The Path of Giants by B.T. Narro (best novels to read .txt) 📕

have the hottest furnace in Lycast, but he’s in charge of the industrial complex in Koluk. There’s too much risk in bringing the Valaer steel to Koluk while the Thieves’ Guild is still active there. The plan is to have the blacksmith heat up the metal as hot as possible and then have Charlie attempt to melt it.”

“I see, but what about Valinox and Endell?”

“That’s mostly what I have been speaking to the king about. He believes Valinox has brought Endell to the group of Cason’s men who escaped with his coin. They are likely going to meet a small army from Rohaer in the forest, where it is difficult to find them. One of two likely scenarios will then happen. One, they will all go back to Rohaer together, Eden and Endell with them. Endell will probably lead the inevitable attack on Lycast later, because he knows how everything works here. The other possible scenario is that they will pass off the coin to a few trusted people, who will bring it to Rohaer to support the massive army the king there has gathered, while the rest of them come back and create chaos here in Lycast. This would be to weaken us.”

That seemed like the more likely scenario to me. Even with much of the king’s coin, Rohaer couldn’t support an idle army for long. A group that size had to keep moving, foraging and hunting on their way to us. But they couldn’t. It was Souriff’s sister, Failina – the goddess of erto—who maintained a heavy snowstorm that blocked the path between Rohaer and Lycast. They could pass through the forest, but travel would be difficult without roads. It seemed unlikely they would make it with everyone still healthy and ready to fight.

I wondered if Eden and Endell had known each other before this, if they knew this was the plan all along. Valinox was powerful, but he didn’t seem to be the kind of complex plotter that this kind of plan required. His plans were simpler, like when he got into the castle grounds and got out with the king’s treasure, but left Cason behind. Or when he gave Eden a callring to use when the castle was vulnerable, so Scarlett and others loyal to him could attempt to kill Grufaeragar and start a war with the krepps. That had failed as well.

Kataleya seemed tired and worried as her face held a tense expression. “Did anything happen with the witch after I left?”

“Not really.”

I knew I would have to tell her and the others about Eden’s attack, but I needed more time to figure out what I planned to say.

“Do you still trust her?” Kataleya asked.

“I do.”

“What about all of her ingredients for curses?”

“I gave them back to her.”

Kataleya didn’t look too pleased as she kept her head forward, but she didn’t speak of it.

Soon we had made it out of the keep and up to the second floor of the apartments. A warm feeling entered my chest. I didn’t know when I would be sleeping in my room again, especially if I was to travel to Koluk tonight, but I did look forward to it.

We stopped in Reuben’s room first. He was lying on top of his bed covers, his ankle bandaged.

“Jon!” he said as he sat up excitedly. Then he winced as he put his hands over the bandage without touching. “Those bastard thieves. Can you heal me?”

“Sure, but what happened?” I made my way around his bed.

“A goddamn bear trap—argh!” He screamed as I started to heal. I didn’t need to take off the bandage. I could feel what kind of damage it had done.

“There you go,” I said when I was done, breathing hard as if I had just run up a few flights of stairs.

“Thank you!” He quickly took off the bandages. “I’ve been miserable for days.”

“How did you step in a bear trap?” I asked, trying to keep the judgment out of my tone.

“They have traps everywhere, Jon! We thought we finally found their den, so we broke in to surprise them. But they must’ve left clues to lead us there on purpose. It was dark and covered in bear traps. I’m sure someone else would’ve stepped in one if I hadn’t first.”

“There are two other injured,” Kataleya told me.

“Right!” Reuben said as he practically hopped out of bed. “Aliana and Charlie.”

We made our way into Charlie’s room nearby. He seemed to be asleep as he lay under his covers. As I got closer, however, I could see that he didn’t look well. There was a sheen of sweat on his forehead, and his face was a little puffy.

“Charlie?” I asked.

He murmured and turned his head, but his eyes didn’t open.

“They must’ve been cursed,” Reuben said.

“Aliana too?” I asked.

“Yeah, her too. There was a scuffle in the streets while we were trying to arrest someone for questioning. Charlie was cut as he tried to melt the man’s blade. Aliana was stabbed as well when she tried to help us wrestle him to the ground. We figured a witch must’ve come by and collected their blood from the street after we left.”

I took off Charlie’s sheets. There was an odor of death that spoiled the air. I put my hand over him to feel for a curse.

“It’s not a curse,” I said after a moment. “It feels more like a sickness.”

Reuben clicked his tongue. “Must’ve been poison then. It was on the man’s blade.”

I let out a heavy breath. “This is going to take a while. It’s everywhere.”

“I’m glad you came when you did.”

“Why didn’t someone come to get me sooner?” I asked before I began.

“They’re slowly improving,” Kataleya answered. “Even if they do smell a bit. I figured you would be here in the morning, anyway. I just arrived last night. Having someone fetch you wouldn’t have saved any time.”

“All right, I’m going to start now. I could use some water.”

“I’ll get some,” Kataleya said.

Reuben took the chair from Charlie’s