He looked around the home. It was cozy. A long velvet-lined bench rested in front of one wall, and a similar one was on the other wall. A table with chairs surrounding it stood in the middle of the room. There was no hearth. Cupboards within the kitchen were closed, and a kettle rested on the stove. It was the only source of heat within the room.
“Close the door behind you,” Davel instructed.
“Are you here alone?”
“Are you?”
Gavin smiled. He hadn’t tapped the enchantment, though he was growing increasingly tempted to do so. It may be beneficial for Wrenlow to know what had taken place, but for now, he would keep the silence.
“Right now, I am,” Gavin replied. “Others know where I’m going.”
“The same could be said for me,” Davel said.
“Why did you hire them to slow me?”
“They weren’t supposed to attack you, though from the sight of the blood on your dagger, it seems as if that message wasn’t conveyed quite as clearly as I would’ve hoped.”
“You hired thugs to delay me, and you’re surprised they attacked?”
“I didn’t realize they were thugs.” Davel turned toward him, and he held a mug out.
Gavin shook his head. “I’m sure you can understand why I won’t take that.”
“I suppose I can.” Davel took a sip of the tea, and he watched Gavin. “Are you still taking jobs?”
Gavin started to laugh. “All of that to draw me here?”
“Well, if you are who I believe you to be—”
“Who you believe me to be?”
“The rumors of Gavin Lorren within Yoran have been too consistent and persistent for me to ignore.”
“If you’ve heard rumors of me, then you know the kind of work I’m involved in.”
“I’m well aware.” He said it with a strange irritation in his eyes.
“Then who would you like me to target?”
“It’s complicated.”
“It always is,” Gavin said.
“I feel conflicted about even asking this at all.”
“As you should.”
“Anyway,” Davel said, ignoring the comment, “I thought that perhaps if anyone might be able to help with this task, it might be you.”
“What task is that?”
“I need you to acquire something for me.”
“Acquire?” Gavin frowned, arching a brow.
“You’re a tracker, are you not?”
“Where did you hear that?”
“That’s the rumor.”
Gavin resisted the urge to groan. He had a strong suspicion about where that rumor originated from. More than that, he suddenly thought that he understood just why Davel Chan had believed that he could send thugs after him to slow him.
Balls.
“What do you need found?” Gavin asked.
“There’s an item I need. As you can understand, in this city, it’s not something I can openly pursue.”
“An enchantment.”
“It’s not so much an enchantment as it is…” Davel sighed. “Well, perhaps it is an enchantment.”
Gavin shook his head. It seemed that he was getting pushed to take very different jobs than what he typically did. By Jessica. And Gaspar. And even Wrenlow.
Were they trying to turn me into a different kind of person?
More than ever, he knew it was time for him to leave Yoran. After he found this boy. Until then, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to leave.
And while I’m here, did I want to take jobs like this? Jobs that involved magic?
“I’m afraid you have the wrong person,” Gavin said.
“I can pay. I have money.” Davel set the tea down, and he raised his hands in a pleading fashion. “That’s one thing I have in this city. I can’t use my art openly, but I can pay.”
Gavin wanted to sigh—to turn away, to refuse this man—but if he was going to leave Yoran, he needed money to do it. Not that he couldn’t find enough paying jobs along the way, but having a few coins would make it easier for him.
“How much are we talking about?” he asked.
“Well, that partly depends upon you.”
“What are you looking for?”
That might’ve been the better question. If it was something difficult or potentially dangerous, then he would need to ask for more. He didn’t particularly want to go chasing after magical and enchanted items, but he could have Wrenlow look into it. It wouldn’t be all that difficult for him to extend his resources to search for something like that.
“It’s called the jade egg,” Davel said. “It’s an item of some power.”
“And you believe it’s in the city.”
“I know it is.”
“Why?”
“Because it was mine, and it was taken from me.”
“If you know who took it, then go and get it.”
“You don’t understand. I can’t just go and get it. I…” Davel looked down and avoided his eyes.
“You aren’t as powerful as the person who took it,” Gavin said. “That’s what you’re trying to say?”
Which meant that whoever took it had a considerable magical connection. From the way the El’aras dagger was glowing, Gavin suspected that Davel had considerable power too.
“Something like that.”
“Who took it?”
Davel met Gavin’s gaze. “An enchantress by the name of Zella.”
Enchantress?
“What does she look like?” Gavin asked.
“Powerful. Older. She’s been in the city for decades. And hides her presence.”
“You know that magic is forbidden within Yoran.”
“It might be forbidden, but there are people still practicing. Most of them are like me.”
Gavin glanced toward the door briefly before turning his attention back to Davel. “You weren’t trying to have them slow me at all. You were testing me.” He frowned. “Did the man have an enchantment?”
“He did.”
“What was it?”
“It gave him swiftness.”
Gavin grunted. “He didn’t seem all that swift to me.”
“Which is why you’re the right person for this job. I wasn’t sure, and I didn’t know whether I could even believe the rumors about you. I have to think that the way you were able to take them both down so easily…”
Gavin reached into his pocket, and Davel stiffened. He held out the scrap of paper. “This was you, I presume?”
He smiled. “I had to know you were coming this way.”
“I see.” At least Davel was prepared, if nothing else. “You need to tell me everything you can about this jade egg.”
“It’s small. It has a faint greenish glow to it. And you will
