She had vanished.
Chapter Seven
Gavin took a seat next to where the woman had disappeared, and he ran his hand along the ground. He hadn’t imagined her, he knew, but there was no sign that any of them had been here, other than the residual energy that he still detected in the tunnel.
That residual energy lingered long enough that Gavin could still feel it pressing on him, some magic that seemed as if designed for him to detect.
The enchantment crackled again.
That’s too often.
Something was going on with it. Whether it was fading or whether other magic was influencing it, Gavin didn’t know—and at this point, he didn’t care.
He got to his feet and spun the dagger around him, but he didn’t sense anything more. The blade didn’t glow, though given what he had experienced here, Gavin no longer expected it to. He slipped it back into its sheath and headed along the tunnel, pausing in front of the door leading into the hidden chamber.
Gavin started to question whether the women had any way of getting into this chamber. They had used a type of magic he didn’t recognize, but it had not been potent enough to stop him. Which suggested that they didn’t have any way of getting into the room, especially as he had sealed it with his own brand of El’aras magic.
Other than the sh’rasn powder that gave him a magical boost, there wasn’t anything inside the chamber that he needed. Maybe this was all about the dark egg and Tristan coming for it again.
He would have to secure the room as well as he could.
At least they hadn’t been able to get in. He didn’t know if they would have figured a way had he not come. Which meant that he would have to come up with some way to protect it. Would that mean bringing the dark egg with him?
If Tristan were after it, he should keep it on him.
After slipping it into his pocket, hating the slippery surface and how it felt strangely warm, he slapped his hand against the door, pressing power out through him. At least he could protect the rest of the items he had in there. He swept his gaze along the tunnel one more time before hurrying back up the ladder and leaving Cyran’s house. He didn’t feel any sense of magic out on the street, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t anything taking place. In fact, Gavin remained convinced that there was something going on here, some sort of power that he had to be aware of—and perhaps even deal with.
The enchantment continued to crackle periodically. What’s wrong with it? He wasn’t about to take it out of his ear, though. By the time he reached the Dragon, it had crackled a few more times, though not enough that he’d been able to hear anything within it. Could it have faded completely?
He thumbed the marker Anna had left him. Would she be able to answer that question for him? He decided he wouldn’t call her yet. Eventually, he might need her help, but Gavin didn’t want to do that unless absolutely necessary.
He reached the Dragon and paused after pulling open the door. A minstrel sat in the corner, playing horrible music. He strummed a lute, and his warbly voice carried through the tavern, which elicited a smile from Gavin. Since Jessica knew that he was returning this evening, it seemed she’d decided to bring back the same torment she had often used on him.
He didn’t see any sign of Wrenlow in the tavern. The only face he recognized was Gaspar, who sat alone at a table near the back. The same table Gavin and Wrenlow had sat at the night before.
After checking the dark egg in his pocket, Gavin weaved through the crowd, nodding to Rebecca when he passed her and getting an intense stare from her, then took a seat across from the old thief. Wrinkles deepened along his forehead, leaving Gavin wondering what worried him. Probably more than he would share, if Gavin knew anything about Gaspar. His gray hair was cut closer to his scalp than the last time Gavin had seen him. But there was a sharpness to his eyes, and he flicked them briefly toward Gavin before turning his attention back to his mug of ale.
“Haven’t seen you around here much lately,” Gaspar said.
“Jessica told me I should come by.”
“I kind of liked it.”
“I kind of like having time away from you too,” Gavin said.
Gaspar leaned back, taking a long drink of his ale before setting the mug down and resting his elbows on the table. “Where’s your friend?”
“I don’t know. I came here looking for him.” He tapped on the enchantment. “I don’t suppose you’ve been trying to get ahold of me today.”
Gaspar tipped his head to either side, revealing his enchantment-free ears. “Not me.”
Gavin frowned.
“By that look, I would almost say that you were disappointed.”
“It keeps crackling on me,” Gavin said. “I can’t tell if it’s finally fading or if there’s some sort of interference.”
“We’ve pulled more than a few jobs in the city without any interference,” Gaspar said. “Even the Fates didn’t interfere with it.”
That was true, and they were some of the most powerful sorcerers that existed, so if anybody would’ve had a way of affecting the enchantment, it would’ve been the Fates. Even around Tristan, Gavin didn’t remember any interference.
Maybe it had failed.
Gavin thought for a second. “The Fates didn’t interfere with it, but the semarrl did.”
“You think the smoke creatures escaped?”
Gavin shook his head, though maybe Tristan was trying to draw more of those creatures here. There had been smoke around the door to his lair.
That had come from the other woman.
Not semarrl.
And he had the egg on him. He’d know
