She did try to kill me, he thought, but that did nothing for putting him on guard. Something about her female form brought out his protective nature. Ven could easily fend for herself, and yet, he felt the need to look after her.
He shook his head and turned to go when Doren caught his eye. He walked up to the Master Chosen, who appeared to be deep in thought, as he looked up at the ceiling where the two shapeshifters had fought. Kade cleared his throat and Doren casually regarded the apprentice as if he was seeing Kade for the first time.
“You knew Vell….Ven was no threat when she changed?” Kade asked, recalling Doren’s lack of concern.
“I was confident that I had analyzed the situation correctly,” Doren said a bit too smug for Kade’s liking. He could have gotten the same type of response if he had asked if the sun was going to come up the next day.
“How?” Kade asked. Doren took on the air of someone drawing on infinite patience while being forced to deal with something that was extremely obvious.
“His eyes…her eyes,” Doren said, correcting himself “were on the spiders. When they moved in, she changed. Her eyes never left the spiders. If she was a danger to you, then she would have been watching you,” Doren said as if talking to someone who might struggle to grasp such a simple concept.
Kade felt his blood start to boil and had to take a deep breath to steady himself. Getting angry was not going to help. Besides, if he had eyes in the back of his head, he would have easily seen this, also. So, Doren gets no extra points for catching the obvious. He gave a tight lipped smile, and with a nod of his head to say he understood, turned back to Ven.
“Come with me,” Kade said. “We have some things to discuss.”
Kade turned and watched the spiders slowly dispersing. Several were still casting cautious glances at the shapeshifter, apparently still not trusting the creature. When the spiders saw Kade watching them, they would quickly avert their gaze.
As Kade started to move forward, he felt Ven touch him lightly on the arm, pulling him to a stop. He turned to see why and froze as he looked into her beautiful, brown eyes, again. He should have realized that she had returned to her birth form from the touch of her hand, but he missed it. He shook his head, not sure if he was going to be able to deal with such a radical change in how he felt toward each form.
Why am I so soft toward her in her female form? he asked himself. After a moment, it hit him. She had put herself in his hands completely and allowed herself to be vulnerable when she showed her true form. She might be a tough looking man in one shape, but who she really was came out when she looked at him with these eyes. And, the look she gave him was one of deep admiration. At least, that had to be part of it. Any hard feelings he had about her in the past were completely forgotten. Darcienna elbowed him so hard in the ribs he thought she might have cracked one.
“Darcienna,” Kade growled. “Stop,” he hissed. She shoved away from him so hard that he almost lost his balance. She turned and stalked off. Kade exhaled in exasperation. He went to call after her, but he knew her well enough to know that his words would have fallen on deaf ears.
“That is my fault,” Ven said as she changed back to her male form.
“No. You should not have to be Vell if you don’t want to be,” Kade said as he tried to ignore the awkwardness of talking to the female, Ven, while staring at the male, Vell. “You had to be someone else for Morg, but that time is done. If you want to be Ven when you are with me and away from prying eyes, then be Ven. I will tell you when you need to be Vell,” Kade said. “What did you stop me for?” he asked as he glanced down at the hand still on his arm.
“I just wanted to say...well…what you did back there. Those spiders. They were ready to kill me without hearing a word I had to say. But, you were willing to fight for me when I had tried to kill you. You had no reason to trust me,” Ven said as she paused once more. She melted into her female form, and her eyes shown as though her emotions were going to have her in tears at any moment. “What I am trying to say is…I have never had anyone willing to stand up for me, ever. As I already said, even my own kind would rather see me fall than defend me. It is only out of a drive for the race to survive that they followed any leader at all. On an individual basis, they do not care. But…you cared,” she said as her eyes moistened.
Kade felt compassion well up in him, and without thinking, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. She melted into his embrace, and he knew, at that moment, she was every bit a helpless young girl as any human. He just prayed that Darcienna did not see this and jump to the wrong conclusion. He glanced around the Great Hall and thought he saw a flash of green disappear through the door to the stairs. After several seconds, Kade stepped back and gave her a reassuring smile.
“I will never betray you!” Ven said fiercely.
“Just remember that when the time comes for you to save my life,” Kade said as he smiled again and turned to join the meeting.
Doren fell in step next to Kade. The Master Chosen watched the Apprentice as they walked. After just five steps, Kade stopped and turned to face him.
“What?” Kade asked a little testier that he should have.
“I was just thinking that you might have a better chance of surviving a battle with Morg than the battle you are soon to fight,” Doren said as he turned to look at the exit. Kade let out a breath as his chin dropped to his chest. He wished he could argue this one, but it did not take a wise, old Chosen Master to know these were very true words. “When it comes to women…” Doren said as he slowly shook his head as if at a loss. For Doren to be at a loss for words was something Kade thought he would never see.
“Does it ever stop?” Kade asked. Doren leaned forward to look past him at the shapeshifter. After a moment of studying Ven, he stood back up and shook his head firmly one time as he pressed his lips together. The meaning was not lost on the apprentice. “I can only do my best,” Kade said as he prepared to continue on his walk. Doren put a hand on his arm to hold him in place. When Kade looked at the Master Chosen once again, the hunger was back in his eyes.
“I think it would benefit us to know how your visit with the Ancients went,” Doren said, trying to sound casual. He might as well have been a dragon looking down on a helpless boar. Kade recalled Zayle’s warning about not trusting other Chosen and this time it rang like a bell that could be heard for miles. He tried to think quickly on how much he wanted to tell as Doren studied him closely. After a moment, he could see no reason to keep any of it from the man so he started to talk. Kade could not help but to notice the way Doren almost appeared to be salivating as if every word was more precious than the last.
“I did meet with two of the Ancients,” Kade said as he watched the way Doren hungrily devoured everything said.
“And?” Doren asked a little impatiently. “Did they tell you of any other artifacts that we may use to counter the staff? Are there any other books of power that will help us in our fight?” he asked eagerly.
Help in our fight? Kade thought sarcastically. The man is probably happy for this excuse to covet more power, Kade thought in disgust.
“Well?” Doren asked, starting to become more impatient.
“They only told me that we must take the staff from Morg,” Kade said, intentionally leaving out the part about the four metal books. Those books were not relevant for the current situation. Kade decided he would share that little piece of news at another time, if Doren needed to know. For now, only information that would help in their battle against Morg was all that the Master Chosen would need to hear.
“And?” Doren prompted, eager to learn something more.
“They said that we needed to take the staff. They said it would be best if we were to attempt this while he is at the mountain Drell.” He watched as Doren almost appeared to be deflating like a balloon losing all its air. It was becoming all too clear to the overweight man that there was nothing new to be learned here. “They said it was imperative th
at the gate be kept safe or an evil on the other side could be loosed on the world. If Morg finds the arch, he could destroy the calling set within the arch.”
“Why is this important?” Doren asked, the hunger in his eyes gone.
“They said that if the calling set within the arch is destroyed, the veil between worlds would be removed and anything on that side could cross over.” Doren’s eyes lost focus as his mind worked.
“Destroying the calling would set the dead free on the world?” Doren said as if shocked. “I thought the calling was in place so we could communicate with the dead. And they say destroying it would cause a hole between worlds?” For just a moment, Kade thought he sensed doubt in the Master Chosen’s tone. “If that is what they say, then it must be so,” Doren said as he nodded his head. “Well, we must protect the arch at all cost. We would never want to lose access to the Ancients.”
“We wouldn’t,” Kade agreed.
Maybe Doren did not learn anything on his previous trip to the cave, but losing the arch to Morg would mean he would never have a chance to ever learn anything ever again from the long dead Chosen. That was too much for him to take. Having access to the Ancients, even if it was through the apprentice, was something Doren was not about to let go just yet. Contact with the Ancients had the promise of great powers beyond his wildest dreams. Kade thought about Talos and Lokk and felt sorry for Doren. There was no way those two were going to easily give a man like this anything that was important. Doren was his own worst enemy and he did not even know it.
“We shall have to keep the arch safe at all cost,” Doren said resolutely.
“I would agree. They said the same thing. It is important for us to be able to communicate. I sense there is much going on that we are unaware of,” Kade said as the king got his attention. Kade nodded toward Crayken for Doren to see that they were being waited on. The Master Chosen immediately started walking to join the meeting.
Kade was relieved that the talk was over. If Doren knew of the metal books, he would be relentless in his pursuit of the hidden knowledge. It might be part of a set that went with the staff, but there was nothing saying that the callings in this book could not be cast as normal callings without the staff. This, alone, could be power beyond what was safe for any one man to hold. For a fraction of a second, Kade found himself wondering what he would do if he were to find all the books. Would he read through it, looking for something he wanted to learn? Would he destroy it as he suggested earlier? Before his mind could pursue this thinking too deeply, he heard the sound of a throat being cleared. His eyes focused on the group of spiders waiting on him. His mind dismissed the thoughts that were attempting to wake a hunger that all Chosen seemed to have. And with that, he joined the group.
“You are to sit on the King’s left,” Rakna said. “Darcienna is to sit next to you followed by Doren,” Rakna said as she glanced around for Darcienna. “Ven is to stand at your back, if she is your chosen protector,” Rakna finished. She seemed to be waiting for him to confirm the statement. Kade nodded and Rakna nodded back once. The grizzled form of Vell took his place behind Kade and folded his arms while looking around the room for anyone to challenge. There were five other royal couples settled around the table. One of the kings was black with one leg that was pure white. Another had the shape of a red diamond on its chest and still another had red bands around the joints of its front legs. The other two appeared to be similar to Crayken. The queens sitting next to their kings appeared as Rakna did but Kade could see the difference just by looking in their eyes.
“Darcienna should be back soon,” Kade said.
It was as if saying her name caused her to appear. She stalked over to her seat without so much as a glance for Kade. He got up to pull her chair out for her but she ignored him completely and sat down while adjusting the chair herself. He glanced over at Doren who looked like he genuinely felt sorry for Kade. With a grimace and a slight shrug of his shoulders, Doren turned his attention to the king. Kade sighed to himself and took his seat.
“Fellow brethren, I have called this meeting to question our newest...ally,” the king said with hesitation. The plans for the next few days may very well hinge on…her?” Crayken asked of Kade while looking at the male form standing behind him. Kade shook his head. It would do no good for someone to realize her true form was female. So, while in this form, Ven was referred to as she appeared. “The plans for the next few days may depend on what he has to say,” Crayken said as he locked eyes with Kade. “Are you sure we can trust what he has to say?” he asked. He already knew the answer, but Kade was certain that this was for the benefit of the rest of those at the table.
“I would stake my life on it,” Kade said firmly.
“You may very well be doing just that,” Red Diamond said. His tone was one of caution. Kade nodded his understanding but still held his ground.
“Then we will get right to the heart of the matter,” Crayken said as he turned to face Vell. “What information have you for us?”
“I can tell you that Morg will soon learn that what he seeks is close by. When his spy does not return, he will investigate. It won’t take him long to realize. He has a sizable army ready to march at a moment’s notice,” Vell growled in his deep, manly voice.
A gasp when up from the spiders. The buzzing started around the table and then the spiders in the Great Hall started to join in. Although the main clutch of spiders was not allowed at the great table, it was not meant for them to be kept from hearing.
“Then was it wise to kill the spy?” White Leg asked.
“I was not aware of the spy until I was in the tree. By then, it was too late. It had to be eradicated. It knew too much to be allowed to live,” Vell said firmly. “We must assume the worst. I believe that Morg may come with his forces by the following night. He is desperate to find what he seeks,” Vell said.
“Then we will be here to meet him!” Red Diamond said as he pounded the table for emphasis.
Kade and Doren exchanged grim looks but quickly hid them before anyone could take their eyes off the king that had pounded the table. Kade stopped as he noticed the queen studying him. Not all had missed the look on his face. Doren cleared his throat lightly. Kade glanced over as the Master Chosen tilted his head ever so slightly toward Kade and then nodded toward the other spiders. The apprentice took that as a prompt to take a turn at speaking. He stood and all eyes swung to him. The place grew so quiet that he would have sworn it was empty.
“We have a plan,” Kade said. Not a spider moved. “We must take the staff from Morg,” Kade said. Several kings looked at him in disbelief.
“And, how would you accomplish such a dangerous task?” one of the kings shot back.
“I am going to go to him in the mountain of Drell. He will never expect it. If I can catch him off guard, we can win the war without the life of one spider being lost,” Kade said confidently. Even kings needed to see that the one who leads them, leads with complete confidence. At least, he needed them to believe he had complete confidence.
“Your words do ring of wisdom,” Crayken said. Several of the kings nodded in agreement. It was risky. It was extremely risky, but it was also a plan, where before, they had none.
“I can only take a few spiders with me. Too many will call attention to us, and we cannot take that risk,” Kade said.
“Then you plan on leaving your dragon behind? You will not get there in time,” another king said.
“I can take Rayden with me. I have the ability to render him unseen and unheard. But, I cannot do that for an entire army. It would be too disorganized. Besides, I need you to keep watch over the tunnel. If he comes, we must be ready to defend it,” Kade said, knowing that the spiders would not fare well if this came to pass.
“Then, you shall take my queen with you so we may stay in contact,” Crayken said. Rakna never wavered for a moment. Kade was sure she would have pressed to be included if that was not already part of the plan.
“I
believe I know a way into the mountain,” Vell said. Everyone froze. Not all who sat around the table had a protector, but those protectors that were present stared in open shock and dismay that Vell had spoken without being invited. It was one thing to answer a question, but to openly interject while the kings and queens were talking was clearly something not done. Every eye turned on him.
“Your protector speaks without being invited,” White-leg chastised.
“I brought him, not only as protector, but also as a source of knowledge. I would ask that you allow him to join in the planning where he sees fit. I suspect you will not regret his involvement,” Kade said. He fought to keep from glancing at Crayken as he did not want the king to feel as if he needed to come to the rescue.
“I do hope he proves his worth then,” the king said as he waved a leg in the air as if to say, “Continue.” Kade found himself irritated at the king’s arrogance. He quickly reminded himself that this was their culture and he was still learning their ways. With a nod of his head, he said, “Thank you for your understanding.” The king responded with a slight nod of his head and quickly turned his attention back to the shapeshifter.
“You may continue,” Kade said to Vell.
“I am confident I can get us in undetected. I know that mountain well. I have been in and out of there for years.”
“Excellent!” Crayken exclaimed with hope. Kade suspected that the king had spoken with enthusiasm to show Kade support for allowing this break in tradition. But, it had to be done. Vell was a source of information that was needed.
This was the first time Kade felt real hope and the possibility of success coming from the king. He, too, felt the thrill the more they planned. “Then it is decided. We shall prepare for battle in the event that Morg does find his way here,” he said as he rose from the table. “You need to get some rest before you go. I will have someone show you to your new chambers,” Crayken said as he buzzed at two spiders that quickly ran to the table. The queen got up and joined him along with the two guards. “Doren, may I speak with you to help in preparing?” Crayken asked of the Master Chosen.
The Divine Unleashed (Book 3) Page 13
