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

“He’s shown more interest in Aliana in the last few months, asking much more about her than he ever has before. I told him everything he wanted to know, thinking this might bring him closer with his daughter. I figured he might finally wish to meet her, or at least allow me to reveal who he was to her without him cutting us off from his…financial support. I see now that I was wrong. He was getting all the information he could, not just about my daughter but about you, your majesty, and this castle. I’ve never felt so foolish in my life. I can only hope that you believe that I had no intention to hurt anyone, and Aliana certainly didn’t when she shared some of these details with me that I shared with him.”

“So Luther Prigg really is my father?” Aliana asked dubiously.

Gwen nodded. “And it seems like he’s a lot more than that.”

They held each other’s gazes as the king shared a few quiet words with Byron.

“Why is she still in cuffs?” Aliana asked.

“They will have to be destroyed,” Byron said. “We don’t have the key. We carried her straight here.”

“Mother, I’m so sorry.” Aliana hugged her.

“Why are you apologizing, Ali? I’m the one who’s sorry.”

Charlie approached. “I could melt the cuffs off right now if you’d like.”

“Go ahead, Charlie,” the king said, then announced, “The rest of you, pay attention. Byron is right. This is an opportunity. Luther has kept Gwen from us. As soon as he finds out we’ve freed her, he is likely to flee the city.”

“Maybe he already has,” Reuben said.

“No, we have been watching him. All of you will go there right now. Byron’s guards will support you. Are they ready?” he asked the head guard.

“Yes. I have a dozen men and could easily call upon more, but I didn’t want to tip off our enemies.”

“Wait until we have the Prigg mansion surrounded, then bring in as many as you can. I want the Yorns to assist us in this.”

“Thank you,” Kataleya said. “My father will be eager to help.”

I could feel nervous energy in the air, murmurs buzzing. Gwen was rubbing her sore wrists as Aliana looked on with worry. The king lifted his arms to silence us.

“Luther Prigg has a small army of swordsmen and some sorcerers. These soldiers have been promised to me when the time comes, ready to fight for our cause, but it is Luther who pays their salary. I cannot say with certainty which side they will choose, especially as it has now become clear that Cason is working with Luther. Byron will attempt to sway them from fighting, but there might be a conflict. All of you are under orders not to initiate a fight unless Byron gives the order. The mission is to arrest Luther peacefully and bring him here. He must remain alive at all costs. Do you all understand?”

“We do,” I said, surprised that no other voices chimed in with me.

All my peers were no doubt shocked, possibly too much to speak. Only Charlie seemed relaxed as he raised his hand for a question.

He started speaking before the king pointed to him. “Eden and I are not to fight, right?”

“Eden no, but you will join everyone else, Charlie.”

“What?” he huffed out.

“Your ability to melt metal could prove extremely valuable here. You will be well-protected. Do not worry.”

“I cannot stop arrows or sorcery! I can’t even melt a small dagger before it impales me. I need time for my spell to work.”

“Leon, explain it to him. I need to discuss tactics with Byron. All of you must prepare to leave soon. Go together to the apartments and wait there even if you are finished preparing. No one is to leave each other’s sight.”

“What does this mean about the traitor?” Eden asked.

But the king had turned his back on us to talk with Byron.

Eden’s question went ignored. Apparently, the king still thought one of us could be a traitor. There was still the callring that showed up in Kataleya’s room. It hadn’t been explained by this new evidence.

Most of us were headed out of the dining hall, but I stopped when I noticed Aliana remaining with her mother. Leon approached them.

“I’m sorry to hear what happened, Gwen,” he said. “But we need Aliana to get ready with everyone else. You’re welcome to come with us to the apartments.”

“Thank you, Leon.” Then she told Aliana, “I wish we had some time to speak in private. There’s so much I want to say. At least let me tell you I’m sorry. I made a mistake about your father. I shouldn’t have trusted him.”

“They say he’s one of the richest men in Lycast,” Aliana practically whispered. She glanced over to see who might be listening. I felt like I needed to know what was said between them, as I had been the primary target of Cason, but I didn’t feel right eavesdropping.

I would have to ask Aliana later. I left with the others.

Aliana, her mother, and Leon did follow behind me, but far enough that I couldn’t hear what they said.

I noticed the king splitting off from Byron ahead of us. I ran to catch up with the head guard as he was exiting the great hall.

“Have you heard anything about Mathew Plumb?” I asked.

He showed me a grave look. “I’m sorry, Jon. His body was found at The Pearl not long after you left.”

I couldn’t move as the rest of my peers walked around me. I had figured he was dead, but to actually hear with all certainty that his cousin had murdered him—the man he had called upon for help—made it hard to get my legs to move. He had been terrorized for so long, right up to the moment of his death. I felt like I’d failed him, that all of us had failed him.

Byron put his hand on my shoulder. “I know that look. Your father had the same one after hearing hard