Filed to story: The Chosen Saga Novel PDF Free
“Ah. Well, I guess then you better wake up for some answers. But before you go. When you have time. Come to the Spirits’ Keep. There are some secrets here.” Soren looked around the room. “That you need to find.”
“Secrets?” Araiya questioned.
“Yes, my love. Well, answers more like.” Soren chuckled. “I’ll show you some when you’re free.”
“Free?”
“Oh, little one. How I wish I could save you from this. But this is your journey. Mine finished long before you came to be. Now you have to wake up.”
“I’m sorry about everything and I’m sorry I keep witnessing your most intimate moments.”
“Never be sorry, Araiya. Your presence has saved me more times than I can count. Now go.”
“Wakey, wakey, you little bitch.” Ice cold water
was thrown over Araiya, who woke up screaming and coughing. Araiya came to, tied to a pole. She raised her hand to block the sun, and she banged her head off the pole twice before she finally opened her eyes.
“There she is. How is my brood mare? Adjusting to your new accommodations?”
“Go fuck yourself, Donal,” Araiya spat back before her eyes adjusted to the dim light.
“Still feisty as ever,” Donal laughed.?”Wife, did you show your sister what I do to feisty women?”
“Yes.” Korine kept her eyes on the ceiling. She was moved to the bed last night and Araiya had to watch as a very intoxicated Donal fumbled around on top of her, trying to get hard enough to use her. Korine had laid there lifeless while Araiya had screamed herself raw.
Araiya had given a thousand thanks to the Goddess that the old bastard couldn’t get hard. In his drunken stupor, he fell across Korine before he even removed her clothing.
Araiya and Korine had cried silently together while he slept draped across her with his hand down his own pants. Araiya had whispered to Korine through the night, trying to talk to her. Korine never responded, just stared up to the ceiling and cried. Araiya finally told her to sleep. She promised her she would scream if he woke up and thought to attempt again. She might have hated her step sister, but not even she deserved the hell that Araiya could only assume Korine had been subjected to since coming here.
She had been here just over a month, alone with that man.
Araiya shivered at the thought.
The girl she had known was gone. The sneering, self-absorbed girl that had flaunted around town, getting every little thing she wanted, had died in this room. And Araiya was watching over her ghost. A shell of the woman that she used to be.
Araiya couldn’t help but shudder while staring at her sister’s face once the sun peaked over the horizon, before the two on the bed woke up. The burned side of Korine’s face was facing her. It had not healed well, and was probably still infected judging by the flush of her skin and the drainage that seeped from the bottom. She softly cried as she watched Korine awake in a panic with Donal’s weight pushing her down into the mattress.
“Korine, it’s okay. I’m here.”? Korine turned and focused on Araiya.?”It’s okay, nothing happened.” Korines eyes slowly lost the fear. “He’s asleep, breathe with me. I watched over you all night like I promised. He never got his hands on you.” Korine started to cry. Her face scrunched up in pain, and she whispered something so low Araiya couldn’t hear. “What?”
“He didn’t do anything last night. But he’s done it, Rai.?He’s done it before.”
“Shhh, Korine look at me.” Korine shook her head as tears fell down the side of her face into her hair.?”Korine, fucking look at me,” Araiya whisper-yelled.
Korine slowly turned her head and stared at Araiya. She saw how broken she looked. “You are Korine Hill, indestructible and constantly annoying, but fucking strong. You look down on the world because you can.” Her lips turned a little. “You do not let some man take anything from you. Not your father. Not a boyfriend. And certainly not some pathetic worm of a man.” A soft chuckle escaped her as she looked away. “I got you. I will make sure nothing like that happens again, okay?” Korine turned back and nodded. The tears slowly subsided, and her face was calm and clear.
“You can sleep now, Araiya. He will just wake up and go about his day. You look exhausted and your head hasn’t healed. Sleep, I will watch over you this time.” Araiya nodded and finally allowed herself to relax.
She had slept for a few hours before she was hit with the water, but the sleep had done nothing to clear the pounding headache she had. “Why did you wake me up? Not like I had a lot of plans here, Donal.” Araiya shook her arm that was chained. “Figured I would just hang around the tent. Make enough noise to get a guard to take us to relieve ourselves. Maybe, just maybe, get a cloth to wipe off some of this blood. It is starting to itch.” Araiya smirked as she leaned back against the pole. She didn’t have power to protect her, so she reverted to her mouth. If you pretended to not care, you started to believe you didn’t care.
“I love a strong woman. It is so much better when you finally break.” Donal walked over and caressed her face. Araiya pulled back and snapped at him like a dog. Donal pulled back his fingers just in time. “I allowed you to wake on your own when you first came here, partly because I wanted to see if you would survive. When my men grabbed you, you put up a good fight. Killed two of them, but they were able to knock you out.”
Araiya laughed. “I killed two men? Are you still drunk? Someone grabbed me from behind and it went black. I woke up here, beaten.”
“Apparently once they grabbed you, you went feral. Started biting and growling, got a few good hits in. Grabbed one of the knives and stabbed two of my men. They got everyone to the wagon and then they died on the way here.” Donal laughed. “You are a fighter, even when you don’t realize it.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It honestly doesn’t matter, Araiya. You are here, and now, now I get to break you. Like a wild horse.”
“You can try.” Araiya tried again to reach out to the Elementals. Why were they ignoring her? Did they abandon her?
“Oh, I will succeed. You know what the best part is? Even though you are Chosen, you are blocked from accessing your power.” Araiya’s sharp glance at him had Donal laughing. “Gasp. Yes, I know the Chosen have power. I know a lot of things about the Chosen. The chain you are sporting as a new permanent bracelet will block any power. Do you like it?” Donal walked over and fingered the chain. “It took a long time to figure out the right metals and carvings. A lot of Chosen have died over the years. A lot of dragons.”
“You…”
“Oh, young lady, I have been alive longer than anyone knows. I have worked with the Darkness for longer than you have been alive, and there are perks to being his. You should think about it.” Donal leaned in and wrapped his hand in her hair.