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

desk and sat facing him, a concerned look on his face. “Hang on a little longer, Charlie. The poor guy has been uncomfortable for a while now. He hadn’t slept much until recently, the pain too much.”

“Aliana will be okay during this time?” I asked him.

“Charlie has it worse. He was cut first.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I hadn’t met a single member of the Thieves’ Guild, and I already despised every one of them. By the time I finished healing Aliana, lunch was called.

I hadn’t seen Hadley for a while now. I hoped she was all right.

I had received a number of hardy and well-appreciated meals from the people I’d visited during my trip around Lycast, but no kitchens were equipped like the king’s. I was eager to get to Koluk and help Leon and the others, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy this meal.

There were only five of us. Usually the boys and girls did not sit together, but Kataleya and Aliana sat across from me, Charlie, and Reuben. I grew more concerned about Hadley as the meal went on, but I trusted the king wouldn’t have put her in the dungeons without at least speaking to me first. I hoped he’d come to the same conclusion as I had, that the help of a witch would go a long way when dealing with these thieves.

“They haven’t been eradicated yet because they’ve been in hiding,” Reuben was telling me as we ate. “Most of the time we’ve been in Koluk, we’ve been investigating who they are and what they are doing.”

“When we’re not running into traps,” Aliana added.

I still hadn’t told anyone about the attack on the road. I had been too busy healing to figure out how much to divulge about my bout with Eden. The king would find out from Hadley, but I didn’t believe even Hadley had noticed Eden’s reluctance to kill me.

“They clearly want us to leave,” Reuben explained. “They’ve made it clear through warnings, but they can’t keep hiding for long. We captured a few of them who are now in the dungeons. They will talk. The rest of them know this. They will soon be the ones leaving, and by choice if they’re smart.”

Aliana had a disapproving look.

“You don’t agree?” I asked.

Reuben scoffed. “The ranger is always bitter. She’s a pessimist, Jon. I think she always has been.”

“I’m just realistic,” Aliana retorted. “How many times have you been wrong about the thieves, Reuben? No, how many times have you been right?”

“We have them where we want them now,” he said, clearly avoiding her question. “The king’s scouts are already watching for signs of movement, in case the thieves leave and try to take advantage of another town.” Reuben turned his attention back to me. “His majesty is not too worried about one or two of them leaving and going elsewhere. None seem to have much capability with sorcery, if any at all. They cannot face us. It’s just a matter of time before they give up.”

“They have held back,” Aliana argued. “They have chosen not to kill any of us when they could’ve. None of their traps were lethal.”

“Do you know how difficult it is to make a lethal trap?” Reuben countered. “They’ve done everything they can.”

“You haven’t felt what I have,” Aliana insisted with a loud voice. “They’ve been around us many times, a whole lot of them, and they don’t attack. They just want to scare us into leaving.”

“I have felt them, too! You know I’m working on the same skill.”

“Then why have you never spoken up about sensing someone?”

“Because you always do first!”

“I don’t believe you can track.”

“You—you don’t believe me?” he asked incredulously. “How dare you call me a liar! Would you like to test me, then?”

“Yes, actually, I would!”

I looked at Kataleya. Usually she was the one who could fix a situation like this, but she just stared down at her plate with a sad look.

Charlie seemed frightened, meanwhile. “Please don’t fight,” he muttered, but it didn’t do much to pacify the mean looks Aliana and Reuben were giving each other.

“The witch and I were attacked on the road,” I blurted.

“You were?” Kataleya asked, looking up from her plate with a concerned expression.

“By Valinox and Eden.”

“What?” Reuben jolted up from his spot on the bench. “How close to the castle?”

“They are long gone, Reuben,” I told him, then gestured for him to sit back down. “Valinox took off with her. It was after he broke a few bones of mine and Eden impaled me with a couple daggers.”

“Why didn’t he stay and kill you?” Charlie asked bluntly. But I just smiled at him.

“Well, because Hadley had taken a bite out of his neck, for one.”

“Hadley the witch?” he asked.

“Yes. And secondly, he just about broke her in half when he threw her off him. He must’ve used too much strength, because we heard a roar from the forest. It scared Valinox off even though it was nowhere near us.”

“I heard that, too,” Kataleya said.

“So did I,” Reuben agreed. “But I had no idea what it was.”

“Valinox seemed to think it was Gourfist,” I said. “So I’m inclined to think so as well.”

“Does that mean he’s awake?” Charlie asked fearfully.

“Hadley says he probably just woke up for a moment. She seems to know more about him.”

I caught a number of strange looks from my peers.

“What?” I asked.

“Did the two of you do something together on the way here?” Aliana asked.

“What?” I blurted.

“I just thought, from the way you speak about her,” Aliana added.

“He was like that even after just meeting her,” Kataleya told Aliana. “He had some sort of dream where he spoke with her, and now he trusts her.” Her tone made it clear how little she thought of me in that moment.

“Kat, she fought against Valinox when I was attacked,” I explained as calmly as I could. “What is there not to trust? I’m sure she’s explaining the same thing to the king right now, and soon