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

“You said it was a mistake at the time.”

“I said that as an excuse. I made a choice. And now I’m making another choice to keep my clothes on.”

I stood up from the bed. “I’m starting to feel sad. I don’t like this.”

She crawled toward me. “I don’t want to make you feel sad. I’m very sorry.”

It did feel better when she took my hand, but then it just hurt more as I realized it was done out of pity.

I stepped away.

“I think I know another solution,” she said. “You should pursue another girl. How about Aliana?”

“Are you just saying that so Trevor won’t be interested in her?”

“No, she’s very beautiful. I thought you might go well together.”

“We go well together.” I gestured at Kataleya.

She let down her head. “I know.”

“I think I’m going to leave now,” I said. I had been feeling a lot better before I entered her room.

I started to walk toward her door.

“Jon, wait.” She got up from her bed. “Now that you desire to tell me the truth no matter what, I’m going to ask you something.”

“Go ahead.”

“Do you regret what we did?”

I had to think about that one. I wasn’t sure if I could give her an accurate answer, considering that trying to connect one thought to another while looking for meaning felt as hard as casting a spell right now.

I could only say what seemed to be true. “I will never regret that. I would put up with years of pain just for the short time we spent in my bed.” This did feel accurate, now that I heard the words come out of my mouth, but they also made me sound foolish. “I know how that makes me sound, but it’s the truth.”

She came up to me, put her head on my shoulder, and gently wrapped her arms around me.

I rested my head on top of hers as I embraced her. I could feel that this might be the last time we held each other like this.

“I don’t regret it, either,” she whispered.

It felt so good to hold her. I breathed in the scent of her hair and felt every part of me relax.

She slowly leaned away to look into my eyes. “Kiss me one last time,” she said.

But as I leaned in, the door to her room swung open. She jumped away from me as the king entered.

“We were just going to kiss one last time,” she told him quickly. “There’s not going to be anything between us anymore.”

He seemed a little shocked as his gaze darted between us. “That’s none of my business, Kataleya. I have not issued any rules against relationships.”

“I know, but we’re not in one,” Kataleya insisted. “We won’t be.”

Now I was sad again.

The king lifted his palm. “It’s fine, Kataleya. I need to ask you a few questions. Do you want to be honest with me?”

“Yes, of course! I’m happy to answer any questions and finally put to rest that no one in my family, including myself, has ever done anything to harm you or anyone in this castle.”

The king smiled. “I hope you know that I was always skeptical of the idea that your family could be working with Cason. I just had to take precautions in case I was wrong.”

“I completely understand, sire.” She lowered her head.

“Have these precautions done any irreparable damage with your family?”

“I wouldn’t say irreparable, but it did hurt.”

He nodded solemnly. “I will make it up to the Yorns.”

“Thank you. Do you have any idea who it might be from your questioning tonight?”

“I’m going to keep that to myself for now. Is there anything else you would like to add before I leave?”

“I know it’s not Jon. I know it’s not Charlie. I suppose it could be anyone else. I still suspect Barrett, even though you said it can’t be him. Somebody planted the callring in my room.”

“What about Pearson?” I offered. “He’s shown that he can get into the keep even with the door locked. He probably could’ve found his way into Kataleya’s unlocked room.”

“No, someone has been working against us for some time now,” the king answered confidently. “Someone within the castle. Now I must be leaving. I would like to question a few of the nobles I’ve brought here about some other matters.”

“Sire, may I request something?” Kataleya asked.

“What is it?”

“Can you please not tell anyone about me and Jon?”

“Why is that? I think the two of you look nice together.”

“Thank you, sire!” I said quickly.

“No, don’t encourage it, please,” she told the king.

He shrugged. “I will leave you two to sort this out amongst yourselves, and I promise not to speak of it to anyone.”

He walked out and closed the door after him.

I was starting to feel more like myself, some of my inhibitions returning. I was a little embarrassed the king had found out we were involved with each other in some fashion, even if he didn’t know all the details.

Kataleya sat on the bed, looking distressed. “I’m just realizing that Trevor is going to be very suspicious of me. He’ll realize we were all on truth serum, and he’ll suspect that’s why I ran away.”

It was past time that I took my leave. I didn’t want to hear any more about Trevor, and especially nothing else about why Kataleya and I could not be together. It was time to start accepting it and move on.

“I’m going to do something for both of us,” I said. “I’m going to make a promise.”

Her gaze lifted from the floor.

“I promise you right now that I’m not going to pursue you any longer.”

“I appreciate that more than I can express. I will talk you up to Aliana.”

“Please don’t,” I said. “I need some time.”

“All right. Friends, then?”

I still wasn’t sure I could be friends with a girl who made me feel the way Kataleya did, but it was better than trying to push her away.

I nodded.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

I had a bit of a headache the