The Path of Giants

alone than I did now.
I awoke sometime later as I realized something with fear. Valinox had wanted me dead more than he did Kataleya’s father.
“The healer first.”
There had been malice in his eyes. He didn’t just want me dead so I couldn’t heal Whitley. He wanted me dead because I was a thorn in his side, because I had made things difficult for him and would continue to do so.
There was probably no one he wanted dead more than me.
I imagined Valinox had heard that I would be visiting Livea. He had most likely visited Endell, knowing he had a vengeance against his cousin. It was Valinox who’d devised this plan, I had to assume. It was he who had nothing to lose because he knew we wouldn’t be able to kill him before he escaped. If Endell failed and died, so what? Valinox had many more people at his disposal.
But then again, were any of them the kind of army commander that Endell was? Perhaps he wanted Endell alive after all. Perhaps he was taking him back to Rohaer right now.
No. They would come back for me. They were not done here.
I threw off the covers and faced myself in the mirror, but it was Valinox who I imagined in front of me.
“You’re not going to come for me again until there’s little risk, like you did today. For a demigod, you’re such a goddamn coward.”
But what could I do about that? Valinox could travel across the continent like a bird. I couldn’t catch a bird.
I sat on my bed, dejected.
What was stopping Valinox from bringing Endell upon me while I rode my horse back to the castle? I couldn’t beat Valinox and Endell without assistance. I could only hope Souriff would come to my rescue. She’d notified us that she had been following her brother, trying to put a stop to everything he hoped to accomplish. But where had she been tonight?
I shuddered to think that there was something more important than saving my life and Whitley’s, but I assumed that had to be the case.

CHAPTER EIGHT
I didn’t speak to Hadley in my dreams like I had before. I got up early, made sure I had everything packed, and was about to risk a lone trip to the castle when there was a knock at the door.
“Jon, I, um. Can we talk?” It was Kataleya.
“Come in,” I said bitterly.
Her eyes were red and puffy, her hair disheveled. But she was dressed for the day, with a tunic and a hood.
She closed the door after her and came a little closer. “I’ve been thinking about what happened. I can’t stop thinking about it,” she corrected herself. “I know you must’ve feared I would die, and that’s the only reason you didn’t heal my father more before you came to my aid. It wasn’t because you wanted him to die. You would never let him die on purpose.”
I nodded. “I saw Endell stab you in your heart.”
“I think I was in too much shock to realize it at the time, but now I understand you saved my life. I’m sorry for what both my mother and I said to you. We were angry and looking for someone to blame. I spoke to her, and we both want to apologize.”
“I appreciate you coming here and telling me that. I forgive you and your mother.”
“Thank you.” She opened her mouth as if to say something else but didn’t speak as she looked down.
“I understand what you’re feeling right now,” I said. “It’s normal to blame yourself and even your father. It’s normal to be angry. I went through the same thing. For a long time, I was angry with my father when I wasn’t furious at myself for not doing more.”
She nodded, her eyes glistening.
“Can I give you some advice about it?”
“Please,” she said.
“You’re going to forgive him and yourself eventually. It might be a few days, weeks, or even years, but it’s going to happen. This wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t his fault. It was because of Valinox and Endell that this happened. They are the ones to blame.”
“You’re right,” she said, but there was nothing in her tone that suggested she agreed.
“Right now, there’s no reason for you to make any big decisions. You can figure out how you feel later.” She was nodding as I continued. “I think you should come back to the castle with me. I know your father had a lot of business with the king. Someone needs to pick up the slack that your father’s death has created. There isn’t time to let things fall through the cracks.”
“Yes, I know. But there’s the matter of Trevor. He will be arriving later today.” She spoke of this as if it was a great inconvenience.
“Can’t you tell him to come back another time?”
“I need to speak to him.”
“Kat, you don’t need to do anything like that. He would understand. Your father was just killed. And if he doesn’t get that, then Trevor is not someone who cares enough about you to marry you.”
I was surprised when she started to weep and sat on my bed next to me. I put my arm around her.
For a while, she just cried as I embraced her. Nothing needed to be said.
There was one thing that might make her feel better if she knew, though.
“I’m going to kill him, Kat.”
She stopped crying. “Who, Endell?”
I took my arm back. “Maybe him as well, but I was talking about Valinox. I’m furious about this, and it makes me even angrier to know that this can’t be over until Valinox is dead.”
She looked at the floor. “But there’s no way without a trap.”
“That’s exactly my line of thinking. A trap will have to be set. He must die, Kat. The sooner the better.”
She put her hand on top of mine. “I fear you are only going to get yourself killed when you think like this. You cannot trap a demigod like Valinox.