Hunted Sorcery (Jon Oklar Book 2) by B.T. Narro (chapter books to read to 5 year olds .txt) 📕

that I was sure when I would’ve had the time. Perhaps I could’ve done it instead of healing people the other day or training one of the days before.

The hardest part about all of this was not the training, not the fighting, but the decisions. Guilt roiled in my stomach as I thought that I could’ve prevented this man’s disappearance.

“When did you last see him?” I asked, still suspicious about Henrik.

“Yesterday, when I arrived. I escorted him to meet with the new head guard, Byron something.”

“Byron Lawson.”

“That’s it.”

“What happened after?” I asked.

“Byron said these threats and thefts have been happening all over the city in great numbers. He said he already has guards watching other establishments, and the mages stopped bothering them. He’ll have The Pearl watched as well, he said. Then he took down my cousin’s description of the man threatening him. I didn’t think there was much to worry about, but Mathew was still scared when we came back. I should’ve stayed in the same room as him, but I didn’t. When I checked on him this morning, he was gone.”

I had the sense that Henrik was keeping something from me. It was the same sense I had when Remi finished her story. There was something both of them didn’t want me to know, but I wasn’t sure it was anything useful, perhaps just embarrassing or hurtful to remember.

It was Henrik’s tone that was starting to tip me off. Yes, he seemed tough, but I had met a lot of tough men who still had compassion for others. I sensed none from him.

I felt for dteria near him, but there wasn’t a trace of it in the air. He didn’t have any essence of dteria on him, which either meant he was very powerful and didn’t need it, or I was letting my fears get the better of me.

Henrik had taken me to an office not far from the entrance. “Anyway,” he said. “I don’t know what happened to him over the night. I woke up and he was gone. I fear the worst. I’ve already gone and told a city guard about what happened. The guard said he would inform Byron and they would do what they could to find my cousin. I asked them what that was. He didn’t give me an answer. He just repeated that they would look for him. The guards here are useless. What is the king going to do about this?”

“The king has sent me,” I reminded him.

“And what are you planning on doing?”

I plan on not getting ambushed by anyone, I thought as I looked around the office with more care. There was a cabinet with a few things on top, including a dirty brass vase that was in need of a wax. Across the small room was a long desk covered by a cloth. There seemed to be a couple of boxes underneath the cloth.

When Henrik saw me looking, he made a comment. “I can’t bear to see his things until I know he’s all right.”

I didn’t trust much of what Henrik was saying anymore, and I wasn’t going to figure out much else by speaking with him. I wanted to get out of here.

“I will speak with Byron Lawson and see what can be done.”

“It doesn’t sound like you have much hope.”

I looked Henrik in the eye. He frowned, but there seemed to be a hint of joy, of excitement, pulling at the corners of his mouth. He offered me his hand.

“I appreciate you trying to do what you can, nonetheless.”

I shook his hand as I watched his other one. But he just gestured at the door for me to leave first.

Perhaps there was no trap here, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t one waiting elsewhere. I turned to leave but gave a look over my shoulder. Henrik seemed tense as he stood close behind me.

“Was there something else?” he asked.

“I’ll let you know what I find out later today. We will find your cousin.”

Henrik nodded, then gestured at the door again.

I turned and walked toward it, watching the cloudy brass vase to my side. I saw Henrik slowly pull a knife out from behind his back. He must’ve tucked it into his pants earlier. I didn’t know exactly when he had hidden it there, but it had to have been during the short time we were in this room. I pretended not to know he was coming behind me as I reached for the door handle.

I spun around as he closed in and tossed him back with Expel.

The spell wasn’t strong enough to take the heavy man off his feet, but he did stumble back a safe distance. I allowed one moment to judge his reaction as I tried to decide whether to run or capture this man for information. The smirk he showed me gave me my answer.

I spun and grabbed the door handle. I started to yank the door open, but a strong blast of dteria threw me into the opening door, slamming it shut with my head.

A little dazed, I fell to the ground.

I had an upside-down view of my attacker trying to bring the knife down onto my face. I rolled out of the way. Henrik struck the floor and yelped in pain as he grabbed his hand and dropped the weapon.

I started to draw my sword, but he threw me against the door again with a whip of his hand. His magic was much stronger than mine.

I had a strange lack of fear. Instead I found myself jealous that this much older man had been practicing this spell for years, years. And now this overgrown ass was trying to end my life. Why? Because I wanted people to live in a world without theft and extortion?

Anger made me grit my teeth as I landed on my feet this time and threw him back with my own spell. But again, he just stumbled away from me and smirked.

“I’d heard a lot about the