The Hunt for Freedom

Chapter Forty Six

    Lainey's body lay twisted in an unnatural and grotesque position on the ground. She looked like a child sized mannequin that had been discarded, with the old ratty clothes still attached. The invisibility spell had left her the moment she was away from Penny and now her tiny form, obviously broken in more than one place lay unprotected and vulnerable.

Maggie and Dakari swooped down as did Penny. The warriors formed a ring around her beating back the flames as the fire started to engulf the low brush. As Dakari bent to scoop her up, Penny grabbed his arm.

"Wait! I saw her hit her head. You can't move her, you might make it worse!" She whispered intensely.

"Worse than burning alive?" Maggie asked incredulously.

Dakari seemed to notice the flames for the first time. He looked at the blazing trees and said a few words. A cloud, dense as the smoke billowing from the trees, formed and began to produce fat lashing raindrops. In under a minute, what might have become a raging inferno was now a massive mud puddle. Ash and tiny embers that had floated freely now clung to leaves, leaving a grey slush covering the trees.

"I was more worried about Essam walking in here and taking her away. I won't let him have her." His worried eyes went from Maggie to Penny.

"I can't see them" called one of the warriors over his shoulder. "I can still smell them, but they are not close."

"Maggie, did you bring any food with you? If I can get my energy up, I can make us a temporary shelter and we can figure out what to do."'

A little moan came from Lainey's mouth. Dakari dropped to his knees and began to wipe the hair off her face. Looking at her leg that was bent backwards and under her made him cringe. Her forearm was bent into a V shape, dangling between wrist and elbow as her hand must have taken the brunt of the fall. "Both bones must be broken there," he thought as he examined the rest of her wounds. He could see no blood anywhere and hope she was not bleeding internally.

He took the purple crystal out of his pocket and laid it on her. She instantly relaxed, her eyes stopped fluttering and the sleep took her back under. The crystal's glow turned dark, the grape juice shade seemed to pulse harder now, as if it too knew how much work needed to be done.

"It would be best if she slept through this pain," he messaged the others and added a boost to her sleeping form. Closing his eyes again, he finished his message, "she should feel nothing for at least eight hours now."

He moved her leg with the precision of a doctor and left the crystal glowing on her. It was her best chance.

He conjured a warm blanket and laid it gently around her. With all her brave acts it was easy to forget she was just a little girl. He chastised himself for getting her involved in this. She should be skipping in the schoolyard and not lying here nursing multiple broken bones in the middle of the forest, with no way of getting medical attention. If I ever get a chance at Essam.....

Clearing her throat to get Dakari's attention, Maggie produced the two energy bars she had tied to her body. Grinning, because his sister knew him so well, he ripped into one and almost gobbled it whole. Penny and the warriors all contributed the snacks they had brought along and in a few minutes Dakari could feel the energy begin to pulse through his body.

Turning his attention to the small clearing they were in, Dakari took out the remaining red crystals. He laid them down in a circle, much like Stonehenge, and began to recite words that were taught to him as a child. Similar to the bubble he created back in the cave, an airtight structure began to form in the shape of the clearing.

"Penny, if you will come place your hands on the crystals with me, I think we can make our shelter invisible," he said.

Penny knelt beside the crystals. With one hand on the crystals and the other holding on to Dakari they said the words together. With a snap much like the last second of a light bulb's life, they could be seen no more.

A maddening screech punched through the air. Essam stood, in human form, hair blowing around his shoulder, glaring at the very spot where he knew them to be. Using one finger he slowly slid it across his throat. Clearly, he was not ready to relent. With a sulphuric pop he shifted into his crimson dragon shape, spread his wings and without a backward glance disappeared over the treetops.

__________________________________

When Dalya's eyes opened, she looked quizzically up at her father and Katalea. Tilting her head in confusion, her eyes darted all over the place, nothing was making sense.

"I'm sorry Father, but what the hell is happening? How did I get down here and why are you all staring at me as if I had grown a third eye?" She demanded.

With no pretense, and no tenderness Mr. Kalb spoke, "The meeting you ran out of took place over a day ago. Where have you been?" Even to him, his voice sounded strained. Hiding the aching pain in his chest he stared down at his daughter. He wanted to hold her close like he did when she was small, but there was no excuse for her behavior. If she hadn't run out of that meeting, none of this would be happening.

Seeing Dalya going into defense mode, Katalea tried another tactic. "You were abducted yesterday and today you just showed up on the beach. Do you remember a ferry ride today?" She spoke softly, sending a warning glance up at Mr. Kalb. It was no wonder Dalya had personality flaws if these were the two men in her life.

Seeing the tension in her father's eyes, Dalya backed down. "To be honest, I don't remember ever leaving the beach. I was here fuming over Abe, when I turned around you were all standing there looking at me as if I had grown horns."

Glances were exchanged all around. Mr. Kalb seemed to grow more ashen and shrink with every moment. Grandfather noticed this and messaged Katalea.

"Get Dalya back to the house, I'll send the doctor. I need to get my friend here back to the clinic." He gripped Mr. Kalb's elbow and placed a sturdy arm around his waist. Pulling him closer to support more of his weight, he noticed his friends hands were ice cold and trembling. He sent an urgent mental message for emergency help. Mr. Kalb was not going to be able to walk back to the clinic.

Even though the communication was in her mind, Katalea nodded. Mr. Kalb looked miserable, his kids were aging him by the second.

"Dalya, let's go up to my room, I want to have someone look at those welts, and I can catch you up on everything in private." She started to help Dalya up, realizing the girl had no shoes. "When you went for your run on the beach, were you wearing this?" Katalea probed looking at the pretty shirt.

"No, " without thinking, Dalya answered. "I left my clothes outside your house. I don't know whose tunic this is," she said, noticing the clothes she wore for the first time. Panic edged into her eyes. "Why am I wearing clothes, I was in feline form when I was running down the beach!" She looked at her father as a strangled voice left his mouth. A little trickle of blood ran from his nose.

He grabbed for his chest as Grandfather supported his arm. The immense pain was evident on his face. He sucked in a short breath and seemed to hold it.

"Father!" Dalya screemed, but it was too late.

Mr. Kalb fell crumpled into Grandfather's arms, eyes open but seeing nothing.