gavin said, pulling one of the enchantments out of his pocket. He tested it to make sure he wasn’t trapped by it, and it seemed as if it wouldn’t hold him. Whether or not that was intentional, Gavin didn’t know. “These can contain them, but we don’t really know whether to be concerned about them spreading through the city.”

  “We?” Gaspar asked.

  “Davel Chan and I.”

  Gaspar snorted. “This is incredibly amusing. Given the kind of work you enjoy, I thought you would be the one who would rail against the constables. Not that it’s any different for me, but now you’re working with them?”

  “I know about the constables,” Gavin said softly.

  Gaspar frowned at him. “What exactly do you think you know?”

  “I was with Davel when he used the jade egg. I understand what’s involved in creating the enchantments.”

  “Then you know what they stole from the enchanters.”

  “I’m not so sure they stole anything,” Gavin said.

  Gaspar glared at him. “After everything you went through and what you’ve seen of how the constables will attack, you’re questioning whether they’ve stolen the power from the enchanters they betrayed?”

  “Did the constables betray them, or did the enchanters decide they wanted power for themselves? I’m not so sure Davel needs the jade egg for enchantments,” Gavin said.

  Gaspar stiffened. “What was that?”

  “You heard me. And I suspect he’s not the only one of the constables who wouldn’t need the jade egg to summon the kind of power they do.” Gavin forced a smile. “Did you know that the constables can place enchantments?”

  Gaspar narrowed his eyes. “What are you getting at?”

  “I’m sure you’ll work it out eventually. Don’t you like to tell me how slow my mind is? I got there.”

  Gaspar turned back to the door, one hand resting on it. He didn’t leave. “It doesn’t work like that.”

  “Maybe not, but the Fate is here. The smoke creatures seem to target those with magic. Which means—”

  “You think they’re coming for the enchanters.”

  “I don’t know if they’re coming for them or only willing to release power.” He still didn’t feel like he’d pieced things together quite right. “The Fate is after something. I don’t know what it is, but he needed something from the Captain and then went to the lair.”

  “Unless he was only getting revenge,” Wrenlow said.

  Gavin looked over. “Why would you say that?”

  “If the Fates are angry about what happened, maybe he’s getting revenge. Kill the Captain who had been a part of pushing the sorcerers out and then going after the constables. You said you saw some of them attacked.”

  Gavin had. The constables had been a part of the war all those years ago. Could it really be connected to something that had happened decades ago?

  “Which would put the enchanters in danger,” Gaspar said.

  “That’s my concern. When they attack somebody with more power, they can cause more damage than if they attack somebody who has none. When I was at the barracks, several of the constables were knocked unconscious, but they came back around. There was one, though, that the smoke creature seemed to have taken a liking to,” Gavin said. “It seemed as if the smoke creature latched onto him. I don’t really know what it was, only that it seemed to be…”

  Gavin thought back to what he had seen and realized something. It wasn’t just that the smoke creature latched onto the constable. It had seemed to be pulling energy from him.

  Until they had placed the enchantment upon him, the smoke creature was drawing that power, almost as if it were feeding on him. Could that be it? Why would the sorcerers have released something like that in the city? Unless they had some way of controlling them.

  “It seemed to be what?” Gaspar asked.

  “I don’t know if the smoke creature was feeding on the constable or whether it was simply trying to harm him, but it only stopped when we contained it.”

  If the Fate had come for revenge, that would be a brutal way of doing it.

  Use magic to feed off those who had it and couldn’t defend against it.

  The very thing someone like the Fate he’d met would do.

  “There’s still the issue of the Fate wanting something,” Wrenlow said. “You told me that he believed you had something. And the Captain didn’t want him to take one of his enchantments.”

  “We haven’t been able to determine what he took,” Gaspar said. “We’ve looked, but…” He shrugged.

  “There’s more to it,” Gavin said. “There has to be.”

  It all came back to the Triad—to something more than that.

  Something had called the Fates to the city.

  He just had to figure out what it was.

  “While we figure this out, we need help creating protections,” Gavin said.

  “What sort of protections?”

  Gavin reached into his pocket, pulled out another enchantment, and tossed it to Gaspar.

  Gaspar caught it and held it up, examining it for a moment. “What does it do?”

  “It repels magical attacks.”

  “You would just give this to me?”

  “I don’t know how many attacks it will repel,” Gavin said. “From what I’ve been told, there’s a limit to what these enchantments will permit. With this, you’ll have some protection, but it might be limited.”

  “Limited how?”

  “How many attacks you can repel. I’ve already seen that this will withstand a smoke creature attack, but I had better luck with it than Davel did. So it does protect, but it isn’t perfect.”

  “That’s all you want them to do? You want the enchanters to make more of these?”

  “No,” Gavin said, though that wasn’t a bad idea. Having them create more enchantments like that might be better than trying to use the jade egg. But he didn’t know if the enchantments made by the jade egg were more valuable than those that were made by an enchanter.

  The only way to truly place a solid protection might be by getting a sorcerer involved. What sorcerer would go against the Fates?

  “Then let’s get this over with,” Gaspar said.

  Gavin appreciated that Gaspar didn’t want to linger, though he wasn’t surprised. If the enchanters were in danger, he’d do what he needed to protect them.

  Before leaving, he tapped on the enchantment in his ear. “Can you hear me?”

  “I can hear you for now,” Wrenlow said.

  “Stay alert. I might need your help.”

  “You said that before.”

  Gavin turned to Jessica. “Keep the Dragon locked.”

  She shook her head. “Don’t worry about me. You said it yourself—the constables are keeping watch. Go with Gaspar. I’ll keep an eye on him,” she said, looking over at Wrenlow.

  Wrenlow had turned his attention back to the book in front of him.

  He followed Gaspar out of the tavern and along the street. “Where’s Imogen? She could be useful in all of this.”

  Gaspar shot him a stern look. “She offered to protect Desarra and Olivia. Did you think I woul
d leave them unprotected?”

  “Olivia could make enchantments.”

  “No enchanter would be able to overpower any sorcerer.” Gaspar sighed. “You weren’t in the city during the war, and you wouldn’t have seen that. For those of us who were, we know just what it was like and what the sorcerers can do to those who don’t have their power.” They stopped at an intersecting street, heading toward the west, and not where Gavin had anticipated. “How many constables do you have watching the Dragon?” Gaspar asked.

  “I don’t have any watching it.”

  “You’re just going to leave it unprotected?” Gaspar paused, turning and staring at the tavern.

  “I’m not the one who commands the constables.”

  “You can really be a pain in the ass,” Gaspar said.

  Gavin pointed to two constables on the rooftop and two along the street. “There are four watching the Dragon. There might be more, but those are the ones obvious to me.”

  Gaspar furrowed his brow as he studied them. “Good.”

  “How many do you think there are?”

  “Well, if you’re seeing four, then there are probably another four you can’t see, which is at least a reasonable starting point.”

  They turned, heading back along the street. Gavin trailed after Gaspar, starting to think he knew where they were heading.

  “The Captain’s?” he asked. Gaspar nodded. “When did they move there?”

  “Because it was safer. With the Captain gone, they figured they’d take over a larger building. Gives them a little more freedom. Besides,” he said, glancing back at Gavin, “with everything the Captain took from them over the years, they figure he owed them.”

  If they were there, maybe Zella would be able to find the necklace that had started all of this for Gavin.

  Gavin watched for signs of the smoke creatures and glowing of the El’aras dagger but didn’t see anything. He left the enchantment for speed and strength on, though now that he knew it might fade over time, he wondered if he should save it for when he needed it. He had no idea if he was borrowing from that energy even while walking through the streets. Maybe he should have asked Davel for another enchantment that would work similarly.

  They veered off down a narrow side street not far from the Captain’s fortress lined by tall bells trees. Gavin made a point of keeping away from them, though Gaspar didn’t seem to care—which likely meant he had an enchantment that protected him. The street would lead them to the back side of the yard, not the direct approach Gavin had taken when he’d come. Gaspar slowed, and he motioned for Gavin to follow him.

  A nagging doubt troubled him. He had to figure out why the Fate would use the smoke creatures. Hopefully, the enchanters—and Zella in particular—would have that knowledge.

  They neared the wall surrounding the fortress when a cool sensation washed across his skin. He paused.

  “Keep going,” Gaspar said.

  “I felt something.”

  “Of course you did. It’s designed for you to feel something.”

  “What is it?”

  “A way for them to know if somebody who has magic has come through.” Gaspar looked over at him. “So, knowing what we do about you, I’m not surprised you felt something.”

  “What about you? Did you feel anything?”

  “No,” Gaspar said. “Now keep moving.”

  “What are you worried about?” Gavin said.

  “There are other defenses they placed here.”

  “What sort?”

  “The kind that will prevent you from getting much farther, so keep moving.”

  They neared a small doorway near the wall. Gavin glanced behind him, and he started to turn back toward the doorway when something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.

  He turned back. “Move,” he said to Gaspar.

  “I am moving, so just wait a second.”

  Gavin reached into his pocket, pulling out one of the enchantments. As he looked at the faint trace of smoke in the distance, he wasn’t sure if one enchantment was going to be enough. The cloud appeared to be larger than the other ones he had seen. Gavin pulled out another enchantment.

  He pushed Gaspar, but Gaspar only glanced back at him.

  “It’s time for you to get moving before you find out whether or not that smoke creature is really going to come after you,” he said to Gaspar.

  He prepared for the attack. He had to figure out some way to draw the smoke creature into the enchantment, though Gavin wasn’t sure how to do that. He might’ve gotten lucky in the constables’ barracks.

  Gavin pushed Gaspar forward again. “You need to keep moving.”

  “What do you think I’m trying to do?”

  “I can’t really tell. You’re just standing there,” Gavin said.

  “Because I have to wait for the others to come out.”

  “I don’t know if we have enough time for that.”

  Gaspar looked past him, his eyes going wide. “What is that?”

  “That’s the smoke creature.”

  “What’s within the smoke?”

  Gavin turned back, and his breath caught. Within the smoke was what appeared to be a face. That face opened a massive mouth, as if it were trying to swallow them.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Gavin hurriedly held out the enchantment. He jammed it toward the smoke creature, unmindful of what might happen if it were to clamp down on his arm. The creature swirled around, but the enchantment took hold, swallowing the smoke. Gavin hurriedly added another enchantment.

  Given the size of this smoke creature, he had to try something more.

  The smoke creature screamed. The sound was a horrible shriek, and Gavin wanted nothing more than to cover his ears. He had to keep his hand out, forcing the enchantments toward the creature.

  “What is it?” Gaspar asked.

  “Get moving!”

  “What about you?”

  “I’m going to be fine. I have the enchantment that repels magic.”

  The smoke creature slammed toward him, trying to force its way through. Gavin ignored it, holding on to the enchantments, prepared for the possibility that the creature might come toward him with a renewed violence. He might need the sword, if it would work.

  Gavin pushed Gaspar back, and Gaspar crashed into something behind him. Gavin hazarded a glance over his shoulder. Gaspar struggled getting to his feet and tried to unsheathe one of his knives.

  Gavin shook his head. “Weapons aren’t going to work against it. I’ve tried already, and even the El’aras dagger and sword haven’t done anything to them.”

  “The enchantment?”

  Gavin nodded. He turned his attention back to the smoke creature. As he held the enchantments out, he could feel them vibrating as if they were trying to pull power.

  He glanced behind him.

  There was nothing but the wall. Gaspar was gone.

  The enchanters must have let him in.

  There was something more dangerous about this smoke creature than the others he’d encountered. Gavin felt his heart racing as he stood close to it, fear building within him. He had to ignore that sense. The creature pressed out at him with its strange magic, forcing those emotions upon him.

  They should have been careful—and Gavin should have known better.

  The smoke creatures had been following him. The Fate was using Gavin to find others.

  They weren’t helpless, though. He knew the smoke creature could be captured.

  He leaned forward, and the smoke creature bounced off the magical protection that he held.

  “Wrenlow?” he said into his enchantment. For a moment, Gavin worried the enchantment was no longer working.

  Wrenlow’s voice crackled. “What is it?”

  “I need you to get word to the constables.”

  “What kind of word?”

  He told Wrenlow where they had traveled. “Send them to the Captain’s fortress.”

  “Are you sure?�
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  “It’s not about attacking the enchanters,” Gavin said. “It’s about saving them.”

  His arms started to grow heavy. Still, the smoke creature fought against the enchantments, struggling within the power Gavin pushed at it.

  Gavin took a step toward it. He had to count on the fact that his enchantment that pushed back magic would be enough to protect him.

  The smoke creature started to shriek even louder. He stepped forward again, holding on to the power within the enchantments, and moved closer to the smoke creature.

  All he had to do was push.

  He took another step.

  The smoke creature swirled closer.

  That was new.

  Gavin reached into his pocket, pulling out one that was another magical barrier. The smoke creature was repelled farther, though it started to crash toward Gavin, as if it were suddenly aware of how things had changed.

  He forced the smoke creature forward, ignoring the shrieking.

  What he needed was more power for the trap.

  “Hold on, Gavin. We’re coming toward you.”

  He felt a surge of relief at hearing Wrenlow’s voice. The irony was not lost on him that, after everything he’d gone through in Yoran, he wanted the constables coming in his direction.

  He pulled out another enchantment and used the combination to hold the smoke creature. He needed to trap it. Gavin took another step. Violence within the smoke creature intensified.

  What if he added his core energy to the traps? Gavin hadn’t tried that before. He hadn’t even tried using it to help with the magical repellant. Now was the time to attempt it.

  Gavin called that power up from within himself. When he had used it before, he had usually used it to replenish his own strength. There had been a few times where he had learned to use that power to help break the bonds around him, and Gavin had come to know that he could use that power to shatter those bindings.

  But this was something different. This was a matter of trying to pour power out from him in a controlled way.