Jessica pulled a chair over and sat at the end of the booth, leaning forward and resting her elbows. “Boys, it’s awfully nice to see the two of you seated here like this again.”
“We’re not planning anything, if that’s what you’re asking,” Gavin said to her.
“And why would I think there was anything going on here?” She glanced at Gaspar. “Did you get it?”
Gaspar nodded quickly. “Got it, secured it, and made sure it won’t get away from me again.”
Gavin looked from Jessica to Gaspar, curiosity weighing on him. “What are the two of you talking about?”
“Nothing you need to worry about,” Jessica said. “Just something I asked Gaspar to do for me.”
“A job?” Gavin chuckled. “I suppose since I left, you had to find somebody else to do your jobs.”
“I wasn’t trying to get you to do any jobs,” Jessica said. “I just wanted you to be happy.” She studied him as he took a drink of the ale, then set the mug down.
“I’m surprised I haven’t seen Wrenlow,” Gavin said.
“He’s off with Olivia.” She waved her hand. “Don’t you go disturbing him.”
“I didn’t plan on it. I just figured I’d see him before now. Besides, it’s not like him to go as silent as this.”
She furrowed her brows. “That young man and his lady don’t need to be disturbed. I would think you’d understand, Gavin.”
He frowned. The enchantment crackled again, and he looked over to Gaspar. “There it was.”
Gaspar shook his head. “The damn enchantment again?”
“What’s wrong with it?” Jessica asked.
“The boy here thinks his El’aras enchantment is fading.”
“I would expect that kind of enchantment to last longer,” she said.
“Me too,” Gavin replied.
“I’m sure Olivia can help find those who can make you other enchantments.”
He just nodded. It wasn’t so much that he was worried about finding somebody else, it was more about what had happened to this enchantment.
“I still worry this has something to do with Tristan,” Gavin said. “He sent some strange women after me.” That elicited an arched brow from Jessica. “Nothing quite like that,” he added quickly.
“I would’ve figured that you wouldn’t mind having a few women come at you,” she said.
“Would you stop?”
She chuckled. “Magic, I presume?”
Gavin nodded. “Unfortunately. And what’s worse, I’m growing concerned that the constables aren’t aware of all the magic in the city.”
“They have enchantments to protect them,” Gaspar said.
“That they believe will protect them. But we don’t know whether those enchantments will work the way they think they will.”
“You don’t think the enchanters can give them all the protections they need?”
Gavin cupped the ale and took a sip. “When I was at the constables’ building recently, I didn’t have that sense.”
“Why did you go there?” Jessica asked.
Gavin glanced to her. “Not to intervene in whatever arrangement you have with them.” She didn’t show any glimmer of emotion at his comment. “I needed to speak with Davel. And I wanted to spar.”
“With the chief constable?” Gaspar asked.
“What can I say? After the attack that Wrenlow and I dealt with, I started feeling like I haven’t faced the kind of challenge I need to keep my skills sharp. There’s only so much that running through forms and patterns can do for me.”
“How did you fare?” Gaspar asked. “I imagine you had him use some of his enchantments.”
“As many as he felt he needed.”
“And how many did he need?”
Gavin shrugged. “Speed. Strength. Impervious skin. I think he got that last one from the Captain.”
At least, that was the first place Gavin had seen anything like it.
“That’s it?” Gaspar asked.
“I don’t know how many enchantments he had on him,” Gavin said. “It’s not like he shares that sort of thing with me. I told him to use whatever he felt he needed to fight me.”
“You realize that allowing him to size you up that way takes away any advantage you might have if you have to deal with them,” Gaspar said.
“I considered that. But I don’t know that there was anything I could do about it.”
“Why not?”
“I needed the practice, and besides, I faced him without any of my own enchantments.” Gavin focused on the ale, his gaze lingering on it with far more intensity than he really should have.
“What else do you intend to do?” Gaspar asked him.
“I’m not exactly sure. I know there’s something more going on here, but I don’t know what.”
And he couldn’t shake the feeling that Tristan was behind all of this, regardless of anything else he had seen. It seemed too likely, and far too much like Tristan, for it to be something different.
He took a deep breath and leaned back. As he looked around, he noticed a dark-haired man sitting near the door that he hadn’t seen before. The man was watching them.
“Who’s that?” Gavin tilted his head in the man’s direction. He had a sharp nose and narrow eyes, and there was something almost animalistic about him.
“That’s why I came by, actually,” Jessica said. “He came in here looking for you.”
Gavin sat upright. “Was he asking for me by name, or was he just looking for me by reputation?”
Jessica frowned. “Does it make a difference?”
“A little.” Especially with everything else that had been going on.
“Relax,” Gaspar said. “It wouldn’t be the first time somebody came here looking for you.”
“That’s true, but don’t you find it odd that I haven’t been here all that much lately, and suddenly somebody shows up looking for me?”
“Anything that deals with you is always a bit odd.”
Gavin chuckled and got to his feet.
“What are you doing?” Gaspar asked.
“If someone’s looking for me, I should go and have a conversation with them, shouldn’t I?”
He headed across the tavern toward the beady-eyed man.
The man glanced up as Gavin approached, and a wide grin crossed his face, leaving him looking even more rat-like. “You him? Gavin Lorren?”
“Do I know you?”
“Can’t say that we’ve met. I think I’d remember a face like yours.”
Gavin grunted. “I feel the same way.”
“Yeah? Well, I was sent
