Filed to story: The Chosen Saga Novel PDF Free
“Darkness?”
“Did you think the warning your parents have been giving you for the last century was in jest? No, you fool. Darkness is coming, and he’s coming for your mate. Save her or condemn the world.” Mac felt a punch in his stomach and screamed.
“What was that?”
“You have lingered too long, Fire. Fade into the forest to be with your parents or learn to fly to find your mate. Make the choice now before it is ripped from you.” The Goddess vanished and Mac stood up, holding his stomach. He took a shuddering breath and looked back down to his parents. They gave one last burst of love and vanished, already understanding his choice. He looked around and took a running jump from the cliff. Flying has always come easy to him; he was a Dragon, after all. But falling, not so much. So, when he realized he couldn’t shift, he screamed the entire way back home.
Mac burned for what seemed like an eternity. In reality, it was mere minutes. Then just as suddenly as it had started, it was over.
Darkness fell, and as everyone adjusted to the light of the flames, the forest was now shrouded in shadows.
“What the actual fuck was that?” Talon called from where he collapsed.
“I told you he would release his power. Spirit is burning him up as it is, the healing would put him over.”
“How did you even know that it would happen?”
River thought for a minute. “I don’t remember. I just knew that it would, like I had it happen before.” He shook his head and slowly pushed himself up from where he landed.
“Araiya didn’t do this. She erupted, but it was a quick burst in to the sky and she dove off the cliff into the ocean. This was…” Talon trailed off and shook his head. “If I hadn’t controlled it, we all would have burned.” Talon tried to get up but fell back down. “How is he this powerful?”
“He’s Fire embodied, Talon,” Terran called back.
“So was Araiya,” Talon countered.
“At the moment, he is Fire and Spirit embodied. He is the stand in for two full Elements. Add in how fast I had to heal him and pour my power into his already full body, I am slightly surprised we all didn’t die.” River started to slowly chuckle.
Talon and Terran followed suit. They laughed together for a minute before a soft chuckle joined in and the three were up. “Mac.” River got to him first. “What the fuck happened?”
“Ugh, I feel like I was hit by a boulder.” Mac tried to sit up. River pulled him up and propped him against him.
“More like you hit a boulder, and me.” Terran stumbled over. “Fuck. I’m exhausted.”
He dropped back down next to the two.
Talon crawled himself over to the others. “You and me both.”
“Mac, what happened to you?”
“Yeah, why was I holding your insides in my hands?” Terran wiped the blood on his pants. “Not that I minded, happy to help, but it’s not something I would like to repeat.”
Mac cleared his throat and shook his head. “I was searching for Araiya’s scent. I was able to track it through the forest. It was like following bread crumbs, a scent hit here and then another over a league away. I was about half way through Water heading down toward Fire when I was attacked.”
“Obviously.” Talon smirked and raised an arm from where he was laying. “Tell us something we don’t know.”
“Okay smart ass. I was attacked by Dragons.” Every man sat up from where he laid.
“From where?”
“Who?”
“What the fuck?” The three friends yelled at the same time.
“I was attacked by four dragons. Three I didn’t recognize, which at this point seems unlikely. I know every dragon in every element, but I did not recognize them. These were black. But…” Mac paused, and a tear fell, surprising the others. “I recognized the fourth.”
“Who was it? Why are you so upset?” Terran patted his knee. “We got you.”
“Yeah, no matter what, we got your back. Once we find Zeph, he will too.”
Another tear fell as Mac looked at Talon. “It was Zeph, Talon. Zeph was the fourth who fought tooth and claw to kill me. I killed two of the black dragons, but when I went for the kill on Zeph, the last got up and hit me from behind so I reared up and Zeph shifted and used a knife to gut me.” The three snarled. Any dragon who used a knife against another dragon was a coward. “I fled. I never planned on surviving, just getting here to let you know that Zeph has betrayed us.”
“No way.” Talon slowly shook his head. “You guys are brothers, the four of you together, one wouldn’t betray the others.” Talon struggled to his feet to pace. “Maybe it was manipulated?”
“No, he taunted me about our lives. His scent, which I have ingrained in my very soul, matched. He also smelled of Shavon, a recent scent too. I think he took her body.” Mac collapsed against River. “I went to the in-between and saw the Goddess. Darkness is coming, Zeph’s turning is powerful proof. No one is safe, and anyone can be turned.”
“What the fuck are we going to do?” Talon paled. “Why did he take her body?”