Free The Path of Decisions by Mike Shelton Page B

made it, Darius,” Kelln pointed out.
    Darius looked from Kelln to his soldiers. They shook their heads
in silent acknowledgement of Kelln’s statement.
    “You tried, Kelln,” whispered Alastair.
    Kelln’s face grew hard. “I don't know why I did. She betrayed me!”
    Alastair winced and looked like he had been physically hit by the
remark. “You must forgive her, Kelln.”
    “How? Why?”
    “Remember who her father is. He has manipulated a whole city. She
doesn't understand what she did. She was a sweet girl,” Alastair said sadly, as
if remembering past times.
    “I don't know. It’s one thing to turn someone in. But I thought
she liked me, really liked me. She helped me escape and then turned me in
again!” His temper flared.
    “Kelln, remember who her grandfather is also. Try to forgive her
for my sake.”
    Kelln looked into the old man’s blind eyes and breathed out a deep
puff of air. “I am sorry, Alastair.” He turned his face away in shame. “My pain
is not half what yours must be. Your son’s betrayal and now your granddaughter
gone.”
    “They are not lost yet.”
    “But...” started Kelln.
    “Alessandra is tough, Kelln. You know that. She has had to survive
many things.”
    Darius limped over to Kelln. “We’ll find her. I will keep some of
my men looking.”
    Kelln rounded on him, his anger flaring up once again. “And you,
you could have saved her. “
    “What? We all tried, Kelln.”
    “No, you didn’t. You could have used your power.”
    Darius looked around to see if anyone was listening. He grabbed
Kelln by the arm and pulled him away from prying ears. “Kelln, I don’t know
what you think I am or what you think I can do. We were all on the edge of life
and death back there. We all did what we could.”
    “I saw the rope fraying, Darius. I’m not stupid. Then all of a
sudden the threads came back together. I don’t know what you have learned since
I’ve been gone, but you alluded to the fact that you have grown in your power.”
Kelln stood close to Darius and looked up, wet red hair plastered to his head.
    “Kelln, listen. It wasn’t me using power on the rope. Someone else
here has some kind of power also. I sensed it. “
    “Don’t give me excuses.” Kelln picked up a stick and threw it
toward the river. “Now you are just passing blame around. No one else here
has…” Kelln stopped mid-sentence.
    “Has what?” Darius asked when Kelln stopped.
    “Alastair.” He whispered.
    “What?”
    “Alastair. Alastair has the power. I’ve seen him use it. He won’t
deny it.”
    Darius tried to ask more questions, but Kelln was set about
getting back to the camp and didn’t want to talk about it anymore.
    Later that night Darius found himself sitting around the fire with
Kelln, Alastair, Leandra, Mezar, and his captains. The other soldiers sat at
another fire nearby but out of earshot. At Darius’s fire they discussed how to
get into Belor. Kelln mentioned how Alessandra had helped him escape under the
walls of the castle and the city. He didn’t know, though, if he could retrace
his steps.
    “I can,” said Alastair.
    “What? You? But you can't see, old man,” said one of the captains
under Darius.
    “I can see with my hands and my ears. I will remember.”
    “What are you talking about, Alastair?” Kelln asked.
    “Remember, I used to live in Belor. I used to live in the palace.
I was one of the councilors to the rightful governor.”
    “Your son is this Preacher, right?” asked Darius. “He sounds like
an interesting man. I look forward to meeting with him.”
    “He most likely will meet you first, or one of his guards will,
unless we get into the city unseen,” said Kelln.
    “Where are these tunnels?” asked Darius.
    “They begin at the southeast corner of the city,” Kelln said.
“They lead through a hill under the city wall and up into the castle dungeon
where I was imprisoned, and where, high above in the more lavish suites of the
palace, the