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

here. Neither Leon nor I had a callring with us. Apparently, we both figured there was no need for one, but now I didn’t see myself leaving the castle without one.

“Yes, I was getting to that. The dark mage claims that the plan was for Cason and the others to take this coin back to Rohaer.”

A silence passed.

“They were just going to leave?” Charlie asked.

Michael answered. “Oh, they would be back, Charlie. And with all their friends.”

“What do you mean?”

“Michael’s right,” Nykal said. “This coin is needed by the king of Rohaer to support the army he’s training.”

“So this is good news.” I said. “He’ll lose much of his army.”

“Only if Cason doesn’t find another way to get coin to the king he’s clearly allegiant to. Unfortunately, we don’t know how he’s planning to get it, but clearly he’s involved with one of the two noble families. Both the Priggs and the Yorns have helped the kingdom immensely with the training and supplying of both soldiers and weaponry. It is difficult to believe either of them would also be helping Cason, but it does explain everything…unless any of you has any evidence you would like to submit?”

We looked around at each other.

The king asked, “Charlie, did you mention Jon’s range of mana to anyone. Perhaps the blacksmith?”

“I didn’t until after Leon sent us off to train in solitude.”

I had accepted the essence of dteria from the illusionist before that.

“Did anyone else mention it to anyone before solitude?”

“I told my mother,” Aliana said. “But she promised she wouldn’t speak of it to anyone. I’m sorry if that was wrong.”

“Did you also inform your mother that everyone was leaving the castle, before it came under attack?”

“No.”

“Sire…” Barrett began.

“I know someone could’ve seen everyone leaving and informed the dark mages,” Nykal said. “But it’s still important to ask. Aliana, what else did you mention to her about Jon?”

“Um.” She glanced at me shyly for a moment. “Just about his personality and such.”

Seeing as how she didn’t say what it was, she’d probably told her mother I was arrogant and didn’t care about others. It was the assumption she had about me when we were first getting to know each other. I was glad when she finally admitted that I didn’t seem to be the person she had assumed I was, but I hadn’t spoken with Aliana much since then. We had both been quite busy except when eating, but I never sat with her. I didn’t know how her perception of me might’ve shifted. Perhaps her opinion had reverted to how it used to be.

“Nothing about him being a bladedancer?” the king asked. “The dark mages who attacked Jon identified him as one.”

“No.”

“I mentioned to my mother that he was a battle wizard,” Eden said.

The king let out a sigh. “All right, when?”

“A while ago. I don’t remember exactly.”

“This is becoming messy, sire,” Barrett said. “Perhaps we should conduct separate interviews with each sorcerer?”

“No. We will finish this promptly now. Who else mentioned this to someone?”

Michael put down his head as he raised his hand with what seemed to be embarrassment.

“To whom?” the king asked.

“A woman at a tavern. I…uh, never got her name.”

“And you were telling her about Jon?” the king asked incredulously.

“I just told her that I train with a number of sorcerers, and I listed some of them. An enchanter, a fire mage, a ranger, and a bladedancer. I thought it was fine to discuss this since our enemies were already aware of us.”

Eden commented, “And you thought it might help you get in her pants.”

“Hey.” Michael pointed at Eden. “I was only in there looking for corruption. I had to have a drink to blend in.”

“Sure.”

“It’s fine, Michael,” the king said. “Yes, our enemies already know much about all of us because of a leak. Anyone else? Now is the time to admit it. It will not look good for you if it comes out later in our investigations.”

No one said anything.

“I will have Aliana’s mother and Eden’s mother questioned.”

“What about Michael’s bar wench?” Eden asked.

“I’m not too concerned about her or who else heard about Jon’s class, frankly. It’s not a vulnerability. You all seem to have the proper judgment not to divulge anything that could create vulnerabilities, so let me just remind you to keep it that way. Someone is actively working against us, and I will find out who soon enough. Kataleya’s father is our primary suspect right now. Leon, Jennava, I need your help. There must be some way we can spy on Whitley Yorn without him knowing. We need to observe every guest or meeting he has to figure out if he could be connected to Cason. I also want Luther Prigg investigated. I believe there’s only one sorcerer who can spy for us, and I want her watching Whitley. Can one of you find the elf from the forest who, I was told, can cloak herself?”

“I could try,” Leon said, “but I never got to know her.”

“Neither did I, sire,” Jennava said.

“I spoke with her a while before everyone else arrived,” I said. “And I met her earlier with Aliana and Eden when we first went into the forest. I’m pretty sure she trusts me, after she saw what I did to get troops in the forest.”

He scowled at me for a moment. “Yes, you are probably right. Do you believe you could convince her to help us, though?”

“I’m not sure. She’s steadfast in her purpose, which seems to be remaining in the forest and watching for Rohaer’s soldiers. But I could ask her to teach me how to use an illusion. It is within my range.”

The king glanced at Leon. “How long might it take Jon to learn to cloak himself?”

“I defer to Jennava for all spells of ordia.”

Jennava looked at me. She had gray hair, but wore it in a youthful tail behind her head. She looked a fair amount of years older than Leon, but I figured she was younger.

I