Filed to story: The Chosen Saga Novel PDF Free
Tal laughed. “So many questions, I will do my best to answer. Where we are is hard to explain; the easiest way to say is that we are in the Water province. The others are safe and where we were supposed to be. I followed you when that man took you and caught up after you fought him off. So, to answer the next question, I did not save you. You saved yourself. I just got you here to be healed. We weren’t really fighting. Someone has a temper when it comes to his patients. This is River; he is also hard to explain, but he is one of our leaders. Lastly, you have been here for the last three days. I was starting to worry, and I know Shavon was becoming very anxious. She wants us to return so that we can start proper explanations, training, and the like. I want to explain more, but there are a few things that have to happen first.” River laughed, and Tal rubbed his hair.
“I know I am explaining this all wrong, and you probably have even more questions, and I will answer them, I promise. You just need to know the basics for this to all make sense. Until then, it’s just kind of confusing. I’m sorry.”
“Tal,” River called, “just shut up. You sound like an idiot.” River looked over at them. “Hello Araiya, it is nice to meet you. I know we can’t explain much, but there are steps we must follow to protect our way of life. When Chosen first come here, they go through the initiation. For those that do not make it, the memories are taken and sent back home to live. Only the strongest stay; if you make it, I give you my word, you will get your explanation. Until then, unfortunately, you will be in the dark. I hope that explanation can hold you over.” River’s voice was a deep timbre that made Araiya’s heart race. “Now, because you have been here for half a week, the other Chosen have been waiting to start training for initiation. I will have to blindfold you so that you can leave my home. Once we leave this place, we can take the blindfold off and get you and everyone else started.” River looked at Araiya expectantly and raised one perfect eyebrow.
She knew she was almost drooling, but he was so hot. River smiled at her like he knew what she was thinking; holy hell, he had dimples. That right there had her lady bits jumping for joy. Araiya’s first thought was right. He was gorgeous when he didn’t look like he was going to murder Tal. She quickly looked away when River took a step toward her. “Umm, yes, that is fine, I guess. I want to get started, and I feel bad that everyone else had to wait. When can we leave?”
She looked over and settled her gaze on Tal. He was safe, just as gorgeous but very taken. Araiya felt if she looked at River again, she would stop forming rational thoughts. River laughed. Again, she could swear he was reading her thoughts, and she felt a blush creep up her neck and settle on her cheeks.
Tal chuckled. “Well, we can leave as soon as you are dressed. The clothes you changed into were ruined…” Tal trailed off. She glanced down and noticed she was covered in a silk wrap. She yelped and pulled the blanket up to her chin. She flushed bright red.
“As Tal said, your clothes were ripped and bloody rags by the time you got here, so I just tossed them away. There are new clothes in the bathing room off to the side of the room. Once you are cleaned and dressed, we can leave. We will be waiting outside the door when you are ready. I have prepared a hot bath for you. I figured you would feel better after cleaning off all the old blood. Now, do you think you can stand and walk, or do you need my help?” River walked to the edge of the bed and held out his hand. Araiya looked at his hand, slowly looking up at his long body and settling on his face. Goddess, his body was fucking perfect too.
“I think I can stand. My legs feel fine.” She kicked her feet under the covers. Everything felt in order. She shuffled to the side of the bed and put her feet on the ground. Araiya pushed the blanket off but held tightly onto the wrap. She pushed herself up from the bed, the world tilted, and she started to drop. River wrapped his arm around her waist. “I think I was wrong. Why am I so weak?” Araiya looked up at River. “I wasn’t as hurt as I originally thought, to be fully healed in three days, so why can I not stand?”
“I am sorry, what?” River’s confusion was written on his face. “You were very hurt, Araiya. Your left arm was shattered, your shoulder was broken, and two ribs were so severely shattered that they punctured your lung. You had head wounds so severe that your face was unrecognizable. Your eyes were swollen shut, and your nose was broken. Your hip was broken, and the bone in one of your legs had broken through the skin. Your spine was broken in three different spots. You had lost so much blood that no healer would touch you when you came here. They had already thought you dead, so I did the healing myself. I was the only one strong enough to bring you back from the brink, and even then, it was so touch and go I wasn’t sure you would make it unless you fought for life. It took more than a day to heal all your wounds, another to replace the blood, and the final day for you to fight for life. It is a miracle that you made it all the way here, never mind survived and recovered enough to lift yourself out of bed.” Halfway through River explaining the last three days to her, her mouth opened in disbelief. She looked at Tal, and he was nodding, looking sad. She looked back to River. How was this even possible? No healer was that strong.
“How?” River continued on the way to the bathroom, but a smirk settled on his face from the apparent awe in her voice. How could one man be so strong? It didn’t make sense, and how did no one know about his powers? Araiya still remembered when the plague rushed through her village. There were contracts for any healer to try and save people for a substantial amount of coin. “How are you such a strong healer, but no one has ever heard of you?”
“I go by many names, although River is my true name. I will help you to the bath. Then I will send a maid to help you clean up and dress.” With that, River reached down and plucked her off the ground. He carried her like a bride, effortlessly, which made Araiya’s blush come rushing back. “Once you are finished, send the maid to come get us, and we will escort you to the initiation.” He walked into the bathing chamber and sat her on the edge of the sunken tub. Araiya started to look around the room. It was very serene. Light-blue walls, dark-blue tiles, and even a mirror hung on one wall. He put his hand in the water to check the temperature, nodded, and looked over his shoulder at Araiya. “I assume you do not want me to see you naked again.” Araiya snapped her head in his direction, and the man was full on grinning now.
“What do you mean you saw me naked?” she demanded.
“Well, darling, I couldn’t heal your body without seeing the damage, now, could I?” Araiya floundered with a response as he picked her up again and set her in the hot bath, wrap and all. She kicked at him, and he laughed. “Now behave. I was very professional, and Tal was by your side the entire time. Now that you are awake, I don’t have to be professional.” With a smirk, he left.
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN TAL SAW ME NAKED?!” she yelled after him, and the only response she got was a masculine chuckle back. Araiya was livid. These men had seen her naked. It didn’t matter that she was almost dead and bloody. What mattered was they didn’t have her permission, and for the love of the Goddess, Tal was mate-bonded to Shavon. What if River was mate-bonded as well? Not that she cared, not really. Oh goddess, she was going to have to tell Shavon. How was she supposed to do that? Shavon, I was nearly dead, and Tal was overseeing my healing, and he saw me naked. I am so very sorry. Araiya groaned and slid into the water to get her hair wet. The wrap was floating half off her body, so she sat up and pulled the wrap off entirely.
Araiya plopped the water-sodden wrap on the side and turned back to relax when she caught sight of her leg. It was purple. Most of her body was purple. Bruises and a few new scars peppered her abused body, and she understood why she almost died. She wondered how her face faired, as silly as that seemed. She would look later. Right that second, the heat from the water was relaxing her. Sore muscles she hadn’t even been aware of started to relax and release built-up tension. She laid her head back on the side of the tub and let everything go for a while.
The door opened, and Araiya shot up. She hadn’t even realized that she had fallen asleep. After sleeping for three days, you would think she was wide awake, but no, she was still bone tired. The maid stopped when she jumped. “I am sorry, dearie, I was told you were expecting me for help. The master had said you have been through a lot of healing these past days and needed the extra hand.”
The older woman was just inside the door. She was short and plump and had the sweetest face. Her gray hair, styled in a low bun, gave her the perfect loving grandmother look. Araiya smiled and nodded, and the maid laid out a pile of clothes and a robe. She came over and knelt next to the tub and pulled open a little cupboard off to the side. It was filled with handmade soaps and oils, which she promptly poured into the warm water and swirled around.
They smelt divine, like flowers blooming next to the ocean. “Dearie, can you lean back this way? I do not have the arm length needed to wash your hair from here.” Chuckling to herself, she laid out a small cloth, a comb, and two different soaps by the tub’s edge. Araiya scooted over and sat up as much as she could. The maid pulled all of her hair out of the water and flicked most of the water off before pooling it in her lap.
“Oh, please do not get wet for me. I am sorry you have to help me,” Araiya started.
“Nonsense, dearie. A little water hurt no one, but your lovely hair is a tangled mess, and it will take me a long time to tame it.” The maid got started on detangling and combing through her hair. After some time, she huffed. “Dearie, we will have to approach this differently. It is so matted with dirt and blood. How about we wash it a few times and then give it a go.” She gently pushed Araiya away from the side and pulled the hair up from her lap. “Can you dunk all this for me, dearie?” She dipped deep into the water and pulled her hair with her. When she surfaced, she leaned away from the maid and let her wash her hair.
Araiya lost count of how many times she had to rinse her hair. It was a cycle, lather, rinse, repeat until her hair rinsed clear. Araiya asked when she came up for air after a rinse, “What is your name?”
“It is Brooke, dear, but you do not have to use my name. Calling me maid works just as well. I think your hair is done, but the bath water will have to be emptied and refilled. Do me a favor, dearie, close your eyes. The master has his secret about his bath chamber that only I can know.” Araiya closed her eyes and felt the water drain from the tub.
She was shivering when she heard a noise, and hot water flooded. Within a few seconds, she was once again surrounded by perfect water, and she opened her eyes. “There we are. Now let’s have you dip your hair in the clean water once more, just to make sure, then I’ll take it and comb out all of the tangles.” Araiya did as instructed and laid back against her side of the tub. Brooke took all her hair out and once again started to try and comb out the tangles. She could tell Brooke was frustrated with all the noises she was making.
“Brooke, I am sorry my hair is difficult. My mother was always frustrated with my hair. I know when I was younger, she would use bathing oils to get through the hardest knots,” she offered.
“Oh, silly me, I don’t even know why I hadn’t thought of that myself. Your mother is a brilliant lady.” Brooke poured the oil onto her hair and started again. She made quick work of all the tangles. She lathered up Araiya’s hair a final time to help remove some oil and then helped her quickly wash the rest of her body. “There, lass, you are all clean. Close your eyes again so I can drain the water, and we will get the help of one of the men to get you up and out to get dressed.” Araiya closed her eyes again and felt the water drain away. Brooke handed her a robe to cover herself in and called to the men. “Boys, we need a strong man to lift our girl out of the tub and to the dressing table.”
River came in and lifted her up. He smiled down at her, which started her blushing again. She could only hope that her face was as bruised as her body, so he didn’t know the effect her had on her. He gently placed her in the chair, saluted Brooke, and walked out without a word. Brooke giggled like a young girl, and Araiya sighed. Brooke patted her on her head and got to work.
Araiya was dressed in no time. A dark-blue tunic, riding leathers, a fur-lined cloak, and her own boots. She was thankful anything survived from her clothes and was more than thankful she had changed out of her cloak and dress before she went to sleep. Brooke made quick work of her hair as well, quickly taming her hair into an over-the-shoulder braid. She even put in a little effort on Araiya’s face. When she stood back, and Araiya looked in the mirror, you could hardly tell she had almost died. There was still bruising coming off her shoulder, and you could make out a shadow of the bruising on her face. Her purple eyes were a little bloodshot but lined with kohl you could hardly notice without looking closely. Her usual pink lips were a little paler until Brooke tinted them with lip paint made from berries. She looked pale but passable. Araiya could stand on her own, and once she was sure she wasn’t about to fall, she took her first tentative steps. When her legs did not fail her, she smiled at Brooke.
“Thank you, Brooke, for all of your help. I know I am not your regular charge to take care of, so I appreciate the help even more.”
“Shush, young lady. It was no bother. You were way easier than Master River. He is by far the biggest pain in my ass and has been here for all of my life. Now let’s get you to the men so you can be off. They are probably worrying themselves sick.”
Araiya chuckled. “I doubt it. Tal okay maybe, but River doesn’t know me, and he doesn’t look like the type of man to worry about a woman.” Brooke gave a hearty laugh and led the way out of the room. They crossed to the bedroom door and out into the hallway. The two men were glaring at each other and leaning against opposite walls. “What is exactly the problem between you two?” Tal looked to Araiya and looked her over.
“I am happy to see you up and about.” Tal smiled. “Now, let’s get back. Shavon is worried sick.”
Araiya just lifted her eyebrow. “I appreciate your concern Tal, but you are not avoiding my question. What in the darkness is wrong with you two?”
River chuckled. “You’re feisty. I like it. The honest truth?”
“Yes, that would be nice.”