Hunted Sorcery (Jon Oklar Book 2)

by B. T. Narro

  She squirmed against it as her voice was muffled. She couldn’t seem to break free.

  It picked her up and floated her across the roof. Then it pressed her against the one side of the chimney on the corner of the roof that no one could see.

  Valinox appeared in front of her. It didn’t look as if it took any effort for him to hold dteria around her, anger in his silvery eyes.

  He flicked the ring on his finger several times. He was signaling to the callring he’d put on Eden’s windowsill. Did that mean Eden had fetched it already? If so, she might’ve already seen Remi climbing back up.

  There wasn’t much time. Remi continued to fight the dteria as Valinox stared at her callously. She tried to set fire to him, but it just burned her hand as the dteria blocked her mana from getting out. She tried to scream louder, but she couldn’t get through the muffling energy.

  He can’t kill me, she told herself as she relaxed a little. He’s going to have to let go at some point for Eden to do it.

  Then she would scream her lungs out.

  Eden hovered up onto the roof like one of those powerful dark mages. Remi didn’t know if it was Valinox causing her to float over or if she was doing it herself.

  Nonetheless, Remi cursed Eden, though no words got through as she thrashed in fury.

  “This one saw me,” Valinox whispered to Eden.

  Eden dropped onto the roof and walked the rest of the way until all three of them stood behind the chimney.

  “Are we safe here?” Eden asked. She looked somewhat upset, or perhaps just annoyed.

  “Seems so. Who is she?”

  “Remi Ryler. What was she doing here?”

  “I don’t know. She was behind me when I dropped off the callring, and there’s a rope here.” He gestured at it near his feet. “Seems like she just came back from somewhere.”

  “Strange. Well, everything is going to change now,” Eden said as she calmly held out her hand for something.

  Valinox took the knife from the holder on his belt and passed it to her.

  Remi tried her hardest to shout. She squirmed and screamed against the dteria until she exhausted herself.

  “I wish I could ask what the hell you were doing on the roof,” Eden said. “But we can’t have you screaming.”

  Remi suddenly realized that no matter what, her life was over. Defeated, she stopped fighting. Even if she did manage to scream, they would kill her the moment she opened her mouth. She just wanted to know why Eden would do this. Why? Why?

  She shouted the question over and over, the energy muffling her, though a partial sound of the word did come through.

  Eden let down the knife as she seemed to understand.

  “Kill her,” Valinox said. “Someone could find us for all I know, and your work isn’t finished.”

  “She deserves to know,” Eden said. “This war is going to be won by Rohaer, Remi, because they support Valinox. Everyone who stands against dteria will die. The only hope for people who care to live is not to stand against Valinox. Many lives could’ve been saved if Grufaeragar had been slain and Nykal had relinquished power to Cason once hope was lost. No war would’ve been needed. Now many are going to perish. Shame, but the result will be the same. Valinox wins this.”

  Remi could feel the energy shifting, a gap opening around her neck as the dteria was split between her face and her body. She could swing her head around now, but it didn’t do any good.

  Eden gripped the knife tightly, but Remi could see hesitation in her eyes.

  “You sure you can’t kill one person?” Eden asked Valinox. “I won’t be able to explain blood on my clothes if any comes into contact with me.”

  Was that really the only thing stopping her? She was just worried about blood on her clothes?

  Remi looked for something in Eden’s eyes, a speck of human decency.

  Remi had spoken with Cason at length when she’d gone into the dungeons with Aliana and Jon, and he had cared about no one, this was abundantly clear. But Eden seemed to be different. Remi still saw the old Eden as she looked at her closely, the Eden who’d made her laugh, the Eden who she’d thought of as her friend.

  So it hurt that much more when Remi realized that it was because of her friend that she was going to die.

  “Even this use of power might be sensed by my sister, who has been following me, and a murder might bring about my brother and ruin everything. It’s not worth the risk. Blood on your clothes is a small risk if you use a dteria grip as you’ve been taught.”

  A tear fell down Remi’s cheek as Eden floated the dagger into the air with dteria. This was how Remi was going to die, with her friend using dteria to jam a dagger into the side of her neck. There was no honor in that.

  More than fear, she felt overwhelming sadness.

  “I’m sorry, Remi,” Eden whispered. “I’ve always appreciated you for your independence. I thought perhaps one day I might convince you to join us. This really is a pity.”

  “As soon as it’s done, return to your room,” Valinox said. “I’ll get the guard’s attention afterward to make it look like I did this. Use the callring when the king is dead, but don’t wait too long.”

  So she plans to kill the king. That’s why she hasn’t left yet.

  “I know. I just need a little more time to figure out how to break the harbinger’s contract.”

  “Just kill the harbinger, and it will be easy. I have spent too long here. You’re on your own as soon as you kill the girl. Do it now.”

  Eden flicked her wrist. The dagger drove into the side of Remi’s neck.

  The pain was unlike anything she’d experienced before, but it didn’t compare to her crushing despair.

  Life had been so cruel to her. Only recently did she finally have something to live for.

  At least her death would be quick as she felt her blood gushing out. Soon all her pain would be over.

  Everything went hazy, but she could’ve sworn she saw Aliana charging up behind Eden. Yes it really was her!

  The ranger must’ve sensed people on the roof. Thank the gods Aliana had been awake and thought to use her ability! Remi’s life was over, but at least Eden’s true nature could no longer remain in hiding.

  “Guards!” Aliana screamed. “Help!”

  *****

  I awoke to the sounds of Aliana shouting for the guards. At first I thought it was a drunken dream, but then her voice became clear as a bell.

  “Help! Help!”

  Suddenly wide awake, I darted to my window. Aliana sounded to be on the roof, and there was no other way up than to climb from my windowsill.

  I got up there quickly, but I was stunned frozen by the sight. Remi lay near the chimney in a pool of blood. She didn’t appear to be alive. Valinox held Aliana in the air as a floating dagger seemed ready to pierce Aliana’s neck.

  Eden noticed me, her eyes wide. “Stop Jon, Valinox!”

  “Kill the girl already!” Valinox shouted.

  He closed his hand, constricting me with dteria and hoisted me up. I pushed against his mana with my own spell as I watched his face change from the strain.

  “Hurry up,” Valinox said. “He’s not easy to hold.”

  I could hear shouting in the distance, guards taking notice.

  “Just get us out of here,” Eden said. It looked as if she was hesitating, her hand out, the dagger floating near Aliana.

  “If you are loyal, you will do it!” Valinox demanded. “I might not get a better chance to kill these sorcerers! Do it!”

  Aliana screamed as she lifted her legs to protect herself. The dagger went into her thigh as if Eden made a mistake, or perhaps she just couldn’t bring herself to kill Aliana.

  An arrow sailed over everyone’s head, Eden and Valinox flinching as they ducked.

  “Get us out of here or I’m dead!” Eden shouted.

  Aliana was shouting, her hands near her wound. “How could you do this, Eden! I thought we were friends!”

  “We were.
You don’t understand.”

  Two more arrows barely missed everyone.

  Reuben charged out in front of me, heading straight for Eden. He must’ve climbed up soon after me.

  Valinox dropped me, then tossed his hand up. Eden shot into the sky. Reuben fell onto the roof as he dove at her too late. Valinox seemed disappointed as he looked us over. Then he shot into the sky as well.

  “What is happening up there?” I heard Kataleya calling from her window. But it was Aliana’s voice that I followed.

  “Jon, save Remi!”

  I was already darting toward her, but it looked like I was too late. There was so much blood—from a gaping hole in her neck.

  I fell into the puddle of red not knowing exactly how to begin. Was it even the wound in her neck anymore that was killing her or had her heart stopped?

  I put one hand over her neck and the other over her chest. Reuben held her wrist, his thumbs feeling for signs of heartbeat, as I started to heal.

  His words passed through one ear and out the other. “I’m not feeling anything, Jon.”

  I closed her neck wound quickly, repairing the broken tissue beneath her skin soon after.

  “Still nothing!” Reuben said with a whimper in his voice.

  What now? I frantically moved my hands around her body and pushed out my mana to search for injuries, but I didn’t feel anything else that I could heal.

  “Jon, she still has no pulse!” Reuben said.

  Aliana crawled over as she cried. “No, Remi.”

  “Get back both of you!” I snarled as I pushed them away. I needed space.

  Remi had to live. I just required a little help from her heart, just a tiny bit of life to give my mana something to work with.

  I pushed hard on her chest over and over, trying to simulate a heartbeat.

  “Jon,” Aliana cried.

  “It’s not over!”

  I pushed harder, cracking the bones of her small body in the process.

  I stopped to let my mana course through her, looking for anything it could heal. It repaired her broken bones, but then nothing else came to mind. I pushed harder, pleading with my mana to speak to me. Remi was dying.

  I was almost shocked at how much information my mana suddenly gave me. She needed blood, but more than that, she needed air. They were both things my mana could not offer, though.

  “She’s dead, Jon,” Reuben stated sadly.

  “No!” I shouted, refusing to give up.

  I opened her mouth and breathed air into her lungs. Then I pushed on her chest again. I kept this up for a short while, but soon I had to stop because my tears made it impossible to see. I wiped my eyes with one hand as I hopelessly allowed my mana to feel for life with my other.

  There was a spark. I couldn’t believe it at first, but yes, there it was! Her heart was beating very weekly, but it was beating.

  I supported her with healing. There was so much damage throughout all of her body, no doubt an effect of not breathing for this long, but my mana knew how to repair all of it. It coursed through her body from head to toe, exhausting me so damn quickly that I knew I wouldn’t be able to heal her completely.

  I pushed on, forcing myself past the limit when I thought I had to stop. My vision blurred. I felt that I might pass out, and yet I kept going.

  “She’s breathing!” Reuben said, his ear over her mouth.

  She still had a lot of damage to repair, but I had to stop for a few breaths.

  I couldn’t get enough air. I didn’t have the strength to breathe as deeply as I needed as I sucked in what little air I could get.

  I’d gone too far.

  “She’s alive, Jon!” Reuben said. “But why won’t she get up? Remi?”

  “She’s lost too much blood,” Aliana said as she grimaced in pain.

  I had forgotten about the knife in Aliana’s thigh. I noticed that Michael was on the roof now as well, watching silently with a horrified look on his face.

  “You need…healing…” It took so much effort just to tell this to Aliana.

  “Remi first,” she replied.

  “I’ll…pass out…”

  “Remi first, Jon. I’ll be fine!”

  I didn’t know if she would because a lot of blood was seeping out from beneath her hands and around the knife. But I didn’t have the strength to argue.

  I gave a silent prayer and pushed my healing spell out, my mana flowing through Remi’s body once more. The strain was instantly too much.

  I wanted to vomit, my stomach turning over, but I didn’t have the strength.

  Everything spun around me.

  The last thing I remembered was Aliana screaming my name.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  I awoke feeling as if I’d just had a nightmare. Pieces of it came back to me as I opened my eyes.

  Then I sat up with a startle as I realized it was not a nightmare at all.

  I seemed to be in my room, the early morning light coming in through my window, and strangely, there was someone in my bed next to me.

  “Remi?” I asked.

  She didn’t respond. She was under my covers as if we had spent the night together. It didn’t make any sense.

  “Remi?” I tried again, shaking her this time.

  She didn’t move.

  I heard her breathing, though. I put my hand on the top of her chest and let my mana go through her to feel for injuries.

  There were none.

  Had I healed her? The last thing I remembered was trying to and passing out.

  I gasped as I remembered Aliana and the dagger sticking out of her thigh.

  I jumped out of bed but shouted out in shock when I noticed one of the manservants asleep in my chair. He awoke, startled.

  “I’m sorry!” he said quickly as he put up his palms. “There’s no need to be alarmed.”

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “I must tell the king!” was all he said as he hurried out of the room.

  Confused, I returned to stand near my bed and tried once more to heal Remi. It was no use. I was very concerned. Why wouldn’t she wake up?

  I rubbed my bleary eyes. She still had on the same clothes as last night, blood all over them. Similar bloodstains were on my chest, back, and especially all over my hands.

  I had to assume Aliana was fine, otherwise they would’ve rushed me to her as soon as I was up. Perhaps Leon had healed her? But he couldn’t close wounds that severe.

  I sat cross-legged near Remi and took her hand. “Please wake up.”

  Eventually, the king entered my room. I felt too tired to stand up from my bed for him, or perhaps that was just my somber mood. I hoped he would understand.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  That depended on whether Remi would ever wake up. “What happened?” I asked.

  “From what I heard, Souriff landed on the apartments soon after you passed out. She finished healing Remi and then healed Aliana as well. I arrived by the time Souriff was moving you and Remi into this room with dvinia. We put the two of you to bed and checked on you several times throughout the night.”

  “She still won’t wake up,” I said.

  “Yes, we’re concerned as well. We left her with you in case your healing might be required during the night. But Souriff said there was no other healing that could be done, and she left soon after.” The king paused. “You don’t remember waking up earlier?”

  “Not at all.”

  “You were talking, trying to help. We thought you might’ve been acting in your sleep. You were pretty far gone, Jon. You exerted yourself too much.”

  I didn’t care. I felt like myself now, just starving and tired. “Is Aliana all right, at least?”

  “She’ll need a few days to recover her strength from the blood loss, most likely, but yes. As for Remi…” The king walked up to her. “I’m afraid she might perish.”

  I stifled a tear.

  “I heard about what you did to save her.” The king sat on
the bed near me. “How did you know that might work?”

  “My mana told me that she needed her heart to beat, and she needed air.” I felt a little bad about how rough I’d been. Perhaps there could’ve been a better way. “I didn’t know how else to help her besides what I did.”

  “Well, you might’ve saved her life. We must now wait to find out.” He took a long breath as the two of us stared at Remi. “Breakfast is early this morning, as most everyone is up already. Come to the dining hall. I will have people watch Remi.”

  Remi’s blood was dry on my bare chest, so I didn’t bother taking a bath yet as I donned my clothing and headed down to the dining hall with the king.

  He reassured me several times that someone would constantly be watching Remi.

  We separated in the dining hall. All of my friends were already eating, boys and girls sitting together for once.

  I sat beside Michael. No one seemed to be speaking before I arrived, and no one said anything after.

  We were like that for a while, most of us not looking up from our bowls of porridge.

  Eventually, Michael glanced around and finally said something.

  “I can’t believe it was Eden.”

  A few of us nodded.

  “I have feelings for her—had,” Michael corrected himself. “We…good god, was I used? Was she with me just to curse me? I don’t know what to think anymore.”

  “There’s no way to know,” Aliana said. “She tricked all of us. I keep wondering if our friendship was even real. Then I feel stupid for wondering.”

  “Jon?” Kataleya asked. “You would’ve said something if Remi was awake, right?”

  “I would’ve.”

  Aliana asked me, “How did you know to do what you did? It seemed to work.”

  “The king asked me the same thing. I needed a spark of life in her body, something to work with, but her heart had stopped. I didn’t know what else to do to try to make it beat again.”

  Charlie had tears in his eyes. “She’s going to live, isn’t she?”

  “She will,” Kataleya told him with confidence.

  “How do you know?” Charlie asked.

  “Because I trust the king, and I trust Jon. If there’s any chance at all that she will survive, they will make sure of it.”