The tower might creak from mother’s movements, right? he asked himself, trying to relieve his trepidation. He continued his climb, moving as slowly as possible. It was exhausting, and after what felt like forever, his head hit the underside of the platform. He climbed through the slats to stand on the ladder and then pulled himself up to stand next to his mother.
Kade turned to look at Judeen and froze. She was looking at him as though she could see him. Kade moved forward slowly, watching the look on her face. He stopped directly in front of her and wondered if this was another trap. He considered turning and going back down, suspecting that he was being deceived, but decided he had come too far to just leave before knowing for sure. And besides, if she was a trap, he would have already been caught.
Closing his eyes, Kade used the Reveal Calling to check for anything that did not look right. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. There was only his mother. He reached out and put his hand on her arm. It was taut with tension as she hung from the beam, but she still managed a weak smile.
“Mother?” Kade whispered, but she did not answer. “Mother,” he repeated and then remembered the Silence Calling. He dismissed the calling from just himself while keeping it intact for the dragon and its riders.
Kade moved close to his mother and whispered in her ear, “Mother.” Before she could respond, he whispered, almost too quietly for her to hear, even though she was just inches from his mouth. “Shhhhh. Don’t talk yet.” With that, Kade performed the Silence Calling for him and his mother. As soon as he felt the calling take hold, he relaxed and breathed a deep sigh. “Hello Mother.”
“Hello Son. I knew you would come,” she barely croaked, but there was something in her voice. Hope? Maybe even a touch of amusement, and of course, a fair share of defiance. It made his heart feel good to hear this much life still in her.
“We cannot be heard, Mother. You may speak without fear of discovery.”
“My son,” she said, still staying quiet. There was deep affection in her voice.
“I’ve come to get you out of here,” Kade said as he studied the ropes binding her wrists.
“You can’t. There is a very evil man by the name of Morg that is waiting for you to try. He has men all over town, watching like hawks.” She made a sound that most likely was a chuckle and then continued on. “It sounds like you have stirred things up,” she said with a lisp through a split lip. Kade gasped, recalling his grandfather’s note.
“Morg? That is who is behind this?” Kade asked, feeling his heart pound like mad. “Don’t worry mother. I am going to do more than stir things up when I am done,” Kade said as he performed the Healing Calling. He let it flow and she sighed.
“You have been busy learning I see,” she said in approval. Kade smiled despite the situation.
“I have a plan,” Kade said, excited to have a name to put to the evil.
“There is no room for mistakes, Kade. I fear what he will do if he catches you.”
“Then we shall make no mistakes,” Kade said with confidence. There was a growl in his voice.
“Morg has been here for a day, waiting for you. You have him…worried is best how to put it. He even has a healthy fear of you, if that makes any sense. But I do not think he wants you dead. He needs you for something.”
“He has good reason to fear me, Mother. He killed Zayle and I am going to make him pay for that. She gasped and Kade could feel the sadness come off her in waves. He chastised himself for being such a fool. This was not the right time for that kind of information. “I am sorry Mother, but we must focus. Please,” he said, feeling her pain. The last part of what she said had his mind whirling.
Need me for what? he asked himself. He dismissed the thought completely and refocused on their situation.
“He told us that he killed Zayle, but we did not believe him. It did not make sense to us that he would kill Zayle and not be able to handle an apprentice. We believed he was just trying to scare us, but now I see that he spoke the truth,” she said, sounding on the verge of tears. “He kept asking us where you were, but we would not tell him. We could not tell him, even if we wanted,” Judeen said and paused. After a moment’s hesitation, she continued. “Zayle made it very clear that it was imperative that no one know where you were,” she said, her voice gaining a small amount of control. She swallowed the tears and forced herself to be strong. There would be time enough for grieving later. That was the mother he knew. Her personality was one like a mountain. When she needed to be strong, there was no moving her.
Kade could tell she was trying to hide her fear and the sadness, but he could see it in her eyes. He was always able to see the truth in those windows to her soul no matter what she said. He smiled a reassuring smile, forgetting that she couldn’t see him.
“Here is the plan. I am going to use a Transparency Calling to hide you from sight. No one will be able to see or hear you. It will look like you are gone. I have to be able to make both you and Father disappear at the same moment, or they will know I am here. When they start to search for you, I will free you and Father.”
Kade looked up at the ropes and desperately wanted to remove them. She was just inches off the platform but inches or feet did not matter. The ropes were cutting into her wrist, causing her to bleed. After a few seconds of consideration, he decided a few more moments of discomfort were worth the price of her freedom.
“Mother, how did you know I was here?” Kade asked, trying to keep the suspicion out of his voice.
“That was easy,” she said with a slight smile. “Look down there.”
At first, Kade did not know what he was supposed to see, and then it made sense. He was able to see right where the dragon was standing, even in the dark. There were tracks in the street where the dragon’s claws had scraped the ground, making them visible, especially from up on the tower.
“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 p
ut 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.
The Divine Apprentice (The Divine Series) Page 28