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

into the sky, growing smaller and smaller as he flew up. Soon his trajectory changed as he arced toward the southern forest. But then Souriff intercepted him high in the air. Together they spiraled back down.

Pearson made a sound of shock as he took off toward them. I was helpless as I watched from far below. Now it was Pearson who intercepted Souriff and Cason, the three of them defying gravity as they engaged in some sort of high-altitude battle. There were too far away for me to make out much.

Suddenly, Cason was tossed out of the group. He was in freefall as he spiraled toward the mountains where I remained.

But he started to gain control of himself. His momentum shifted at the last moment, and he came down gracefully.

When I noticed Michael’s sword in his hand, I realized in horror that he had come down toward me on purpose.

I had barely enough time to heal my minor injury, dissolving the pain in my head, before he started walking toward me.

“You could’ve escaped,” I said as I finished subtly healing.

“Valinox will hold her until I’m done with you. Then I will escape just fine.”

“I didn’t know I was so important to you,” I teased, hoping Cason was wrong about Souriff not coming down to help.

“You might’ve been, had you chosen the winning side. Now you are just an inconvenience.”

He came at me confidently as he lifted his free hand, picking me up with dteria.

I grabbed his energy and pushed it down and away. It broke apart, allowing me to land.

He stopped with a look of frustration, then picked me up again.

I broke the thick ring of dteria once more.

I couldn’t help but smirk. “Starting to realize you’ve made a terrible mistake?”

But then I was hit with such a force of dteria that it knocked the wind out of my lungs. I flew back, rolling across the ground as I gasped for air.

As soon as I stopped, I managed to get my sword up to prevent Cason from slicing open my skull, but my weapon was taken out of my hands.

I threw him away from me with dvinia. My breath returning, I fetched and picked up my sword. But he struck my shoulder with dteria before I could turn to face him.

It felt as if I’d been punched by a giant with a soft hand. It still hurt like hell and sent me a few yards closer to a ledge. It wasn’t a straight drop down to the rocky ground, but it was steep enough that I would have no hope of stopping until I bounced and rolled all the way down the slope.

I charged Cason mostly to create some distance from the edge. I made a wall of dvinia in front of me.

It just about negated his next punch of energy. I quickly made another defensive barrier to block another attack, and then a third after.

By the fourth, I had lost too much stamina. His dteria broke through and knocked me onto my back.

I wasn’t used to casting continuously. It was exhausting.

Cason looked as if he was just getting started as he rushed me at a sprint.

I rolled out of the way of the swing of his sword, then got to my knees and fell backward to avoid another mighty swing, which gave me just enough distance to get to my feet. I blocked his third swing, but then he punched—his fist falling short and energy coming out from his hand.

The blow was so powerful that I knew I wasn’t going to be landing on the ledge. I dropped my sword to put all my focus into casting as the ground came at me quickly.

I waited until the last moment, tucking my arms underneath my face as I formed a thick barrier of dvinia between the ground and myself.

I struck the cushiony energy hard, the pressure on my mind too much to bear.

I awoke with a horrible pain in my head. I had multiple cuts, blood in my eyes. I couldn’t seem to wipe it away.

I wasn’t going to be able to see until I healed myself.

By the time I finished closing the gash over my eyes and wiping away the blood, I found Cason right in front of me about to jam his sword through my chest. I had no weapon to block it, no time to find the four familiar notes of dvinia, at least not with any power behind the spell.

All I could do was turn and take the stab into the side of my arm.

I screamed as I felt it break through my bone, the force of it sending me stumbling away as Cason pulled the sword free. He swung hard at my head, but I ducked as I grabbed my horrible wound.

He probably thought I would heal, but I had only one option, surprise. I suddenly stopped retreating. Lowering my good shoulder—my stronger, right shoulder—I charged into and bashed Cason in his chest as he tried to swing at me.

Continuing with all my strength, I hoisted him off the ground and slammed him down. He might’ve been stronger than me with mana, but I was stronger in every other way.

I put my good arm across his throat and leaned on it with all my weight as I healed myself.

He tried to get me off physically at first, but soon he gave up and blasted me with dteria.

I didn’t care. I had healed my arm by then, and there was no ledge to fall off anymore. He’d picked up my friend’s weapon again.

I looked around and found my sword near the bottom of the slope. I ran for it, but so did he.

He tried to strike me with dteria on the way there, but I was ready with my wall of dvinia.

Negating his attack, I picked up my sword.

He tried to engage me with a stab of his blade, but I easily swept his weapon out of the way.

He seemed scared for the first time as