Filed to story: The Chosen Saga Novel PDF Free
His screams, filled with pain and terror, ripped through the entire camp. Everyone froze. Soldiers young and old stopped moving, making sound, even breathing. Every man and woman in camp felt their blood freeze in their veins and their only thought was, ‘Am I next?’
Donal made a final twist, and the man went limp. His screams had stopped. His breathing stopped. Everything stopped. Donal pulled his hand out of the dead man’s body and clutched in his fist was the man’s heart. Donal, or rather Darkness, turned back to Araiya as the poor soldiers body dropped. He held out the man’s heart and smiled. “Did you want his heart my love?”
Araiya, who had watched everything unfold with pure horror, turned to the side and vomited. She had barely anything in her stomach from the abuse and the subsequential passing out, but everything in her body rejected in that moment. After she was empty, her body continued to try to vomit.
“What is wrong with her?” Darkness called out.
Korine, sweet Korine, braved his wrath as she lay chained to the bed. “She is ill.”
Darkness nodded to a soldier, and the man stepped over the body and unlocked Korine. She made her way to where Araiya was still dry heaving on the ground and pulled her into her lap as gently as she could.
“Speak.” Donal’s body crouched over the two women.
“She has been beaten every day for almost two months, my lord. Not only beaten, but her back has been flayed. Time and again. She has bone showing, muscles completely ripped from her back. She has an infection so badly that she is only awake when she is being whipped. The pus smelled rotted, and the fever causes hallucinations. They had to slice her face just to wake her up. She has now lost even more blood and has had very little food or water to replace it. Araiya was probably already very woozy when you pulled out his heart for her. She might very well appreciate it my lord, but she is very unwell, and it pushed her over the edge. I apologize on her behalf. She doesn’t know what she does, and I am surprised she is even still alive. I am afraid she will not make it to meet you in the flesh, Lord.” Korine dipped her head and continued to hold Araiya.
“The sister knows how to placate very well. You should teach your sister how to talk to those above her.” The darkness caressed Korine’s cheek. “He ruined you for all others with this brand, didn’t he.” He shook his head. “Take care of my mate. I will have Donal send in a healer to heal her back and face fully. You both will have a few days to recoup. No one shall touch you for the next four sun cycles. Your face will be healed as much as is able as well. The pus coming from your cheek is rather unpleasant.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
“Do not thank me. You have visitors coming and I need you fresh. If he has a healer strong enough to heal her completely after every session, then he can still do as he wishes.” Korine looked away as she continued to softly rub Araiya’s sensitive back as Donal stepped back. His eyes cleared and Donal dropped to his knees.
When Donal finally stood again, he called to the men waiting. “Get a healer and have someone clean that up.” One of the men ran out, while two others picked up the body of the first soldier. A few others used whatever they could to clean up as much of the mess as they could while Donal groaned and leaned over. He clutched his head and screamed. Almost as quickly as it started, it stopped. He popped back up to his feet and wiped the blood coming from his nose. “I apologize, Master. I deserved that for allowing someone to disfigure your mate.”
The healer walked in and walked up to Donal. They spoke in whispers before the man came over and dropped next to Araiya. “Hello. I am not supposed to speak with you, but I don’t feel comfortable touching you without your consent.” The man spoke in a very quiet voice, which in turn, made Araiya lean in. “Am I allowed to examine you, miss?”
Araiya just nodded softly before the healer placed his hands on her back and she closed her eyes. She felt the healer’s magic slowly probing around her body, softly poking it’s finger like feelers into all of her hurt. She struggled to stay still as the healer dragged his hands over her back.
Araiya bit her lip to stop herself from crying out, but not even her biting her lips could stop the whimpers. The healer’s hands, while gentle, were not gentle enough. Her ragged skin on her back throbbed in time of her heart and dripped her life source slowly as she waited for the healing to begin. The healer gave her a soft warning before his power slammed into her body.
A soft light lit the tent and a wave of freshly healed skin flowed from the healer’s hands. Araiya’s back and internal injuries were healed in the wake of the wave, but she could feel the healer’s powers waning. Her face slowly started to heal, the skin growing back together. But she could feel it wasn’t complete.
Her face wouldn’t heal fully.
She would scar, and for once in her life, she was okay with it. She pretended like the scars on her back never bothered her, but they did. Who would want a disfigured wife? But this she wanted. This scar she could live with.
“Stop,” she whispered to the healer. And for the first time in this hell hole, someone listened. “Heal my sister. Your power is about to give out and the master specifically said the pus had to be cleared.”
“One moment please.” The healer got up and walked back over to Donal. He again whispered something to Donal. Donal walked over with him and crouched down.
“What game are you playing at here.” Donal held both of them by their chins. He stared long at Araiya’s blood-covered face, turning it this way and that. His frustrated call for water and a cloth rang out as he tried to get a clear picture of the remaining wound. Once she was clean and he could see that the once gaping wound on her face had almost completely closed, he released her face and turned to Korine.
Now her face was in much worse condition then Araiya’s, even when the cut was fresh. Korine’s golden skin was as pale as Araiya’s, even in the sun. The one side of her face held bruises and small cuts, like he trailed his blade over her skin time and time again to scare her, but it was still whole. Still basically untouched. But the other side, the other side was ruined.
Her cheek was a mess of blackened skin, exposed tissue, and pus. It was so swollen that her one eye refused to open any longer. The longer the wound remained untouched, then more it swelled. The infection had buried deep into the tissue and for the first time, Donal grew uneasy.
Donal’s eyes grew distant again and his face scrunched up and he screamed. Blood poured from his nose and then he stopped. He grew quiet as his eyes grew dark again. “You are trying to play a dangerous game, Little Mother. You are more important to me then Donal’s play thing. The healer is not strong enough, and your face will be whole.”
“I refuse. If she dies from her face, I swear on the Goddess I will follow right after.”
“Do not test me, love.” Darkness wrapped his fingers around Korines throat and squeezed. Pus started to flow from the side of her face and even he grimaced.
“Do not test me. She is the only reason that I have made it to this point. She may hate me, but mark my words, if she dies, I will have no reason to stay in this realm. It might not be the same day, but I will swear the final oath, if Korine dies from the wounds on her face or by yours or Donal’s hand, I will follow her through the veil.”
“So be it.” From one breath to the next, he had left them. Donal was once again the master of his own body. “Heal her face. Then rest and come back to heal them more. I want both of them healed by the fourth day so that we can start again. If you need help, bring your apprentice.”
“Your grace, you killed my apprentice last moon cycle.” The healer bowed at his waist avoiding Donal’s scowl.
“Then get a new one. I don’t fucking care.” Donal stood and left with the men, leaving the two women on the floor with the healer.
Araiya was still leaning against Korine as the healer used the last of his power to heal as much of the infection from her face. Korine sighed as the pain lessened. “I will be back to see you every morning and night to finish. I do not think I will be able to completely heal your face, but I will do what I can.” Korine nodded at him and then he left the tent as well.
“Sleep Araiya. I will watch over you. You need to rest to regain your strength these next days.”
“So do you.”
“Darkness has bought us four days. Donal won’t go against his wishes. He said no one will touch us, that includes anything Donal might want to put his hands on me for. We will be left alone.”