Free The Divine Unleashed (Book 3) by Allen J. Johnston

longer present.  He shook off the unease and smiled at Chance, appreciating his friend’s protective nature with his books.
    “This way,” Rakna said as she left the room and waited for them in the hall.
    Darcienna glanced at the books and then back to Kade.  He could see the concern on her face.  Kade glanced at Doren as he and the king were almost out of sight and then back to the Mordra while smiling.
    “They are safe,” Kade said as he patted the Mordra on the head.  He felt sorry for the fool who would try to touch those books with this thing around.  Kade started to reach for the new clothes when the queen spoke.
    “They will be brought to you.”  Kade shrugged his shoulders and left the clothes where they lay.
    Without another word, they turned and walked out the door.  They worked their way through the tree to the exit and over to the other massive tree that housed the Great Hall.  The queen led them down the stairs and through the expansive Great Hall to a tunnel at the back.  The queen continued until they had walked almost two hundred feet down the tunnel.  They were standing in front of a pool of water that was crystal clear.  It was only ten feet wide in all directions.  Kade could see the bottom as though the water was not even there.  The slight ripple on the surface as water churned in was the only evidence that there was any water there at all.  A soft light coming from luminescent algae hanging on the walls and ceiling helped light the area.  Kade moved over to the wall to examine the light-giving substance.   He reached out a hand and brushed the algae lightly.  It flared brightly for a moment and then faded out completely.
    “I’m sorry.  I did not realize,” Kade said as he pulled his hands back, afraid that he may have committed a grave error.
    “They are very fragile,” Rakna said as she surveyed the dead plant.  “It will be replaced,” she said as she pulled it from the wall and moved over to the water.  “It makes for a great cleaner, also,” the white queen said as she handed it to him.  He gently took the proffered algae and noticed how slick it felt.  It was almost slimy, making him want to drop it and wipe his hands on his pants.
    “It does not feel,” Rakna said, noticing how gently he was handling the plant.  “Think of it as grass.  It is there for us to use.  Your clothes will be here shortly,” she added as she settled down a little ways from the pool of water.
    Kade hesitated, watching the queen fold her legs under herself as she prepared to wait.  He glanced at Darcienna, who was also watching him.  It occurred to him that none of the spiders wore anything at all.  Clothing was strictly something used by people.  He looked back to Darcienna and noticed a slight grin creeping across her face. 
    Okay , he thought to himself and decided to call her bluff.  He undid his shirt while she watched.  Her face became one of suspicion.  He reached for his pants and smiled.  Her eyes came open wide and her cheeks colored a deep red.  As he undid the strap that served as a belt, she quickly faced away.  He smiled to himself as the rest of his clothes hit the ground. He turned and walked into the spring.  The water sent shockwaves of cold through his body.  He shivered hard.
    “Holy Divine this is cold,” Kade said as he quickly waded deeper and dunked his head.
    Kade recalled the cold lake the previous day and knew if he went too slowly, he would take all day getting in.  He held his right hand out of the water as he gripped the algae tightly.  With his head still under, he vigorously scrubbed his hair with his left hand, shaking lose any dirt.  After surfacing and gasping for breath because of the cold, he then rubbed the algae through his hair.  He still felt odd about using something that appeared to have been alive just moments before, but it did seem to lather.  He scrubbed eagerly and then dunked his head back under the surface.