The Path of Giants, B.T. Narro [the speed reading book .TXT] 📗

I was wrong. I only wished I’d realized it sooner.”

She drew a stuttering breath, clearly nervous. Then, as she looked at Remi, her voice broke. “Remi, I’m so sorry.” Tears fell from Eden’s eyes. “I did everything out of fear. I’m a coward. A selfish fucking coward. I never wanted to hurt you. I thought I was responsible for your death for a long time, and it was during that time that I realized how much I hated myself. I knew I couldn’t go on killing others who were good. I had to make a change.”

Remi sniffled and wiped her eyes. She didn’t speak, though.

“I don’t want to be a coward any longer,” Eden continued as she cried. “I hate myself so fucking much. I’d rather die than live with this guilt. I did it. I stabbed one of my closest friends thinking she would die. I did it because I was afraid. And it’s not even the worst thing I’ve done because of fear. It was me who…who opened the portal to Fyrren. I didn’t say so earlier. I made it sound like Valinox opened it when I was talking to Souriff, but it was me. Valinox couldn’t open it, or maybe that’s just what he told me so he wouldn’t risk getting close to Gourfist. Either way, I did it.”

“You did?” Michael asked in disbelief.

“I did,” she confirmed. “Valinox left me near the portal with no means of getting back. I figured he would leave me to die if I disobeyed him, but I still could’ve done it. I could’ve disobeyed. I know everyone would’ve been better off if I had. I would be dead, and he would not have Nijja’s stone. Instead, I opened the portal, and it’s what awakened Gourfist.”

“That was you?” I remarked as anger got the better of me. “People died because of that.”

“Jon almost died because of that!” Kataleya added.

Eden wept openly. “I didn’t know that.” She tried to say something, but it was muffled by her heavy crying. She shook her head and tried to gather herself, but it didn’t seem to work. Eventually she forced out a few words. “I can’t. I have no excuse. If I’m to die…so be it.” I didn’t know if Eden could possibly cry any harder as she collapsed and sobbed.

“Now hold on,” Michael said as he put his hand on her shoulder. “I’m not the only one who saw you risk your life by trying to kill Valinox rather than obeying him like you have in the past. You could’ve killed Souriff, and we would’ve been in a mess of trouble. I’m sure he knows that, and he wants you dead more than he does any of us now. That makes you an ally. And we need allies, don’t we?” he asked the group.

I knew Michael was right, but I was too angry to let myself voice it. Eden was responsible for awakening Gourfist. Eden was responsible for Valinox possessing a stone that allowed him to maintain invisibility.

I took a few breaths. Valinox was more responsible for these acts than Eden was.

“Don’t we?” Michael asked again, a little less sure of himself.

Clearly, I wasn’t the only one who still seemed to be holding onto their anger, everyone refusing to agree.

But then Remi spoke. “We’ve all made mistakes. Most of us have even been disillusioned by someone we trusted who we shouldn’t have trusted. Aliana? Kataleya?”

Her two friends started to nod.

“I know Eden’s mistakes have caused us some major problems, but Eden’s going to be right here with us to fix those problems. Aren’t you?” Remi asked her.

Eden wiped her eyes and lifted her head. “There’s nothing I’d rather do.”

Remi addressed all of us again, “Taking away her life through execution or imprisonment doesn’t do any of us any good. I say, let her clean up this mess with us.”

Most people were nodding. I was one of them.

“Hell,” Remi said. “If I can forgive Eden, then the rest of you really have no excuse.”

“That’s true,” Michael said.

“You forgive me, Remi?” Eden asked cautiously.

“I do.”

Eden wept again as she threw her arms around Remi. Remi squeezed her with her eyes shut, a tear escaping down her cheek.

“I think the king can be persuaded,” Leon said. “But Eden.”

“Yes?” she asked nervously as she pulled away from Remi.

“You’re going to fight hard for us. Jennava will show you how to train your dteria without letting it mess with your mind too much. Dealing with it is going to be harder than anything you’ve had to do so far, but I don’t want to hear any complaints. Think of it as your punishment.”

She nodded. “I will.”

“Leon,” Remi stated.

“What?”

“I want to clarify something.”

He actually looked a little worried. “And what is that?”

“You’re a terrible instructor. It’s true what I said earlier. I don’t want to listen to your instruction any longer.”

“Now wait a minute—”

“But you’re a hell of an officer on the battlefield,” she continued. “When it comes time to fight, I trust you with my life. I think the king should hear that. Both parts.”

He put his hand on the back of his neck. “I suppose that’s fair.” His voice rose. “Anyway, there’s not much I can do to instruct all of you anymore.”

“Is that a compliment?” Michael teased.

“It’s the closest thing you’re ever going to get from me, Michael. So you’d better appreciate it.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

After we dealt with the corpses—Hadley creating many more essences of corrupted men—we spent most of the walk back listening to Eden. She told us about Fyrren, Nijja, and everything she had experienced there. We were looking for some way of disabling the stone Valinox carried with him that allowed him to remain invisible. Souriff had claimed that he could cloak not only himself but a sorcerer he carried. So what would stop him from carrying a nearly invisible archer into the courtyard of the castle, having the archer shoot one of us in the chest with an arrow, and then carrying the