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

to a demigod who fell from such a height without slowing first. I assumed they could die, given Valinox’s threats against Souriff earlier, but I imagined it would take a lot more to kill one of them compared to a human.

I climbed down from the roof to Michael’s windowsill. His window was already open. Pearson had probably come through here, maybe even while cloaked. I still had to ask Souriff exactly what he was capable of. I really hoped she wouldn’t leave as I checked Michael’s room.

“Jon!” I heard the king shouting from somewhere on the battlements. “What happened? Who is that woman?”

I yelled over my shoulder, out the window, as I looked around Michael’s room, “Michael’s in trouble. And she’s Souriff.”

I didn’t see him anywhere. I got to the ground to look under his bed.

My heart dropped. There he was, motionless.

I couldn’t drag him out because he was face down, his limbs bent awkwardly. Clearly, he was thrown under the bed without care.

“Michael?” I crawled under the bed.

My breaths were deafening in the confined space. I pulled on his shoulder to turn him over. He flopped lifelessly.

I put my ear over his mouth. I heard breathing.

I checked his pulse. It was faint.

I patted his cheeks roughly. “Michael.”

He didn’t reply. I put my hands on his chest and pushed out my mana to see what it would tell me. There was a curse inside of him. I was just about to engage it when a voice interrupted me.

“Is he alive?” Souriff asked near the bed.

“Yes, but he’s cursed.”

“I might be able to remove the curse for you.”

“No, I’ve got this. Just help me get him out from under the bed.”

“You can remove curses?” she asked as we took hold of his legs and pulled him out.

“I can, and I have.”

“You are quite young to remove curses, are you not?”

I didn’t want to tell a demigod to be quiet as I focused, so I just chose not to answer her.

I casted the three octaves of F, pinpointing my mana at the curse keeping Michael unconscious. It took just a moment for me to destroy it.

The curse wasn’t as bad as I’d feared. In fact, the one I had removed from Pamela seemed stronger. It made me wonder. Was it not Pearson—Valinox, I corrected myself—who had cursed Michael? It might’ve been the traitor, who was still with us.

“Jon, what happened?” asked the king as he rushed into Michael’s room. Then he crouched over Michael. “Is he all right?”

Before I could answer, Michael awoke, one eye squinting open. His face showed that he was in great pain, probably from how roughly Pearson had handled him after he fell unconscious.

While he was still groggy, I quickly healed him one limb at a time. His injuries weren’t severe, but they were prevalent.

He stopped groaning by the time I finished. His eyes opened fully.

“What the hell?” There was a drunken slur to his words. “I must had had too much da-drink last night. Wait!” He glanced around in alarm. “Not issince morning. I memember tha morning! The hellsis going on!”

“You were cursed,” I explained.

“So das why I was so happy so suddenly.” He was starting to sound a little better. “I memember happy, then so tired.”

“You should lie down,” I said as I guided him toward his bed.

“No! I dwill enjoy dis.” He chuckled.

“Michael,” the king said. “I’m very glad you are all right, but I need you to sit down and be quiet. Can you do that for me?”

Michael suddenly looked very serious. “I’ll do that. For you, sire.” He stumbled over and fell into the chair near his desk.

“It’s past time we met,” the king told Souriff as he offered his hand. “I’m Nykal Lennox.”

“Souriff.” They shook hands.

The handshake lasted a while, the king not uttering a word. Eventually, she looked a little concerned.

He cleared his throat as she dropped his hand. “Forgive me,” he said. “I have never met a demigod before. I am a little stunned.”

It was starting to sink in for me as well. It was one thing to witness a demigod and another to shake hands with her.

“Yes, there’s a reason we have been so elusive. Our father told us not to interfere with human warfare, but that has changed recently because Valinox has involved himself greatly in this war. You may know him as Pearson.”

The king nodded.

“Allow me to explain myself,” Souriff said.

“Please,” the king replied.

I noticed a few guards shyly entering Michael’s large quarters, others watching from the hall. Barrett was among them. My peers would be disappointed that they would miss this conversation, as I imagined Souriff was probably too busy with her own affairs to stay for long, so I would have to make sure to remember as many details as I could for them.

“My visit to the krepps was the first time in many years that I identified myself to a mortal,” she explained. “It was only because I didn’t have another choice. My brother had already begun interfering. I knew Lycast would not be able to survive a war against Rohaer, which has Valinox’s support because they promote the spread of dteria. Especially if the krepps turned aggressive toward you as well.”

“I can’t thank you enough for helping us,” the king said.

“There’s no need to thank me or my sister, Failina, who continues to help you as well.”

“The endless snowstorm?” the king asked.

“Yes, she keeps the path blocked between Rohaer and here so their army cannot march. However, she won’t be able to keep up the snowstorm indefinitely. All of my siblings are old, as am I. We don’t have the same power we used to. Valinox is the only one who’s become more powerful recently. He gained control of dteria after Airinold lost it. He plans to corrupt as many people as he can until he’s strong enough to defeat us and Gourfist.”

“Why didn’t you come to help us earlier?” I asked as politely as I could. I figured there was a good