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

rebuke of his advances seemed to have chipped away at his arrogance.

Maybe Eden wasn’t so cynical. Maybe she saw the capital for what it was. I liked to think that smart and dedicated people were everywhere in the capital, people like my peers, or like Greda and her mother. Perhaps there were, but there were also powerful men like Reuben and his father, and those who didn’t care about anyone but themselves, like Red, the tavernkeep.

“Reuben isn’t all bad,” I had to say. “He helped me deliver some justice.”

“Yes, to help a beautiful girl who Reuben has bragged about to Kataleya. Apparently, he has a romantic meeting set up with her for when we can finally leave this place safely. He sure has improved, Jon,” she said sarcastically.

I still believed he was changing. I saw the good in him. He just needed more guidance, not that I was the one to give it to him. Not that Leon was, either. I didn’t know where it would come from, but hopefully it would.

“Do you know what a deninger is?” I asked.

“A dark mage of order.”

So a mixture of dteria and ordia.

“Why?” Eden asked.

“Willelma mentioned one, casually in fact. She also told me she thought the king was stupid.”

“She sounds like the stupid one.”

“Yes, I think she is. I mean literally.”

“Dumb and rich,” Eden said. “The worst combination.”

“I hope she can at least fight decently.”

“She hasn’t fought anyone or anything in her life. None of the sorcerers have. They learned one spell and are going to milk it dry until they’re squeezing out dust.”

I understood Eden’s frustration, but she seemed to be bordering on hatred.

“Has a sorcerer done something to you personally?” I asked.

“No,” she said.

“Well, I imagine an ice mage could prove valuable to many citizens, not just the rich. Freezing meat and other perishables should be desired by the lowest farmhand to the wealthiest noble. I’m sure she charges more than she needs, but people wouldn’t hire her if they didn’t agree on her price.”

“I’m not just talking about sorcerers.” Eden looked at me as if considering something. “Never mind. Aren’t you going to use your new ordia spell on your sword?”

It still took a bit of focus and concentration before I could cast Identify on anything, but I was glad Eden wasn’t offended about me checking her work. I used the spell. A direct thought entered my mind. My sword was sturdier now.

“Do enchantments wear off?” I asked.

“They do wear off over time, or when the enchanter dies.”

“So they are like a curse?”

She nodded. “Jennava has said so.”

I hadn’t had much contact with Jennava. She spent more time with Charlie and Eden indoors than with the rest of us who practiced in the courtyard.

I did find it interesting that an enchantment seemed to be tied to the enchanter in the same way a curse was tied to the witch or warlock. That implied that an enchantment was living mana, just like a curse. It would also explain how this “deninger” could dissolve a binding contract, which was a form of an enchantment, I presumed. That probably meant that a deninger could also destroy other enchantments, including illusions.

And on a darker note, it seemed to imply that the contracts binding us to protect the king would be dissolved if Barrett was killed.

“So, more about Michael,” Eden began.

I felt that I could only do more damage than help my friend. I took a page out of Kataleya’s book.

“Oh look, the Stormeagles are arriving.”

Jennava had actually brought them into the courtyard a little while ago.

“Oh yes, how astute of you to notice them right when you don’t want to answer my question.”

“I better go say hello to Calvin.” I sheathed my sword and hurried out of her room.

I recognized the faces of many of the Stormeagles, but it was only Calvin who I had gotten to know. He was one of the younger men in the group of sellswords, though he was still at least a few years older than me. He sported a light beard, his hair loose and hanging down around his forehead and ears. He always appeared relaxed to me. He didn’t look as if he lived carefree, though; it was as if he had learned how to manage his worries. A skill I would love to learn.

“It’s good to see you, Jon.”

“You as well.” We shook hands.

He squinted. “Actually, you don’t look so good. Everything all right?”

It was probably from my constant exhaustion. “Yeah, just…problems, as I’m sure you know.”

All of Lycast had heard of Cason by now.

“I’m sure the dark mages will be stopped soon.”

It was disappointing not to hear him take personal responsibility for stopping them. “Aren’t you against them as much as I am?” I asked. Calvin had mentioned his hatred for Cason and dark mages before the battle in Curdith Forest. The Stormeagles had lost some members during an ambush.

“Of course I am.”

“Has the king spoken to your leader about your group joining the army?”

Calvin looked over his shoulder at one of the older men I assumed to be the leader. He put his arm behind my shoulder and led me away from the group, most of whom remained standing near the open portcullis. That is, until the portcullis started to close, the drawbridge rising to cut off entrance.

So everyone was already here who had come to defend the castle against this unlikely attack. Besides the usual plethora of guards in and around the castle, there was just one other group of sellswords here besides the Stormeagles. They were large men, heavily armored. Some of them looked familiar. They’d probably joined us in the forest to face the dark mages from Rohaer, but I hadn’t fought beside them like I had the Stormeagles.

Calvin noticed me looking. “The Freemen,” he said. “A bunch of meatheads.”

“What don’t you want your leader to hear?” I asked.

“It’s not that I don’t want him to hear,” Calvin said. “I just don’t want to deal with him if he does.