Free Journey 'The Chosen One Trilogy: Book Two' by Mireille Chester Page B

Brice told our story from the beginning. By the time we
were done exchanging stories we could faintly hear the
river.
    Jasper looked up at me. “Do you think
Braw’s plan would have worked?”
    I shuddered and nodded.
    There was a thudding noise not far from
my head and I looked up to see an arrow sticking in a tree. I
flattened myself against Dodge.
    Jasper growled at the sight of at least
twenty men coming through the woods toward us. Brice went to stand
beside him.
    I reached into my pocket and came up
empty. “I lost it! I must have dropped the stone when I grabbed my
swords!”
    I saw Brice take a deep breath. He put
his hand on Jasper’s arm. “Get her out of here. Get her across the
river.”
    Jasper glance quickly at him then back
to the men. “You can’t take them all on by yourself.”
    “She needs to be safe and she needs you
with her. Go. They won’t know what hit them.” He grinned at
Jasper.
    “What makes you think you’ll be able to
stall them?”
    “I had the best teacher.” He gave
Jasper’s arm a squeeze. He turned and put a hand on my knee. “Stay
safe, Hayden.”
    “Come with us.” The tears were
flowing.
    He shook his head. “I have to give you
enough time to find the bridge so Jasper can cross.” He reached up
and kissed me softly. “Good bye, Hayden.”
    He gave Dodge a pat on the neck then
shifted and ran toward the oncoming men.
    Jasper watched him for a fraction of a
second. “Go, Dodge!” He shifted and we raced toward the sound of
the river. It didn’t take long to break out of the trees and into a
meadow.
    I leaned forward. “Fly! We have to find
that bridge!”
    Dodge spread his wings and lifted into
the air. Jasper looked up and followed from the ground. I looked
both ways along the river. “There!” The Wedelve half of me spotted
the invisible bridge.
    Dodge flew back down and hit the ground
running beside Jasper. I guided them over the bridge. Jasper
shifted back. “Burn it, Hayden.”
    “But Brice…”
    Jasper shook his head.
    My throat tightened and I swallowed
hard. I threw a red wave at the bridge and closed my eyes. Dodge
moved away from the fire and I shivered.
    “Bloody hell,” I mumbled. I had
forgotten it was winter on this side of the river.
    Jasper handed me my jacket and pulled
on his extra tunic. “Let’s go, Shlova.”
    I gave Dodge a pat on the neck, gave
the other side of the river one last look and we trotted off into
the snow, getting as far from the border as we could.

     
     

Chapter Three
     
    He heard her whimper in her sleep and
felt the fear and pain. She’d had the same dream every night since
she had come back.
    “No.” The word came out as a
moan.
    She curled into the fetal position and
started to shake. Braw was going to pay for what he had made her
do. He’d felt it when it had happened; had felt the pain ripping
through her head, the energy coursing through her body. He had
dropped to the ground midstride with the force of it. He hadn’t
told her and didn’t plan on it. She felt horrible enough as it
was.
    Jasper waited for the sobs to come.
These were quickly followed by a feeling of loss so great it tore
him apart.
    Had he been right to let Brice stand
alone? He’d thought so at the time. But every night at this time,
he questioned himself. He shook his head. Hayden was what was
important. He knew that. Brice had known that. He finished the
glass of water he had gotten up to get before returning to
bed.
    He would have to remember to thank
Kantong for the use of his cabin the next time they ran into each
other.
    After two weeks of traveling through
the snow, he had lit a fire at the abandoned cabin and felt
Hayden’s internal sigh at the warmth. It had taken her a matter of
seconds to fall asleep and he had hoped that the added comfort
would have kept the nightmare away.
    Hayden moved and the blanket slipped
off of her. She was wearing one of his shirts as a
nightgown.
    Jasper’s heart jumped in his chest. He
was sure