The Path of Giants Page 9

  I stayed behind for just a moment as the older men went out to the garden, coming up on Kataleya as she helped the servants clear the table.

  “Hey,” she said. “You don’t have to smoke with them.”

  “I want to be there,” I told her quietly. “I don’t trust Endell. I think he’s planning something. I want you to be nearby and ready in case something happens.”

  “You are too suspicious,” she said with a light smile. “But I will be nearby if it will make you feel better.”

  “It would.”

  I joined the two of them in the garden. The night was cold and dark, with no moon in sight, but there was enough light coming from the windows of the house for us to see well enough. I thought about asking Endell if I could search him for weapons. No one had yet. Yes, I should.

  Whitley wasn’t going to like it.

  I steeled my nerves and approached Endell. “Do you mind if I search you for weapons?”

  “My my, what a suspicious young man you are.”

  “Jon, you not only insult Endell but me as well,” Whitley scolded. “If anyone is to search my cousin it would be upon my orders.”

  “It’s fine,” Endell said as he lifted his arms from his sides. “He clearly just wants to keep you safe, my lord. You shouldn’t be so hard on him for that. I give you permission. Go ahead.”

  I was a little surprised, but I patted him down to search for any hidden holsters that might be containing a dagger.

  There was nothing. While I searched him, however, I casted the ordia spell Identify to see if he might have anything enchanted on him. For example, one of the rings on his fingers might’ve been a callring that he could use to signal someone.

  But he had nothing on him that was enchanted.

  “My apologies,” I said.

  There were no chairs in the garden. We stood in a close circle as Endell prepared the pipe. When he was done, he asked Whitley, “Would you like me to go first because you still don’t trust me?”

  “Nonsense.” Whitley put his hand on his cousin’s shoulder. “I know how difficult it’s been for you to come all this way and apologize. I trust you now.”

  Endell smiled. “I look forward to us finally working together.” He handed Whitley the pipe, then lit a match.

  I looked around for any signs of an ambush. I even looked toward the sky. Valinox could practically fly. Nothing could stop him from coming down here to ambush us.

  Soon Whitley was taking a few puffs, then handing the pipe off to Endell, who took a few himself. Eventually, Endell handed it to me.

  I put up my hand. “I shouldn’t.”

  Whitley appeared offended. “Why did you come out here if you are not going to accept the pipe?”

  “I’m wondering the same thing,” Endell said.

  “It’s just that I’ve never smoked before. I’m not sure I want to.”

  Whitley and Endell had a mocking look as they glanced at each other. “He’s probably never been offered a pipe before,” Whitley said. “He is just a common boy with a gift of sorcery.”

  It was true, I hadn’t. There was nothing that grew in Bhode that could be smoked that I knew of, so sharing a pipe was not a common occurrence. Still, it hurt to hear Whitley speak of me this way, like I’d be nothing if I hadn’t lucked into a gift of sorcery. I figured that I had done more for this kingdom than Trevor had, and it would continue that way as the war raged on. But no matter what I did, I would never be good enough for Whitley or his family.

  Kataleya was right to turn me down early. I couldn’t imagine coming here and listening to Whitley speak about me like this while I was in love with her. It would devastate me.

  Endell offered the pipe again. “You will enjoy it. Don’t insult us by not accepting it.”

  I took the pipe and decided to give it a go.

  I started coughing the moment the smoke entered my lungs. The two of them laughed as Endell took the pipe back.

  They passed it around to each other and eventually to me again. The second time, I inhaled smoother, though I still coughed a little. My lungs burned. I didn’t see the enjoyment.

  Then I started to feel a little giggly. Time seemed to slow down. I was extremely aware that I was moving my head from side to side. It felt like it took an eternity to survey our surroundings and make sure no one was coming.

  “I think this one’s already feeling it,” Endell said with a thumb in my direction.

  Whitley laughed, then he wheezed and coughed.

  I chuckled, though I didn’t find anything funny. I was even more worried than before. I didn’t know the smoke would affect me this much. Was that Endell’s purpose? It didn’t look as if he had been altered as much is Whitley and I had. He was probably much more used to it.

  Wait. I didn’t catch what Whitley had said, but Endell was doubled over laughing.

  I felt my shoulders drooping and a permanent smile twisting my lips. I wasn’t sure I had relaxed one time since my father had died. Perhaps it was time I did.

  No, be on guard. Watch for signs of a trap.

  I didn’t know how much time had passed, but Endell seemed to be in the middle of a story. I had missed the beginning.

  “He was so cheap, I swear I’ve heard him complain about his neighbors using the light from his candles.”

  Whitley was laughing quite hard, waving his hand as if to stop Endell because he couldn’t breathe. “I’ve heard that, too,” he wheezed out.

  “Who?” I asked with a chuckle.

  “Our grandfather,” Whitley answered. “I heard that he pretended to be dead for a day, because—” He couldn’t continue, his own laughter interrupting him. Endell joined in.

  “Oh I heard that!” Endell said. “He thought his servants would be so distraught that they wouldn’t eat, and he could save money on paying them.”

  Now Whitley was laughing so hard that he couldn’t speak at all.

  “The man faked his own death for a day just so he could get away with one day of not paying for food, but—” Endell had to stop to laugh. “But his servants celebrated the news of his death by raiding his pantry!”

  “Ahh ha ha ha!” Whitley was screaming with laughter.

  I looked behind me to see Kataleya watching from one of the windows, a smile on her face. I reminded myself to be on guard.

  How many times had I reminded myself already? Hundreds? How long had I been out here?

  After their laughter started to die down, Endell gave a sigh, then said, “He could be quite the dolt sometimes.”

  Whitley was barely chuckling now, but soon even that stopped. It was quiet for a few breaths.

  Endell was still smiling when he said, “Can you believe he gave Livea to your father and left my mother with nothing?”

  Whitley completely lost his grin.

  “What?” Endell asked.

  “You haven’t changed after all!” Whitley accused.

  “What are you talking about? I thought we might finally be able to speak about this. You never let me.”

  “Because there’s nothing to speak about. We always argue. Is that what you want?”

  “Just a discussion. I want you to tell me you think it’s fair.”

  Whitley shook his head. “I’m disappointed. I’ll give you one more chance to drop it.”

  “I will once you admit it. More should’ve been given to my mother.”

  “Come on, Jon. He can smoke on his own.”

  Endell grabbed Whitley’s arm aggressively. “Hold on, Whitley.”

  Alarm bells went off in my mind at Endell’s sudden change in demeanor. “Get inside now!” I yelled as I tackled Endell.

  “Jon, you stupid—” Whitley paused.

  As I pinned Endell to the ground, I looked over my shoulder at Whitley. “Get inside!” I repeated, but Whitley was staring at the sky.

  “What the hell?” he muttered.

  “Go! Get help!” I told Whitley as I pushed up off Endell, for I knew what was coming.

>   I felt him join us in the garden—Valinox. He landed somewhere behind me.

  I steeled my mana and tensed my muscles, knowing just what was about to happen.

  It did nothing to help as dteria enclosed me and hoisted me up off the ground. I struggled for just a moment before I realized there was no way out of this physically. All I’d managed to do was turn around in the air to face him.

  Valinox showed no emotion, just a bit of strain as he lifted his hand up, hoisting me higher. Although he looked like a man, with his inconspicuous brown hair of medium length and few discernible features to his face, it was his eyes that showed he was a demigod. It wasn’t so much their color. He had the same brown irises I had seen in the eyes of many men. It was the message they conveyed. I had never seen confidence in this much abundance. It was almost sickening to be a target of this confidence, as if me and everyone else in the world were just pieces in some game, and he was the one who made up the rules.

  I checked on Whitley with a stiff turn of my head against the dteria muffling my mouth. He was rising into the air beside me, as Valinox lifted his other hand up.

  Endell got up from the ground with a mean look on his face. “I guess it’s no surprise that a demigod has perfect timing,” he commented to Valinox as he walked over to him.

  “Hurry up. My dagger’s on the other side.”

  Endell went around the demigod and pulled the dagger out of the small sheath on Valinox’s belt. I tried to blow Endell back with Expel. It would buy us time. Valinox couldn’t hold the two of us up indefinitely, and I was sure Kataleya would bring help soon. But I couldn’t seem to cast anything with dteria completely enclosing my hands as they were pinned to my sides.

  The damn smoke. I should’ve known better. I had practiced this.

  I found the familiar four notes of dvinia again and focused my foggy mind on casting out of the one part of my body that wasn’t blocked by dteria, my forehead just above my eyes.

  My mana came together and shot out at Endell. It knocked him off his feet and onto his back as he had been one step away from stabbing Whitley.

  He picked himself up as he complained to Valinox, “You said he wouldn’t be able to cast.”

  “I didn’t think he would do it from his head. Hurry up! They are coming. The healer first, like I told you.”

  Endell made a wide arc around me. I panicked as I figured he was coming up behind me. I tried to free myself physically by squirming again, but there was no way out. I wildly casted Expel from the back of my head, hoping to strike him. I neither heard nor felt anything.

  I wasn’t sure if there was time, but I casted a different spell now. It was a spell I hadn’t practiced in a while, but I felt the three octaves of G come together smoothly. The mana came out from my head and grabbed the dteria around me. There was so much of it that I couldn’t get my mana around all of it. I did the best I could, my spell latching on to Valinox’s. Then I pulled away from myself with all my strength.

  Valinox, already strained from holding the two of us up, collapsed to one knee. I fell, finally free.

  I turned, expecting to find Endell coming up on me with the dagger, but he had chosen another target. He was driving the knife in Whitley’s back as Kataleya’s father screamed in agony. They both fell, Endell on top of Whitley.

  I was almost there as Endell was about to drive the dagger into Whitley’s upturned chest. I prepared my spell, but I was struck with something fierce just before I could get it out. I rolled backward too fast to keep track of where I was going, realizing after the fact that Valinox had hit me with dteria.

  Kataleya ran past me as I started to get up, but Valinox tossed her back as he had done to me. Whitley had a couple holes in his chest, and no doubt his back as well, blood oozing out, as Endell got off him and trudged toward me.

  “Hold the healer,” he called over his shoulder, blood smeared across his face.

  Valinox raised his arm and lifted me from the ground, but I was ready this time. I had my hand outstretched toward Endell as the dteria slipped off my arm and locked around my waist. My hand was still free.

  I lifted Endell and held him suspended in the air. I was past the point of mercy. I just needed a moment to prepare.

  Then I flung him as high as I could.

  I knew Valinox could not do the same to me. He could not cast with intentions of killing. He feared exercising that kind of power would attract Gourfist, who was asleep in the center of Curdith Forest. He also feared that his father, Basael, the one true god—according to legend—would descend upon Valinox with wrath.

  Valinox didn’t take his enraged eyes off me, not until Endell started to come down with a scream. Valinox finally let me go to catch Endell with dteria.

  “Jon, my father!” Kataleya yelled.

  “Hold them off,” I said with great fear, not sure Kataleya was up to the task. But there wasn’t much time. Her father was bleeding out.

  I slid across the grass on my knees, bumping Whitley, who had fallen unconscious. I put my hands over his wounds and started to heal. I could hear the footsteps of many more coming to help, but I couldn’t look up.

  The spell drained me. He had three knife wounds in his chest, and I didn’t know how many in his back.

  “It’s too late. Get me out of here,” I heard Endell telling Valinox.

  “Not until you kill the healer, but kill the girl first.”

  I heard a muffled scream from Kataleya. I stopped healing and turned toward her.

  Endell was jumping at her as Valinox had her suspended in the air. He took her to the ground and slammed the dagger into the center of her chest.

  “No!” I yelled, forgetting my task with Whitley. I charged Endell and blasted him off Kataleya with dvinia as he ripped the dagger out and was about to stab her again. I was picked up off the ground nearly at the same time, Valinox enclosing me with dteria once again. But a large group of armed men were charging the demigod.

  “We need to go now!” Endell yelled from the ground.

  “You idiot. I told you to kill the healer before you got your revenge!” Valinox tossed Endell into the air, then took off right after him.

  I didn’t bother watching them go, falling over Kataleya as she gasped with her hand over her bloodied chest, the fear of death in her eyes.

  “It’s not too late,” I told her.

  She seemed like she was trying to speak, but nothing was coming out.

  I ignored her, putting my hands over the top of her chest and healing quickly.

  Endell’s dagger had done considerable damage to her heart. There was a lot of repairing to do. I had her life in my hands and wouldn’t let go, no matter the toll it extracted on me.

  It took about ten long seconds to heal her to the point where her own heart could sustain her again. I tried to get up to get to her father, but I fell from the exhaustion.

  Kataleya was weeping as she pulled me up and practically dragged me to her father. I collapsed beside him. I just didn’t have it in me to heal him, and passing out would mean the end of his life, if it wasn’t already over.

  He was lying, limp, in a puddle of his own blood. There was too much of it for the grass to soak up.

  I tried to close his wounds as I had before, but there was no spark of life left for my mana to use. There was nothing to heal.

  “Like I told you with Remi,” I spoke between heavy breaths.

  Kataleya understood. She pushed on his chest.

  “God!”

  Blood splattered out of his wounds when she pushed. She fell back, the horror of it sapping the last of her strength.

  It was too late for Whitley, and she knew it as she stared at him, stunned.

  I put my hand on her back and finished repairing the last of her chest wound. I wasn’t sure she even noticed.

  Soon I finished, and it was quiet as the two of us and a couple armed guards stared at Whitley’s body.

  Kataleya suddenly pounded on my arm. “You should’ve healed hi
m before you came to me!”

  “You would’ve died!”

  I wasn’t sure she heard me because she wouldn’t let up. I let her punch me. The pain I felt was more from the gesture of her anger, not the strength of her fists.

  A woman’s scream stopped Kataleya. We turned to see her mother running toward Whitley.

  Kataleya quickly intercepted her mother. “Don’t look,” she said. “It’s too late.”

  But Mora pushed past Kataleya and fell down in the blood of her husband.

  “No!” she yelled. She showed her teeth as she looked at me, rage in her eyes. “You could’ve healed him. You chose not to because he didn’t like you.”

  “Kataleya had been stabbed in her heart,” I answered somewhat quietly, still too shocked to feel anything.

  “You’re a liar. I saw you run away from him without doing anything!”

  “I did all that I could before I saw your daughter get stabbed in her heart!”

  All the guards were standing over Whitley, looking unsure what to do. I glanced at Kataleya, hoping she would speak up for me.

  “You should’ve healed him just a little bit, Jon,” she told me coldly. “I bet my mother’s right. You chose to let him die.”

  I didn’t need to sit here and take their abuse. I was the one who had warned them about Endell. If it wasn’t for me, Kataleya would’ve been killed as well.

  “To hell with you both!” I yelled.

  I stormed back into the mansion. I stomped through several rooms, fuming with rage, until I found the servant Whitley had given the red diamond to.

  I grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt. “Where did you put my red diamond?”

  The man looked terrified as he shut his eyes and turned away.

  I shook him. “Tell me!”

  “In the master’s study, upstairs. In a drawer.”

  I let the servant go and stormed upstairs. The door to the study was locked, but it just took one strong kick to break through.

  I stomped over to his desk and started pulling out all the drawers until I found the diamond wrapped in a cloth. I picked it up, threw down the cloth, then marched to my room.

  I put the diamond on my bed as I started to pack my things. I didn’t care that it was night. I was getting out of here.