The Divine Apprentice (The Divine Series) (38 page)

“That does not explain how you knew it was me,” Kade asked, watching her closely.

“Morg thought we knew about your dragon.  When he asked where you were, he always asked where you and your dragon were.  Of course we didn’t know you had a dragon until he told us,” she said with a sly smile.  “We are good at listening.  And besides, you are my son.  I could feel it was you,” she said with such fondness that Kade felt a rush of emotions. 

He felt himself relax.  It made enough sense that he let his suspicions go.  He stepped forward and lightly put his arms around her and whispered, “I will get you out shortly.  You will have to stay here just a little longer,” Kade said as he performed the Healing Calling again.  “Once Morg has left town looking for us, I will come back and get you down,” he reassured her as he scanned the area.  His mother did not respond.  Kade turned to go and gave her one last look before grabbing the edge of the platform and lowering himself down to the ladder.  He made sure to be as cautious going down as he was going up the ladder.  Once on the ground, he performed the Reveal Calling and worked his way past the traps and back to the dragon.

Kade decided to go to his father and explain the plan to him first, before putting it into motion.  From his father’s platform, he would then try to use the Transparency Calling on his mother.  He only hoped that Morg was not clever enough to alter the callings he used on each tower. 

“I’m back,” Kade said as he walked into the dragon.  Rayden flinched hard and swung his head around to take several quick sniffs before relaxing.  “Darcienna?” Kade called and then realized what was happening.  He quickly dismissed both Silence Callings and then performed it again so they were all under the same one.  “Darcienna?”

“Kade?  You had us worried when you did not answer,” Darcienna said, breathing hard.

“I had to recast the Silence Calling but enough about that.  We need to get to my Father, now.”

“I am just happy you are okay.  I was starting to worry,” Darcienna said, concern in her voice.

Kade mounted the dragon and directed it to the other tower.  It felt like it took forever as Rayden carefully picked up each foot and put it down again very slowly.  Kade explained the plan to Darcienna as they worked their way to his father.  He stopped well clear of the traps and dismounted.

After studying the callings surrounding the second structure, Kade readied himself to disarm them as he had done at his mother’s tower.  He sent the Divine to do his bidding and quickly scanned the ground.  To his dismay, there was no gap.  All callings were still intact.  Kade felt his pulse start to quicken.  Taking a deep breath to help himself focus, he closed his eyes and performed the Disarm Calling once more.  To his horror, there was no change.  Kade slowly looked up to his father, yearning desperately to get to him.

He fought down the panic and studied the traps once more, hoping to find that he had missed something.  Everything still looked the same.  There had to be something. 

Why would Morg place two different sets of traps?  He wouldn’t,
Kade thought. 
He would use the best he has.

Kade closed his eyes, performed the Reveal Calling and started to work his way around the tower.  As he rounded the far side, he saw it.  There was a narrow path to the tower where one of the traps had disarmed.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Kade made it past the callings easily.  This time, he was able to slide right up to the tower without opening his eyes.  He relaxed slightly as he slid through the slats and stood in the middle.

Kade was worried as he still had not seen his father move.  He gripped the lowest board and pulled himself up.  The wood creaked so loudly that Kade was sure someone was going to come running to investigate.  If his father was not alive, this was definitely going to bring them for there would be no reason for the tower to creak so loudly.  It was a small bit of comfort when nothing stirred in the darkness.  After letting out his breath, he continued.  It took much longer this time as Kade put extra effort in not causing any more sounds.  By the time he reached the underside of the platform, his lungs were burning from the effort.  He reached for the ladder and swung himself up, still trying to be quiet.  He carefully stepped on each rung as he inched his way higher, eager to put his plan into motion.

Kade pulled himself onto the platform and found himself face to face with the limp figure bound to a beam.  Just like his mother, Garig’s feet were just inches from the platform.  There was a lot of dried blood, making his face almost unrecognizable.  Kade could see the bruising on his ribs through the tattered shirt, indicating broken ribs.  Kade felt his heart fill with sadness as he regarded the face of the one man that he had always looked up to and respected more than almost any other man alive.  Zayle was the only other man that had gained Kade’s respect to the level his father had.

He let the Silence Calling dissipate from himself and then recast it around him and his father.  He quickly called on the Divine and used the Healing Calling on his father.  The power sank into the flesh and faded.  Still, there was no movement from the man.  Kade leaned closer to listen for breathing and thought he could hear just a wisp of breath.  He performed the calling again and placed his hands on his father for the second time.  He felt him move ever so slightly.

“Father, can you hear me?” Kade asked the still figure.  “Father!”  Kade said more insistently.

Garig slowly opened his right eye.  His left was completely swollen shut.  He struggled to focus as if he were coming out of a daze.  He raised his head with some difficulty, trying to search for the source of the voice.  Kade could see the pain in his eyes as he tried to turn his head, looking left and right.  Anger was there waiting to take over but Kade took a deep breath and let it out.  It was not enough to calm his rage.  It started to build.  The best Kade could hope for was to keep it in check, but as he looked at his father’s face, he knew the anger was not going away anytime soon.  The Divine was like a raging river pounding on a dam, trying to break through.  Kade focused to keep what logical sense he had left.

“Son, is that you?” Garig asked through swollen lips.  His voice was strained as he struggled through a coughing fit.  Kade performed the healing again and placed his hands on his father’s head.  The swelling visibly melted and Garig’s eyes seemed to become sharper.  There was even fire in that look.

“Yes Father, I am here,” Kade said as he placed his hand on the bruised arm, careful not to put any real weight on it.

“You must keep your voice down, Son,” Garig hissed, barely audible.  “Kade, you have to get out of here.  They have traps set up all over the place to catch you.  There are men in every store, waiting.  You have to leave now!  Morg is expecting you to come.  We are bait, Son.  Don’t let him win.  You must leave now!”  Garig pleaded. 

He was frantic, trying his best to persuade his son to leave before another second passed.  Kade felt the anger and it engulfed his heart.  He wanted desperately to call on the Divine Power and unleash its full fury.  The dam started to break as the Divine called to him.  He took a deep breath, and steeled his will, forcing the Divine to do as he commanded before its temptation took too strong a hold.  It was too late.  It refused to go.  Kade wrestled with it but it came rushing at him as the dam broke.  Kade felt it calling to him to use it, to wield its might, to bend it to his will, or was it him bending to its will?  He held it in check as he forced it to do as he commanded.  For now, he was in control.

“Yes, I am aware, Father.  Mother told me much of this,” Kade said in a growl.  “Don’t worry about them hearing us.  I have cast a calling that hides all sound.  Morg is not the only one who can control the Divine Power,” Kade said as he flexed and relaxed his fists, fighting desperately to keep from allowing the Divine to consume him completely.  The amount of power racing through him was staggering.  His special gift was causing the Divine to rage through him, making it almost impossible to think.

He heard his father inhale sharply.  Kade ground his teeth hard in sheer determination in an effort to keep control.  He wanted desperately to dance the moves to a calling and send the Divine out to destroy, but it was not the right time.  His muscles twitched and convulsed as he fought to keep his arms at his sides.  Callings flashed through his mind in rapid succession.

“You…can call on the Great Divine Power?  Kade…,” Garig started to say but was at a loss for words.  Was that fear or something else underneath his father’s words?  Without skipping a beat, Garig changed the subject.  “Your mother?  You talked with her?  Is she ok?” he asked in a rush.

Kade could not ignore the way his father reacted to his use of the Divine.  He thought about Garig’s reaction and was not sure if it was good or bad. 
Was it fear or respect?  Or, was it something else?
He decided to return to this topic at a later time.

“Yes, Father.  She is on the other tower.”  Kade felt frustration, but he knew he had to keep thinking as best as he was able or everything he was working for could fall apart.  He tried to sound calm and confident for his father.

“What do you plan to do?” Garig asked.  It was obvious he was still hurting considerably as his head sagged forward to rest on his chest while he struggled to breath.

“Just hold on a little while longer, Father,” Kade said.  He eagerly sent more Divine Healing into the suffering man.  Garig gasped hard as the calling raced through his body.  Giving the Divine release helped Kade get a firmer hold on it.  “I’m going to make you and Mother vanish at the same time.  It will look like you have already escaped,” he said, feeling more in control again.

“Ahhhhh.  I see.  So you are trying to fool him into thinking we have escaped while we are still here?” 

“Yes, and when that happens, he will go looking for you.  Then, we will go free Mother and I will get you both out of here,” Kade said.

“Dangerous, Kade.  Very dangerous, but I am ready when you are.” Garig said with confidence.  He even seemed eager to see this put into motion.

“Be ready,” Kade said.

“Son, what have you been doing to me?  I almost completely healed,” Garig said in awe.  Kade grinned ever so slightly.  The Divine slowed a little more.

“I have been using the Power to heal you.  It should take away most of the damage and help with the pain, but it won’t fix everything.  Your body has to do the rest, but it will keep you alive,” Kade said as he worked his way to the edge of the platform.  “I have to finish with the rest of my plan.  My dragon is down there, waiting for me,” Kade said.

“So it’s true?” Garig said, incredulously.  “You really do have a dragon?  But…how?  Wait.  Save that for later.  What now?” he asked, gaining strength by the moment.

Kade looked down where the dragon was and cringed. 
How could we have not been discovered?
he thought.  If Morg had put men on the towers, they would have been done.  Seeing the tracks easily, he was far from confident that they would go undiscovered.

“Now, I send the dragon away.  Darcienna is not going to like this, but it is for the best.  I will weather her wrath later,” Kade said and almost flinched at the onslaught he was sure to get.

“Darcienna?”

“Another long story, Father.  I have much to tell.  Now, we focus on this.  I need a moment to send the dragon away.”

Rayden,
Kade thought, as he reached out for the mind of his faithful companion. 
You must go back the way we came.  Go into the woods and work your way north until you reach the river.  Enter the river and follow it.  That should hide your scent and keep you from being tracked.  The river will lead around to the southeast.  Follow it until it bends to the left and wait for me there.

Kade sensed Rayden’s apprehension.  He was expecting this.  The Apprentice Chosen would have resisted also, so he was ready with his response.

At any moment, there are going to be many people overrunning the town, and they are going to find you.  You need to be gone.  You must trust me, my friend.  It is very important, or we may be caught.
  The dragon was reluctant, and Kade could feel its intense worry, but he knew Rayden was going to do his best to follow the instructions.

Darcienna was going to skin him alive when she saw him again, but he knew if he told her of his plan, she would have fought tooth-and-nail to stay.   He grinned despite himself.  Kade returned to his father and looked him over once more for any critical wounds that needed immediate attention.  He was completely shocked to see none at all.  He turned to survey the town.

“Okay Father, it’s going to be a little while before I can free you.  Be ready,” Kade said as he scanned the area.  “Is there anything you can tell me about Morg while we wait?”

“Just that he wanted to find you at all cost.  He is dangerous, Kade.  You must be careful.”

“He fears me, Father.  He fears me and there has to be a reason.”

“Kade, stay away from him.  I have seen what he can do.”  Kade did not respond.  “Son, it’s not that I think you can’t handle yourself.  This man is evil and he will not hesitate to kill.  The amount of power he wields is indescribable.”

“I know, Father.  I know,” Kade said as the Divine slowed to a manageable level.

He knelt down on the platform as he continued to scan the town.  Every so often, he would see a black shape step out of a shadow, and then, just as quickly, disappear.  He could not help but to grin, knowing he was right under their noses.