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

Gavin tried not to think about what Tristan had done with them—and why he treated this as some sort of a game. He’d played too many of Tristan’s games in his life. He was done with that now.

Find Wrenlow.

Gavin cried out, and in a fury, he summoned more power. He tried to call upon everything within him that he could, letting that power and magic flow up from deep inside.

He swung the dagger and unsheathed the sword at the same time. With the two El’aras blades, Gavin lunged outward. He could feel something, some aspect of her power attempting to push backward against him, and he let out another cry. He kicked as she started wrapping power around him again and held him to the ground.

“I’m going to need somebody’s help,” Gavin said.

He didn’t hear anything in response.

“Gaspar?”

If Gaspar couldn’t get there, then maybe Imogen could. One of them. Somebody had to help.

Gavin called upon energy, trying to fill himself with as much of the core reserves as he could. Still, there wasn’t enough.

She stormed toward him. “We felt your presence. I don’t know what you think you’re doing coming to Nelar to attack me with the t’ranth but you’ll fail. The same way others have tried and failed.”

Gavin had no idea what she was talking about.

Now wasn’t the time for a long conversation.

“What did Tristan send you here for?”

She faltered a moment. “Send me?”

He focused on his core reserves once again, and he forced more power out from him. It was enough to get himself free, and he tumbled off to the side, landing on his back. He rolled over and realized he wasn’t alone in the room.

There were five bodies lying near him. None of them moved. Who had done that?

He scrambled to his feet and looked over to her. She stormed toward him, power flowing out from her the way that it had ever since she had been coming toward him.

“Since you’re here, you might as well give me the t’ranth,” she said.

“You’re not getting it. It’s too dangerous.” He had no intention of telling her where the egg was. If that was what the t’ranth was. Besides, he didn’t want anyone to release the semarrl again—though he might need them to stop her. She was powerful.

She lifted him.

It seemed so easy the way she did it, leaving him feeling helpless and unable to fight back. He tried to push outward, to hold on to the power within him, but he couldn’t. There was only so much he could do, only so much effort he could use. Even as he tried, he recognized there was simply not enough strength within him to counter her kind of magic.

If there was one thing Gavin had learned in his time fighting others, it was that there were always magical forces beyond his ability. He could train with his own skill, and he could master techniques to become the best fighter he could possibly be, but there was always somebody with more powerful magic. It was why he had long avoided dealing with those with magic.

But in this case, he was distinctly aware of just how outmatched he was.

When he had dealt with the Mistress of Vines, Gavin had felt as if he was able to handle her, so much as such a thing could be handled. But with this, he didn’t feel as if there was any way for him to overcome it. She was simply too powerful.

But he had to fight. He had to struggle. And as much as he failed, he would have to keep trying again. Wrenlow depended on him.

“Where are my friends?” Gavin choked out. He was hanging in the air, suspended by her power. Though he knew how foolish it was for him to demand answers, he was determined to get free.

“Who?”

It was the first moment of confusion she’d shown.

“Them.” He pointed to the two chairs, and she turned.

It was just enough of a lapse that he could spin. He jerked free, managing to break some of the bindings around him, and he had his arms free. Gavin started to focus on the core reserves, trying to call more up through him, but he wasn’t going to have time.

He grabbed the sh’rasn powder from his pouch and dumped a mouthful in. He didn’t have a lot remaining. Either he was going to run out of it entirely, or he would have to ask the El’aras for more. Even if he called, there was no guarantee the El’aras would even answer.

The energy flooded into him, and he was filled with warmth. The feeling came from the magic within him, but also from something else. It came from the powder.

He kicked, shredding through the resistance she had wrapped around him. He wouldn’t be able to summon this power for long, so he knew he would need to act quickly enough to break through her hold, though he didn’t know what it would entail. He darted toward her and stabbed with the sword, hitting her barrier.

“That’s the only reason I’m here. I don’t care what you’re after—you’re not getting it—but I am getting my friends back. Wherever you’ve taken them—"

“I have not taken anyone. I don’t care what you might have heard—I’m not using dark magic.” She glanced to the door. “How is it out there?”

There was a whisper of smoke, and Gavin didn’t know if that was an answer or not.

More confusion struck him.

She knew something. She kept turning up in the same places as him.

Dark magic?

He didn’t know what that meant.

“You’re working with Tristan. I want my friends back.”

It was her turn to look confused, and as she neared the door, she glanced out. Gavin tried to surge forward, attempting to use as much power as he could to break through what she was doing, but he felt her barrier reemerge.

She was powerful and skilled, and he wasn’t able to surprise her with anything he did. She glanced over to him, and he frowned.

“Please,” he said.

He