Hunted Sorcery (Jon Oklar Book 2) B.T. Narro (book reader for pc .TXT) 📖

than the king by perhaps fifteen years. She was beautiful, a little too beautiful for Nykal, I figured as I looked closer. Nykal wasn’t an ugly man, but he was a little on the heavy side. I guessed his age to be around fifty, the wrinkles of his face tipping me off, though his long hair was hardly graying.

I wondered if it could be the queen who was determined to dismantle this kingdom. Had she left with the king when Grufaeragar was attacked? If so, she wouldn’t have known all of us sorcerers had left. She couldn’t have been the one. Or maybe she had remained here with Callie, which would make it possible.

The king cleared his throat somewhat aggressively. He had a mean look on his face as I returned my focus to him.

I wasn’t exactly comfortable describing my current skill with sorcery, along with my plan to improve, until I could trust the queen, but I was even less comfortable expressing these worries.

“Ordia has been difficult for me to grasp,” I admitted. “I think it will take a while to cast an illusion, and even when I do, it won’t be one that I can sustain for long. I don’t believe using an illusion to spy is a realistic course of action anymore, but I can learn how to identify illusions. I’m almost there. Afterward, I’d like to resume my offensive training with dvinia. Charlie has been eager to work with me. He believes there are things for us to discover that can help everyone.”

“Yes, he has expressed that to me. Very well. Finish training with ordia until you can identify illusions. I don’t want you leaving the castle anymore until you are more comfortable with the idea of fighting against a powerful dark mage like Cason without others at your side. We’ve been lucky so far. It would not be wise to push our luck. Time is on our side. Cason must deliver gold to Rohaer or their army will start to crumble. It is up to him to act.”

“I was hoping I might be able to continue healing people in the city, your majesty, after I’ve trained a bit more. With a little protection, I shouldn’t be at any risk. Leon and I stopped Cason and two others before, and I’m confident we could again if needed.”

“Yes, and I know Leon is confident about that as well. That might be the kind of bait we need to end this sooner, but that was before today, when I thought these dark mages acted on aggression rather than intelligence. This trap you described is making me second-guess myself. Allow me to speak with Byron and conduct more research. I do agree that your ability to heal should not go to waste, but only if it’s safe. I will work out something in the next few days.”

“May I ask if Aliana’s mother has been questioned yet?” I said. The king had mentioned this when he’d last spoken to all of us in the courtyard, when the callring was found in Kataleya’s room. I was desperate to figure out who I could trust. If Aliana’s mother had been cleared of wrongdoing, I could probably rely on Aliana if the time came.

“That is not a matter I will discuss with you, at least right now,” the king told me sternly. “Let me also remind you that I have everything under control. It is not your responsibility to do anything now but train and follow my orders.”

I was careful not to relay my thoughts through any sort of look. The king, although he had a good heart, had failed us in many ways so far. He hadn’t had things under control before, and he didn’t seem to have things under control now.

None of us did, though. From the start, it was as if all of us were coming to terms with our new lives, including the king. Of everyone, he had the most responsibility to keep the kingdom safe, and I wasn’t sure he was up to the task.

I had sworn to protect him, though. I would not let harm come to him or the kingdom if I could help it. I didn’t need an oath to make me promise that. I would rather fight for a man like Nykal Lennox, who wanted the best for his people, than for most other leaders who’d gladly let thousands of innocent people die if it meant maintaining their power.

I bowed my head. “Let me know if you need me.”

The king nodded. I took that as my cue to leave and finally get out of these bloody clothes. I would set them outside my door, perhaps on a towel, but not in my hamper. I didn’t want them to stain anything else that needed washing.

I wasn’t even sure what the washers would do with these clothes, my shirt torn in many places. Perhaps they were better off burned, but there wasn’t a spot designated for robes that were so mangled that they were better off destroyed. I hoped one wouldn’t have to be invented just for me.

I shuddered as I remembered the feeling of Henrik driving a dagger through my flesh. The crossbow bolt through my hand was even more painful.

I didn’t know how any man could go through a fight and still look forward to the next, unless he had no idea what it felt like to lose.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

I was getting a little tired of having to take a second bath during the same day. Right now the water was very cold. Leon would not heat it for me using fire, and I didn’t feel that I knew Remi well enough to ask her to enter the boys’ bathing quarters just to heat my water.

After I bathed, I again ate alone. At least it was daylight. I could hear my peers outside training.

Soon I was out there with them, but it turned out I couldn’t train just yet. I spent the better