Journey 'The Chosen One Trilogy: Book Two'

by Chester, Mireille

  I swung on and we trotted off. Under the direction of Bryenk, we made our way quickly through the steam beds.

  “How far is it?”

  Bryenk came to rest between Dodge’s ears. Once we get to the sand plains, if the Winged One can keep a steady pace, we should be there by night fall.

  “Night fall. When we crossed the river, Jasper had said it would be time to make camp. Was I unconscious?”

  Dodge shook his head. No. Days are longer here as are the nights. It takes two of our days and two of our nights to make one day and night here.

  We had reached the edge of the hot springs and Dodge broke into a canter over a flat desert of hard sand.

  *****

  It was almost completely dark when Bryenk told us to stop. We had been traveling deeper into a forest of trees that looked like sugar maples in the fall. The leaves were beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows.

  Ternach’s lair is just a little ways away. It doesn’t look like much, but you’ll see a hollow tree stump in a clearing. I imagine he already knows we’re here. Did you have a plan of some sort? Bryenk looked up at me from on my shoulder.

  “I guess if he knows we’re here, there’s no point in trying to sneak up. Let’s go knock on the door and see what happens.”

  I’ll go. You stay here. Dodge looked back at me.

  “You’re not going by yourself, Buddy.”

  His tail swished. Hayden. I’ll go scout around. If anyone sees me, they’ll just think I’m a Winged One on his quest.

  “Fine. But I’m giving you two minutes and then I’m following.”

  He nodded, knowing full well that this was as much cooperation as I was going to give him.

  I watched as he walked away, Bryenk slightly ahead of him, leading the way. I started to count in my head.

  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,…

  “Hayden! Thank the moons!”

  I spun around and threw myself into Jasper’s arms. “Did you guys just get here? Where’re Brice and Faren?”

  Jasper’s lips found mine and silenced any more questions I might have had for him. His hands ran up my back and I moaned. One instant I was thinking of how we needed to find everybody and get away, and the next all I wanted was for Jasper to push me up against a tree and take me right there.

  I pulled away, trying to catch my breath. “Let’s keep that in mind for later,” I grinned up at him.

  He laced his fingers in my hair and pulled me back to his lips. “Why wait,” he muttered. His hand ran up my shirt. He brushed his thumb over my nipple and I groaned.

  “Oh, god.” I closed my eyes and gasped. He lifted me and wrapped my legs around his waist then pulled my shirt up and ran his tongue along the curves of my breasts.

  Somewhere in the back of my mind a little voice was telling me that this was ridiculous. We had to get away. Jasper suckled me gently and the little voice disappeared. I shook with need. I ran my hands through his hair and tilted his head so I could look into his eyes.

  He gazed at me and smiled a crooked grin.

  I realized I was projecting how I was feeling full force. “Sorry.” I reined it in.

  “What for?” He looked confused.

  “I was feeling…” I took a few deep breaths and shook my head to clear it. Jasper ran his fingers lightly across my back and my mind clouded again. My shield dropped.

  The look in Jasper’s eyes stayed the same.

  “How are you not feeling that?” I reined it in again. Had this been any other day, he would have groaned; would have been vibrating with my need and his.

  “Feel what, Hayden?”

  He would have called me Shlova.

  He can look like everything and anything. He never looks the same way twice. Faren’s description rang through my head.

  “Ternach!”

  Does it matter who I am if I can make you feel like this? I think I’ve decided the humans can keep their gifts. I’d rather have you. His voice was like a caress in my head.

  “Put me down!”

  He set me gently on my feet, but kept a hold of my waist. Jasper’s blue eyes gazed into mine. His hands, Jasper’s hands, ran up my sides. My mind clouded.

  “Stop that!” I shook my head again. “Don’t touch me!”

  Jasper’s face crumbled as if I had slapped him. I almost pulled him to me to comfort him. Almost.

  The look turned from pained to sly. If that’s what you want. It works either way for me. He took a few steps back and stood with his arms crossed.

  I felt invisible fingers brush lightly over my face. They moved down my neck, over my shoulders, and then were in my head.

  I fell to my knees and moaned. It felt like I was being touched in all the right places simultaneously. I was breathing hard and groaning. I wanted to give myself up to him and let him finish what he had started. Pictures flashed in my head and I knew he was reading my memories. I looked up into his eyes. Not Jasper’s eyes. They were the same perfect blue, the same slightly catlike shape. But they were not his. Jasper’s eyes were full of what he was feeling; I could read him like a book. These eyes were blank. I focused on those eyes and took a deep breath.

  “Get out of my head.”

  Those eyes widened a bit and I said it again, this time with a bit more conviction.

  “Get out of my head.” I pushed myself to my feet and started to feel my anger rise. “I don’t know who you’re used to dealing with, but back off!” I threw the red waves at him.

  He put a hand up casually then cried out when the flames ran over him. Jasper’s form wavered and turned into a small man made of grey stone. I saw him pull his own waves toward him and got mine ready to counteract whatever he was going to throw at me.

  The flames came at me so quickly I almost didn’t have time to throw the grey waves to blow them away from me.

  Well, aren’t you a handy little one. I wonder how you will handle this! The little rock monster grabbed a silver wave and threw an energy bolt at me.

  I pulled the ground up in front of me and the rock wall exploded with the impact of the bolt.

  Not bad at all. He had turned into a man again. This one was blond with dark brown eyes. We are going to have fun, you and I. I love a good test of strength when the opponent is worthy. And just think. Once we are done playing, we can spend the rest of our time making you quiver like you were moments earlier.

  I felt him try to enter my head again and I screamed in anger. My vision turned red and I concentrated on the ground at his feet. The flames shot up at him and this time he cried out in pain.

  He brushed the flames out with his hands and turned to stare at me. The dark eyes narrowed and I felt the push of magic coming from every direction.

  “Hayden!”

  I turned in time to see Brice running at me. I started to run toward him.

  He caught me and pushed me behind him before turning to face Ternach. “Having a bit of fun, are you?”

  Ternach started to laugh. “Braw has no idea what he is getting himself into.”

  “Braw knows exactly what he is doing.”

  I looked up at the back of Brice’s head. “What?”

  Brice glanced back at me then behind me. He turned and pulled me so that my back was to his chest. His dagger was placed casually against my throat. “Stay there, Jasper.”

  I looked at Jasper and tried to keep the tears from falling down my face. I pulled back on my fear, the hurt of knowing that this time, Brice wasn’t faking his betrayal.

  The transformation on Jasper’s face was amazing to watch. The shock of seeing his best friend holding a dagger to his mate’s throat turned to fear for my life, anger that I had been put in danger and finally settled into a deadly hunter’s stare.

  Brice took an involuntary step backward.

  There was a loud whooshing noise, the sky lit up, and the air around us warmed a few degrees. Faren came crashing through the woods. Bryenk flew at Brice’s face and clawed at his eyes. The blade bit into my neck as Brice tried to
pull away from the small dragon.

  Ternach’s voice seemed to drown everything else out. “You tell Braw I’ll be taking her back when he’s done with her.”

  Jasper’s eyes widened and he started to run toward us.

  I felt the magic nudge me, everything around me wavered, and then I was standing in a completely different forest still pinned to Brice’s chest with his dagger still at my throat.

  “I’m going to take my knife away and tie your hands together. I don’t want to hurt you, Hayden, so don’t try anything stupid.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded.

  “That was pretty amazing how you kept up to Ternach.” Brice tied my hands behind my back so I couldn’t use my color waves. He straightened and looked at me. “You don’t have to worry. Braw just wants you to do one little thing and he’ll let you go.” He tilted my head up and looked at my throat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cut you.”

  I stared straight ahead at a tree.

  “I imagine you’re mad at me.”

  That statement got him a blank stare from me. I noticed that his face was bleeding from the scratches Bryenk had inflicted. I thought it was a pity there hadn’t been any water around for the little dragon to use on my abductor.

  “Ok. Well, let’s go then. The sooner you do this little favor for Braw, the sooner you can go on your merry way.” He put a hand on my elbow and led me through the woods.

  We didn’t have to walk very long before we were within sight of a large city.

  “This is Paradin. It is the biggest city in the human colonies.” The city was surrounded by a rock wall that stood a good fifteen feet high.

  There were two guards at the tall door. Both of them straightened and saluted as Brice walked me up to them.

  “Captain.”

  Brice stopped and saluted back. “As you were.”

  They opened the doors and let us in.

  As much as I was enjoying giving Brice the silent treatment, I was starting to burst with curiosity.

  “You’re a captain?”

  He nodded and looked down at me.

  “For the humans.” I couldn’t keep the amazement out of my voice.

  If he had been going to explain he didn’t get the chance.

  “Brice!”

  I looked up to see a blond woman running toward us. Brice let go of me and pulled her to him. She laughed and kissed him tenderly.

  “Thanks to Braw, you’re home! Come. I just finished making supper.”

  Brice smiled and kissed her again. “I’ll be there shortly. I have to get Hayden to Braw.”

  The woman looked at me intently. “She doesn’t look like much, does she?”

  I tried not to look insulted by the comment.

  “Do you really think she can do what Braw wants her to do?”

  He gave me a pat on the back. “I know she can. Hayden is amazing.”

  Her eyes narrowed.

  Brice laughed. “Don’t be jealous, Sonia. You are the love of my life and you know it.”

  She continued to stare at me. I stared right back. Brice was right, I thought. We had the same eyes.

  Brice stepped between us and looked back and forth, his eyes narrowed. “Enough.” He stepped toward Sonia and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “I’ll be home in a bit.”

  I could feel Sonia’s glare on my back as Brice led me away.

  “That story, about how she saved you?”

  He glanced down at me and looked apologetic. “Just a story.”

  “What does Braw want me to do?”

  He looked straight ahead. “I’ll let him explain it to you.”

  We walked in silence for a few more minutes before arriving to a stone castle.

  “I have to put you in a cell.” He led me down into the basement of the castle and opened the door to a small room with nothing in it.

  I simply stood in the middle of the room and watched him walk to the door. He hesitated at the door and turned to look at me. I was a bit shocked to see the same concern in his blue green eyes that I was used to seeing there.

  He gripped the door frame. “Hayden.” He cleared his throat and frowned. “Just do what he says and he’ll let you go.” Brice turned, closed the door, and I heard the lock slide into place.

  My legs gave out and I sat heavily on the floor. “What the hell is going on?” A hundred different thoughts were running through my head. Was everyone back at Ternach’s lair alive? How had a Namael ended up a captain in the human army? But most importantly, what the hell did Braw want me to do?

  “Hey, Tom! Who’s the unlucky one they just brought in?” The man’s voice floated into my cell.

  “Not sure. We’ll find out tomorrow night. I heard a rumor they found the Chosen One. He’s going to test her powers when the moons are at their highest.”

  “Man, that sucks.”

  “You’re telling me,” piped in a third voice. This one was a woman’s.

  “Why?” I asked. “What is he planning?”

  “What’s your name, honey?” the woman inquired.

  “Hayden.”

  “Quiet!” one of the men barked.

  The sounds of footsteps echoed in the stairway.

  “Great job, Brice. All those years have finally paid off.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  The footsteps stopped in front of my door. I heard the lock slide open and my heart started to beat a mile a minute.

  Brice walked in first, followed by a short man who looked in his seventies, with long grey hair tied in a ponytail. He looked like someone’s hippy grandfather. His dark grey eyes found me sitting on the floor and he smiled. “Hayden, dear. Please, stand up. You’ll excuse the fact that we can’t untie your hands at the moment. We wouldn’t want you to start throwing magic at the guards, now would we?”

  Brice bent over and helped me up. “Are you alright?”

  I glanced up at him and was again shocked at how worried he looked. I ignored him and turned my attention to Braw.

  “Tomorrow night, we will have a small demonstration of your power. You will help me liberate five beings from their demons. If all goes well, we will wait four nights until the moons align with the star of Juns and when the magic of this world is at its peak, we will channel the power of Laif through the entire world, whereupon we will rid the world of demons.”

  My jaw dropped. “You’ll kill them all!”

  Braw shook his head. “No dear. We will free them.”

  “You don’t get it!” I could feel panic taking a hold of me. “The Namaels, the Majs, they’re not possessed! That’s just who they are! It’s genetic!” I looked up at Brice and was shocked by the blank look on his face. “Brice! You have to explain to him. It will kill you!”

  Brice turned slowly to look at me, his eyes wide.

  “Now, Hayden, dear.” Braw put a hand on my shoulder. “You’ll be helping them.”

  “No!”

  The grip tightened and I dropped to my knees.

  I looked up at him. “No.”

  A second guard grabbed me by the hair and hauled me up.

  “I don’t need you to cooperate, dear. It will simply be much easier on you if you do.”

  “Go to hell!”

  The guard’s fist connected with my stomach and I fell to the ground. I tried to suck in air.

  A low growl made its way up Brice’s throat. “You said you wouldn’t hurt her.”

  “You did your part, Brice. Go home.”

  Brice seemed about to say something, but stopped. He nodded and left my cell.

  Braw and the guard followed after him, leaving me crumpled on the floor with my thoughts.

  *****

  I hadn’t realized I had fallen asleep until someone nudged me with their boot. I looked up and found a blond man gazing down at me curiously. He looked about thirty five.

  “You don’t look like much.”

  I grunted. “Neither do you.” I looked out of the tiny window, if you cou
ld call it that. “What time is it?”

  He was frowning. “Morning. What am I supposed to look like?”

  I started to laugh. You found a bright one, Hayden, I thought to myself. “Just like you do, I suppose. What am I supposed to look like?”

  He smiled. “I pictured you taller. And blond with bigger…” He stopped short and blushed. “Bigger eyes.”

  “Well, I’m sorry to disappoint.”

  He shook his head and set a tray on the ground. It had a bowl of porridge and a cup of coffee on it.

  “Thank you.” I looked down at the tray. “How am I supposed to eat with my hands behind my back?”

  “I…I don’t know.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “William.”

  “I’m Hayden.”

  The sound of someone walking down the stairs echoed through the cells. William and I both looked at my door. It opened.

  “What are you doing?” Brice came storming in and marched toward William.

  I stepped between them and Brice stopped short. “He brought me breakfast. What do you want?”

  “I came to make sure you were alright.”

  I raised an eyebrow at him and he looked at the ground. “Geez, Brice! You kidnap me, tie me up, throw me in a cell then expect me to help the humans annihilate the shifters and you want to see if I’m ok?” I kicked him as hard as I could in the shin. “Of course I’m not ok!” I yelled at him. I kicked at him again. He dodged to the side and I lost my balance, which managed to land me on my rear.

  He took a step forward to help me up and stopped when I spat at him. “Go to hell, Brice.” I turned myself around so that I was facing the far wall and tried to keep the tears from flowing.

  I heard him take a deep breath and the cell door slammed shut.

  William was looking at me with wide eyes.

  “Go on, William. I’ll figure out how I’m supposed to eat. I’m sure you have better things to do than sit here and babysit me.” I blinked and the tears made their way down my cheeks.

  William surprised me by sitting in front of me. He reached across the tray and wiped my face with a rag. I smiled sadly at him and took the spoonful of cold porridge he offered me. When the bowl was empty and the coffee was gone he stood and took the tray.