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

away and scanned the table. “But it made us stronger. In its own sick and twisted way, we all came away stronger. I wonder if we would’ve developed our abilities as much as we did otherwise.”

“Mekel seems even more powerful now that you can work openly,” Gavin said.

“He is. Others are like that as well. It is unusual, though.” She frowned as she shifted some of the enchantments around on the table, lifting one and closing her eyes for a moment before setting it back down and moving on to another. “It is not typical for people to grow more potent with their abilities over time. At least, not quite as dramatically as he has.”

“Do you think it just has to do with him practicing?” That was what Mekel had believed, and it made a certain sort of sense to Gavin, so he would’ve expected that.

“Perhaps that is all it is,” she said, shaking her head.

“You’re worried,” Gavin said, watching her. He should have noticed that before. When he had first come here, he had been distracted by his own fatigue.

“I’m concerned I don’t understand what is taking place,” she said. “And that there are those of my people—and they are my people, regardless of what you might try to tell me—who have decided to work so openly with the constables.”

Gavin stepped around the table toward her. “First of all, I would never claim that they weren’t your people. You did everything in your power to protect them, and that makes them your people. And second of all, I think some of them are working with the constables in order to ensure that they are protected, at least in a certain way. Besides, aren’t you still visiting with Davel from time to time?”

He wasn’t entirely sure how much Zella would admit to when it came to her actions with the constables. Perhaps none at all, though he thought she needed to at least acknowledge that she had been working with Davel in questioning her mother.

“My mother hasn’t shared anything useful with me,” Zella said, turning away.

“You aren’t going to be able to forgive her.”

“Should I?” Zella looked up, hurt flaring in her eyes. “I lived all these years thinking that she sacrificed herself to protect our people, but she was responsible for what happened to us. She is to blame.”

Gavin didn’t know what to say, and he certainly didn’t think that he could come up with anything to ease her mind. It wasn’t his responsibility, anyway. “I understand.”

She looked over. “Do you?”

“I understand how learning that someone you cared about betrayed you can be hurtful. I’ve had it happen a time or two.”

“I suppose you have,” Zella murmured. She glanced down at the table and grabbed an item from it. “Here. This is what you were asking for.”

“I see,” he said.

Gavin wished that he had the opportunity to test it, but he feared spending the power from them before he had a chance to work with them. And he feared letting anyone else come to rely on them.

“How certain are you that these will work?” he asked.

She arched a brow at him. “You don’t trust me?”

“I trust you,” Gavin said. “I’m just concerned about depending on these when it comes down to what we might face.”

“You know what my ability is,” she said.

Gavin nodded. “I do.”

“Then you should know that I can tell you what each of these does. Trust me, Gavin. I wouldn’t send you with anything dangerous, or useless.”

He grunted. “Useless enchantments would be dangerous.”

“I know.”

Zella made her way around the table. She stopped a few other places and closed her eyes each time, focusing as if to probe for power. By the time she worked her way all along the table, then back, she had a stack of items that she handed to Gavin. She started working through the shelves as well. When she was done, she glanced at the enchantments he held.

“You’re going to need something to carry that with,” Zella said.

“I feel like I’m asking too much of you.”

“Maybe.” She smiled slightly. “But perhaps not. You are the one responsible for freeing all of this, after all.”

That wasn’t entirely true, but he wasn’t going to argue with her about those details now. She motioned for him to wait a moment, and then she headed out of the room.

He walked around the table. The enchantments were all different shapes and sizes. Some of them were tiny, little larger than the pebbles she had given him, each of them with strange symbols carved into the surface. The symbols were what gave the enchantment power, though he had no idea how they were formed. The enchanters never shared that secret, only that it was some part of the magic they possessed. Gavin didn’t know if the power they used made a difference either. He had no idea about enchantments, only that they were sometimes useful, and other times not.

He found another carving that reminded him of the one that Mekel had made, only this one looked like a detailed figure of a man. Long arms swept toward the ground, and what appeared to be fangs protruded from his mouth. Gavin picked it up and twisted it in place, feeling a strange twinging as he held on to it.

“I wouldn’t use that one,” a voice said.

Gavin looked over to see Alana coming into the room. She was small, yet she strode around the table and touched some of the items before moving onward.

“I’m surprised she let you in here,” Alana said.

“I needed some enchantments for what we have to do.”

“She says you’re our protector.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Gavin said.

“You don’t want to help?”

“I’ve tried,” he said.

“She tells me I wouldn’t be able to make my shapes without you.”

“What do your shapes do?”

Alana smiled. “Those are my protectors.” She stopped, lifted one of the enchantments, and wrinkled her nose as she looked at it. “Some of these are ugly. At least, I think so. Don’t tell Mekel I