The Divine Path (The Divine Series) (30 page)

“Kade,” Darcienna whispered in panic.

“I know,” Kade responded roughly.  “Everyone get behind me.  Stand next to the wall at the end of the hall.  If we are lucky, they will not sense us.”

Just as Kade finished speaking, the first
shapeshifter came upon the dead man.  The second shapeshifter ran into the cell formerly occupied by Darcienna.  The first shapeshifter ran back into the hall in a panic.

“There is a dead man here.”

“This cell is empty,” the second shapeshifter said in a hurry.

“No!  It can’t be!”
Vell screamed in outrage.  He changed into the form with the long daggers for fingers.

Kade went through the moves of the Light
ning Calling in his head just in case they were discovered. He was not sure if the three could sense him or not, but he was going to be ready.  He planted his feet firmly as he locked onto Vell.  A part of him wanted this so badly he could taste it.  He could feel the Divine Power swirling within him, promising him ecstasy, urging him to use it, to destroy with it, to enact his revenge.  He felt the power calling to him and his eyes closed slightly as the sweet feel of the Divine filled him.  Kade shook off the desire to let the Divine guide his hand.

“Check the other cells!”
Vell commanded roughly.

“Darcienna, be ready to use your shield when I say but not until then.  If I can take out Vell, then maybe the other two will make a run for it,” Kade said.

“I thought they were not supposed to be here till tomorrow,” Judeen said.  “Does that mean Morg is here?”

“I am not sure.  Right now we can’t worry about that,” Kade said as he watched the two subordinates check the cells one by one.

Kade watched as the two shapeshifters moved closer and closer.  He was certain that his small group was not going to stay undiscovered.  The shapeshifters were going to be too close when they got to the last two cells at the end of the hall.  Kade smiled, grateful for the excuse to fulfill his urge to exact his revenge.

“Stay behind me an
d watch,” Kade said as he grinned eagerly.

H
e planted his feet squarely and started through the moves.  He was the wind moving gracefully through the trees.  He was the water swirling easily through a winding river.  He was grace and beauty as he performed the moves flawlessly. The closer of the two shapeshifters stopped just two paces in front of him as it smelled the air.  Kade let the Lightning Calling explode from his hand to slam into the shapeshifter.  The sound was deafening as it echoed off the walls.  The building shook to its very core as dust sifted down from the ceiling.  Although the shapeshifters heard nothing because of the Silence Calling, everyone else’s ears rang furiously.  Everyone panicked at the sound of the explosion and quickly pressed their hands tightly to their head.  The creature was caught directly in the center of its chest.  It exploded messily, spraying the small party, making them visible once more.

“We are under attack,” the second
shapeshifter said as he dove into a cell. 

Kade could see him changing shape even before he hit the ground.  He looked down the hall to see Vell grow to three times his size.  Kade smiled at the challenge.  Larger was not better
, and Vell was about to learn that the hard way.  He recalled Darcienna telling him of how this creature had hit her in the head and stepped forward to meet the challenge, eager to make this creature pay. 

Kad
e was covered with the blood of the shapeshifter.  He could be seen.  It did not matter.  He let the power fill him and he reveled in it.

H
e brought the Lightning Calling to life, again causing an explosion that rocked the very building. The calling raced down the hall toward its target.  Vell dodged, but just barely, as the bolt slammed into the wooden door, causing it to disintegrate.  The shapeshifter recovered quickly, changed into something else just as big, but much faster, and charged down the hall at an all-out run.  For just a moment, Kade felt the urge to step back but quickly dismissed the idea.  He raced through the moves for the Divine Fire Calling and sent the fiery blast to envelope the creature.  Kade smiled in satisfaction as he saw the blast explode against the beast’s chest, causing it to scream out in pain.  When the smoke cleared, there was no sign of Vell.

“Kade, should I use my shield
?” Darcienna asked, not seeing a trace of their captor.

“Not until it is absolutely ne
cessary.  If they get too close, they can surround us.  I must keep distance between them and us,” Kade said as the flames died down.  He looked around and started to get a bad feeling.  The seconds ticked by.  Kade started to get nervous, knowing that Vell could be sneaking up on them this very moment.  He was about to tell Darcienna to use her shield when he got an idea.  He closed his eyes and used the Reveal Calling.

“Just as I thought,” Kade said under his breath as he watched a slight distortion move along the ceiling
toward them.  He imagined that Vell had taken the shape of a spider and shivered.  He hated spiders…or…he used to.  He started through the moves for the Lightning Calling once more as the spot closed to within twenty feet.  It got to fifteen feet and started to expand when Kade let the calling explode from his hand.  Vell screamed as the ceiling crumbled under the impact of the calling.

“Now,
Darcienna!” Kade yelled as the building started to fall down on them.  The shield materialized just as the first heavy chunk of brick fell toward them.  Kade ducked out of reflex.  Every piece of debris that hit the shield caused Darcienna to grunt and her arms to jolt as if she were being hit, but she held.  She fell to one knee and her hands had sank to the level of her shoulders, but the shield stayed intact.  Darcienna was panting by the time the building stopped falling. 

Kade closed his eyes and searched for Vell but found nothing. 
There was no way he could have survived that,
Kade thought
.  It was a direct hit.
  Just as he was about to open his eyes, he looked to his left for the other shapeshifter.  There, in the far corner, was just a speck of distortion.   He would have easily missed it, but knowing what to look for, he had seen what he was seeking.

“Holy Mother of the Divine, Kade
.  What was that?” Garig said too loudly, trying to stop the ringing in his ears.

“Just a simple little calling I learned recently,” Kade said with mock modesty.

“That is one bloody calling that I would not consider simple,” Garig said as he swore, feeling his heart hammer at the inside of his chest.  “And maybe a warning next time?” he scolded, letting another string of profanity fly.

“Kade.
  Are you okay?” Darcienna asked.  He did not answer at first as he watched the spec in the cell.  He was certain that this one was fairly weak in its abilities.  It was, most likely, afraid for its life. “Kade,” Darcienna said more insistently.

“I am okay.  I am watching something,” Kade said.

“Would you like to see if he likes the taste of my knife?” Dran asked, picking up on what was happening.

“No.  I have an idea, though.  I don’t think this one is as strong
, or as dangerous as the other ones.  I am going to try something,” Kade said as he kept watch out of the corner of his eye.  “Can you keep the shield up while we work our way past the hole in the ceiling?”

“Yes,” Darcienna said.  Kade was certain
he could hear a fair share of strain in her voice but, he trusted her.  If she said she could do it, then he knew she could.

“Good.  I am going to let both callings go that are cloaking us,” Kade said.

“But, that will mean that the shapeshifter will be able to follow us and hear us,” Judeen said, alarmed.

“I’m counting on that.  If you don’t want to be forced to move from that beautiful home
of yours, then just follow my lead.  It should also keep Morg from finding us if he doesn’t show up before we get out of here.  Father, play along,” Kade said as he let both callings dissipate.

Kade led the way by
the cell while watching for the shapeshifter out of the corner of his eye.  They passed the gaping hole in the ceiling without incident.  Darcienna let the shield go with an audible gasp.  They stepped through the exit where the door had been and started to work their way up the stairs.  Kade stood against the wall to allow the others to ascend as he closed his eyes and casually glanced down the hall.  As he expected, there was a shimmer working its way toward them along the edge of the wall. 

“Father, how much further south must we travel to get to your cabin
?” Kade asked with a sly smile. 

“Oh we are not even close.  Its days if not weeks till we get there,” Garig said.

“I will travel with you until you are home and then I will go on my way.  We should be safe until then,” Kade said as he glanced back down the corridor.  He saw a small field mouse wedged up against the wall not more than ten feet from them.  Pretending not to see, Kade turned back to the party as they all continued their climb.  Soon, they were outside the dungeon.  Kade could see the dragon through the trees.

“What about Rayden?” Garig asked
.

“I don’t know if we have time to set him free,” Kade said, feigning regret.  He must have done a convincing job as Darcienna
looked at him slack jawed.  “It has served its purpose.”

“What do you mean
the dragon has served its purpose?” Darcienna asked incredulously.

“Just that.
  Don’t question me!” Kade said harshly as he leveled a glare at her.  She was preparing to let Kade have it when Judeen laid a hand on her arm.

“The men have made their decision,”
she said as she looked into her eyes and raised her eyebrows, as if to say, “Let it go.”  Darcienna looked among the three of them, gaping like a fish.  And then…she caught on.

“You’re right,” Darcienna
said as she nodded.  Judeen smiled slightly and nodded back.  “It has served its purpose.”

Kade breathed a sigh of relief.  He looked back at his father and caught his eye.  Almost done
, but it could still fall apart.  Everything had to be perfectly.

Now, to finish this up
, Kade thought.

“Father, I almost forgot.  I have to find the other
shapeshifter.  If he gets away, he can report where we are going,” Kade said as he turned and hurried toward the dungeon.  He had made it to within ten feet of the door when something shot into a bush and then flew out, flapping furiously off into the sky.  Kade smiled to himself and relaxed.

“That should keep Morg busy for a while,” Kade said as he watched the creature shrink to just a speck an
d then disappear completely.  “That bat that just took off is now going to give Morg false information,” he said with a grin.  Darcienna nodded, understanding.

“Why do we care if Morg thinks we have the dragon
?” Darcienna asked.

“Becau
se he will not expect us to cover as much ground on foot as we can on Rayden, so he will look in the wrong place,” Kade said.

H
e quickly returned to the group and performed the Transparency Calling and then the Silence Calling.  He was not taking any chances until they were away from this town.  He reached out for Darcienna’s hand and felt her warm fingers curl into his, and then her nails dug into his hand.

“
You should have trusted me enough to tell me what you were planning,” Darcienna said with just a touch of heat in her voice.

“Well, it did help that you were so convincing,” Kade chided
, which earned him another hard squeeze of her hand.  “We need to free the dragon,” Kade said as he walked toward the slumbering form.

Rayden
was breathing deeply as he slept.  Kade felt his anger grow as his eyes followed the chains firmly holding the dragon pinned to the ground.  He considered hunting the remaining two men but decided it was best not to waste the precious time they had.  The safety of his family and their freedom was more important than his thirst for revenge.  Was he craving the action or was he purely looking to right a wrong?  Was it for revenge?  He could not decide.  Were his motives neutral, good or bad?  He would think more on this later.

“I am going to heal the dragon and free it,” Kade said.

He performed the Healing Calling and let it settle into the dragon.  Nothing happened so he performed it again.  Once more, nothing happened.  The dragon continued to dream.  Kade felt panic begin to grow.  He never considered that he would not be able to free his friend, but if it would not wake up, might they have to leave it?  Kade tried the healing once more, but yet again, nothing.

“Kade?”
Judeen asked after hearing a frustrated huff from her son.

H
e sat silently for several long moments.  He was so focused he did not even hear his mother call to him.  Leaving the dragon was just not an option, but he knew he could not stay.  He performed the Healing Calling again, knowing it was going to do no good, but he needed to try something.  He willed the dragon to life as he cast the last calling, but still, nothing.