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

one of those things. Oh good, your chair has arrived. Not a moment too soon.”

She hurried away from the well with another smirk, this one aimed at me.

It seemed pretty clear that Kataleya saw the same thing in me that I did in her, a very pleasant view. But I wasn’t sure there was anything more to it for either of us.

Happy at least there was something we shared, I held a smile as I approached the servant who’d brought my new training object.

The chair from the keep was not what I would call an old chair. It would fetch a nice price in Bhode, with smooth wood not blemished by time or use.

Nonetheless, I thanked the servant and got to work. The spell was actually quite simple once I figured out how to cast all five notes without hurting myself. It was what to do after the spell was casted that I still needed to figure out.

Over the next few hours, I got to know my mana a lot better. The spell required me to have a mastery over it. Directing my mana wasn’t at all like aiming an arrow. Trying to encircle the backrest of the chair and locking my mana in place was more like using a grabbing tool of some kind to take hold of a cup without it slipping out. I continuously knocked the chair over, and I continuously drew looks from my peers.

“Oy,” Aliana complained just before lunch. “How long are you going to be throwing that chair around? I’m trying to focus over here.”

I could tell the anger she displayed was only halfway serious, but it was still enough to fill me with guilt.

“I don’t know. This could take days.”

“No,” Remi told me forcefully. “The chair banging has to stop soon or I’m going to burn it.”

Remi seemed a lot more serious than Aliana.

“You need something heavier,” Michael suggested. “Something that won’t fall over.”

“How about you?” I asked.

“Sure, I’m just going to stand with my arms up, for hours, while you slam my body with dvinia.  That sounds like a fine afternoon.”

Only Kataleya didn’t seem bothered by it. But the rest had a good point. I would probably drive them crazy if I kept loudly knocking the chair over the whole day, and I couldn’t use any of them to practice on instead.

Leon emerged from the great hall. Everyone hurried to return to their training except me. I went to pick up the fallen chair as I showed Leon a look that I needed help.

He walked over. “I’ve been watching. You can’t be discouraged already. It’s probably going to take you days.”

“I would be fine with that, but the noise is distracting everyone else.”

“I’m going to burn that chair, Leon, if I have to keep listening to Jon tossing it around,” Remi told our instructor casually, no anger in her tone.

“The chair was a good idea,” Leon told me. “Maybe you can go back to it once you’ve improved, when you can lift it without knocking it over.”

“Is there something heavier I can use that’s about the same width?”

“Yes, yourself.”

“I tried that already. My mana doesn’t want to grab me.”

“This isn’t about what your mana wants. It’s about what you want. The better you can control it, even against its own will, the better off you’ll be. Start slow. Don’t add G to the spell yet. Your goal today should be to create a floating cushion of dvinia that you can lean against without it breaking.”

“That’s too easy.”

“Then make your goal to stop yourself from falling. You will jump onto it when you’re ready. When the dvinia can catch and hold you, then you’ll be strong enough to start thinking about grabbing someone to stop their movement. Lifting them is going to come a lot later. Practice on yourself,” he repeated. “And trust me. Your control over mana will improve overall this way.”

I had almost forgotten that I had seen dark mages like Scarlett catch themselves with dteria. She had done so after jumping from the second floor of the keep, when she surely would’ve broken something but instead was swept up by her own energy at the last moment and landed safely.

I wanted to be able to lift my enemies off the ground, but Leon’s advice was sound. Not only would this help me practice, but it was a useful skill. I had broken an ankle when Cason had thrown me into the air. He had effectively taken me out of the fight, and an ally—a guard of this city—was dead because of that.

I was eager to start training again, but Leon announced to everyone that it was time for lunch. The filling meals kept me in good spirits. So had the notion that I’d saved most of the coin from my weekly stipends. I didn’t know what I would be doing with it in the future, but it was nice to know I had plenty.

As at every meal, I sat beside Michael, across from Reuben and Charlie. The four girls still sat together as well. Even during the days when they had fought over who might be the traitor, their seating arrangements had remained the same. The only difference was how quiet they were. It was nice to hear them chatting again, almost as if nothing had come between any of us.

That changed in an instant. I could feel the shift before I knew what was happening. The girls had gone quiet, all of them staring toward us, but it wasn’t us that took their focus, I soon realized, as Aliana stood quickly with shock on her face.

I looked back toward the entrance of the dining hall. I recognized Aliana’s mother entering, her hands and ankles bound by metal cuffs as she took tiny steps awkwardly. Byron Lawson escorted her past us, two guards with him.

“Who is that?” Reuben asked.

“Aliana’s mother,” I told him.

“You’re joking,” Michael said.

“I’m not.”

Gwen Forrester passed by her daughter. Aliana’s eyes were glistening with tears. “Why is