Free The Divine Apprentice (The Divine Series) by Allen J Johnston Page A

finishing the question.  He never knew Zayle to be afraid of anything.  The powerful Chosen had immense control of the Divine Power and there was not much that could threaten him.  Kade was afraid of insulting his teacher but he had to know.  “Master?” Kade persisted.
    “It is not the grimalkin that I fear but what is meant by the creature being here,” Zayle said as he furrowed his brow, returning his gaze to the hulking mass of flesh.  “It is what is meant by the monster being here,” he repeated to himself.  He quickly called on the Blue Flame of the Divine.  Zayle stared intently at the scene only he could see for several long, tense moments and then snapped his hands closed.
    “Master, I don’t understand,” Kade said, ignoring the knot that was pulling tighter and tighter in his gut.  He had had enough of his nerves being frayed for a lifetime, but it would appear that it was not going to end anytime soon.  “What does it mean?” he asked as forceful as he dared, the image of those deep, black eyes still haunting him.
    Zayle quickly held up his hand in a gesture that commanded silence.  Kade knew this command well as his master would use it when the Apprentice Chosen was asking too many questions or when he just wanted a moment of silence.  He did that curious thing where he tilted his head and seemed to be listening again.  Then, his hand came up and the Divine Power shot forth to hit the ground once more.  Zayle’s eyes widened as he stood perfectly still for several long seconds.
    “We must leave now!” Zayle almost yelled.  It was definitely a command that was not to be ignored.  “Now, Kade, now!” he said again more forcefully.
    “Okay,” Kade said in a rush.
    The dragon had started to chase the other animals that it thought had strayed too close to its new companion.  It started to make a game out of this until Kade called to it.  The dragon was more than eager to answer his new friends call.
    “Dragon, come over here.  We have to leave right away!” Kade said in a rush.  “We have to leave now!  The master says there is still danger here,” he said as he gestured around the clearing.  The dragon sensed his panic, but did not move.  It had no idea what was being said nor did it understand what was happening.
    “Kade, now!” Zayle bellowed, fraying the apprentice’s nerves even more.
    “We need to go back,” Kade said as he pointed to himself, then Zayle and then back the way they had come.  The dragon looked in the direction he was pointing, but clearly nothing was making sense.  Zayle pushed Kade toward his dragon, eager to be racing for the protective barrier.  The dragon flinched hard as it swung its head around, almost knocking the two men off their feet.  Kade moved closer again and placed his hands on the dragon as though to pull himself onto its back.  There was that odd, slight brushing in his mind, and then the dragon knelt down.  Kade stepped onto the dragon’s leg to help boost himself up and then reached down, grabbing Zayle by the wrist, pulling him onto the dragon’s back.
    As soon as Zayle was seated, the dragon’s head came up sharply and it sniffed the air several times in rapid succession.  Kade could feel its body go rigid.  The dragon’s muscles became as hard as a rock.  It bounded to its feet as it made a quick survey of the area and then bolted off the way they had come.  Even though they were ready for it, they almost lost their seating.
    Kade saw what looked almost like terror on his master’s face.  He tried to tell himself that everything was going to be fine, but the fear wrapping itself around his mind was paralyzing.  As much as he tried to convince himself that they were in no danger while in the presence of the mighty Zayle, deep down inside he knew better.  Zayle was no longer able to conceal his fear and it scared Kade to the core.
    “We will be back behind the barrier in no time, Master,” Kade said, trying