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

hadn’t gotten to know her very well, but we did speak at length when I met her in Koluk. Together, we had come up with the plan to intercept Rohaer’s one hundred troops in the forest. I figured she trusted me.

“I don’t know much about illusions except that they are extremely difficult,” she said, “but Leon mentioned that you went from knowing nothing about mana to learning Expel in a few days. Given that information, it might be possible to learn an illusion spell in a few days as well.”

“Could it be possible in a shorter time?” the king asked.

“Are you comfortable with ordia yet?” Jennava asked me.

I shook my head. “I’ve only been working on offensive spells, nothing with ordia.”

“Then probably not.”

“I’ve decided then,” the king announced. “Jon, you will go into the forest and try to convince the elf to assist us. If she won’t leave the forest, then learn how to perform an illusion and return here to practice. In the meantime, I will have men watching Whitley and Luther without tipping them off that I suspect them.”

“My best chance of learning the spell quickly is by staying in the forest while I practice,” I said. “But it might be better if I don’t go at all. Cason is likely to attack again.”

“Again?” Nykal asked.

“Jon and I just fought him and a couple others.” Leon gestured at the enchanted staff he’d tossed away from us earlier. “That cursed thing belongs to a dead man.”

“Is it actually cursed?” Charlie asked.

“No, enchanted with essence of dteria,” I clarified for Leon.

“What happened to Cason?” Nykal asked.

“He was saved by someone who lifted him into the air,” I said. “We didn’t get a good look at whoever it was.”

“Why didn’t you mention this earlier?” the king asked.

“There was no hurry,” Leon explained. “The dead man was already dead, and the rest escaped. We sent guards looking for them, but Cason and the one who saved him can lift themselves higher than any building, and Cason can cloak himself. Maybe the other can as well. They’re almost impossible to catch or kill until they make themselves vulnerable through another attack, and that’s not going to be now.”

“How do you know that?” Nykal asked.

“Because they clearly thought they were going to kill both of us, and they lost.” Leon spoke about all this casually, while I felt just a tad bit more alarmed about everything. “They need a new plan of attack. New plans take time. Also, I did burn off Cason’s eyebrows and some of his hair. It’s going to be easy for anyone to recognize him when he’s not using an illusion. Can’t heal hair.”

“Let me get this straight,” the king said. “Cason and a few men ambushed you and Jon, but they underestimated you and had to flee with the help of a dark mage who lifted Cason into the air?”

“That’s right,” Leon said.

“But this other powerful dark mage was not part of the ambush?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Leon lifted a finger. “Actually, that’s a very good question.”

I caught Leon’s gaze only to shrug at him. I hadn’t wondered that yet.

The king appeared angry. “You told me you wouldn’t need the callring.”

“And I didn’t.”

“You and Jon could’ve been killed by Cason.”

“No, I knew we could handle Cason just fine, like we did. Besides, I didn’t expect him to find us. It was only because Jon had to heal a curse. The witch or warlock who set the curse must’ve told Cason where they felt it disappear, and Cason went to investigate. Then he found us. If he wasn’t so stupid, he would’ve run rather than engaged us. He’s not a threat, sire. He’s a nuisance.”

I thought Leon was being a little too confident.

“You’re taking a callring next time,” the king demanded. “There’s no reason not to.”

“Fine.”

The king stared at Leon for a moment before he looked up and away and seemed to mull something over.

“Cason’s first plan was stopped, and now his second has likely been slowed,” Nykal said. “With my replacement of the corrupt head guard, he’s running out of options to usurp power or coin. I wouldn’t say he is a threat to the kingdom anymore, but he still is to all of you if he catches one of you without Leon nearby.”

The king glanced at us and took his time. “I was already aware that a dteria sorcerer with Cason’s power has the ability to lift himself higher than these castle walls. I have increased my guard. All of us are safe while we are here. If Cason did attack the castle, even with the aid of other dark mages as powerful as himself, it would be a battle we would win.”

He paused as he stared at Leon. “I’m glad you went with Jon, but we can’t have you babysitting my sorcerers every time they need to leave the castle.”

“Jon held his own,” Leon said. “As I’m sure many of the sorcerers can now.”

I gave Leon a doubtful look. Had I been alone against Cason and the two others, I wasn’t sure I would be standing here now.

“You can always run away,” Leon said to me. “All of you can.”

“Cason can grab people and suspend them in the air,” I felt inclined to remind Leon. “It was how I saw Cason kill a man the first time I encountered him.”

“A man without sorcery,” Leon countered. “All of you could defend yourselves.”

Eden cleared her throat. “Excuse me.”

“I’m obviously talking about every combat sorcerer, Eden. Of course you, Aliana, Charlie, and Reuben should not be leaving the castle unless you are accompanied by me or Jenn.”

“Which leads us to the task at hand,” the king said. “Jon, I want you to learn how to perform an illusion. It is a valuable skill that may even help you in combat against dark mages. So yes, it is better if you go rather than stay here even with the risk of Cason still at large. Now I just need to figure out who to