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

“Even if I don’t, you will be protected.”

She smiled tightly. “Perhaps, but we will not be safe without the Chain Breaker.”

Gavin shook his head. Not only was he going to have to protect those within the Dragon like Jessica and figure out a way to rescue Wrenlow and Olivia, but now he was being asked to defend the enchanters too?

He supposed that was on him, though. It was because of him that they had stepped back into the light of the city and begun to operate more openly. It was because of him that they’d risked themselves when it came to the constables. He owed them, and he supposed he should offer them whatever protection he could.

He looked down at the stone wolf and stared at it. Was this going to be his fate? Would he stay in the city indefinitely?

He clutched the satchel of enchantments against him and stepped through the door, the wolf accompanying him. Mekel was still at the window standing guard. The two stone dogs remained near him.

“She says you need two more?” Mekel asked.

“I do,” Gavin said, glancing over to the stone wolf. “Large enough that they can be ridden.”

“How far do you need to travel?”

“Several days from the city,” Gavin said.

Mekel nodded and leaned down, fumbling with something before handing Gavin two sculptures. One was another wolf, and the other resembled it but had a larger head and a longer, slender tail. “Tap on these to activate them. I’m afraid you won’t be able to shrink them back down once you’ve activated them, so once you enlarge in them, the power of the enchantment will be fully active.”

“Will they protect us the same way as the others did?”

“Of course. All you have to do is ask.”

“And the wolf?”

Mekel looked over. “He seems to like you. I told him it was okay to go with you.”

Gavin smiled. “I suppose I need to thank you as well.”

“Thank me when you get back.”

Chapter Thirteen

Gavin found Davel Chan just inside the prison. The lead constable stared down the hallway with his arms crossed over his chest and his fingers twitching, as if tracing out a pattern. His mouth pinched into a tight line that Gavin could barely make out in the pale light that illuminated the hallway.

“I heard you would be here,” Gavin said.

He’d considered telling him about the location of the dark egg but had decided against it. Davel didn’t need to know. If the enchantments worked as he hoped, the Toral wouldn’t be able to detect it any longer.

Davel didn’t look over. “Did you come to question her?”

Gavin shook his head. “I doubt she knows anything that will be of much use to me.”

“She was close to the Triad. She hasn’t said much about them, other than acknowledging their desire to defeat the Fates.” He looked over. “I’ve been wondering what might’ve happened had they succeeded.”

“They didn’t,” Gavin said.

He was pushing for information about the egg, Gavin suspected.

“I can still wonder.” Davel straightened and wiped his hands on his pants.

“It doesn’t do any good to question what might’ve been. All that matters is moving forward.”

“Maybe in an attack, but for those of us who want to learn from the past, we need to understand it so that we don’t repeat it.”

“Do you really think that’s a possibility?” Gavin said.

Davel took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “I would’ve said no, but with everything that we have encountered in the city…” He shook his head, and he frowned at Gavin. “I imagine you know that we experienced another attack.”

Gavin tried to keep his face neutral. “When?”

“Earlier today. My men took care of it.”

“Only constables? Or were there—”

“My men took care of it,” Davel repeated.

Gavin smiled to himself. It was a good thing that he had begun to take advantage of the enchanters. Eventually, he hoped that even Davel would come to grips with his use of magic. That is, if he could even believe that he had any. So far, Davel had denied the truth that Gavin saw clearly.

“That’s why I’m here. Not because of the attack. I didn’t realize that there had been one,” he admitted. There was no point in keeping that from Davel. Otherwise, if he began to suspect Gavin, they would end up arguing again. They needed to work together, not against each other. “Because I’m leaving. I wanted to ensure that the city was protected before I go.”

“It’s about time.”

Gavin chuckled. “I intend to return.”

“We can take care of ourselves.”

“You can if you keep working with the enchanters.”

“Yes. And we will,” Davel said.

Hopefully, that would be enough. Hopefully.

Gavin still didn’t know what to do with the dark egg while he was gone. The lairs were protected—at least, as much as he could make them. He had placed a few of Zella’s other protections around the chamber, wanting to keep it secured from even the enchanters if they decided to try to break into it. He didn’t think they would, but both Davel and Zella knew of those spaces. And given the connection they had to the Triad, he couldn’t put it past them to attempt to see if they could find out something more about it.

“I’m not here to argue with you,” Gavin said. “I just wanted to let you know that I will be gone.”

“You don’t need to inform me of your decisions.”

“I might not, but I still feel as if I have an obligation to the city. I did promise to help protect it from the Fates.”

Davel turned to him, and he nodded slowly. “I can’t say that we are fully prepared to deflect one of their attacks—yet. I have something in mind, but it will take time to bring that to fruition.”

Gavin wanted him to explain more, but he could tell that Davel had no intention of doing so.

“How long will you be gone?”

“Not long, I hope. I also let Zella know that I would be leaving.” He tapped his pocket. “She gave me