The Divine Path (The Divine Series) (7 page)

“I am going as fast as I can.  This lake is so cold, it should already be turned to ice,” Kade said as he sank his arms into the water and wrapped them around his sides.

“Okay, then I shall have to come in and dunk you myself,” Darcienna said with a glint in her eye.

“You can’t,” Kade said as he looked down at his unclothed body and then back up at her.

“Why not?  The dragon seems to like it, so I am sure you will survive,” Darcienna said as she feigned ignorance to the reason for his concern and edged closer to the water.

Taking a deep breath,
Kade turned and dove, vowing to make her pay.  He felt the icy, cold water rush over his body, causing a dull hum to echo in his ears.  He could feel his heart pounding as he came back to the surface.  He wanted to get out of the water, but Darcienna still stood at the edge, watching.

“I will get you for this,” Kade said between teeth that started to chatter.

“Well, feel free to come get me,” Darcienna said as she cocked an eyebrow in challenge and held her arms out to her side with her palms upward.

Her taunts were almost enough for him to overcome his modesty and charge out of the water…almost.  She knew he was no
t going to come out, and she used it for everything it was worth.  She reached down and picked up his pants, dangling them by one crooked finger.  She eyed him deviously as she swung them back and forth.  That was the last straw.  His mind started working feverishly as he struggled to devise a plan of revenge.  He glanced around for something, anything when he saw that Rayden was climbing back on shore just down a ways from Darcienna.  He fought to hide his grin as he formulated his plan.

I might not come out of the water
, Kade thought to himself
, but the dragon will
. 
Rayden
, Kade sent
, sneak up on Darcienna.  You must be as careful and quiet as possible.  Pretend she is the most deadly prey you have ever hunted.  She must not know you are there
.  Rayden instantly dropped to such a low crouch that his belly was just barely off the ground.  Kade had to fight a laugh at the comical way the dragon exaggerated such stealth.  It moved so smoothly that even the Silence Calling was no better.  The dragon’s deliberate movement with every step had Kade in awe. 

“I will get you so
mehow,” Kade threatened as she started to turn.  He moved through the water to keep her attention on him so she would not see the massive predator closing in on her from the side.  One glance at Rayden, and the game would be up.  Kade steadied his heart, eagerly wanting this to go as planned.

“Well, you are there, and I am here,” Darcienna continued to taunt.

Just a little closer.  Almost there. Just keep her busy a little longer
, Kade thought as he fought the urge to smirk.  Rayden was focused and did not even so much as blink as he stalked his victim.  Kade took another step, and she turned just ever so slightly to follow him with her eyes.

“Oh
, trust me.  You will learn, and unfortunately, it has to be the hard way,” Kade said as he casually looked down to study the dirt on his arms.  He fought hard to keep from grinning but lost control as the edge of his mouth tweaked up into a grin.  He pursed his lips hard to hide the smile as he looked up at her.  She was studying him with her eyes narrowed.

“I doubt that,” Darcienna said but there was no confidence in her voice.

Kade locked eyes with her.  He was so eager to see the look on her face when he sprang his attack that he could hardly contain himself. 
Just a little bit more.
  Rayden was virtually a statue with how slow he crept while moving into position directly behind her.  The dragon just needed to move forward ten more feet, and it would be ready to pounce.

“Well, I must admit that you do have me at a disadvantage,” Kade said as he smiled easily and spread his hands out to hi
s side.  He used the smile to hide his grin, but she was studying him now.

Darcienna opened her mouth to give some sort of retort but stopped.  Kade felt his heart thumping, knowing that she was sensing that he was up to something, but the question was…would she
figure it out in time.  Just five more feet and he would have his revenge.  Kade could swear the dragon was not even breathing as it crept toward its target.  He tried hard not to look past her as even just a shift of his eyes would give it away.  Darcienna was feigning casualness, but she was watching him as sharply as a hawk, and he knew it.  One slip and this would end in her favor.

His clothes still dangling from her finger, the smile slipped from her face. 
Four feet.  She turned her head to look at him sideways.  Three feet.  Her wrist went slack as she looked around the lake, sensing something was not right.  There was something missing, but she could not quite place what it was.  Two feet.  Kade was sure that any moment she would feel or sense the massive, hulking dragon just barely out of her peripheral view.  One foot.  Darcienna’s eyes came open wide as she scanned the lake.  Her eyes locked with his.  She inhaled sharply and then she spun.

“Now,” Kade commanded and the dragon attacked.

Darcienna moved like lightning but it was not fast enough.  The dragon hit her in the backend with his snout and lifted all in one smooth motion.  She was propelled well into the air with such a look of dismay that Kade burst out in laughter instantly.  He was laughing so hard that he no longer noticed the cold of the lake.  It was all so very worth it.  

Darcienna landed with a splash a good fifteen feet from shore.  She went under and came up sputtering.  For a moment, Kade stopped laughing and watched close
ly to make sure she was okay.  When she got to her feet with her hair stuck to the side of her face, he relaxed and immersed himself in his victory.  The look of disbelief was still strong in her eyes, and it made this so much sweeter.  Kade grinned and sent Rayden a thanks.  The dragon was lying down on the beach with its front legs crossed as it sat, its mouth hanging open in a relaxed way, watching.

“Wow is that cold,” Darcienna said as she hugged herself.

“I told you.  But, you made me get in, so I thought it only fair to share this amazing experience with you,” Kade said as he chuckled again.  “It’s not bad once you get used to it.”

“Then you enjoy your swim,” Darcienna said as she worked her way back to shore.  “You could not get me back in here if your life depended on it.”  Kade watched as she walked out of the water, seeing the wet clothes cling tightly to her shapely body. 

It was definitely worth it
, Kade thought with a grin.

He laughed again as he took a deep breath, dunked his head under water and came back up again.  He scrubbed his hair with his hands to loosen the dirt and then ducked back under
the surface.  He swished back and forth and then stood.

“Just to show you I am a good sport, I will lay your clothes out for you to dry,” Darcienna said in as sweet a voice as she could muster.  She sat down on a log and ignored the cool night air as she made it clear she was not going to turn her back or close her eyes.  The sun was down and the sounds of night animals drifted through the air. 

“Can’t you just admit that I won and let this go?” Kade asked with a grin.

“Of course I can,
” Darcienna said innocently but there was no sincerity in her voice.

“I’ll tell you what.  If you leave my clothes alone and turn your back, I won’t drown myself,” Kade said as he formulated his next plan.

“Come get dressed,” Darcienna said, curious what Kade was up to now?  She might not admit it to him, but she did enjoy seeing his humorous side.

“Okay,” Kade said as he turned toward the deeper
water.  For this to succeed, he had to be in up to his neck or she would discover his ruse. 

“Last chance,” Kade yelled over his shoulder, but she did not reply.

Darcienna moved to the edge of the water, watching him curiously.  Kade grinned to himself as he started the moves for the Transparency Calling.  Just as he finished, he ducked under the water.  The timing had to be perfect or she would see his head disappear and she would know his plan.

Kade swam at an angle to shore and surfaced as quietly as possible, struggling not to take a deep breath.  The night was too quiet so he knew any sound would give him away.  His only chance was for the insects and water sounds to mask any noise he made.  With concerted effort, he was able to get his breathing under control.

Darcienna put her hands on her hips as she continued to stare, a grin on her face.  She was enjoying these little games.  She turned and walked toward him.  He was sure he was discovered until he realized that she had not taken her eyes off the water where he had been.  She paced back the other way and gave a gasp of frustration.  Kade almost let out a laugh at this.

“He will come up any second,” Darcienna said to herself.  Kade stifled another laugh and her head whipped around to look in his direction.  After a moment, she returned to watching the water.  Ano
ther thirty seconds passed.  “Okay, time for you to come make a fire,” she said as she studied the water.  She yelled his name but still no response.  She turned to walk away from the lake as if to ignore him, but after just three steps, she came back to the edge of the water.

He felt a twinge of guilt as he saw the worried look on her face.  Just a twinge, and then he stifled another laugh.  She could no longer
take it.  She waded in to the spot where he had been. 

Kade hurried onto shore and dressed as quickly as possible.  Darcienna was too busy looking into the water to see the clothes lift into the air like a leaf caught by the wind.
Kade struggled into his outfit that clung just as tightly going on as they did coming off.  He grinned to himself as he adjusted his shirt and sat down on the log.

“What are you looking for
?” Kade asked Darcienna casually as he let the Transparency Calling go.  When she looked up, she jumped as if she were stuck by a pin.

“What the…,” Darcienna started to say.

“I am a Chosen,” Kade said as if that answered it all.

“How did…wait. 
Uggg.  You used the Divine,” Darcienna said as if she was handing down a guilty verdict and accusing him of cheating.

“Was that against the rules?” Kade asked
with an innocent look.

“Make a fire,” was all Darcienna said to that.

Kade quickly pulled some wood over into a pile as he watched Darcienna shiver.  He started to feel guilty and worried that the cold might even cause more problems than he realized.  He motioned her to move back and then set the wood on fire with an explosion.  Darcienna flinched and looked at him.  Kade gave her a sheepish look that did for an apology.  The medallion on his chest cooled ever so slightly.  He was conscious of it any time it changed now.  She sat by the fire, shivering for some time.

“That was a cute trick,” Darcienna said with a smile.  She looked at him sideways and the smile reached her eyes.  Again, Kade could not believe how perfect she was.

They both huddled next to the fire and enjoyed the warmth as it soaked into their bones.  Darcienna slid next to Kade and held onto his arm for comfort.  He leaned into her slightly, enjoying the closeness.  After a while, they turned to face away from the fire to give their backs a chance to dry.  They sat looking over the water well after the wetness had left their clothes and talked for quite some time until Rayden started to huff.  Kade did not even need to look at the dragon to know why.  He glanced at Darcienna, who unwrapped herself from his arms.  Wearily, he rose and moved away from the fire.  Rayden started to dance from foot to foot, eager to be fed.

Kade forced himself to focus as he worked his way through the calling over and over again.  He found it very difficult to stay on task as his mind threatened to wander.  Feeding the dragon was becoming monotonous and routine.   This made it dangerous, and he knew
, sooner or later, he might make a mistake that was permanent.  After feeding the dragon his standard ten pieces, he decided to try an experiment.  He thought back on his battle with Morg and how much of the Divine Power surged through his body during the fight. 

I wonder if I can channel the Divine like that again,
Kade thought. 
Maybe it can be used to affect the size of the meat that I can conjure.
  The problem was that he had never called on that much of the Divine intentionally.  It had always come through anger and of its own accord.

Kade closed his eyes and reached deep for the Divine.  It was there, as usual, and came to him like it always did, but this time he tried to grab more of it.  There was no discernible change.  He felt for the power swirling in him, and it was nothing more than a gentle tide,
not the raging flood he had experienced previously.  He performed the Food Calling and visualized the piece of meat, trying to see it as twice the normal size.  The calling fizzled and crackled, but nothing materialized.  He tried making the normal size piece of meat, and it materialized just as it always had.

“Kade
?” Darcienna asked.  “Are we going to eat?”

Kade looked down and realized she had been waiting patiently for their meal.  He quickly handed the meat to her and continued to make cheese and bread.  He looked around for a torok tree, but seeing none, decided to pass on making the wine.