The Divine Path (The Divine Series) Read online

  “We leave after I learn some of this one’s secrets,” Kade said as he held up the small, black book.

  “You don’t even know what is in there? How do you know it will help?” Darcienna asked as she reached for the book and then hesitated, recalling Kade’s dire warnings.

  “No!” Kade exclaimed, jerking the book away from her. “You must never touch any of these books without my say,” he said, repeating what he had said previously. “You do not want to see what happens if you do,” he added in a very firm voice. He was on the verge of anger. “With this, you could unleash something so terrible it could easily kill us all.” Better she be scared of all books instead of opening the wrong one. “See this book,” he said, pointing to the one with the creature in the circle. “This one would unleash that demon on the front. One touch of its poison, and you would die the most horrible, agonizing death possible,” he finished in a dire voice.

  Darcienna shuddered at the thought. She swallowed hard as she took a small step back, not taking her eyes off the demon. After a moment, she tore her eyes off the book to look at the Apprentice Chosen.

  “Kade,” Judeen said critically. “Why are they in this house if they are that dangerous?”

  “They are only dangerous if they are opened, Mother. I am the only one who can handle them,” Kade said as he looked back at Darcienna. She had to understand this if she was going to travel with him. He was even willing to force her to stay if she argued. She must have seen the conviction in his eyes and nodded once in acceptance of the law he had just laid down. She swallowed again, and Kade was satisfied.

  “What are in the other books?” Judeen asked, seeing Darcienna’s discomfort and changing the subject.

  “Well, they range from powerful callings to information about Morg. This one tells of monsters under his control. Here, take a look,” Kade said as he handed the book to her. Judeen appeared as if she were ready to flee.

  “Are you sure it’s ok? I don’t want to set off any traps,” Judeen said, eyes wide. This was the third time Kade had ever seen his mother lose her composure.

  “This one is safe. Zayle never placed any callings on this book. I guess it never mattered if anyone ever looked at it. All the rest of the books have protection callings placed on them. And this one,” Kade said, holding up the black book, “is only attuned to me. I don’t think anyone else can open it,” he said, turning the book over in his hands. He thought back on the message Zayle had left for him. It occurred to him that he had yet to open it and became nervous to do so.

  Judeen took the book about Morg and started to thumb through it. Even knowing it was safe, Kade still found he was tense until the book was open. She stopped on page sixteen and stared at the picture. Kade saw the look on her face and was about to ask, “What” when she turned the book toward him. She gave a tilt of her head as her way of asking, “What is this?” Kade studied the writing for a bit and then translated.

  “I think it is something that can change shape. They have average to high intelligence and can assume any form,” Kade was saying when he noticed the way his mother was off in thought. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “I may have encountered one of these,” Judeen said in disgust.

  “Why do you say that?” Kade asked.

  “Let’s just say that we noticed a stranger in town, who was asking lots of questions about you. Your father followed him, but when he thought he had him cornered in an alley, all he found was a mangy dog. It was shortly after that that Morg took us prisoner. He knew who we were immediately.”

  “Well, you are safe now, Mother. We are going to keep it that way,” Kade said. She sighed.

  “Can it turn into a dragon?” Darcienna asked.

  “I don’t think so. I suspect they are limited by the amount of ability they possess,” Kade said as he studied the picture. “According to what it says here, some have more ability than others, so I guess it is possible, but I just don’t know. It also says that some may have difficulty holding a certain shape over longer periods of time,” he added as he took the book from her and thumbed through it. He stopped as he studied another image and then turned it for his mother to see.

  “I had to kill two of these,” Kade said as he watched her eyes widen. Darcienna slid around to look at the page. She put her hand to her mouth and quickly found his eyes.

  “How did you survive?” Darcienna asked.

  “Well, to be more correct, it was the dragon and me. We killed it together. That is how I survived,” he said as his mind called up the image of the grimalkin.

  Judeen slowly shook her head as she studied the picture. Kade considered showing her the invisible giant but thought better of it. She did not need more to worry about. He handed his mother the book and turned his attention back to the black book in his hands.

  Kade sat down at the table and very gently pushed the other tomes of knowledge away, preparing to open the small, black one for the first time. He felt nervous as a warm flush went up and down his body. Even though the message from Zayle said this was safe and keyed to his touch, until he actually opened it for the first time, he was not going to be able to relax. He placed his hand on the cover, preparing to open it. Just as he started to grip the edge, he heard a chirping, whining sound that startled him. It took a moment for his head to clear, and when it did, he realized the sound was coming from behind him. Turning, he saw Chance sitting up and instantly recognized that look.

  “Between you and the dragon I am going to be worn out making food. But, thanks to you, I have these,” Kade said as he indicated the books. Darcienna instantly stiffened. Kade winced, seeing her reaction, knowing she was going to take this badly. He sighed to himself and turned to Darcienna. “I did not mean…,” he got out before she held up a hand.

  “I was supposed to keep your books safe and I forget them. I set them down when I called on my shield. I should have remembered them,” Darcienna said, making no excuses for her mistake. Kade could not help but to respect her for it.

  “I won’t have you beating yourself up over it. You saved my life along with my parents’, and that was much more important. And besides, we have the books.”

  “Thanks to Chance,” Darcienna said, chagrined.

  “I won’t hear any more of this. Just promise me that you will help look after them, and we can be done with this,” Kade said firmly.

  “I can do that,” Darcienna said, brightening a little. She loved a man who was willing to take charge. It made her feel safe and secure. She smiled at his back. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Judeen watching her closely. She reddened slightly without looking at the wise woman.

  Turning back to the silky, black creature, Kade performed the Food Calling. He tossed the piece of meat to Chance, who easily caught it in the air. Chance began eagerly chewing with pleasure. Kade turned away from the animal, grateful for the distraction, but it was time to do what he knew he must.

  “Maybe you two should stand back a little. I really don’t know what is going to happen,” Kade said.

  Judeen complied immediately while maintaining an air of confidence. Darcienna looked at Kade for several long seconds and then breathed out, resigning herself to the fact that no matter what she said, he was going to open the book. She wanted to tell him no or find a reason to put this off, but the look in his eyes said it had to be done. She had to trust him sooner or later and this was as good a time as any. So far, he had kept them safe. But, it was not what he said that had her so worried, it was the look in his eye and the way he handled the books that had her ready to demand he stop immediately.

  Taking a deep breath, Kade placed his palm on the cover of the book. Again, he was surprised that it felt like smooth leather, even though he would swear it appeared to be rough looking bark. He held his breath as he slowly untied the strap that was holding the book closed. There was a power at work here, and the closer Kade got to opening it, the stronger its presence was felt. He took another deep breath, curled his
fingers under the cover and slowly pulled the book open. There was a resistance, as if something were holding the book closed, but it was not enough to keep Kade from opening it. He felt a great building of power as a vibration started to pulse through the book. Every muscle in his body was as hard as a rock while he waited for whatever was going to happen, to happen. And then…he was at the mercy of Divine Power as it flowed.

  “Kade?” Darcienna asked, her voice thick with concern. It might have been the fact that he was holding his breath that had her so worried, or maybe that he was clenching his jaw as his eyes started to instinctually close. But, regardless, she was scared for him and wished she could throw that black book in the nearest volcano.

  Kade never heard her, his concentration on the small tome of knowledge peaked. He laid the cover on the table, but before he could pull his hand away, the calling activated fully. He tensed hard and held his breath as a blue spark shot forth from the book to crackle across his hands. The energy was almost too bright to look at as it leapt from finger to finger until it had covered his entire hand. His fingers twitched involuntarily as the muscles spasmed rapidly. Darcienna’s hand shot to her mouth as she stifled a scream. The time it took for the calling to verify his identity seemed to take forever, and Kade’s chest ached from the breath he was holding as he waited for the calling to finish. The light disappeared, leaving Kade with hands that were numb and a racing heart like he had run for days. He let out a shaky breath and appeared as though he were going to collapse from exhaustion.

  “Kade?” Judeen asked with worry.

  “Kade, are you okay?” Darcienna asked as she grabbed his arm with both hands, ready to unleash her healing power. She eyed that small, black book like it was a viperous snake that she wanted gone.

  “Yea, I think so,” Kade said as he flexed his fingers. “That was powerful. Zayle was not taking any chances with that one. I dread to think what would have happened to the person who tried to open that with that calling active,” Kade said with a glance at his mother and Darcienna.

  He took another nerve-settling breath and let it out as he turned the first page. As soon as his hand touched the paper, he felt another calling activate. This one was gentle, but as he was not expecting it, it frayed his nerves. He tried to keep steady but his hand shook slightly. He clenched his fist tightly to hide it from the women, but something told him he was too late. A tingling sensation ran across his scalp. Kade’s eyes glazed over as the information about the Chosen, Valdry, was implanted in his mind. “I know where one of the Master Chosen is,” Kade said in a trance-like state.

  “Kade,” both women called together.

  “There was a calling placed on the page. As soon as I touched it, it activated and sent the information directly into my head. I should be able to lead us to Valdry,” Kade said, feeling as though he had just awoken. He was returning to normal quickly but it was still hard to think. He stood, trying to get his mind to clear.

  Judeen seemed to fidget ever so slightly as though she wanted to say something but was unsure if she should. Kade smiled a disarming smile as he ducked down to make eye contact with her. Her eyes were toward the ground as she attempted to keep Kade from seeing the look on her face. He gently lifted her head by her chin.

  “What?” Kade asked as gently as possible.

  “I saw you. I saw how you reacted. Kade, that stuff is deadly. What did my father get you into?” Judeen asked as her eyes started to moisten.

  “Mother, it is the way of things now. It’s just…Mother, it is best if I did not explain. You must trust me,” Kade said, doing his best to reassure her.

  “I never realized how dangerous the Divine Power was until I watched you just now. You could die,” Judeen said and then paused. “You could die at any time, couldn’t you?”

  Kade sighed. There was no way of getting around this. His mother would know if he tried to downplay it. She had seen. It would take a blind person not to see how tense he had been. He cursed himself for being such a fool for letting her watch.

  “Yes,” Kade said in resignation. “That is the price I must pay for using the Divine. At any time, if I do anything wrong, it could end horribly, but I am careful, Mother, I am.”

  Judeen looked away as a slight tremor pulled at the corner of her lips. Her hand went to her mouth as she tried desperately to keep from weeping. She failed but only barely. Kade cursed himself ten times over for being so thoughtless and allowing her to watch.

  “Mother,” Kade said, but she held up a hand to forestall him.

  “Kade, I think it best if we were on our way,” Darcienna said. He opened his mouth, ready to agree with her when his eyes lost their focus as a voice screamed frantically in his head.

  Help! I am under attack! Morg is…, and then the voice faded. Kade gasped as he squeezed his eyes shut hard. His hand shot out to catch the edge of the table to help steady himself. The pressure in his mind was immense for just a moment and then it was gone. He breathed a deep sigh of relief and focused on not letting his knees collapse.

  “Kade, what is it?” Darcienna asked. Her eyes were wide with horror.

  “I think Morg is attacking another of the Chosen,” Kade said as he closed his eyes and focused hard with his mind. “I think I heard one of them calling out for help. He was cut off,” Kade said, his head turned, as if this might help him hone in on the message.

  “What if that was the Chosen you were going to see?” Darcienna asked.

  Kade did not answer. He was afraid to answer, fearing the worst. He needed Valdry to be okay. Right now, that Master Chosen was his best and only plan.

  He exhaled in exasperation and turned to look at Darcienna. She looked back and her heart went out to him. He appeared worn down and stress was taking a toll on him. She wanted to wrap him in her shield and keep him safe forever. She wanted to protect him from the world and let him find peace, but with a heavy heart, she knew this was not possible, yet. It hurt to know that he was not going to be able to find a release from this torment anytime soon, if ever. She could see that this was the way of things for him, and he was not even aware he was suffering. He was used to his nerves being on edge. He was used to tensing, expecting danger at any moment, especially while using the Divine Power. What hurt the most was seeing him struggle not to lose who he was. She felt sadness momentarily grip her, and she fought to hide it.

  “Darcienna,” Kade said, agitation in his voice. “Woman, where are you? Darcienna,” Kade said again as he snapped his fingers in front of her eyes.

  “I…I was just thinking that we should really get under way,” Darcienna said, knowing that to say she felt pity for him would be a disastrous thing to say. In the short time she had known him, pity was the one thing he was not going to accept. “Pity is for the weak,” Kade would say.

  “That is what I have been trying to do,” Kade said, shaking his head as he exhaled in exasperation again. He took another deep breath and let it out to help recover from the mental assault.

  Kade gathered up the books and stacked them in a pile, preparing to cinch the strap tightly. Darcienna put her hand on his arm but did not take her eyes off the small, black book. Kade saw what she was looking at and tilted his head as if to ask, “What?”

  “Kade, I don’t like that one. You have what you need from it. Can we leave it here?” Darcienna pleaded, glancing from Kade to Judeen. “I would prefer if we did not keep it if we don’t need to.” Kade looked up at his mother who was staring at the book. She appeared to be on the verge of protesting greatly when she saw the look in Darcienna’s eyes.

  After taking a deep breath, Judeen said, “Keep it in your room.”

  Kade quickly raced to his room and pulled a board loose from behind his bed, laying the book in the wall. After slamming the board back in place, he ran out of the room and stopped at the table. He carefully cinched the books tightly and then gently lowered them into the sack. He took Marcole from Darcienna and handed him to his mother. He grabbed Darcienna by th
e hand and turned to go. She pulled him to a stop before taking even one step. When Kade gave her a questioning look, she tilted her head toward Judeen. Darcienna took Marcole back, waiting for Kade to say goodbye. Feeling like a fool, Kade pulled his mother into a deep hug and held her for several long moments until she relaxed and melted into that hug.

  “Be careful, Son,” Judeen whispered into his chest.

  “I will, Mother. I will.” Rayden, be ready to go! We leave now!

  They handed the boy back to Judeen and raced out the door to the waiting dragon. Kade cupped his hands for Darcienna to mount. She wanted to hug him and relieve the torment she saw in those eyes, but she knew he would not accept it. They had no choice. They needed to go.

  “Tell father I had to leave,” Kade said as he cast a quick glance at his mother. She disappeared into the house to hide her grief. “Get on,” he said impatiently as he held his cupped hand together, waiting for her to mount.

  “Kade,” Garig said as he stepped around the corner of the house. His gaze was on the ground as if he were avoiding looking his son in the eye. His words were heavy with emotion.

  Kade paused, seeing a look in his father’s eyes. He slowly dropped his hands and after several long seconds, took a step toward Garig, waiting. He feared what his father was going to say, even though he had no idea what it might be. But, one thing he knew more than anything was that his father was on the verge of continuing the conversation they had started the previous day in the clearing. He wanted to tell his father not to say it, whatever it was. Something in him screamed, “Leave before he speaks.” He knew, without a doubt, that he should mount the dragon as fast as possible and ride like the wind away from words that were on the verge of changing his life. Even though every thread of every fiber of his being screamed at him not to listen, he was rooted to the spot. His head was pounding as his heart beat like a drum. Boom, Boom, Boom Kade felt in his chest.