He flashed a smile at the nearest person, and they darted away.
Gavin was taller and more muscular than most within the city. It was both a blessing and a curse. It was difficult to blend in, and he worked incredibly hard to master that ability. He hunched over, trying to hide his height. Even now, years after his training had essentially ended, Gavin still struggled to blend into a crowd.
Wrenlow’s comment struck him as odd.
As quickly as I can?
That meant something was off.
He jogged forward, but the streets were packed, forcing him to take a detour. At another, he had to loop through an alley before seeing a way through.
What’s going on here?
Something seemed determined to keep him from getting back the way he wanted. Gavin hurried through the crowd, elbowing past people, then paused.
Constables marched along the street. They wore gray cloaks that covered heavy mail, and they were out in more force these days. Most people in the city didn’t have any idea why that would be, but he knew they were patrolling for the El’aras and any evidence of magic. Magic was outlawed in Yoran, and the constables must have some way of detecting its use, though Gavin didn’t know how they managed that. Probably magic as well.
Gavin didn’t think the El’aras would remain within the city, but he didn’t really know. They could have lingered, and he wouldn’t be any wiser to that. After all, he hadn’t known that they were in the city in the first place until his last job. Before that, he thought Yoran would be one of the last places to house El’aras. Perhaps that was the point. By hiding here, they were protected by the unlikely nature of existing in a city where they were unwelcome and feared.
The constables stayed in pairs, their boots thumping across the cobbles. He followed them for a moment before veering off to another side street. He proceeded until he reached one of the main thoroughfares in the city. Another pair of constables was here. Strange. Though he’d seen more recently, there were even more out today.
Is there something taking place in the city that I don’t know about?
The constables stopped every dozen feet or so before moving on. Even stranger still.
Gavin had been in Yoran long enough to be accustomed to seeing constables out on their patrols. Most of the time, they were harmless. They patrolled the streets not only to keep peace but also to search for signs of enchantments. It was one way that the people of Yoran prevented magic from being used around them.
Of course, the constables weren’t necessarily good at their jobs.
“Have you heard any buzz about increased constable patrols?” Gavin whispered through the enchantment.
“What was that?” Wrenlow’s voice pierced his ear, and he adjusted the volume slightly. The new El’aras enchantment gave him far more control than his older enchantment had.
“The constables. I’ve seen more in these few streets I’ve walked today than I have in several days. Something’s going on.”
“Something is always going on with them,” Wrenlow said. “I don’t think you can use what you’re seeing now to make that determination. Just get back, will you?”
Gavin frowned. He’d been taught to look for patterns, and this was the kind that piqued his curiosity. Wrenlow might need him back, but he needed to see what was going on here.
He slipped along the street, watching for anything that might provide him with an answer, but nothing explained what they were doing. As he trailed behind them, he had to twist out of sight to avoid suspicion. He didn’t want to draw too much attention.
Gavin waited as they made their way along the street. They stopped outside of a plain-looking building with no storefront, which suggested it was a home. He remained in the shadows, watching and frowning as the constables lingered outside.
What were they doing?
The crowd moved past them in between him and the constables, obscuring his view.
“Has there been a sudden influx of magic users?” he asked.
“I would have heard about it,” Wrenlow said.
“Can you look into it?”
“I’ll see what I can find. Maybe Gaspar will have heard something as well.”
Gavin stared for a moment and shifted, moving along the street to get a better view of the two soldiers. When they started moving again, there was no evidence of what the constables had done. He clenched his teeth. He had no reason to rush in and evaluate the scene.
Why should I, when doing so would only draw notice to me?
“Check with Imogen too,” he said to Wrenlow.
“Why her?”
“I think she knows more than she lets on.”
“I think you’re reaching.”
Gavin smiled. There was one thing that he’d come to learn about himself—he needed to trust his instincts. There was something more to Imogen and the strangeness he detected around Gaspar’s apprentice. He might not know what it was, but he was determined to find out. He supposed he could simply ask Gaspar, but that would take some of the fun out of it.
As he turned the corner, the constables stopped again. Like before, he could see no sign of what they were doing, especially with passersby blocking his line of sight. The constables simply stood there, and it didn’t seem as if they were talking to each other.
“I don’t like this,” he said.
“What is it now?”
“The constables.”
“Can you forget about them? I told you that Jessica wanted you to come back.”
“I know she does, but I’m not entirely sure I need to be taking the job she has to offer.”
“Can you at least come back so that she can hear it from you. She won’t be thrilled if she has to hear it from me.”
Gavin sighed. “Fine, but you’re going to keep digging into this. I need to know what’s taking place here.”
He trailed after the constables as they continued, but then he stopped. A section of the street had been blocked off. All of the people around had been pushed back, leaving nothing but an empty street. That was strange.
As he stood there, a caravan of wagons moved through. All three were ornately decorated, made of gray and black lacquered wood. Dark metal ran along the length of each one, as if to prevent someone from breaking into them. Far more protection than what wagons in the city needed.
They were each guarded by several constables. Others moved in either direction along the street, preventing anyone from getting too close.
What is this?
Gavin stayed with the crowd that followed the procession. The wagons turned at the intersection up ahead.
An explosion rocketed through the street.
He hurried forward, but three figures dressed in dark robes arrived first. They raced toward one of the wagons with obviously enhanced speed—either naturally endowed or enchanted—and moving faster than he could even track. Gavin frowned at them. He had tried using speed enchantments before, but they disrupted his normal training. He found it easier to work without them. These people used enchantments with an incredible skill.
He’d never seen anyone use enchantments so openly in the city before. They must not have feared exposure, or they were completely unconcerned about the constables catching them. Given how quickly they moved, that was a real possibility.
They broke toward the wagon, knocking past the constables. Then they were gone.