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

things we need to admit to ourselves before we really believe them. You’re killing yourself over this, Jon. I did the same thing when I was trying to decide what to learn at your age. You have to say it aloud.”

I suddenly realized he was right. “I want to learn how to keep everyone safe from all those who mean to do harm…” I stopped as I heard myself. This was impossible.

“Keep going. How do you plan to do this?”

“By stopping our enemies without giving them a chance to fight back. I want to learn a spell to do that.”

“Finally, you admit it.”

“You knew this already?”

“I figured it out recently,” Leon said.

“How?” I asked.

“Because you kept reminding me of someone. I finally realized it was me.” He glared at me. “Don’t make that face.”

I realized I was showing him a bewildered expression. “I’m sorry, it’s just hard to picture we were ever similar.”

“You really don’t know me.”

“That’s not my fault,” I told him bitterly.

“Shut your mouth, Jon. Remember what I told you earlier? Shut your mouth more around your superiors or you’re really going to piss me off.”

I held my tongue.

I was wrong earlier. This was the old Leon. If this was the only kind of instruction he could offer, I was better off on my own.

“It’s impossible for you to get what you want,” Leon lectured. “There is no spell or even group of spells that can ensure your safety along with the destruction of your enemies. The strongest sorcerers are the ones who can get the most out of a few spells. No one needs to learn them all. You’re wasting your time with every note of mana. Youare going to have to trust me on that.”

“All right, fine. So now what?”

Leon took a slow breath and seemed a little more relaxed after. “Now, what is the next spell you want to learn?”

“Another spell of dvinia, besides Expel.”

Leon opened his mouth just to close it again.

Anger spoke for me. “See? That’s why I must learn the notes individually. Because no one else can help me but me, because no one else can cast with dvinia. There aren’t any other spells that are known. I’m going to have to figure them out!”

Leon shook his head. “That’s not true. I might not know other spells of dvinia in practice, but I should be able to figure some out in theory. But there’s risk in that, Jon. That’s why I’m hesitant to continue down this path. Experimental casting is dangerous, especially if you accidentally use a rev after initiating the spell. This is not something you should do on your own. Well, you can heal now…” He hummed as he seemed to be in thought.

It was my turn to calm down with a breath. “How are you going to help me?”

Leon rolled up his sleeves. “Does this mean you’re ready to begin? Or do you need another nap?”

“I am read—oh. You knew?”

“Of course I figured out Michael was covering for you. Candlestick in his shoe? Please. There’s a damn candlestick right there behind you. But I knew even before that. You want to know how?”

“How?”

“Because you actually laughed at his joke.”

“Well, please don’t punish Michael. He just came in while I was asleep and woke me later.”

“I’m just glad someone else didn’t catch you. Now are you really ready?”

“What exactly are we going to do?”

“Empower your dvinia. You are finally ready for this lesson.”

Now we’re talking.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Leon asked me how much I knew about dvinia by now. After I told him that he already knew how much I knew, which was just one spell, he specified the question.

“No, how much do you know about dvinia. Not about casting a spell.”

“Nothing.”

He then insulted me as being a poor student. I insulted him back as being a poor instructor. We both went down a few tangents, but eventually we were ready to begin.

“Dvinia has essential notes, like all the other specializations,” Leon explained. “But no one knows the essential notes of dvinia.”

“What are you talking about? You’re the one who told me the four notes of dvinia.”

“Yes, but not all of them are essential. When will you learn to shut your damn mouth and let me speak? Airinold’s taint, I should just come back after you’re better rested.” He started to turn around.

Leon was right. I had completely lost all ability to censor myself. “Wait,” I said as he neared the stairs. “I’ll control myself.”

“Last chance.”

“Got it.”

He walked back to me. “I will explain essential notes if you pay attention. Take water, for example. The essential notes are clear to everyone who understands mana. Do you want to take a guess as to what they are?”

I didn’t reply.

“Go ahead. Guessing will help you learn.”

I shrugged. “C, E, and G.”

He showed me a disappointed look. “You just listed all three notes of the Water spell.”

“I don’t know, all right? What are the essential notes?”

“The first and the third, C and E. Now can you guess why?”

Frustrated, I had too many questions to guess anything. “No. There are already so many things that don’t make sense. The spell Water has three notes. Three.” I made sure to keep my tone civil. “Why are you calling the second note of the spell the third note? E is the second note. C, E, G. The third is G. I’m sorry for my tone, but it’s irritating.”

“It’s not irritating. You just don’t understand it. You’re thinking about the third of the spell when you should be thinking about the third of water.”

“What? Water has numbers?”

“No, it has notes.” Leon sighed. “You make it really easy to forget that you hadn’t had a single lesson about mana before coming here. You are well ahead of everyone else in so many ways yet far behind in others.”

I didn’t catch most of what he said because I was too busy figuring something out. “Wait, I think I know what you mean. You’re talking about water like a range of