Filed to story: The Chosen Saga Novel PDF Free
“Welcome to your new hell, dear sister. I hope your Goddess blessed you with luck because if we want to survive, we will both need it.”
Volume 2
“Soren,” someone called.
“Soren, where are you?” another yelled.
“Where is she?” The five men stood in the entryway of a very familiar space, but Araiya couldn’t quite place it.
“Calm down. We’ll find her.” River looked over the others, trying to gauge where they were at, discerning whether they would be helpful or hinder the search.
“What do you mean calm down? Did you not see the entrance? It was smashed to bits. Obviously, there was an attack.” The new addition to the group gestured to the entryway. The door was ripped from its hinges, and the furniture was all broken in some form, like a windstorm had ripped through the room. “So how about you shut your trap and look. Soren!” The unknown man called out the name over and over.
Araiya silently wondered if this was how they were looking for her. Were her men level-headed and methodical like River currently was or slightly panicked like the man she didn’t recognize?
“Okay, let’s split up.” River ignored the one that was spiraling, focusing on what was important. “Mac, you and Cal start at the top floor and work down. Terran, take Zeph to start on the first floor and work up.”
“Where are you going?” the man, who must have been Cal, called after River.
“I’m going straight to her prayer room. She always said if there was an attack, that’s where she would be.” River turned to leave.
“Then why aren’t we all just heading there?” Mac stopped on the stairs.
“For the small chance she didn’t make it there. Plus, on the way, you can check the hatchery.” Mac nodded and continued up after Cal.
They all parted ways, but Araiya stayed with River. As she followed him, she regretted leaving him behind. She watched his back ripple as he started to jog. His dark blue hair ruffled in the wind. He let it grow longer when he was younger, apparently. River picked up his pace and Araiya ran after him. They made their way to a room that Araiya had seen hundreds of times in her dreams.
“Soren, are you here?” River called out. Soren…who were they looking for? Araiya had drifted to the side of the room, looking at the familiar books and rugs. The name Soren resounded in her. She turned as she heard a door open. Araiya watched as the woman that had haunted her dreams struggled into the room from the hidden staircase leading down.
“River…help.” Soren stumbled and dropped like a sack of grain, barely having the strength to put out an arm to stop herself from smashing her face.
River rushed over and plucked her from the ground. He couldn’t see how badly hurt she truly was. Soren was pale from blood loss. Her stomach, which was hidden behind her nightgown, was a mess of blood and darker fluids. River sent a tendril of power through her body, causing Soren to scream and pass out. River’s power overloaded her already sensitive core. Araiya watched on as River did his best to heal the woman in his arms.
“Sweet Goddess, what happened?” River stumbled as a darkness lashed out at him from Soren’s body, but he continued going. He brought Soren back to the entryway, where there was enough light to work, and placed her on a broken settee. Then he turned and called after the men. “Down here! I found her, she’s down here.”
“What happened?” Zephyr skidded into the room and saw her. He rushed over and grabbed her hand as he knelt next to her. “Soren, hey. Open your eyes, please.” He paused and rubbed her arm. “Goddess, just open your eyes.” He continued to rub her arm while River worked and Terran jogged into the room.
“Heal her.” Terran tripped on debris as he ran over.
“Obviously, brother. But I have to do it slowly. When I pushed my power into her last time, she passed out.” River began to slowly feed his power back into her limp body.
“What’s going on?” Zeph whispered.
“I don’t know.” River looked over at him. “I need space and we need answers. Terran. Go get the others. They are probably too high up to hear us.”
Terran rushed away as River continued to work on Soren and Zeph held her hand. “We will get our answers when she’s awake. Zeph, I know you want to hold her hand, but I need you to watch my back. Do not let anyone pass. Not a Chosen. Not a dragon. Not even her fucking mates. She trusted whoever did this. Do a quick perimeter check and see if you can get Terran to fix the door when he comes back.”
“Yes, Eta.” Zeph nodded as he stood and turned to leave.
“I am not the Eta,” River called after him, focusing on Soren’s healing.
“In this, River, you are,” the man called back as he left the room. River spent the next while slowly healing Soren’s wounds. He used a small knife to cut open her nightgown to see his progress. The others walked back in just as River’s power sealed up the rest of her injuries.
Everyone crowded around and watched as River struggled to heal the black spot right above her navel. River pushed more and more power into Soren, and the darkness lashed out at River for a second time.
As River was pushed back, black lines started to extend from the spot, slowly spreading and painting Soren’s stomach with black stripes of darkness. River attempted to push power back into her, and as he did, the lines receded back into the black mark that was obviously stealing her life. As the last line pulled back, Soren gasped and opened her eyes.
“Soren!” Cal called out, and she looked at her Enforcers. She couldn’t look at their worried faces, so instead she looked down. Her eyes rested on the black spot. Soren covered her mouth to stop the sob that came out, but it didn’t work. She had to look away before she broke completely. Araiya swore that her eyes came to stop on the spot she was hiding in the shadows.
“Soren. I tried but I can’t heal this. It won’t leave your skin and when I stop pushing at it with my power, lines streak from it.” She turned her face to River and nodded.
“Heal what? Soren…” Cal walked closer to the broken settee that Soren was laying on. “What the fuck is that?”
“I don’t know.” River turned to the others.
“River, you need to heal it.” Cal dropped next to her.