Hunted Sorcery (Jon Oklar Book 2) by B.T. Narro (best book series to read txt) 📗

soon be bruises, but Kataleya had a badly twisted ankle that needed some hefty spellcasting.

I was just now realizing how dramatic things had become while I was healing, when Josef had been bothering the king about receiving extra payment. It had happened in the courtyard some distance away from me, but I had seen it all unfold. I was reminded of it as I looked around the table to see that Remi was absent.

“I deserve double what you have given me,” Josef had argued. “My life was in danger.”

“Everyone’s life was in danger,” the king had replied. “That was the reason all of you were already paid fairly.”

“Fairly?”

“Yes, fairly. Now I will not speak with you about this any—”

Remi had come up on Joseph’s side and punched him square in his temple.

“Oof.” The fire mage had stumbled away, then shot a look over his shoulder. “What the hell are you doing here?” he’d asked Remi.

“I live here!”

“What are you talking about?”

“I am one of the king’s sorcerers.”

Josef had glanced at the king, who’d nodded.

“I demand she be punished for striking me,” Josef had said. “Show that you are a fair king after all and do not offer leniency to your sorcerers when they break the law.”

“First, I’ll hear her reason for striking you…unless you want to tell us what you think it might be?”

Josef had appeared nervous at first, then angry. “I will be the better man and take my leave.”

“In no circumstance have you ever been the better man,” Remi had said. “Sire, he deserves to be thrown out of your city. He charges too much for his service, and he is a weak fire mage who takes advantage of people.” She’d glared at him. “In more ways than one.”

“You are lying,” Josef had grumbled.

“Sire, I think you know I am speaking the truth. Newhaven would be better off without him.”

As I recalled how the event had unfolded, I was starting to believe that Josef had done a lot worse to Remi than coerce her into a perverse trade.

The king soon banished him from Newhaven, following Remi’s advice. Josef had stuck around for a little while, arguing that with Pearson outed as a dark mage there was no other fire mage in the city. His services were needed now more than ever. People needed fire, he’d claimed.

I think I had begun healing someone else toward the end of this, as there were many hurting and I could not allow myself a long break. But I vaguely remember Remi saying something about how she would provide a fair service to anyone who required it, as soon as she was done dealing with the larger threat.

Josef had bickered with her, claiming she could barely light a lamp. I do remember very clearly what had happened after. She had produced an enormous fireball that she’d skillfully moved near him, taking my focus away from closing a gash down a guard’s arm. I had never seen Remi create such a large fireball. Even Josef seemed shocked as he fell backward and crawled away while covering his face.

“Get out!” Remi had screamed. “Don’t show yourself here again or I’ll do a lot worse.”

“You heard her,” the king had agreed.

“At least give me a week!” Josef had pleaded. “I need to get my affairs in order before I leave.”

“You will leave before sunset,” the king had said. Then Remi let her fireball disintegrate.

I now recalled her asking the king if she could have supper alone in her room. After he’d agreed, she’d walked off to the apartments. I figured I wasn’t going to see her again tonight.

I felt like I had a pretty good idea what Josef had done to her. Remi had not always been the powerful sorcerer she was now. She was a small girl, without much means of protecting herself. I imagined Josef took advantage of her in the same way the young man Remi had been forced to marry had taken advantage of her.

I pitied the girl. It was getting harder to believe she could be the one working against us.

Now, we waited for the king to speak, all of us quietly finishing up our supper with quick looks at his majesty. Nykal wasn’t usually at a loss for words, but he started a couple sentences in different ways.

“You all….” He paused. “Today….” He paused again.

“Sire?” Reuben asked. “Is it possible that one of the castle staff could’ve planted the callring in Kataleya’s room?”

“No. Most of the servants have been loyal to my family for generations. They keep close contact with each other. All instances of suspicious behavior has been reported and investigated. That should sound familiar.”

Yes, we had been doing the same. I honestly didn’t see how any of us could be organizing with our enemies when we all kept our eyes on each other and no one was permitted to leave the castle on their own anymore.

“Well it seems to me,” Reuben continued, “that Cason knew Leon would be taking most of us out of the castle. They had time to prepare smoke enchantments and ready their archers around the castle where we couldn’t see them preparing to strike. They were probably waiting for a signal.”

“That could be true,” said the king, “but it could also be that they saw Byron remove Aliana’s mother from the place where she’d been kept. They knew we would come for Luther after that. And don’t forget that Pearson was among the men brought in to defend the castle. He might’ve been the one to send a signal of some kind.”

Leon was not present with us in the dining hall. He was most likely resting after losing too much blood. Jennava stood nearby, though.

“Pearson didn’t speak with anyone on our way to the castle,” she informed the king. “I don’t think he could’ve signaled.”

“Did you check his fingers?”

“He had many rings, but Barrett confirmed that none contained enchantments.”

The councilman nodded. He was another older adult standing around the table of mostly teens. It