Read Online Journey 'The Chosen One Trilogy: Book Two' by Mireille Chester - Free Book Online

against the stone and I cringed. He stood
with his head against the wall, his hand against his chest. I got
to my feet and made my way over to him, leaning against the wall
for support. When I reached him, I simply lay my head on his
arm.
    We stood like that for a moment, each
of us lost in our thoughts.
    “Let me fix your hand.” I looked up at
him.
    Without a word, he took his dagger and
cut the ropes from my wrists. I rolled my shoulders and groaned
then took his other hand and pulled him into a kneeling position.
The greens moved in front of me. I wrapped his hand in a wave and
held on to it. I expected him to gasp, even jerk, but all I heard
was a sob. I looked up. His eyes were closed, the tears flowing
freely from them, his shoulders shaking with his sobs.
    I wrapped my arms around him and pulled
him into my lap then brushed his hair back out of his eyes. My lips
found his forehead.
    “Dying for you, that’s not what’s
bothering me. It’s the fact that I’ll never be able to give her
what she always wanted.” His voice was just a whisper.
    “What are you talking
about?”
    “Sonia, she sees things like you do.
She dreams about them. She saw me bringing you back here. That’s
why Braw picked me.” He took a deep breath. “The next time Braw
takes you out, I will interfere and I will be killed while trying
to save you.”
    “No.”
    “What do you mean, no?”
    “I mean, you’re not allowed to
interfere. Too many beings have died because of me. I won’t lose
you too.”
    “I promised to keep you safe and I
will.”
    Suddenly, I wanted Sonia to be back
here. I wanted to hear her dream in detail. “Do you know what she
saw?”
    “She saw Braw taking you to the
courtyard. When he touches you with the staff, I try to stop him.
When he turns to fight me off, you get away.”
    “Go back to Sonia, Brice.” I gently
pushed him away so I could look at him. “Braw won’t use me to wipe
out the shifters. I won’t let it happen.”
    “If you don’t help him, he’ll make you
and then he’ll kill you.”
    I shivered at the memory I was having;
the power that had been in my head, the feel of it flowing through
me, out of me. I shook my head. “It’s not going to happen. I have
to be alive for him to use me.”
    His eyes widened.
    I thought about my statement and rolled
the idea through my head. It wasn’t that I wanted to die. But I was
tired of the killing. So many beings had died because of me. “Maybe
it’s time I die for me.”
    “You sound serious.” He stood and
pulled me up with him.
    “I am. If anyone can end this nonsense,
it’s me.” I looked into his eyes and smiled. “You can do me a
favor, if you like.”
    “What’s that?”
    “When things blow over, could you find
Jasper?” My voice caught in my throat. “Tell him I loved him. Tell
Dodge he was the best friend a girl could have asked for. And tell
the rest of them thank you.” I tried to blink back the tears. “Tell
them I’m sorry.”
    “No.”
    “Please. Brice. I have to do
this.”
    “No.” He turned me toward the door.
“William.”
    Footsteps came down the stairs and
stopped at the door. “Sir?”
    “Unlock the door.”
    The door opened and Brice guided me
through.
    “Hayden?” William looked worriedly at
me.
    “I’m alright.”
    He glanced down at my unbound hands and
back to Brice.
    “You were pretty brave when it came to
putting me in my place, William.”
    “Sir?”
    “I need to know if you can be that
strong when Braw comes to question you.”
    William looked down at me, back to
Brice, and nodded.
    “Tell them I took Hayden to my father’s
old house to let her recover. When they ask why you let me take
her, tell them I cut you.”
    “Um, sir? You’d better do it if the
story will work.” He held his arm out to Brice. The latter pulled
his dagger and made a quick gash on the former’s bicep. William
sucked in a breath and put pressure on the cut.
    “Why can’t William come with
us?”
    William