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

it out so wildly. Against the sorcerer and the Toral, he would’ve had an advantage in trying to use that power while fighting, but so far, he had not been able to focus his magic well enough. The only way he’d used it had been in bursts of power.

He stopped in the entrance hall of the outpost. The tile floor and the stone sculptures were incredibly exquisite, making him think they were probably enchantments, which often took on remarkable detail. He was in a place of sorcerers, so it shouldn’t surprise him that they would have these kinds of impressive enchantments. They might be for the protection of the outpost, which would be reason enough for Gavin to be careful.

Could he use something to diminish the enchantments? He shook his head. Not unless it became necessary. For now, he would stay here, and he would let those enchantments protect Gaspar as much as they could. He turned to the door, and when he reached it, he had a feeling of somebody watching him.

He looked over his shoulder, but he didn’t see anyone. The only person they’d encountered in the outpost had been the healer. Typically, there were higher-level sorcerers within an outpost. He would’ve figured that, in a place like this, there would be at least three or four different sorcerers, all of different abilities, ranks, and standings within their society. Something felt off to him, though he wasn’t entirely sure what it was or why he should feel that way.

When he stepped out of the outpost, a cool tingling washed over his skin. Some protection faded. Maybe the sorcerer had been telling the truth about making things difficult for them.

He stood on the step, staring out into the city. It was early morning, the sun barely creeping up above the horizon. The air was already intensely humid, making it challenging for him to breathe, though Gavin had learned different techniques to breathe through humidity in order to function well. He took a slow, steady breath, then quickly exhaled and stepped beyond the small wall surrounding the outpost.

He didn’t know how to figure out what Tristan had done with Wrenlow, but if he could get the communication enchantment to work…

There was only one way to accomplish that.

Gavin touched the marker in his pocket, turning it from side to side. Would Anna mind? She probably would not, especially as she had provided him with the marker in the first place. But in this case, he worried that what he needed from her was so specific and personal that it might upset her to learn that he wanted it to find his friend and not for anything greater than that. Still, maybe she would be willing to help.

It wasn’t just for him. It was because there had been a strange Toral attack.

And knowing what he did of Anna and her willingness to help him in the past, he had to hope that she would see his need and work with him.

Gavin pulled out the marker and studied it for a moment. How long would it take for her to respond? They may not have time to wait. He squeezed his hand around the marker, and he focused on his core reserves. He let out a trickle of energy into the coin and waited.

When there was no answer, Gavin looked over to the city. The last time he had been here had been years ago, and he was a much younger person. He didn’t recall much of it, though the city itself looked about as he remembered. Situated to the north of Yoran as it was, there was something different to it. An energy, perhaps, or perhaps it was just the humidity in the air. Many of the pale white stone buildings—those similar to ones found in Yoran—had a strange moss that grew along them, and the air stunk from it.

He headed into the city.

It didn’t surprise him that the Sorcerer Society outpost would be at the outskirts of the city. Nelar was a place that had long been ruled by enchanters, or dular, as the people here called them.

He had never known that it was a derogatory term. When he had come here many years ago, he had overheard it and had asked Tristan about it, but he hadn’t known that the people wouldn’t care for that term. Had Zella not told him, Gavin would not have known.

Everywhere he looked carried the sense of enchantment. He noticed large sprawling symbols on many of the buildings, along with sculptures sitting outside of doorsteps, or decorations hanging from eaves or along rooftops. All of them had complicated symbols worked within them, evidence of an enchantment. The cold washing sense of magic came from many of them.

This was different than Yoran.

There was no attempt to hide the magic, and as he made his way through the city, Gavin looked at buildings with enchantments etched onto the surface, or people who openly carried enchantments, obviously moving with speed or looking around with enchanted eyesight, or probably even enchanted strength.

He reached what looked to be the center of the city. It was a massive courtyard. A large stone sculpture filled the center of the courtyard—likely another enchantment—and there was evidence that fighting had once taken place here. He could see it on the burn marks along one of the walls, as well as the reconstruction of a massive manor house nearby.

Fighting had happened here. And recently.

Knowing there was a Toral within the city, or at least one who had come to the city, left him thinking she probably had been involved. Everything seemed calm now. Whatever had taken place here had been resolved.

There was what the Toral had mentioned to him.

She’d faced other attacks.

She’d protected Nelar.

That had to be what she feared now.

And despite the attack, magic was still used openly.

That was another different thing than in Yoran, though while Nelar appreciated enchantments, he didn’t see many members of the Society.

Perhaps they weren’t all that different, after