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

Gavin had to be their shield. He had to be their assassin.

He had to be their Chain Breaker.

He darted toward the woman, and she spun, but she’d already been using power. Every magical being had limitations in the amount of power they could hold on to, and a sorceress—regardless of how powerful they were—would have those same limitations. Gavin had to take advantage of that, and now that she’d been forcing these blasts at the stone golem, he could get to her. Not only that, but he could also use his own core reserves, augmented by the sh’rasn powder, to carve through her barriers.

Gavin brought the sword back, pushed a bit of power through, and slashed at the barrier. Power crackled. He tried again, with the same result.

He looked at her. “Fates or Tristan. I don’t care who you serve. You don’t come into my city and attack us.”

He brought the sword back again, and she started to twirl her hands. As he swung the blade, a surge of smoke swirled from someplace behind him and wrapped around the woman.

Gavin brought the blade forward and carved through nothing but air.

She was gone.

He staggered forward and collapsed. The stone golems took up positions all around him, as if protecting him. He wouldn’t be able to get up. Not easily. He had used too much strength.

It troubled him that the sorceress would fight him here, unless this was Tristan’s way of trying to deplete Gavin’s reserves before they faced each other. He wouldn’t put it past Tristan to use that sort of test to prove that Gavin had no choice but to fight with only his own ability, and not with magic.

I have to find some other way.

The door to the gate opened, and Mekel emerged, followed by two large stone dogs that prowled toward Gavin.

“Can you get up?” Mekel asked.

Gavin took a deep breath, and he forced himself upward. He didn’t have much strength remaining, but hopefully enough to get inside. “I think so.”

“Who was that?”

“I didn’t get a name.”

“We have another sorcerer attacking the city?”

Gavin breathed out and leaned on the stone wolf, patting it lightly. “I don’t know if the sorceress is here for the city or if she’s here for me.”

“Why would she be here for you?”

Gavin looked at the street. A stream of smoke still swirled along it, creating a trail. He could almost follow the contours of that trail. Had the sorceress somehow used that smoke to disappear?

“Can we get away from here?” he asked, glancing over to Mekel. “I’d like to get out of the street, and maybe borrow a few enchantments to see if I can strengthen myself.”

Mekel nodded, then made a motion with his hand. The other stone golems started to shrink, but the wolf helped Gavin to the entrance of the fortress.

When they reached the door, Gavin glanced behind them out to the wall, but it blocked him from seeing anything more. The enchanters would have the power needed to withstand another attack, so long as Mekel and his golems were here.

He stepped inside the fortress. The home was dark, and he looked around to let his eyes adjust, trying to figure out whether there was anybody here other than Mekel. He couldn’t see much, so he reached into his pocket for the sighted enchantment. The darkness faded, revealing a large foyer.

Zella’s fortress was different than how the Captain had decorated it. There had been enchantments in the building when he’d occupied it, but Zella had added to it. Different decorations along the wall all looked to be enchanted. Some were carvings of wood or metal, and others were different ceramic designs. Given the patterns on them, Gavin had to believe they were all enchanted—and all powerful.

She hadn’t changed everything. The front room was still designed to prevent entry to those who shouldn’t come inside. It was the back of the fortress where he expected to find Zella—along with the other enchanters who’d stayed with her.

Mekel closed the door behind them, and he turned to the window. “I got the watch tonight,” he explained. “You can go back to her. I’ll let the wolf stay with you.”

“You’ll let it?”

Mekel shrugged. “I could shrink him down again if you’d prefer.”

Gavin continued to rest his hand on the wolf, and he shook his head. “No, I would prefer to keep the wolf with me, if that’s all right by you.”

Mekel nodded, and the two stone dogs stayed by him, as if they were keeping watch alongside him.

Gavin paused for a second, and the wolf paused with him. He looked back to Mekel. “You’ve grown in your control.”

“Now that we can work openly, I’ve started to experiment,” Mekel said. “I always had to be careful with these before.” He motioned to the two dogs. “If they were discovered, the constables would…” He shrugged. “You know how it went.”

“I do.”

“She knows you’re here,” Mekel said.

Gavin breathed out, petting the wolf on the back. “Thank you for your help.”

“It’s because of you that we’re like this.”

Gavin looked back at Mekel, who was still staring out the window, standing guard. “Like what? Still on edge?”

“Not completely on edge,” Mekel said. “Well, not like we once were. At least now we can practice openly. We don’t have to worry about the constables.”

“Just the Fates,” Gavin said.

“They haven’t come back.”

“Not that we’ve been able to detect.”

“The constables haven’t seen anything either.”

He’d suspected that Mekel would have contacts within the constables, and this confirmed it. “Thank you,” Gavin said again.

He reached a pair of doors thrown open, and he stepped inside. Lantern light greeted him. He took off the enchanted ring and looked into the room, sweeping his gaze around at the others within it.

Zella sat at a table situated off to the side of the room and peered up at him when he entered. She had long raven-black hair and matching dark eyes, with youthful features that had been preserved through the curse the enchanters had encountered