Hunted Sorcery (Jon Oklar Book 2), B.T. Narro [digital book reader txt] 📗

“Could you at least tell me how you knew?” I asked.

“I didn’t actually know,” she said to my horror. “I’ve had a feeling for the last couple of days, but now you’ve given me the answer.”

All right, now I was really embarrassed. Seeing as how she wanted me to leave it alone, I just wanted to get away from this conversation as soon as possible.

Maybe I was better than I thought at letting a girl know I had feelings for her. Maybe it wasn’t so hard after all. I wished I could use that knowledge to make myself feel better—I could open my heart to someone else—but Kataleya’s quick wit just made me like her even more.

“I hope this won’t put a strain on our friendship” was all I could mutter.

“I won’t let it if you won’t.”

Sometimes I felt like Kataleya was too mature for the rest of us. Everything I’d gone through since my father passed made me feel older than I was. However, a few words from Kataleya could erase the fabricated years in my mind like a cold breeze could reveal a hole in a man’s trousers and erase his confidence.

Lost in my embarrassment, I just gave a quick bow and prepared to walk away, but she stifled a laugh as she curtsied in return, making me realize that this was not our common way of saying goodbye.

Strangely, it didn’t bother me. Probably because there was no way to make this any worse than it already was.

*****

I spent much of the rest of the day practicing and soon overcame my embarrassment. I tried not to look at Kataleya, as it only reminded me of our conversation, but one question kept circling my mind. Why couldn’t she reciprocate my feelings? She didn’t seem to want to give a reason. I feared that the truth might be an insult and that was why she hadn’t spoken it.

I couldn’t let myself ignore it and forget about her. I didn’t know why. I knew it would be better for me, but I just couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to. I couldn’t make myself want to.

I wondered about it all throughout lunch as I listened to the other boys guess what the king would do with Cason.

“The king is probably going to have him hanged eventually,” Reuben said.

“I don’t understand.” Charlie chewed while he was speaking, as usual. Even though we thought it bad manners, we had all gotten used to it. “Why doesn’t the king just kill him now?”

“Because he needs to stand trial publicly,” Reuben explained patiently.

Charlie seemed perplexed. “For what purpose? He’s guilty.”

“Actually, I agree with Charlie,” I said. “He’s too powerful to be kept alive, especially when we don’t know Pearson’s whereabouts or what he has planned.”

“Cason cannot escape.” Reuben gestured as he seemed to be lecturing us. “No matter how powerful he and Pearson are, there is no way out of a prison cell without us stopping him. He must stand trial even if he is guilty. The people need to see we have captured him. They need to witness what happens to men like Cason who commit high treason. They need to understand that we have everything under control.”

“I’m with Reuben,” Michael said. “I just hope he’s hanged sooner rather than later.”

They’d changed my mind. “I suppose I agree as well now.”

“Really, you’re not going to argue against me?” Reuben asked dubiously.

“There’s no shame in changing one’s mind when presented with evidence or a compelling argument. It’s called being reasonable.”

I noticed my biting tone after everyone fell silent and glanced at each other.

“Everything all right, Jon?” Michael asked.

I wished I was better at keeping things in. “Yeah,” I said, “just tired.” It was my common excuse, usually true as well. “Sorry, Reuben.”

For now, I wasn’t physically tired. I was just fed up with how nothing seemed to go our way, to go my way. We’d finally caught Cason, yet Pearson, an even greater threat, had escaped with the king’s coin. The dark mages were leaving, only to return with a much greater force. The beautiful Kataleya made it clear something would’ve happened between us, but only if things were different. Different how?

It was either that there was something about me she didn’t like, or there was something about my status, or my lack of it, that she didn’t approve of.

“I’m testing weapon enchantments with Eden now,” Charlie said proudly. “We’re beginning to enchant swords to make them more durable.”

“I’d really like Eden to make my sword more durable,” Michael jested.

Reuben rolled his eyes.

“What about leather, Charlie?” Michael asked seriously. “It’s more important that armor is made sturdier than our already durable steel swords.”

“Enchanting leather is too difficult. Metal would be easier, but it’s impractical.”

“Why is leather difficult to enchant?” Michael wondered

“Because vtalia is needed—life—to enchant something that was once living.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Michael said. “What about all the animal parts that are used in enchantments? They were once living as well, yet not all enchantments require vtalia.”

“It’s not what’s being used that requires a certain spell, it’s what you’re enchanting,” Charlie explained. “If you were to, say, enchant an animal part—though I don’t see any reason why you would—that would require ordia and vtalia. Most enchantments are done to gems, though, earth. However, Eden has recently become strong enough to enchant metal as well, using mtalia.”

“I see, but she can’t melt metal like you can?” Michael asked.

“No, and I still don’t know why some of us are stronger with certain notes than others. She can’t track with earth like Aliana can, either.”

“It sounds like Eden has quite a wide range,” I commented.

“Yes, she is very impressive indeed,” Charlie said.

Michael sighed longingly, drawing gazes from all of us. “Oh, did I make a sound just now?”

“She’s not that beautiful, Michael,” Reuben said.

He gave Reuben a look as if Reuben had gone insane. “A woman’s beauty is more than the size of her chest, you should know.”

“It’s not just that.”

“Especially when her backside is so