The Roots of Wrath

  The Roots of Wrath

  By B.T. Narro

  Jon Oklar:

  Book 4

  Copyright 2021 by B.T. Narro

  Cover and Map by Beatriz Garrido

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is coincidental. All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written permission of the copyright holder.

  CHAPTER ONE

  I thought it was strange that Eden had given me a note. It was the morning after Valinox snuck his invisible self and another invisible sorcerer on his back—a sorcerer I’d never even seen before—into my room. There they waited for me to be alone so they could murder me. They would’ve succeeded had Aliana not sensed their presence and Hadley not disrupted all mana with a curse. I killed the sorcerer Valinox brought, and Valinox jumped through my large window to flee. I spent the night in Michael’s room afterward.

  Eden had been waiting outside my room for me to return from my morning bath. That’s when she handed me the slip of paper and walked away without offering a single word of explanation.

  The note read, “After breakfast, I want you to enter my room and take my Induct stone of dteria away from me. No matter what I say, you must leave my room with it in your possession. Bring it to Barrett. He knows what to do.”

  “What’s that?” Michael asked as he read over my shoulder. I hadn’t heard him coming up behind me. “Did I see Eden give that to you?”

  “Yes, but she didn’t explain anything about it.” Seeing as how Eden hadn’t mentioned keeping this between us, I let Michael read it.

  “What’s an Induct stone?” he asked.

  “I have no idea.”

  “Maybe something Valinox gave her.”

  A silence passed.

  “Do you trust her?” he asked.

  “I thought I did, but now I’m not so sure.”

  “She’s driving me mad, Jon,” Michael told me candidly.

  “How?” I had barely seen them speak to each other since we had returned to the castle from Koluk.

  “Because she looks better than ever, but…you know what she did.”

  “Oh.” I was a little disappointed. I thought he might’ve been disturbed about something I hadn’t heard about yet, something Eden did while in Valinox’s company.

  I figured I wasn’t the only one who was a little worried that she might turn against us again. She had fed sensitive information about us to Valinox and nearly killed Remi with a dagger to her neck.

  We had forgiven her for this, mostly because we had seen her attempt to kill Valinox later. Plus, she would’ve died from his retribution had I not healed her afterward. However, the dteria that now empowered her could also have corrupted her in ways we had yet to see.

  My stomach rumbled loudly enough to draw Michael’s eyes down to it. He laughed and put up his hands defensively. “I won’t keep you from your breakfast any longer, Jon Oklar.”

  “It’s fine,” I muttered as I started down the hall with Michael following. He always made me out to be some kind of food-crazed beast. Sure, I ate fast and sometimes audibly enjoyed my meals, but I was more of a slave to sorcery than to food.

  “For I am not brave enough to stand between Jon Oklar and his breakfast!” Michael announced. “In fact, I daresay no man is brave enough to come between Jon and his food. Like a bear out of hibernation, Jon Oklar trudges toward his certain meal—”

  “That’s enough,” I said.

  The board creaked underneath my foot.

  “The ground quivers beneath the massive weight of his thumping footfalls!” Michael went on.

  To my displeasure, my stomach grumbled again, even louder this time.

  “Beware!” Michael decreed. “There is a growl in his belly, and I daresay it is the very sound of a void that cannot be filled!”

  “I daresay you shut up,” I muttered.

  There was a chuckle from behind us. We stopped and looked back. Hadley was a few steps away, quiet as a mouse until now.

  I had thought Hadley was beautiful since she met me at Kataleya’s mansion, despite showing up with matted, unwashed hair and covered in dirty layers of clothing. Today, she looked even lovelier than usual. She wore a green tunic with a gray shirt underneath that covered her arms. A wide belt across her slender abdomen pulled together the loose fabric of her attire and accentuated her curves. She had a warm smile on her pouty lips, white teeth bright beneath dark eyes that always seemed to stir something in me.

  “Is this a morning routine?” she asked playfully.

  “Yes,” Michael answered. “Every morning, Jon threatens to tear down the very walls of this castle unless he’s had his breakfast. If only Valinox had put himself between Jon and his breakfast, the evil demigod probably wouldn’t be here today.”

  “How are you, Hadley?” I asked. “Feel free to ignore Michael, by the way.”

  She chuckled. “Good. You seem well, considering what happened last night.”

  I wasn’t really, though. I wouldn’t soon forget that I had almost died. I didn’t know what the sleeping arrangements would be from now on, but I didn’t want to sleep alone until we found some way of destroying the gem that had allowed Valinox to carry someone into the castle with both of them cloaked by invisibility.

  I looked forward to speaking to the king so I could hear his plan on the matter. But Michael was right, even if he tended to exaggerate things. More than anything, I was looking forward to breakfast. I would keep up my brave face for now. Besides, it was always better to be positive so long as I could be realistic.

  “Valinox almost lost his life, even if I did as well,” I said. “He might be more hesitant to come back now.”

  “How many more of those curse stones do you have?” Michael asked Hadley.

  “The curse is called mana break. There are four left. I have one, Eden has one, the king’s councilman has one, and Reuben has one. I think you should ask Reuben for his, Jon, because you are more of a target than he is.”

  There was still the question of whether I could activate the curse without assistance. It required a spell of ordia, a school of magic that did not come easily to me. I hadn’t gotten the chance to attempt to use the one Hadley had given me, which she had activated to save my life. Before that, Valinox had enclosed dteria all around me, preventing me from casting anything as he and his sorcerer tried to suffocate me.

  “I’ll ask him,” I said.

  The three of us headed down the hall and toward the stairs.

  “Jon, how would you feel about going to the forest with me today, if we’re allowed?” Hadley asked. “I need to search for more ingredients. We could use Aliana’s help as well to track down animals, unless Reuben can do it.”

  I wanted to go with Hadley no matter where she was headed, my feelings for her stronger every time I saw her. However, I didn’t have the luxury of time. As I thought of how to answer, Michael spoke up.

  “I’m not sure I would trust Reuben’s skill for a task like that. No one knows how much he’s really able to track.”

  “Then this might be a good chance for him to work on it,” Hadley said.

  I asked, “How important is it that you find these ingredients?”

  “I really can’t say. It depends on many things that are still unknown.” We headed down the stairs and out of the apartments. It was just a short walk to the great hall, where our meals were served in the dining area.

  “I’m not sure I can go into the forest today,” I said, knowing she was still waiting for an answer. “I need to train as much as possible.”

  “They say the forest is the best place to learn spells
,” she countered. “I figured you and the other sorcerers have trained there in the past and experienced this personally.”

  “We have,” I agreed, “but it doesn’t sound like I’ll have much time to train if I’m hunting with you and Reuben.”

  “Oh, you won’t need to stay with us. I only want you to be close enough in case…of danger.”

  I tried to think of what she was referring to specifically and soon realized there were many sources of danger to worry about. Valinox wasn’t the only one after us. So were an entire army of sorcerers. They were just starting north now, no longer impeded by a snowstorm made by Failina—the demigod of erto. But there could be others who were already here. The king of Rohaer had sent several groups earlier that we had encountered and, not so easily, disposed of. There might be more stalking us.

  Then there were the dangers of the forest itself. The creatures there were aggressive and deadly. I could’ve lost my life to one of them, a cantar, when it had attacked me, Aliana, and Eden soon after I had learned my first spell.

  “I’d be happy to go if I’m able to train while there,” I answered Hadley.

  “Oh good. Now we just have to convince the king. Would you like to speak to him on my behalf? He seems to favor you.”

  “I’ll see if I can arrange a meeting after breakfast, but first I’ll have to visit Eden in her room.”

  “If Jon’s not going to be hunting with you,” Michael interjected, “you’ll definitely want Aliana over Reuben. He’s not any good with a bow like she is.”

  “Hadley can shoot just fine,” I said, then shared a quick look with her.

  “How do you know…? Oh, the battle,” Michael realized. “I saw that fire mage’s corpse with an arrow in it and wondered who shot her. That was you?” he asked Hadley.

  “Well, she was going to cast at—”

  “Hold on,” Michael interrupted. He stopped and turned around. We had entered the great hall but were still a room away from the dining quarters. He had a serious look as he faced Hadley. I thought for a moment that he might tell a joke, but his tone soon made it clear that this was not a joking matter.

  “You shouldn’t provide an excuse for killing that sorcerer. You know what Rohaer wants. Their army isn’t going to stop murdering until there’s too few of us to stand against them, and then there will be no one to stop them from wreaking havoc on all of Lycast. If there’s one less of them, then all the better. I’ve heard how Jon talks about killing them with reluctance and guilt, and I hear it from you now as well. It’s not just a necessary evil. It’s glory and honor. It’s something to be proud of. You shot that fire mage dead, and you probably saved many people from burning to death.”

  She gave a nod. “You’re right.”

  “Jon?” Michael waited for me to agree.

  I was still hesitant, however.

  “Valinox carried someone into your room and tried to suffocate you so you couldn’t scream for help,” Michael argued. “And you’re a damn healer, Jon. They must know how many lives you could save, not just of those who fight, but of everyone in Dorrinthal. And they still want you dead. It’s time to let go of your hesitance, don’t you think?”

  “I don’t have hesitance. I just can’t be enthusiastic about something that bothers me. It’s like asking you to be enthusiastic about the cold.”

  “I would be if warmth was trying to kill me!” he said with a bit of a laugh.

  It prompted me to chuckle as well. “I know you have a good point, so I’ll try.”

  “Jon,” spoke a familiar voice behind me. “Can I have a quick word?”

  I turned to see the princess standing in the entrance room of the great hall. There were a couple of guards behind her, as there always were these days.

  “Sure,” I said as Hadley and Michael left us.

  Callie Lennox had turned fifteen recently. Her birthday reminded me that I had one coming up soon as well. I would be nineteen. I would think this age difference between us would mean something to her father, the king, but I was starting to get the idea that he might one day compel me to marry his daughter. I didn’t know why else he would give me an emerald bracelet and tell me to gift it to her on her birthday, claiming it was from me.

  Kataleya had warned me this might be the case. She had told me I should make a decision between Callie and Hadley before I hurt someone. Somehow, Kataleya knew my feelings for Hadley without me sharing them with anyone. It might’ve had something to do with how difficult it was to keep my feelings out of my expressions, or perhaps it had more to do with the fact that Hadley was just that beautiful.

  “We’ll just be a moment,” Callie told her guards as she had me follow her out into the courtyard. From the tone of her voice, it sounded like something was wrong.

  We stopped near the well, out of earshot of the castle workers using the courtyard to go between buildings within the castle grounds.

  “I heard what happened last night,” Callie said with a touch to my arm. “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah, thanks to the other sorcerers. Did your father talk to you this morning?”

  “He did, but not about you.” She looked toward the keep. “I have to keep this brief. He mentioned Trevor Chespar to me in a way that makes me think he’s considering sending me off to marry this man I haven’t ever met.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He said, ‘What do you think about the Chespars, Callie, especially their firstborn, Trevor?’ ”

  “Oh.” That sounded pretty clear to me. I felt bad for Callie, seeing how worried she looked, but I was a little relieved. Kataleya had said that the king was most likely considering Trevor as a potential husband for his daughter. Kataleya’s family, the Yorns, have been working with the Chespars for a while now.

  I didn’t know exactly what it meant for noble families to be working together, but I was aware that these days they were training an army that was supposed to assist the king in this war. Kataleya expressed fears to me that her father might’ve been considering using these armed forces to lead a revolt against the king and take the crown for himself. He was murdered by his cousin before any of that could happen, but the noble family of the Chespars remained intact and was possibly even more of a threat to the crown now that Kataleya’s father was gone. Therefore, a marriage joining the king’s family to the Chespars could prevent a revolt.

  I, however, still had trouble believing the Chespars would revolt anytime soon. The odds of us beating Rohaer in this war were substantially unfavorable. If there was going to be a revolt, it would have to be after the dust settled from this war, otherwise the Chespars would be decimated by Rohaer.

  “My father told me earlier that I could marry whomever I wanted,” Callie continued. “I asked him if this was still the case. He said he would like me to choose someone beneficial to our family, and soon. He recommended considering Trevor Chespar.”

  “You might want to talk to Kataleya,” I suggested. “I don’t know Trevor, but she does.”

  She shook her head. “That’s not…no. What I wanted to ask was if my father mentioned anything about this to you. I know you two talk. I thought, perhaps, he might’ve suggested other options for marriage that he’s keeping from me.” She had a hinting tone.

  I didn’t have a way with words as so many of my friends did, notably Kataleya, Hadley, and even Michael. So I had absolutely no idea how to go about addressing this issue.

  The way her gaze always seemed intent on my eyes was no different now compared to when I usually spoke with her. She was not a shy girl but confident and outspoken.

  Callie’s father had talked to me about Trevor, and so had Kataleya. But wasn’t Callie asking if I might be a candidate for marriage?

  “I don’t think I can help you. He didn’t mention anything to me about you or marriage,” I was glad to tell her truthfully.

  She studied me for a moment, possibly determining my honesty. Then she seemed disappointed as she looked down for a breath.

&
nbsp; “I don’t want to marry Trevor.” Her head popped up again as she showed me a frown.

  I understood that notion very well, as I would hate to be forced into a marriage also. I wondered if she could read this from the look I gave her.

  “I’m sorry I can’t do more to help,” I said.

  She seemed to notice something behind me and quickly told me, “Maybe you can, if you suggest someone more suited for me.”

  “Callie,” the king intoned as I heard him walking up. “I’d like to speak to Jon.”

  “Yes, Father. I will be in the dining hall with Mother.” She shot me a pointed look before scurrying off, as if reminding me to heed her words. I wasn’t prepared to help her with this issue, though, and I imagined I wouldn’t be any time in the near future.

  The king was quite tall, standing about an inch above me. There was concern in his eyes as he spoke. “I was awakened with the news of what happened last night. However, I didn’t come to see you right away because I knew you would be safe sleeping in Michael’s room and we could speak in the morning. I hope you understand.”

  “I do, sire.”

  “Destroying the gem that allows Valinox to remain invisible is our highest priority right now. I want you to know that. Your safety is just as important to me as my family’s. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

  Again, I found myself wondering if there was more to his words. “I appreciate that. What’s the plan, sire?”

  He gave a sigh. “I need to speak with Souriff again. There’s little we can do without her help, but she has refused to take a callring with her because she thinks it brings her shame to be called upon by mortals, so I must wait until she visits. In the meantime, you and Eden are Valinox’s most bothersome targets. Neither of you should ever be alone. You should always have enough help around to face Valinox and another invisible sorcerer if he returns with one. Do you believe that you and Michael could manage this at night, or shall I have a guard sleeping in the same room as the two of you?”

  “We should be fine so long as Aliana is close enough to sense Valinox and his sorcerer once their cloaking spell comes to an end.”