He glanced over toward the building. He knew that Wrenlow wouldn’t be able to see much from there, but his focus would be watching the street, not seeing beyond the wall. Still, for this job, they needed as many eyes as possible.
Gavin glanced over at Gaspar. “Are you ready?”
“I’m ready as I will be.”
“If you want to stay behind, I’m sure Imogen would be more than capable.”
“She most definitely would be, but I’m not letting you drag her into this.”
“You don’t even know what’s going to happen,” Gavin said.
“I have a fairly good idea about what will take place. Knowing you, whatever plan we have will fall apart, forcing us to fight our way out.”
“If that’s the case, then I might prefer to have her with me. Especially since the only reason I’m here is because of you.”
Gaspar glared at him. “If there’s a fight, you’d definitely want to have her with you. I’m here to make sure the plan stays on target.”
Gavin started to laugh but stopped when he realized Gaspar wasn’t joking. Of course, he wouldn’t be. In Gavin’s experience, Gaspar rarely joked, and certainly never about anything like this.
They reached the wall surrounding the fortress. Desarra had given them the plans they needed, Wrenlow had confirmed it through his sources, and now…
Now it was Gavin’s turn.
“Are you ready?” he asked Gaspar again.
“You don’t need to ask a thief if he’s ready. I’m always ready.”
“I never know. Given your age, I thought maybe you fell asleep.”
Gaspar scowled at him. Gavin chuckled, scrambled up the wall, and dropped over to the other side. He immediately rolled, kicking and twisting so that he didn’t land in the bells trees.
When he got to his feet, he hissed into the enchantment, “Careful. The trees are dangerous.”
Gaspar rolled off the top of the wall and landed next to Gavin, completely avoiding the bells trees. “I noticed. I was impressed you were able to twist out of the way. I thought maybe I’d need to inoculate you after you carved yourself up on those bells trees.”
“When did you notice them?”
“I saw the trees out there when we were scouting. Figured you caught sight of them, but these days, I don’t even know how much you see. For a man as skilled as you claim you are, I have a hard time thinking that you’re really as dangerous as you want me to believe.”
Gavin just laughed softly. These days, he didn’t feel that dangerous either. “You could’ve warned me.”
“Warning you takes the fun out of it. Besides, I still like to test just how skilled you are.”
Gavin shook his head. “You were testing me.”
“Everything’s a test, boy.”
It sounded like something Tristan would say.
Gaspar nodded toward the fortress. “Keep moving. Now that we’re inside, we don’t want to linger. Your friend will be able to tell us if there’s anyone coming, but we have to act quickly.”
“Are you still able to hear us?” Gavin whispered to Wrenlow.
“I still can hear you. It sounds a little bit off, but that might just be the way you’re talking.”
Gavin hesitated. Something sounding off usually meant that there was magical interference. He didn’t like it, but there wasn’t anything to do about it now.
He started forward through the beautiful garden. There were many different flower beds, all adorned with blooms of different colors—roses, tulips, daisies, among others. The fragrances filled the air, giving a beautiful vibrancy to this place. Bells trees dotted the inside of the wall, a prized possession of many upscale homes in Yoran. Gavin suspected that most of the homeowners grew them for their supposed luck or for their beauty, and that very few of them used them defensively because of their razor-sharp leaves. In a place like the fortress, however, the trees very well could’ve been part of a defensive plan.
When they reached the outer edge of the fortress, he paused to look over at Gaspar, who stood on the other side of the doorway. Gavin nodded. Gaspar slid over and twisted the lock, which didn’t budge, and then began to pick at it. He worked quickly, his nimble fingers activating the lock, throwing the door open far more rapidly than Gavin would’ve been able to do. He would’ve used brute force if he was doing this job on his own.
Of course, Gavin knew better than to do this job solo. Though he had worked alone for a long time, there was something about a job like this—going into a massive fortress and taking this kind of gamble—that called for support.
Gaspar stepped inside. Gavin unsheathed his El’aras dagger and followed. It didn’t glow—a good sign. Once inside, he quickly scanned their surroundings.
They were in a massive entry hall. Swords lined the walls, all of them exhibited in a way that looked decorative but also deadly. They were made of steel, and they gleamed with the faint light of the single lantern still lit in the entryway. The marble floor displayed an image that seemed to be an incomplete map of the region, which emphasized Yoran’s position in all of it.
“Nothing subtle about this,” Gaspar whispered. “Given what we’ve figured out about the layout of this place, your target is likely to be on the third floor. Get moving.”
“Not my target. Our target. Remember why I took the job.”
“I remember. Let’s get the boy.”
“What about you?”
“I’m your support, and that’s it. Helping you find your way through this. Not fighting, if that’s what you’re asking about. I’m the thief, remember?”
“I’m heading toward the rooms that look like they could hold this boy. You notify me if you see anything,” he said, tapping the enchantment, “and maybe intervene if there’s something coming my way.”
“I’ll consider it,” Gaspar said. “Get moving. Don’t want to be here longer than we have to be.”
Gavin shook his head but started up the stairs. They had as much of a floor
