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

but it was one man at her side who was most noticeable. Eden wasn’t sure she had seen someone so handsome before, but there was something unnatural about him that took away any inkling of an attraction. It was like looking at a sculpture, all of his features and muscles so defined it was as if an artist had made him.

The statuesque man made a wall of ice in front of Nijja that blocked the wind from disrupting the many extravagances of her wardrobe.

Nijja had the youthful face of a young woman filled with confidence. Woven into her dark green hair was a leaf crown that sprouted up from behind her head, almost like the antlers of an animal. Her expression was of displeasure, with emerald green eyes and apple red lips. She showed off her figure with a plunging neckline. The leaves and flowers of her crown ran down her hair and shoulders, bonding with the fabric of her blouse and supporting her large bosom. She held a staff that looked to be made of some sort of hardened grass braided together, an intricate design of antlers at the top, akin to her crown. There was an opening at the base of the top, where a glowing gem was fused inside the staff.

Lij set Eden down on her feet. Nijja stepped toward her.

She didn’t speak, just scowled at Eden from very close. It made Eden extraordinarily uncomfortable. The demigod of ordia moved her head around Eden’s face as if sensing for something.

“You stink of dteria,” she uttered in a young voice.

“She says Valinox put her up to everything,” Lij said, then held up the Induct stone of dteria. “She had this on her.”

Nijja took it out of Lij’s hands, made a sour face, then tensed her muscles. It disintegrated into dust.

Whoa. Eden wondered what had happened to it. Ingredients of enchantments and curses disintegrated the same way, but Eden was told they became energy that passed into this land, Fyrren. But Nijja was already here, and she had disintegrated something that didn’t seem to be used as an ingredient of any kind. So where had it gone?

Eden found out soon after when Nijja aimed her hand at Eden and a great sickness came over her that crumpled her to the ground.

“So you are one of Valinox’s toys?” Nijja accused as she stood over Eden.

She could answer the demigod…but she would also probably retch on Nijja’s bare feet soon after she opened her mouth.

“There’s something possibly urgent,” Lij said.

“What?”

“Valinox has taken control of dteria in the last century. This one says he has become very powerful. He might be on his way here now.”

Nijja grabbed Eden by her arm and pulled her up with inhuman strength. “Is this true?”

Eden nodded. “He made me open the portal,” she said, suddenly feeling better. Nijja must’ve made the curse short-lived. “But I don’t know why,” Eden continued. “I’m guessing he wanted me dead, either by Gourfist or by the creatures here in Fyrren after I had to escape Gourfist by running into the portal.”

“Why did you open the portal at all?” Nijja asked in an accusatory fashion.

“He would’ve had me killed if I hadn’t. He has had many others killed for much less. Do you know of the war, goddess?”

Nijja pushed Eden away. “Tie her,” she demanded.

The muscular fae with the sculpted face grabbed her and started running a rope around her body.

Nijja opened her palm, and another man put a dagger into her grasp. She held it against the underside of Eden’s chin.

“You will agree to inform me of anything that might put me in danger.”

“I agree,” Eden said as the demigod twisted the knife.

She didn’t think a harbinger like Barrett could force someone into a magical contract under duress. Neither did she believe that a harbinger could force someone to tell the truth, no matter what oath they took. But she had a feeling that the demigod who’d created these rules might know just how to bend them.

Nijja swiped her finger out from under Eden’s chin, showing a drop of blood. She dropped the knife on the ground—a different man rushed to grab it—then twinkled her fingers. Eden felt powerful ordia through the air as her blood disappeared.

She didn’t feel much different, though. She had already been inclined to tell the truth. These people obviously thought of Valinox as their enemy, but they seemed to be looking at Eden in the same way. She wouldn’t find safety here.

“It’s too late for more questions,” Nijja said as she turned away from Eden. “He’s here.”

The dozens of male fae—why were they all men?—formed a shield of their bodies in front of Nijja. Curved swords seemed to be their weapon of choice.

Valinox landed before them. Nijja stepped out from her protectors.

“What are you doing here, brother?” she asked.

Valinox looked around cautiously. At first Eden thought he was checking for signs of a trap, but that didn’t seem to be the case. It appeared more like he was looking for something specific. His senses seemed to pick up on something as he honed in on Nijja. The fae held up their weapons at his approach.

“Where is it, sister? I know you’ve made one.”

“You’re in my realm. You will answer my questions.”

He formed a smile that frightened Eden. It was the kind of sly grin that a boy might wear when he realized he was finally without supervision.

“Gourfist has no way of entering Fyrren,” he said. “You might’ve lived here without needing to hide from him for all these years, but Gourfist is the only thing that could save you from me now.”

“I don’t care how powerful you think you’ve become. I will have all my fae here soon if you have come to fight.” She lifted her hand. She seemed to be holding something, but there was nothing in sight.

As she started to speak to what Eden assumed to be an invisible gem, Valinox smacked it away with dteria. It suddenly appeared as it flew