The Divine Path (The Divine Series) (26 page)

             
“Of course,” Kade said, his mood improving marginally.  He quickly made a chunk of steaming, hot meat and handed it to Darcienna, who passed it off to Judeen.  Darcienna smiled sweetly at Kade, as she waited for the next piece.  “Here,” he said as he handed her the food.  “Does the boy need any?” Kade asked, looking fondly at Marcole.

             
“I shall share mine with him,” Darcienna said as she tore off a piece for Marcole.

             
The dragon was now huffing loudly at him as it waited impatiently.  He glanced at it and shook his head, seeing the slimy, wet liquid pooling at the edges of its mouth.  Kade was careful not to get anywhere near that mouth.  He was learning. 

Soon, Kade was making and tossing meat to the dragon
, who would quickly snap it up.  On the eighth time of calling on the food, Kade yelped and jerked his hand out from under the meat as it materialized in his hand.  He had started to lose focus and had made the meat too hot.  He shot his mother a quick glance, afraid she was going to become upset, but she had not noticed.  Darcienna cast a glance at Judeen and quickly healed Kade before his mother could see.  Judeen was surprisingly interested in something in the dirt.  Kade breathed a sigh of relief as soon as Darcienna finished.

             
Kade made a few more pieces of meat for the dragon.  He was sure that it was not enough, but he could only do this for so long.  Finally, he made one for himself and eagerly sat down, tearing into the food.  He closed his eyes, enjoying the strong flavor of the meat as the juices ran down his throat.

             
“I wish I would have thought to make this before we left the cabin,” Kade said through a mouth full of food.  He had taken several more large bites and was wolfing them down when he noticed that the women were staring at him.  He stopped in mid chew to stare back.

             
“What?” Kade asked around the food, not understanding what he was doing wrong.  He was starting to realize that men could never do anything right where women were concerned.

             
“You eat like you are starving,” Darcienna said.

             
Kade sat looking at her, waiting for her to explain further.  Why she would state the obvious when he already knew this was beyond his understanding.  The only thing he was certain of was that the comment was made to make a point.  To this he responded by swallowing and then taking an even larger bite.  Darcienna shook her head in disgust and turned her back on him, blatantly ignoring his gesture.  Why, he would never know, but he was grateful for the chance to eat in peace.  They finished their meal and stood, preparing to leave.  As Kade readied to help Judeen mount, she grabbed his hand firmly and studied his palm.  With a twist of her mouth and a shake of her head, she tossed it away and waited for him to boost her onto the dragon’s back.  Kade ground his teeth in frustration at his incompetence and vowed to do better at hiding his foolishness.

             
The four of them had been traveling for just short of an hour when Darcienna’s hand shot out to latch onto Kade’s leg without warning.  Kade, being deep in his own thoughts, jumped hard.  He could have sworn his heart stopped beating for just a moment.  His hand went to hers, but before he was able to dislodge it, he understood what the grip meant.  He quickly turned to look at her and saw her eyes were starting to indicate danger.  He got a sinking feeling as he studied her face, hoping to find a clue there as to what the threat might be.  He immediately brought the dragon to a stop.

             
“What?” Kade asked, trying to stay calm.

             
“There is danger ahead!” Darcienna exclaimed with a gasp.

             
“What danger?” Kade asked, letting all his senses become as sharp as possible.

             
“I’m not sure.  It seems to be coming from there,” Darcienna said as she pointed in the direction of town.  “The longer we travel, the stronger the feeling gets.”

             
“The town is just in the distance,” Judeen said as she watched the couple closely.

“Do
you think the danger is in Dresben?” Kade asked as he focused intently on her.  “My father is there,” Kade said, fighting not to panic.  His mind flashed back to the scene of his father being bound to the tower.

“Yes,” Darcienna responded.  “It doesn’t seem to be as strong as when we ran into Morg
, but it is definitely there.”

Kade eyed the town as he mentally warned Rayden of the approaching danger.  He performed the Transparency Calling and the Silence Calling. 
Judeen gasped but he ignored her and urged the dragon to move forward cautiously.  He hoped it was not needed, but Darcienna had not been wrong yet.  Rayden seemed to pick up the pace with the promise of battle.  Kade wished he could feel the same way, but his mind was full of worry for his father.  He brought the dragon to a stop just on the edge of town.

“Rayden, stay here while I go check this out.  Mother, Darcienna, stay here
until I return.  I should not be long,” Kade said as he prepared to slide off the dragon.  Darcienna grabbed his arm and held on, not liking this plan one bit.

“I am coming with you,” Darcienna said as she prepared to dismount. 

“No, you are not,” Kade said firmly, leaving no room for argument.  Kade felt Darcienna tense and knew she was ready to argue.  “If something goes wrong, I will need you to keep my mother and Marcole safe.”  After a moment, he softened and added, “Please.” 

“For you,” Darcienna said with a sigh.  “But you cannot keep making me sta
y back.  You need me with you,” she scolded.

“I know,” Kade said,
and felt her relax considerably.  “Keep my mother safe,” he said as he slid to the ground.

Kade started toward
the edge of town when Rayden growled deeply and long.  It was a guttural rumble that reverberated from deep within the dragon.  Rayden was obviously not pleased with being told to stay behind either.   Kade reassured his friend that he would stay in contact and call on him if needed.  The deep rumble ceased, but he could still feel the displeasure through the link. 

Does everyone have to question my decisions?
Kade mentally grumbled to himself.

Making his way
into town and down the street, Kade made sure to keep clear of everyone.  His mind saw the image of Darcienna’s blue eyes.  He could not help but to watch for a tall man holding a staff, hiding around every corner.  He looked at the ground a time or two to ensure he was not leaving prints.  Relieved that he was completely undetectable, he relaxed and started toward the tavern to search for his father.  That was as good a place to start as any.

Stopping just outside, Kade
peered in and immediately found Garig sitting at the bar, talking to a stranger.  Garig tipped his head back and drained a mug.  The stranger ordered him another and placed it in his hand.  Kade slid into the room and worked his way across the tavern.  He had to dodge a few patrons, but seeing as the place was virtually empty, it was not too difficult. 

Garig laughed at something the stranger said
, and Kade felt a considerable amount of relief that his father was safe, but something seemed odd here.  He moved just a few feet away from the men as they spoke, careful not to get blocked in if someone were to come toward him.  He studied the stranger and instantly did not like him but could not put his finger on why.  He was a deadly man that looked like he had seen lots of action.  He had a look in his eye that said he would take a life in between drinks without even caring, as long as he did not spill his ale.

“You’ll be able
to meet my son sometime.  I will have to introduce you,” Kade heard his father say, and then Garig laughed as though he had told the most hysterical joke.  The man laughed just as hard.  Obviously Kade was missing the funny part of the jest, but he figured it was an inside joke and gave it no mind.  For just a moment, Kade swore the stranger’s eyes were a touch more narrow and his nose a bit sharper, but then just as quickly, Kade was sure the light was playing tricks on him.

H
e considered letting the callings go and surprising his father but thought better of it.  It would not go over well here, and it would not help him keep his secret.  As much fun as it would be to see the shocked look on their faces, it was much better to be conservative in his actions. 
And besides, father hates the Divine
, he reminded himself. 

He turned and headed for the door.  Ju
st before he ducked out the exit, he glanced back at his father and paused, seeing the old man looking around as if trying to find something.  Kade could swear he was trying to find him as he stood and narrowed his eyes, studying everyone and everything that moved.  After a moment, he shook his head and slid back onto the bar stool.

Kade quickly returned
to the dragon and the women.  He could sense Rayden’s impatience and did his best to calm his friend.  He called out to Darcienna and followed her voice until he bumped into Rayden.

“I found Father.  He is in the tavern talking to one of the other patrons.  We should go now,” Kad
e said as he let the callings dissipate while keeping the dragon cloaked.

I know you are not going to like this, but you must remain here
, Kade thought to Rayden.   The dragon responded with a quick snort directly in his face.  Kade gagged and coughed as he backed away.

“Not funny,” Kade said as he glared at the empty space in front of himself.  “Just wait here.”

“Kade, are you sure it’s okay?  I still sense danger,” Darcienna said, unsure.

“I did not see anything out of place,” Kade said as he found himself staring into her glowing blue eyes.  For a moment
, he wondered what she saw when her eyes changed.

“It’s not real strong
, but it is definitely there.  We need to be careful,” Darcienna said gravely.

“Trust me.
If father sensed any danger, he wouldn’t have been talking to a stranger about me.  Anyway, he looked like he was having a good time,” Kade said.

“He was talking about you
?” Judeen asked.  Kade could swear he caught a tone in her voice, but when he looked at her, there was nothing out of the ordinary.

“Yes,” Kade said as he watched her for a reaction.

“Well, let’s go find him,” Judeen said casually, but there was something about the way her eyes turned to daggers that put him on edge.

Rayden fussed
over and over, protesting at being left behind.  Kade would have enjoyed traipsing into town with a dragon in tow, but again, it would do nothing for keeping a low profile.  Rayden had to stay.  He soothed the dragon several times with the promise to call for help if needed.

Kade
led the small party right to the tavern.  As he walked, he reassured the dragon several more times that he would be fine, but Rayden’s agitation did not lessen.  At a loss as to what he could do to placate the dragon, Kade sighed and just let it go as he worked his way to where he had last seen his father.  He started to go in when his mother grabbed him by the arm and squeezed while turning him.

“Kade, are you sure he is in here
?” Judeen asked, suspicion heavy in her voice.

“Yes.  I saw him talking to a man right over there at the bar,” Kade said as
he pointed at the tavern.  He turned to go, eager to see his father.  Kade glanced up and down the street and then back to his mother.  Judeen reluctantly let her grip go and followed after him.  Darcienna hesitated as the sense of danger grew ever so slightly.  She told herself that the feelings were not really that much stronger, so it had to be ok. 

Besides, between Kade and me, we should be able to handle anything
this slight danger can offer,
she thought.

Kade walked in and saw his father sitting at a table in the back of the room with a mug of ale in his hands. 
He had his back to the wall in a way that allowed him to watch both the front and back entrance.  Kade smiled at his father as he walked up to the table.  Garig looked up at him and opened his mouth as if confused and then smiled.  Kade saw the look in his father’s eye for just a moment, and then it was replaced with a look of recognition.  Kade smiled at the empty mug sitting in front of his father and wondered how many empty cups had already left the table.

Motioning for Judeen and Darcienna to sit, Kade pulled up a chair next to his
father.  Darcienna took her place next to Kade while sitting Marcole on her lap.  Judeen sat next to Garig.  She studied her husband for a brief moment before relaxing. 

“You could at least say hello,” Judeen
said tersely.

“I am sorry.  I just did not know what to say,” Garig said, still not looking
at her.  He never seemed to take his eyes off Kade.  “Don’t you have your dragon with you?” Garig continued.

“Father!
” Kade hissed.  He made a motion with his hand that was meant to convey for his father to keep it quiet.  “He is just outside of town, in the woods.  I didn’t think it would be a good idea to bring him,” he said as he gave a quiet chuckle while glancing around the room.  “As much fun as it would be to see everyone’s reaction, I am sure he would attract too much attention, and right now, I want to avoid that at all cost.”