Destiny's Kingdom: Legend of the Chosen by Daniel Huber, Jennifer Selzer Page A

that he'd seen, whether it was real or imagined, was enough to make him follow through. He'd do a little investigating, ask a couple of questions. Seek those closest to you, the creature had said. Seek first the one who will give you vital information about P'cadia. Quade shook his head and sighed. There was no such place as P'cadia. He'd checked into all his galactic maps and referenced all the known planetary charts for the place he'd been dreaming about incessantly for months, and he'd found nothing. Still, he felt compelled to at least mention it to the two people closest to him. It was probably ludicrous, but at least he'd have it out of his system by tomorrow afternoon.
    The usual automation recognized his ship over the com and cleared him to land. He passed off the manual controls to Sigh City's central hangar and it locked him in a tractor beam. As soon as he felt that well-known grab, sank back in the pilot’s chair. Home at last.
    His ship docked, Quade grabbed his pack from the floor and scanned the cockpit quickly to make sure nothing was left behind. He jumped from the entry hatch and keyed his remote to request signal for public transport. Waving briefly to the hangar chief, he ran across the expanse of the large, cavernous structure, and by the time he reached the exit archway a land transport already waited. He slid into the back of the shuttle, tempted to relax and finally get some rest, but resisted, knowing he had more important things to do.
    "Kadashamrian forest," he said, "southern outskirts, near the creek."
    The transport pilot looked briefly over his shoulder with a questioning glance. "No more particular than that? Just the southern outskirts near the creek?"
    "Yeah," Quade replied with a grin. "I can walk from there."

    Perched high atop a plateau, the Castle of Sighs overlooked a verdant valley to the east, hills that hid the Kadashmarian Forest to the south and west and woods that led to the Sterling sea on the north. No history predated the castle so common belief reasoned that the gods had seen fit for their charmed central planet to have a fortress to protect its ruler. Quade smiled as this school lesson memory crossed his mind, thinking of all the years he’d been scaling its wall.
    It was a familiar foothold, the oblong grey stone at the base of the trellis on the south wall of the Castle of Sighs. Quade's gloved fingers grasped a thick branch of twining grapevine to set his mark then he was on his way, climbing with speed and skill, his boots finding odd rocks that jutted out from the wall, his hands grabbing the sturdy slats of lattice and the occasional overhang on the façade. He could do it in forty paces if it was a good night, and tonight was a good night indeed. The moons shone brightly in the sky, one full and one in half-eclipse just off to the west, giving him the glow to see by, and the shadows to blend with. At last his hands fell flat upon the ledge of the wall walk, and he hoisted himself over the edge.  
    The tall glass balcony window was slightly ajar, a welcoming invitation. He slid inside, leaving the window open wide, a cool breeze sweeping through the soft drapes and billowing them out like the sails on an old fashioned boat.  
    The still serenity of sleep filled the room, and Quade paused to pull off his jacket and boots, watching Trina's curled figure beneath the covers on the bed, obscured by sheer curtains that hung around the four posts. Walking slowly, he pulled his gloves off, discarding them and his shirt to the floor. Standing at the edge of the bed he parted the curtains and slid beneath the blankets.
    She hadn't awoken yet. His hands found the swell of her hips, lightly pulled her back against him as he planted a trail of kisses along the nape of her neck, under the pricking tickle of her hair. She stirred and stretched, acknowledging his familiar presence.
    "You don't have to do that you know," she said sleepily, leaning back into him as he wrapped himself