“What is that about?” Gavin asked.
“That is nothing,” Jayna said. “You have it. The t’ranth.”
He looked down to his hand. “I suppose I do. I didn’t realize that I did. I’m… well, I’m sorry.”
She rubbed her neck, looking over to Eva. “All I can recommend is that you stay away from the darkness within it. Oh, and I should thank you as well. I don’t know how you were able to do that…”
Gavin clenched his fist, keeping the El’aras Toral ring out of sight. He had no idea what to make of it—yet. It was another question he had. “I’ve been trained to handle people like that.”
“That’s a unique kind of power,” she said. “And the fact that you were able to overwhelm his magic is…” She shook her head. “Perhaps I underestimated you. And I misjudged you.”
Gavin chuckled. “You don’t have to sound so disappointed.”
“It’s not disappointed. It’s a matter of me wanting to make sure I’m doing what’s necessary. It’s my responsibility to fight the darkness. Perhaps yours now, too. There is dark power in the world, and there are those of us who fight against it.”
“The Toral?”
“Not the Toral,” she said, glancing over to Eva before turning her attention back to Gavin. “At least, not many. You could help, it seems. I would welcome your assistance.”
Gavin laughed and shook his head. “I’m not so sure that’s my calling. I have other things I need to do.”
And he still needed to know why Tristan had wanted the Toral ring. Why Cyran had gone after it for him. Why Cyran believed that calling the Sul’toral here would have made a difference.
Could Cyran have thought to claim that power?
“Be careful with it, then. There’s a danger in what you now wear.”
“You’re not going to try to take it?”
She regarded him, then glanced to Eva, who shook her head.
Jayna sighed. “I guess not. Ceran will hate it, so maybe that’s not all bad.”
Gavin wanted to know more about that relationship, but she’d proven unwilling to share anything about him so far. “He intended to use your ring, to call your Sul’toral and…” Gavin shrugged. “I’m not exactly sure what else he was going to do, only that I suspect he intended to harm your Sul’toral. Maybe separate him from his power and replace him.”
“That would not have been possible,” she said.
“Just like separating you from your ring should not have been possible?”
Jayna’s brow furrowed, and she shook her head. “We should return,” she said to Eva. “Maybe I do have to call him. He’s going to hate that, too.”
“You don’t like it much better.”
“Only because of the things he shows me. And Char is going to be insufferable.”
Gavin found himself smiling. It had taken him until now to find his team, but it seemed to him that Jayna had already found her own. Maybe there was still something he could do to help her, though.
“I could help with transportation,” Gavin said.
“I think we’ll manage,” Eva said.
Smoke swirled around her, then Jayna. When it cleared, they were gone.
Gavin stared at the space where they’d been. He headed over to Gaspar and Wrenlow. A pile of stone littered the ground. There were bodies scattered all around them. Constables, enchanters. He didn’t see anyone that he recognized, but the fact that some had laid down their lives to defeat Cyran’s attack on Yoran—all for the ring—infuriated Gavin.
The ring vibrated again, and Gavin tamped down his emotions. All because of Tristan. All because of the magic that existed in Yoran. He let out a frustrated sigh, but it would do no good. They had to regroup. They had to be ready. This was not over.
Imogen rested nearby. She sat on the ground, her knees clutched to her chest, her face troubled.
“What happened to her?” he asked Gaspar.
“She had to kill her stone creature.”
“I thought you said they weren’t alive,” Gavin said.
“And I didn’t think they were. She obviously felt differently.”
“I’m sure we could ask Mekel to make others.”
Imogen looked over and frowned. “You would just replace them like that?”
“It’s not a matter of replacing,” Gavin said. “It’s just—”
Gaspar rested his hand on his shoulder and shook his head. “Let her have her time.”
“Thank you,” Gavin said, looking back toward where Jayna and Eva had disappeared. “All of you. We made a good team.”
Wrenlow smiled. “I know you’ve been trying to keep me away from this, but I think I did well.” He looked over to Gaspar. “Of course, the old man doesn’t think that.”
“The old man thinks that fighting and killing are things that should be avoided. The old man recognizes that violence is not always the right answer. The old man—”
“Would you stop calling yourself the old man,” Gavin said.
“Are you defending him now?” Wrenlow asked.
“Maybe I am,” Gavin said.
He looked around and found Cyran’s body lying motionless. There was a part of him that worried that somehow Cyran would have some way of using magic to recuperate, but he didn’t think Cyran could truly do that this time.
“You three should get back to the city,” Gavin said.
“Just us?” Wrenlow asked. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m not leaving, if that’s your concern.”
“I thought it a reasonable concern to have,” Wrenlow said, “considering how you’ve—”
“I’m not leaving right now,” Gavin said.
“Just right now?”
Gavin looked over at Gaspar, then Imogen, and back to Wrenlow. “Eventually, I might need to. I have questions, and…” He ran his finger along the Toral ring, feeling the warmth within it. There was something within him that hummed with power, a surge of energy he could feel without even having to tap into his core reserves. Once he did that, he would be able to call upon even more.
Gavin had felt that magic, and he had been filled with it. He worried that if he were to need to summon it again without having any way of
