Filed to story: The Chosen Saga Novel PDF Free
“Von, stay with me. I love you so, so much. Stay with me, please.”
“I want you to know that you made me the happiest girl this last cycle. My life was in utter shambles when I got here.” He could hear the trouble she was having trying to breathe. “You were the light in my darkness. You breathed life back into me.”
“RIVER.” Talon could hear the guys closing in. “Von, he’s close. Just stay with me, okay? Please, use the bond to stay here with me.”
“I wanted to be with you forever, Talon, I wanted to be your forever. But the Goddess has other plans for me.” Racking coughs shook her body, blood flecks landing on her face with each cough. “Promise me, one thing.”
“Anything. I will give you anything if you just stay with me. RIVER.” Talon picked her up and pulled her into his lap. “Stay with me.” Tears started to fall on to her upturned face.
“Stay away from Araiya.” Shavon’s hand started to fall, but she caught the neck of his shirt. She focused on her mate one last time. “Goddess, I wish I had more time with you. I should have loved you with my whole soul. Stay away from Araiya, I don’t want you to be the next victim of her darkness…”
“Babe…Babe. Von. Stay with me. Please Goddess, let me Keep my mate,” Talon prayed. She took one more deep breath and then grew still. “Stay awake, Von. RIVER.” He shook her body as tears fell from his face. “SHAVON.”
“I’m here.” River stumbled in and dropped to his knees. “Give her to me. What the fuck is going on? What happened? Where is Araiya?”
“I don’t know. She was…she was already like this when I got here.” River grabbed Shavon from Talon’s arms. He fed power into her body, healing the damage done.
“What do you mean? Focus, Talon. I need answers. You can break down after we find out what the hell happened,” River snapped out.
“Yes, Eta.”
“For Goddess sake, Talon, I am not the Eta.”
“In this, you are.” Talon shook his head to clear it. “I ran here, and I could smell the blood and death before I opened the door. I froze. Then I heard her say my name. I came in to find her in the puddle of blood. She was already saying her goodbyes. There wasn’t even a fight in her. I kept asking what happened, who did this, and the only thing she said was stay away from Araiya. To stay away and not be a victim of her darkness…” Talon shuddered. “Did Araiya do this, River?”
River shook his head as he fed more power into Shavon. He ran his hands over her body, looking for more damage, looking for the wound that killed her, but found none. Shavon’s heart had grown still, and still River poured more power into her. “Something is wrong.”
“What?”
“Her body, there was barely any damage, but she’s gone. I healed everything, but her body is refusing to come back. Something is blocking it.”
Talon leaned over and whispered to her. “Baby, come back to me, please.” There was a soft flutter down the mate bond and a soft whisper. I love you. The last rush of love, and then nothing. Talon took one small breath and then the bond that Talon had grown to cherish in his very soul shattered. His scream, his broken scream, filled Chosen Village and his dragon followed suit right after. A long, low cry for a lost mate and a broken promise.
The others crowded in to share in the death as Talon pulled Shavon’s body into his lap and cried over top of her. The keening song that every dragon cries over their loved one was a testament to who was lost.?Some dragons sing for weeks, not stopping to eat or drink. Talon sang over her body for a few minutes, but the song ended so abruptly that the others were confused.
“Why did you stop?” Terran kneeled down across the River.
“Where is she?”
“Where is who?” Mac asked from where he was leaning against the door.
“Araiya. Shavon was alone, but where is Araiya? Why would Araiya betray us like this?”
“Betray you? Talon, listen to yourself. Araiya is one of your closest friends, you know she would never betray you,” River countered.
“My mate,” Talon stumbled on his words and needed to restart. “My mate said her darkness did this. That Araiya’s darkness caused this. She told me to stay away. She was supposed to be here. She was supposed to stay with Von, and now she’s dead, and Araiya is what? Just fucking missing?” Talon roared.
“So, what, you think Araiya attacked Shavon?” Mac scoffed. “Look man, I love you, and I know you just lost your moon, and I am sorry. But even I know Araiya, who was best friends with you and Shavon, I repeat, you AND Shavon, she wouldn’t hurt her.”
“Do you really think she could do that to her? To you? Come on, think.?That girl protected everyone in Fire. She saved hundreds of lives, none of which she actually knew, and you think she would turn on her closest friend?
“Are you calling my mate a liar?”
“No, I’m not saying anything like that. What I am saying is that it’s possible. You know Araiya better than absolutely anyone here. Do you really think that she would have attacked Shavon? Do you really think that she would have stabbed her? You’ve been her best friend and you’re her protector. If she didn’t want you and Shavon along, why wouldn’t she have just left you two behind like the rest of us? What makes more sense, her attacking Shavon or this being a setup?”
“I wouldn’t have thought it possible. But I just had my heart ripped out. The love of my life died in my arms and you’re telling me she is a liar. That she used her last breath to lie about Araiya? Come on, she was insecure, but not jealous, not hateful.”
“That’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is it is possible that she blames Araiya since you were here for her. That she blames Araiya for the attacks, because before her, everything was peaceful?”
“If that is true, then where is she? Why isn’t she here?” Talon shot back.
“What?”
“If she is so innocent and just left to grab clothes, she should have been back already.” Talon placed Shavon back on the ground and softly kissed her forehead before jumping to his feet. “If she was innocent, she would either be beside my mate, or would have been back already.”
“Unless…” River ran out the cabin and the rest followed suit. “Terran, shift. Search the surrounding forests.” They made their way towards Araiya’s cabin and once again, Talon took the lead.