Filed to story: The Chosen Saga Novel PDF Free
“Why?” River looked back down at Zeph and he saw the desperation there. He pointed at his neck again and wrapped his hand around Rivers.
“He wants to say his goodbyes.” Araiya knuckled away a stray tear. This wasn’t for her, this was for her men, and Talon. Zeph wanted to say goodbye to them. But even knowing, she couldn’t help but feel sadness in her heart. She was watching her wayward mate pass into the veil without every really getting the chance to know him. The real him. Not the twisted confused man that Shavon and the darkness turned him in to.
Zeph pointed at his throat again and River wrapped his hands around his neck. He poured his power into his brother. Until he was close to falling over. “I’m not strong enough.” River looked around in a panic until his eyes fell on Araiya, and Oorocah. “Please.”
Oorocah leaned over from the water, her long neck barely reaching where they were huddled. She touched her head to Zeph’s leg. Araiya kneeled down next to Mac, and placed one hand on Zeph’s hip and the other on the sea serpent’s neck. At once, like it had happened before, both started humming. A soft, lilting melody, that reminded the men of the ocean waves lapping on the sand. The melody built until the two females reached the peak and then silence.
“What was that?” Zeph’s soft whisper startled everyone.
It was the song of the sea, young one. When the element water was lonely, before you all came to be, she sang the song of the sea and life began. It heals most wounds, but not your poison.
“So I am still going to die.” Oorocah nodded as she pulled back. She turned and swam deeper into the water.
Call for me when you have need of me young Chosen and I will come. Remember our bond.
Her last call was a sorrowful note, before she dove back into the deep.
“I’m sorry,” Zephyr chocked out. “I am sorry I allowed them to sway me, that I allowed them in. I should have waited for you, Araiya.”
“Shush now, you do not have to apologize to me. You didn’t know I was coming or who I was. I forgave you for not waiting from the very beginning, and what ever happened after you have paid back in full. Say goodbye to your brothers.” Araiya looked at Shavon, smirking against the tree and she shook her head in disgust. “You think this is funny, isn’t he your mate? Both of them.”
Shavon shook her head. “I was never mated to either of them. The darkness has many plans, and this one just came to flourishment. The Enforcers of the Elements are broken. Now he will take over Air. Soon he will move onto the others. You won’t stop him. Darkness is absolute.” Shavon laughed as more blood poured from her mouth.
“Too bad you won’t make it to see.” Araiya tilted her head and smirked. “I guess you’re replaceable.” With the last remark Araiya turned and walked to the water’s edge. She dropped down to rest. Exhaustion took over as she removed her soaked boots and placed her feet in the sands. She laid back with her arm over her eyes. It was too beautiful to look out at the water, while one of her mates, her broken bond, died behind her. While she was alone, she finally allowed herself to grieve Zephyr, and what could have been, if she had been allowed to love him.
“I hurt her.” Zeph watched as Araiya walked away from him.
“Yes.” Was all Terran could answer. “But she is a forgiving mate. And even if she can’t admit it, she cares for you. You are bonded to our very souls, Zeph. Death does not take away the chain, just darkens it until we can be reunited.” Terran leaned over and kissed his brow.
“I hurt you all.” Zeph looked at the men he had grown with. The men he loved his entire life. The men he looked up to. The men he betrayed.
Each man nodded. “But it is okay.” Talon patted his leg. “Like Araiya said, I think you paid in full.” Talon leaned in and kissed his forehead.
“With my life…” Everyone gave a small nod. “I am sorry. To you and to her. Could one of you tell her once she is ready to hear it? She might not believe it from me right this second, but I loved her in my own way.”
“Why did you have to be so stupid. Why didn’t you talk to us?” Mac punched the ground beside him. “We are your brothers. We were all we had left. You could tell us anything and we would have understood. Why didn’t-“
“I couldn’t.” Zeph cut in. The black lines had reached the tips of his fingers, and he was fading. “I lost faith when Al’ta Moir died. I tried to pretend that everything was fine. I tried to play my part, but when she left to the veil so did I.” Zeph looked at his closest friends. “I will miss all of you. Just know I will watch over you with the Goddess, if she will allow.” Mac swatted at his tears before he leaned over and kissed his forehead.
“Zeph we barely remember the Al’ta Moir. Why did you turn on us?” River asked in disbelief. “This doesn’t make any fucking sense. WE LOVED YOU.” River shook his head. “You ruined us for what? Our leader died in her battle against the darkness. We have lost so fucking much, but we still had each other.”
“River-“
“No. Don’t. I love you and I will always love you, Zephyr. But we were your family. Not the Al’ta Moir. We lost a friend, but we weren’t close. I was there for you for everything. We all were, but you gave us up. Our mate. Our family. Our dream. For what, Shavon? Your young clutch mate’s weak bond? Was she worth it?” River’s anger rushed in like a wave, the others just had to wait for it to pull back before he could be reasoned with. River ranted for a few more moments about family and the ties they had before he leaned over and placed his forehead against Zeph’s. “You can’t leave now that you finally have turned back. You haven’t had time to make up for everything.”
“River.”
“No, he needs to know he has to make it right. We deserve the time to forgive him. She deserves the time to forgive him. He isn’t allowed to just die-“
“River…” Mac interrupted his rant again.
“What, for fucks sake, Mac.” River snapped his head up to glare at him but Mac was crying.
“He’s already gone,” Terran softly answered.
River froze before he slowly looked down at his youngest brother. Zeph lay still beneath his hands. His pale skin was covered in black lines, black had even spilled into his eyes. His chest was still, his eyes staring up at nothing. Black tinged tears still fell from his eyes, as if he was starting to cry right as he passed beyond the veil.
River slowly leaned down. His shaking hands cupping the sides of Zephyr’s face as he laid his last kiss on his forehead. “Goodbye, little brother.”
The men stayed kneeled over his body for a while before anyone moved. Before any one could say anything, a soft voice could be heard over the waves. Araiya was humming again, but this time it wasn’t the song of the ocean. It was eerily similar to the song a dragon sings over her lost mate. A mimicked melody from one of their most sacred songs.
The men stared at her shaking back, as she sang the last song for her broken mate.
Araiya didn’t even realize she was singing while she cried alone on that beach. But she had heard the men say that Zeph had died. She had felt it as his soul left his body, and the song started in her soul. She felt for the chain that had been wrapped in black. It was clear now, but dark. A dull yellow without life, and she cried and started to sing the song. A keening song that she didn’t know or understand but it haunted her. She sang until the sun dipped in the sky, and sang until it rose again before the men finally came and got her.
They had buried Zephyr on the Isle of the Deep. To lay in peace for eternity. His tomb, Terran had caved out of stone. Each had placed something with his body before they closed it. Terran grew a Wind Willow for the marker. A tree that sang when the wind was blowing. Zephyr’s favourite. They all sang together for a second full day before Araiya finally stopped.