The Stone Wolf (The Chain Breaker Book 4) by D.K. Holmberg (digital book reader TXT) 📕

“So, you worry it’s finally fading,” Gaspar said.

Gavin shrugged. “I guess I am.”

“You still have that trinket she left you. Why don’t you summon her?”

“I’m not calling one of the El’aras here just to have her make me a new enchantment.”

“Seeing as how she lingered around you the last time, I can’t imagine she’d be too disappointed if you do. You got a woman like that willing to come to your beck and call, you might as well take advantage of that, boy.”

“We both know that it isn’t a wise decision to call the El’aras for that kind of purpose,” Gavin said.

“You’ve brought enough magic to the city, what would be a little bit more?”

“I haven’t been trying to bring magic here. I’ve been trying to—”

“Protect Yoran, I know. In your own special way.” He emphasized the word special. “And despite that, from what I hear, the constables continue to struggle with some strange influence. Anything you care to say about that?”

“Only that I don’t know what’s going on with it,” Gavin said.

Gaspar grunted, and he glanced over, nodding to the server who appeared at the table. She was a bit older than Rebecca, though still younger than most of the servers who’d worked here ever since Gavin had started coming to the tavern. She had curly brown hair and wide-set eyes, and she frowned at Gavin before turning to Gaspar.

“Jessica wanted me to find out if you’d like anything,” she said.

“You go ahead and tell Jessica to send out another mug of ale,” Gaspar said. “Maybe two, if the boy decides he’s going to drink.”

“I wasn’t supposed to get anything for him,” she replied.

“Is that what Jessica said, or Rebecca?” Gavin asked.

The girl frowned again.

“Oh, don’t be like that, Tinna.” Gaspar chuckled. “The boy here can be rude—I’ve got more experience with that than anyone in the tavern, other than Jessica—but he means well.”

“I suppose I could bring him a drink,” she said.

“You do that.”

Tinna scurried off, and Gavin shook his head. “She’s going to spit in it.”

“What makes you think a nice girl like that is going to spit in your ale?”

“Because Rebecca has eyes for Wrenlow and I was giving him a hard time about it last night. I think. Everything last night was a little blurry. You know he can’t keep his eyes off Olivia.”

Gaspar’s face turned even more sour before his expression faded. “I suppose I should be kinder to that one. I know he means well, and I know he can’t help it that he’s as simple as he is at times.”

“You’re calling Wrenlow simple?”

“You’ve seen the kind of trouble he likes to get himself into. That foolish kid keeps chasing you all over the city.” Gaspar said nothing for a long moment while twisting the mug. “Have you found anything?” he finally asked.

“You mean when it comes to Tristan?”

“What else would I mean, boy? Have you found anything?”

“Only that he continues to attempt to infiltrate the city.” Gavin told Gaspar what he had heard from Davel, along with the events of the attack the night before. Finally, he ended with what had happened in the tunnel underneath Cyran’s home. He avoided telling him that he had the dark egg on him.

“You sure that’s all him?” Gaspar asked.

“I don’t know who else it would be,” Gavin said. “It might not be him, but it fits the kind of thing he’d do.”

“I suppose it might. That is, if what you’ve told me about him is true.”

“Why would it not be?”

“This is a man who decided to train you for some mysterious purpose,” Gaspar said. “You come up with an answer as to why yet?”

Gavin shook his head. “Because he thought I could be used.”

“Fine,” Gaspar said. “He thought you could be used, but the real question is why did he think that?”

Gavin leaned back as Tinna brought the ale over to their table, setting it in front of them. She sloshed it a bit more aggressively in front of Gavin before placing it gently in front of Gaspar. When she was gone, Gavin sighed and used his sleeve to wipe the spilled ale off the table.

“You’re going to stink like it,” Gaspar muttered.

“There are worse things than that,” Gavin said.

Gaspar shrugged.

“It seems like a lost opportunity for you there, Gaspar.”

“What do you want me to say? That you always stink?”

“It would be typical for you, so I suppose that’s what I want you to say.”

Gaspar grunted. “Maybe don’t go around upsetting the waitresses and you wouldn’t have to wipe up the table.”

“And I told you I didn’t do anything.”

“Maybe it’s just the way you look. Can’t say I blame them all that much for it either.”

“They think I did something to Jessica,” Gavin said.

“Didn’t you?”

Gavin ignored the question and looked around the tavern. It was busier than it had been in quite some time, though he wasn’t sure if he would even know how busy it had been recently. The sound of the musician’s voice carried over the crowd, and a couple had even gotten up to dance in front of him. Most of the people were seated around their tables. Some of them were playing games, others leaned close and talked, and there was one circular table with half a dozen chairs around it where the conversation was far more boisterous, an occasional shout ringing out.

Gavin turned his attention back to Gaspar. “I’ve been trying to protect her.”

“That’s what you told her, at least.”

“Yes, that’s what I told her,” Gavin said.

“And how does she feel about it?”

“About the way I expected.”

“You did spend quite a bit of time with her before you decided to move on, so can you blame her?” Gaspar asked.

“We both knew it was short-term.”

“I wonder if she knew it as well as you did.”

Jessica emerged from the kitchen and swept through the tavern. She stopped at one table, then the next, before finally making her way over toward them.

“She knew,” Gavin said before she reached their table.