Divinity: Transcendence: Book Two (The Divinity Saga) (30 page)

She furrowed her br
ows. “Nothing new there. And?”

“Berith revealed to me
what he’s been doing for the last few decades. She knows more about what has gone on there, than any of the other spies we’ve had planted for the last few centuries. She has nothing left and nothing to lose, look at her. She is no threat. She could barely communicate with me telepathically.” I gestured at the lifeless corpse on the ground, which still remained silent and unmoving.

“Works for me.” Eda
nai looked at the body and shrugged.

I paused and ex
haled, more to calm myself.

“
I have a feeling, that the majority of those that used to side with us, have either been killed or have joined Morning Star’s army. There’s not many of us left. This isn’t just about helping the humans and Divine warriors anymore, it’s become more than that.” I told her.

“Oh?” She cut in.
“More than Starling?”

“Um, I’m going to gather some items
to make for dinner.” Rahab quickly said, and then began to ghost out, sensing my own anger now rising at Edanai’s words.

I bit my bottom lip.
“That’s a whole other issue.” I said carefully.

“No it isn’t. She’s as much a part of your
dangerous crusade as everything else has been up to this point.” Edanai accused.

I paused.

I moved over to Berith’s limp vessel and hoisted her up with one hand, setting her flimsy form into a chair, and positioning her to sit with her head resting on the table.

I sat down at the other end of the table, silently
.              Edanai sighed in frustration and then pulled out a chair to sit down on my left.

No words were spoken right away.

Edanai gave Berith a disgusted glance, tapping her foot against the stone floor in agitation, and releasing a slow, hostile breath through her nostrils.

“If she means to help, what difference does the condition of the vessel she took matter?” She asked me.

I raised a brow this time. “You mean in a village of lepers? Nothing. In the human realm, which is where she will be, she’ll probably stand out just a wee bit. Besides, the others may not recognize her scent and her aura right away if you help to conceal it. The mortal realm will be a lot safer for her than the spirit realm right now. I planned to let her stay at the farmhouse.” I told her.

Edanai suppressed a smile at my sarcasm and shook her head.

“Why can’t you just find her a new body then?” She asked me with a single raised brow.

I thought for a moment.
“I could, but it’d be a lot easier if you could just make a few repairs and adjustments with this one for the time being. It’s not like it will last forever anyway.” I told her.

“
Then it’s just a waste of time.”

“Edanai
, please. For once, can you not challenge me? If I didn’t feel like there was something to this…you know I’d never ask it of you.”

She pressed her lips and shook her head.

“Don’t expect me to keep doing this for her. After this, she’s on her own when this one falls apart.” She pointed a long nail at me.

I grinned.
“Thank you. Edanai…”

She glared
at me and held up her hand. “Don’t even say it! You already owe me way more than you can ever repay in several life times.” She scowled.

~~~***~~~

Edanai has many talents as a natural healer. Something she had been good at as an Angel. I was blown away over the major work she did on Berith’s vessel.

Even though Berith was angry when she awoke, it didn’t last long once she realized
that Berith was going to help her after all. She wanted size ‘D’ breasts, but Edanai purposefully kept her an ‘A’ cup, and gave her a slightly distended, out of shape belly. If I hadn’t intervened and said anything, she would have given her a lazy eye and bucked teeth too.

She was
having way too much fun with her.

Berith
could actually pass as a normal girl…an unattractive one, but human nonetheless. It would be a refreshing look for Berith actually, one that wouldn’t hurt her to grow accustomed to for a change.

Though I wouldn’t doubt that she would try
to find a new, more buxomly fitting body to suit her personal taste, I doubted that she would try to right away. She’d be on her own then, and risk being immediately caught. Morning Star and his minions were already tracking her as it is.

I told her
though…one complaint and Edanai would simply put her into the body of a dung beetle or a sewer rat.

Back
in my police uniform disguise, I drove the cruiser to the farmhouse, through the familiar streets on the outskirts of the Indiana city.

I supposed I could have found any place in the world for Berith, but this one was already familiar and set up. I’d know where she was
, she’d be able to summon any of us if needed. I’d ask Atiro if he wouldn’t mind checking in on her now and again.

She couldn’t remain a sitting duck though. She’d have to be constantly moving. Doing something
normal and…human like. That’s when the idea hit me. She was young, and she’d be able to blend in easily—at the University at Bloomington, as a college student among many others. It was perfect.

Though I didn’t want to
put so many young ones at risk, per universal laws and rules, no fallen or any dark being would be able to do much themselves— especially in the human realm. Though Berith was in a human body, she still had supernatural advantages on her side to help herself if needed.

“Interested in going to college?” I asked with a quick glance at her in the passenger seat.

“School?” She began to think. Her glossed, pale, pink lips pursed. “That sounds like it could be fun and interesting. Why do you ask?” She looked over at me.

“You need to do something normal. It’s not a good idea to stay at the farmhouse all
of the time, if you get my meaning. Morning Star already knows where it is.” I warned her.

She nodded.
“I didn’t plan on it. There are a lot of other things that I could do, but school? I guess I can look into that, but normal requires normal things though, like a car.” She hinted.

I thought of Starlings Honda, still in the broken down barn shed in the back
, but there was no way I was going to allow someone else to drive it, let alone to the college she attended. Even if she never returned there.

“I’ll get you a car
and a few clothes. Don’t worry about the financial part, I’ll take care of all of it. While you’re there, stay out of trouble and make sure that you act human as possible. At least there, hopefully no one will know or recognize you.” I told her.

“I should maintain a German accent. I’m sure she had one.
I could be a transfer student.” She mused with a grin, mimicking a pretty good accent. “But I’m not keen on socializing with these young men just yet. I suppose I’ll have to hit the gym and do it the human way…unless…” She trailed off in thought.

“Don’t even think about it. It’s too risky.” I immediately stated.

“It’s actually perfect if you think about it, Cam. Edanai won’t have to masque or alter my aura. I’d be hard to spot.”

“And you’d endanger the life of an inno
cent human.” I finished for her. “Don’t do anything that will draw attention to yourself and make your presence conspicuous. You’re very limited, remember that.”

She blew out a breath of exasperation and looked at me wryl
y. “Innocent human? I had no idea you cared so much about them. I completely get the outfit now. You’re as hot as fuck in it. Starling never stood a chance. You’re crazy if you think that you’re not drawing any damned attention to yourself. Hell, I know I’d do anything to get you to spank, beat, cuff, and arrest me.” She grinned with lustful interest.             

I
ignored her mention of Starling and her flirtatious vulgarities. “First of all, I don’t care for them. But there’s no need to subject one to harm when there’s no reasoning behind it.”

“Yeah, right. You
know— you should have been created as human, Cam.” She then said.

Her comment was the first that
I’d ever heard another being say and it took me completely by surprise.

             
              Throughout the rest of the drive, I watched her out of my periphery. I still didn’t trust her fully.

This whole act could have been easily set up to restore her favor with Morning Star. I knew better than to let my guard down around her. He could have promised her anything for me, and she’d believe it, much less do it for him too. He had a certain way with females, despite being the very essence of evil.

“You have got to be kidding.” Berith commented, when I pulled into the long, graveled drive.

I slowly
circled around the nearly condemned, abandoned, two-story farmhouse.

“You’ve been here before.” I said when she grimaced at me.

“That was different! This is far from what I’d even call an outhouse!” She whined.

“Call it whatever you want, for you t
hough…it’s home.” I parked the cruiser, and killed the engine.

XIV: Starling:

T
he rain wasn’t so bad. However, I could have done without the mud. I’d just gotten new clothes made. Spencer and Sean told me all that I needed to know. These fallen may have many advantages, but I’d be damned if I let them take me, or hurt anyone of my fellow warriors, let alone innocent human beings. I was pumped and ready to start my training.

As Spencer and I walked,
I admired the others. I was fascinated; watching them jump, run, hurdle, leap and spar each other, with amazing feats of skill that no normal human could or would ever be able to do.

I think he remained quiet
on purpose, appreciating my interest in observing, and taking it all in for the moment. If I had a question, I’d ask. I was intrigued with the display of all sorts of the weapons. There were swords of all lengths and shapes, whips, retractable spinning chains, Bo’s and crossbows.

It
was highly entertaining, but it made me even more frustrated and impatient that I couldn’t wield mine yet. As the rain began to thin into a misty drizzle, the fields grew even more alive with grunts, laughter, cajoling challenges, and words of encouragement.

             
              The fields spanned many, many acres of lush, green trees and plants. There were high hills and slopes, with climbable walls set up at the very top of some. Overall the land was even, green, and streaked with numerous, crazy looking, zigzagging lines of muddy footprint impressions. The entire set up looked like some sort of a theme park for gladiator training. Purposefully, the entire obstacle course appeared treacherously built.

It included
everything from giant rock walls, fiery run-through gauntlets, and one with iron-spiked boulders that smashed together randomly as warriors ran deftly through them. Warriors were leaping from platforms set upon tall columns. The columns were of different sizes, widths, and heights. They were spaced at different distances from each other, all surrounded by a shallow moat of dark brown, muddy water at the bases.

             
              What really caught my attention, as Spencer and I walked, was the commotion, shouts, cheers and laughter surrounding what looked like some sort of relay or racing exercise.

In the
far distance, I kept seeing groups of warriors suddenly appearing out of thin air. It was as if they were stepping out of an invisible curtain, all along the fields’ horizon. I found that peculiarly interesting.

“Where are they coming from?” I
pointed and looked up at Spencer.

“Hmm?”
He asked, and then followed my finger towards the distant field.

“Oh, that’s where you typically emerge
from when you use a returning portal gem.” He said casually…as if I was supposed to know what a portal gem was. He had mentioned it earlier.

“What’s a portal gem?”

He smiled. “You’ll learn all about it in my class.”

I pursed my lips. A simple,
quick answer would have sufficed.

I returned my attention to the training activities.
Some sort of device, designed to look like a dark humanoid thing, or fallen with wings; complete with a bottom compartment; was attached to a double zip line wiring contraption, at the starting line of the long field. The warriors were racing against it and each other. It looked like fun. I could literally feel the adrenaline coming off of everyone watching, as well as the runners.

As soon as one of the trainers
shouted, “Go!” The two warriors took off, and the mock winged thing above, shot out like an arrow after them. After a moment, I understood exactly what the exercise was meant to train.