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

girls, so we didn’t overhear each other’s conversations. Closer to the girls’ side of the table was the royal table, where King Nykal and his wife and daughter sat. Theirs was perched on a dais, facing all of us as our table ran perpendicular to theirs. But the king didn’t always show up at lunch. Often it was just Callie and her mother. I knew nothing about the queen. I didn’t even know her name and didn’t find myself curious, as I had too much to wonder about already.

Charlie stared at the book sitting facedown near my plate. “Is that Understanding Mana by J. Krover?”

“You can recognize it just by its back?” I flipped it over.

“Yes. I spent enough time reading it to memorize how it looks. It’s the information in that book that led me to certain theories that I still want you to test. Are you finally ready to help me experiment?”

Reuben eyed Charlie. “Why do you need Jon?”

“He has the widest range of mana and the most skill with it.”

Reuben glanced at me for a moment as if considering putting it to a debate, then returned his focus to his food.

“I’m not going to be ready until things calm down more,” I told Charlie.

“Why not?” He sounded very young when he whined.

“Because there are more important uses of my time, for now. I will be able to help soon.”

“How soon?”

“I don’t know exactly.”

Charlie always made the same face when he refused to accept something. He pouted his lips and squinted his blue-gray eyes. His mop of blond hair bounced as he shook; no, it vibrated.

“Charlie, wait.” I tried to stop him before he threw a tantrum.

“This is important not just for me but for everyone! I have to understand mana better so everyone else can understand mana better. You are the only person who can help me with these tests!”

So it turned out I wasn’t the only one who felt responsible for others here. I couldn’t blame him for that. I knew what it was like to feel helpless. I wanted to fix that, and he might have something useful to teach me after all.

“All right, you convinced me.”

“I did?”

“Yes. But I’m not sure I can today. I’m going out of the castle for a while. If I have time when I come back, we can test out your theories with some experiments. If not, we will do it tomorrow.”

“Thank you.”

“Where are you going?” Reuben asked.

“A tavern for a little while. Then I’m off to a healer.”

Michael laughed, then looked confused. “I don’t get it.”

“It’s not a joke. Actually, Reuben, if you came with me to the tavern, I bet we could finish what I need to do in a few moments.”

A line creased his forehead. “Why would I want to help you with some nefarious deed in a common tavern?”

“Because it’s not just any tavern.”

I went on to describe Red’s Tavern and what I had seen there. I watched his countenance soften as he heard what the young woman was going through, then brighten as I described how beautiful she was. I left out Aliana’s experience there, as I wasn’t sure she wanted others knowing.

“What do you propose we do?” Reuben asked.

“I will tell you on the way. After lunch, change into the most elegant and expensive robes you have and meet me by the portcullis. Make sure to wear your best jewelry. I have to speak to Aliana about my other task. I might be visiting her mother, a healer, to carry out the rest of my punishment by helping heal people.”

“No more losing sleep?” Michael asked.

“Leon said he’s ordering me to alter the punishment to this, and he’ll deal with the king…so I’m still not entirely sure it will be the case.”

“Yeah, good luck,” Michael said.

I walked over to the girls’ side of the long table. “Aliana, could I speak to you?”

“Sure.”

She left Eden, Kataleya, and Remi and stood with me out of earshot of everyone. Aliana had striking dark eyes that always seemed ready for bad news. It was that look in her eyes that made me want to bring a smile to her lips. Her brown hair was a bit wild, as if she hadn’t run a comb through it, or perhaps she’d decided it was better not to try.

I had forgiven her for treating me so coldly the first few days after we’d met. She was no doubt beautiful, but she no longer gave me that spark she once had before she’d made so many incorrect assumptions about me.

“After lunch, I’m going out to do two things,” I explained.

“How are you by the way?”

“Oh.” I felt bad for not even thinking to ask. “Fine. And yourself?”

She chuckled a bit. “I’m fine. Go ahead.”

“First, I’m going to take Reuben to see Red at his tavern. I told Reuben what happened last night, and he’s willing to help me. I didn’t mention anything about you.”

“I appreciate that.”

“Would you like to come?”

She put her hand on the back of her neck. “No.” She started to say something else but stopped. “No, just tell me what happens later.”

I nodded. “All right. The other thing is that Leon has changed my punishment. He wants me to spend two hours each day healing the sick and injured instead of staying up at night.”

“You can heal the sick now?”

“That’s one of the things I hope to find out.”

“I see…and you remembered that my mother works with a healer.”

“Yes. Leon was going to search the city for one who would take me, but I mentioned your mother. She’s the only healer we know.”

Aliana’s expression was as if this was a bad idea. “I don’t know.”

“What are you worried about?”

“It’s just strange is all, you meeting my mother.”

“Oh. I don’t imagine we’ll be doing much talking about anything personal.”

“I guess it’s fine. What’s going to happen with payment? Are you still going to charge people to help them? If so, who’s it going to go to?”

“I figured we would charge