The Path of Giants by B.T. Narro (year 7 reading list .TXT) 📗

had to be able to stand against Frederick’s army. We just had to. And I wholeheartedly believed we could.

“I wanted to answer you,” she said as I was about to lie down. “I just needed time to figure out the words.” She had a hard look in her eyes now. “No, I don’t think he can be stopped, but I am willing to die in order to see if I could be wrong. It’s the reason I came to the capital. I figured when times were dire, I could make myself known to your king and he would have no option but to allow my help. I figured…no, I am lying to myself. I was too afraid to speak to Nykal earlier, and I probably would’ve been too afraid even when I was most needed. I’m not a brave person, Jon. Even now, I don’t imagine letting myself face any danger.”

“So you’re not prepared to die for this cause?”

“It was wishful thinking. The only time I would accept death would be if it was to prevent my being captured.” She had a terrified look on her face. “Can you promise me something, Jon? No matter what, don’t let Rohaer take me alive. Even if it means you have to kill me yourself, you will do it before allowing me to be captured. I know it’s a lot to ask from someone I just met.”

“I understand. I will do that for you.”

Her eyebrows lifted in obvious shock. “You will?”

“I was there with you, Hadley. I felt everything you went through. I would also rather die than live through that many more times, as I’m sure he would make you do if you are captured.”

She put her hand on my arm. “Thank you.”

“Of course.”

“Can I ask you one more thing?” Hadley said.

“I won’t speak of it to anyone.”

She nodded. “Thank you, again.”

I nodded back.

We lay back down.

I tried to go back to sleep, but every time I shut my eyes, I felt like I was sinking back into the nightmare, stuck in Frederick’s chambers in Rohaer.

I was glad when Hadley said something else. “You don’t seem very afraid of fighting.”

I had a few breaths as I thought about it. “I don’t fear death much anymore. The thought just makes me sad. What I do fear is what would happen after, to all the good people who would have no hope against dteria.”

The only sound for some time was the fire crackling.

“I’m very glad I met you, Jon,” she said in a raspy voice as if she was falling asleep.

The comment pulled up the corners of my mouth. Soon I found myself closing my eyes and thinking more happy thoughts. Tomorrow, we would arrive at the castle. I looked forward to showing Hadley what her new life could be like after we, hopefully, met everyone there.

But then I frowned again as I remembered how rude and difficult she had been regarding Kataleya’s recently deceased father. I was just about certain there would be other problems caused by bringing a witch into the castle, but I was even more certain that I had made the right choice. As of now, none of us hated the king of Rohaer as much as Hadley did. None of us wanted him dead as much as she did.

She might not be brave right now, but that hatred would go a long way to making her so. I knew this because the same thing had happened to me toward the dark mages.

CHAPTER TWELVE

In the morning, I rode beside Hadley, eager to arrive. We were just a couple of hours away now. I felt closer to Hadley after seeing what she had been through. I wanted to trust her and keep her safe, but I felt like this feeling was coming from my mana playing tricks with my heart. I had to remind myself that I didn’t know her as well as I did the sorcerers I had trained with for a long while now.

Suddenly, something struck me in the back of my left shoulder hard enough to take me off my mount and rip a scream from my throat.

I tried to get my hands out to help me land, but the sharp pain in my shoulder made it difficult to move my left arm. I fell awkwardly, possibly breaking my right wrist as I screamed again.

“Jon!” shouted Hadley.

I was quick to my feet, aggression removing all pain as I looked behind me. Valinox was coming toward me, and he had a new partner this time. It was she who must’ve struck me in the back of my left shoulder with what I could now feel was a dagger still stuck in me.

She wasn’t advancing toward me like Valinox, staying behind him. I wanted to yell and swear at my betrayer, but her worried—maybe even apologetic—expression confounded me and sapped my anger.

Hadley came up behind me and pulled the dagger out of my shoulder. “Heal yourself,” she said as she stood in front of me, looking so small in my eyes as she held the dagger ready.

Valinox brushed his hand aside, and Hadley went flying off with a startled shout.

I finished healing my shoulder first to stop the bleeding. I was starting on my broken right wrist when Valinox picked me up with a thick cord of dteria around my waist.

“Again, Eden!” he snarled with a look at her over his shoulder. “And don’t miss this time!”

She slowly took out another dagger from the holster around her belt and lifted up her other hand. It floated in the air before her.

She held still for just a single moment, hesitating, but then she started sprinting toward me. She motioned like she was going to throw something. The dagger shot at me as she finished the motion.

It was too fast for me to keep my eye on. I could only hope to protect my face, throat, and heart with a thick shield of dvinia, but the dagger missed my more