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Authors: Donita K. Paul

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One Realm Beyond

BOOK: One Realm Beyond
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ZONDERVAN

One Realm Beyond

Copyright © 2014 by Donita K. Paul

ePub Edition © December 2013: ISBN 978-0-310-73583-0

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan,
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

ISBN 978-0-310-73580-9

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible,
New International Version
®
,
NIV
®
. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by the publisher, nor does the publisher vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other — except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc., 7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920. www.alivecommunications.com

Cover design: Kris Nelson

Cover illustration: Steve Rawlings

Interior design: David Conn

Printed in the United States of America

14 15 16 17 18 /DCI/ 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

CONTENTS

1. RAISING A RUCKUS

2. INITIATION

3. DRAGON REALM

4. A HORSE IS A HORSE, OF COURSE

5. FINE AND DANDY MEAL

6. SURPRISE GREETING

7. NICE TO MEET YOU

8. WHAT CAN WE DO?

9. GOING IN

10. MAKING PLANS

11. TRICKS AND DISGUISES

12. THE MEN IN THE BARRACKS

13. FRESH AIR, BUT WHERE?

14. MOVING A DRAGON

15. GET GOING

16. A WAY OUT

17. CLUTTER

18. ON HIS OWN

19. TROUBLE

20. THE FAIRE

21. ASTOUNDING

22. EQUIPPED

23. HOME

24. ASHES

25. INTRODUCTION TO GILEAD

26. SEEING BUT UNSEEN

27. THE SUN RISES

28. INTO THE CITY

29. PENNY LUNDER

30. MEETINGS IN BEAUTIFUL PLACES

31. SHINE LIGHT ON THE HIDDEN

32. ROUNDS

33. SANCTUARY

34. A HILL TO CLIMB

35. A SMALL THING

36. WHISPERING PENS AND WHISTLING ARROWS

37. TOTOBEE-RODOLOW

38. MEETING IN THE NIGHT

39. KERNFEUDAL

40. TROUBLE, DEEP

41. GATHERING FORCES

42. IN SHADOW INN

43. UNDERGROUND, OUT OF SIGHT

44. EXPLOSION

45. WHERE ARE THE FRIENDS?

RAISING A RUCKUS

C
antor straddled the thick tree limb suspended less than three feet over his favorite fishing hole. He’d fished from this spot for more than eighteen years, from the time he could barely straddle the fat limb ’til now, when the tips of his sandals almost brushed the surface of the clear, cold water. He watched the small fish circling below him, waiting for the big one just as he had been taught. His fishing mentor, Odem, probably took him fishing here before he was out of diapers. Cantor wouldn’t want to share the limb now. Though the tree had grown with him over the years, he didn’t think the branch would hold the weight of two grown men. He wasn’t eager for a bath in the frigid water from the mountain’s runoff.

Still and patient, Cantor waited for the large carp he called Bully to rise and push the other fish out of the way. A sprinkle of thumb-sized chunks of bread floated on the water. One of the
smaller guppies darted off to the side, and a huge, open mouth appeared under the surface. The fish snapped up a sodden crust.

Cantor hurled the stone in his hand. The rock thunked against the skull of his target. All the smaller fish deserted Bully, who floated on his side. With a grin, Cantor threw his leg over the limb and slipped into the knee-high water. He shivered in the icy snowmelt, grabbed his catch, and slogged to the shore.

Exposed roots riddled the steep bank, making irregular hand and foot holds. Cantor threw the fish onto the grass above his head and climbed out. Sitting cross-legged in the tall grass, he removed his sandals and put them on a rock to dry in the sun. He opened the pouch Ahma had sewn into his tunic and removed an undersized scabbard.

He’d owned this small, sharp knife since childhood. Odem had visited on his sixth birthday and, against Ahma’s protests, given the tool to him. Cantor’d thought himself very clever when he named the knife Slice, especially when Odem laughed in his loud bray that filled the tiny cabin. Ahma shook her head and fetched another piece of greenberry pie for him and Odem.

She’d caught Cantor that night picking his teeth with the blade. Boxing his ears, she told him if she caught him doing another stupid thing with “that weapon,” she’d take it away.

Cantor grinned as he applied Slice to the job of gutting the big carp. A couple of carrion birds landed in a tree nearby. Cantor nodded in their direction. “I’ll leave you the tasty insides. I don’t suppose you would agree to peaceably share between yourselves.”

The bigger of the two mountain crows spread his wings and threatened the smaller, cawing and crowding the other bird off the limb.

Cantor shook his head. “Yeah, I didn’t think so.”

He pulled a thin string of gut from the innards. With it in his hand, he aimed at the bird and snapped his fingers. The filament wrapped around the large scavenger’s beak. The string would work loose after the smaller bird had a chance at Cantor’s fishy offering.

He finished his chore and strung the fish on a switch cut from the longleaf tree. Cleaning his blade in the sandy soil, he heard the gentle whoosh of a portal opening. With a casual air he did not feel, he put the knife in its scabbard and the scabbard in his pouch.

Where was Tom? At the cabin with Ahma? He’d last seen his mentor’s furry companion sunning himself on the front stoop. But Tom could be a stealthy canine, quiet like a cat sneaking up on a mouse. More often than not, Cantor played the part of the mouse.

With a searching look at the surrounding trees, he propped the switch on his shoulder, the large carp dangling behind him. He angled away from the portal as if it didn’t make the hairs on the back of his neck tingle, as if it didn’t give off the scent of new horizons, adventure, and intrigue, as if he hadn’t a thought in his head about diving through.

Anyone watching would think he had only the intention of taking his catch home to dear Ahma for their dinner. Except Tom, of course. Tom had an uncanny sense of knowing what he planned. And Cantor had just used his talent to enhance his aim, not bothering to disguise the burst of energy. That ripple would be detected by any other being familiar with Primen’s gifts. Tom would have felt it.

Cantor made himself wait until the distance to the portal had shortened considerably. With a final, nonchalant inspection of the surrounding meadow, Cantor hauled in a deep
breath, dropped the fish, and bolted toward the gaping hole in space. His heart quickened when he saw it was a horizontal portal. Vertical openings presented a shaft, which required scrambling up or plunging down to enter another plane.

If he’d outsmarted Tom, he was in for some fun. He pumped his legs harder.

The distinct sound of leathery wings unfolding caught his ear. He fought back a grin and redoubled the speed of his dash to freedom. The dragon on course to intercept him roared a warning. Accepting the challenge, Cantor pushed his muscles with all his might. If he could reach the portal first, he could dive and roll. The dragon in flight would have to land and squeeze through.

Cantor kept his eye on the opening. On the other side, he could see a street with people hurrying to and fro. A rush of air above him warned him just in time. He ducked and avoided the clutching claws of a brilliantly colored mor dragon as it swooped to catch him. The small, powerful beast was slightly larger than a full-grown cow. Cantor glanced up to see him dip one wing and neatly turn, barely losing momentum as he came back for another pass. Cantor refocused on the portal. Fifteen more feet.

The dragon dropped from the sky, approaching his target face on. He skimmed the high grass and rose to thud against Cantor’s chest with his own. The impact knocked Cantor down and pushed the air out of his lungs. He remained on the ground, staring up at the blue sky. Dragging air in with rasping, choking sounds, he rolled to his side and curled up to facilitate at least one life-sustaining breath.

The dragon landed and approached. Cantor would have liked to fake death, be still enough to confuse the beast stalking
him, and get the better of the interfering animal. But he concentrated instead on breathing, pulling air in and pushing air out.

The dragon’s clawed foot rested on his shoulder, then with a pinch, he forced Cantor to roll onto his back.

In spite of the spasms racking his chest, Cantor recognized the wicked gleam in his tormentor’s eyes. The beast all but crowed with glee at having downed his prey. With a hop, the dragon sat on Cantor’s chest.

“Oomph,” Cantor managed to choke out, “Get off!”

The dragon’s lips curled up at the ends in the terrifying smile only a dragon can produce. “Patience, Cantor. Why is it that when you are days from being allowed through the portals on your own, you still persist in trying for a rogue adventure? Ahma is very close to granting your walker status.”

“Get off, Tom!” Cantor tried shifting his weight enough to tilt his body and dump the dragon.

A whoosh of air signaled the closing of the portal. The dragon winked, and his snout narrowed and grew a thick, short coat of fur. Pointed horns became floppy ears. Drool dripped from a much smaller mouth than had blown hot air on Cantor a moment before. The pressure on Cantor’s chest eased as the mor dragon’s body slimmed into the body of a dog. The reptilian tail changed last. Cantor couldn’t see it wagging, but since Tom was pleased with himself, it most definitely was.

“I hate it when you do that!”

Tom swiped his face with a pink doggy tongue and jumped off. Cantor sat, pulled up his knees, and buried his head between them, still breathing with ragged gasps.

When he finally could talk without discomfort, he looked up at Tom and grinned. “I almost made it.”

“You didn’t.”

“You completely missed me on the first pass.”

“I was toying with you. Establishing false confidence.”

Cantor stood and brushed off his clothing. “Yeah, sure. I believe that.”

He walked back to the dropped fish with Tom dogging his steps. “You really think Ahma is ready to let me out on my own?”

BOOK: One Realm Beyond
6.77Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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