Journey 'The Chosen One Trilogy: Book Two' (43 page)

I nodded and looked up at Jasper. “It’s
time to finish this.”

“Meet us a little way up the trail. We
need to get our things out of the truck and we can’t have people
trying to catch you.” Jasper smiled.

I heard a bark and gave a whistle.
“Kip! Come!”

He came running up and sat at my feet.
He watched the three horses trot off and waited to see what we were
doing.

My parents had noticed we had all left
the party and came running outside.

I gave them each a hug. “Keep an eye
out for the blue bird. I’ll send word as soon as I can.”

My mom nodded and turned to give Jasper
a hug. “You take care of my little girl.”

“I’ll have her back here in no time,”
he promised.

We went to the truck and grabbed all of
our things then moved into the shadows where the horses had been
hiding. The four of us changed quickly into our deerskin pants and
tunics and strapped on our weapons. We stepped back into the
moonlight. My mom’s eyes widened and my dad gave a low
whistle.

Tara adjusted her bow on her back and
smiled.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come
along?”

I grinned at Shawn and shook my head.
“Shawn, it’s your wedding night. Go enjoy it.”

Shay blushed.

I gave everybody one last hug and we
sprinted toward the trail.

Dodge, Shanus and Phlann were waiting
for us on the edge of the woods. We gave Tara and Ben boosts onto
Shanus and Phlann and Jasper and I hopped onto Dodge. We cantered
off toward the crossing.

“When did you guys cross over?” I
patted Dodge’s neck and looked into the woods to make sure Kip was
following us.

Not too long ago. We waited
for you to come outside for a bit then trotted around until Shay’s
uncle spotted us.

“Where is everyone waiting?”

By the
waterfall
.

“Were there signs of anything
happening?”

None. And we don’t know what
or who we’re to be fighting?

“Not a clue. Damian just told us to be
ready to fight.”

Dodge blew out of his nose.

“Yeah, I know. I don’t like it
either.”

Jasper grunted his
agreement.

The horses’ hoof beats echoed as we
galloped over the bridge.

Tara leaned forward and said something
into Phlann’s ear. He slowed and came to a stop where the road
forked into the cross trail. She turned back toward us.

“Hayden, are you sure?”

I nodded. “You heard what happened. We
can’t let this go on. It’s only going to get worse the longer we
wait. We have to end this.” I looked back at Jasper and could see
the conflict in his eyes. “We’ll just hope for the best.” I
squeezed his hand.

He took a deep breath. “If something
happens…”

“If something happens, know that I love
you. And I don’t regret a minute of the past few years.”

He hugged me tightly and kissed my
neck. “I love you more.”

“And besides,” I told them all.
“Nothing will happen. I was born to save the world, remember? I
can’t very well do that if I’m dead.” I gave Dodge a pat on the
neck. “Let’s go, Buddy.”

He started walking up the
hill.
Why would something happen when you
cross? You’ve done it before with no problems.

I hesitated before telling him. He
stopped short and Shanus and Phlann turned to look at
me.

“I’m sure it will be fine.” I realized
I was trying to reassure myself as well as everyone else. “Let’s
go. We don’t want to be late.”

Jasper slid off of Dodge gave my hand a
squeeze. I pulled the swords off of my back and Tara and Ben got
their bows ready.

“God, I can’t wait to get home.” I
smiled at Jasper. He smiled back and agreed.

Tara laughed. “Next stop,
Quelondain.”

Dodge started forward and I took a deep
breath. We stepped through the crossing knowing only that our next
stop might be our last.

Come join Hayden and Jasper on the last leg of
their adventure

with the final book in the Chosen One
Trilogy.

Destiny

“So, Steven, what’s your story?” I fell
in step with him. I looked up at him and took in his light hair and
blue eyes. Appearance wise he couldn’t have been more than twenty,
but the haunted look in his eyes made him look much
older.

He looked back at me, his smile less
than cheerful. “I crossed over when I was ten. I was one of the
lucky ones that actually managed to survive long enough for someone
to find me that wasn’t human.” He looked back to the path we were
on. “I was sitting by a river, fishing, when a man and a woman came
by. They introduced themselves and asked me what my name was, where
my parents were. I remember trying to be brave and to act like I
belonged there. When I tried lying and saying that my family was
just a little ways away, I broke down. The woman sat down beside me
and asked me if I had crossed over from a different world. She said
it like it was an everyday thing here. I nodded and she looked at
the man. He nodded and the next thing I knew they had sort of
adopted me. They were Namaels. Cheetahs. They already had a
daughter who was eleven. For a while, life was great. I mean, don’t
get me wrong, I missed my mom and dad, but I got used to the idea
that there was no going back and Charlie and Patty were great to
me.” His eyes narrowed.

“We were out hunting one day. I was
seventeen then. Tess used to bug me because I was so slow, but I
always managed to help put food on the table. I’m decent with a bow
and arrow. We were busy gutting a deer we had brought down when six
beings came strolling toward us. Dad was polite, he always was, and
invited them to stay for supper. Our cabin wasn’t very big, but
they took him up on his offer to stay in the barn for the night.
They waited until we were all sleeping.” He looked at me and back
at the trail.

“I heard Tess scream.” His jaw
tightened and he swallowed hard. “I jumped out of bed and almost
tripped over Dad and Mom when I got to the living room. They were
tied up on the floor. Someone hit me over the back of the head and
then I don’t remember much for a while. Every time we would wake up
they would make us drink this awful tasting drink. It would knock
me out every time. Then one morning I woke up and I was in a cell,
alone. I called out and Dad called back to me. They had put the
three of them in a separate cell. I remember asking if Tess was ok.
I could hear her crying. Mom said she would be fine. That’s when he
walked in, Braw, acting all fatherly and concerned, telling me how
I had been misled but was about to see the light. I heard them take
Mom, Dad, and Tess out of their cell just after supper.”

His voice dropped and hardened. “They
came for me shortly after. They were even nice enough to give me
front row seats to the event.”

I put a hand on his shoulder and he
glanced at me. “You’ve seen it?”

I nodded.

“My dad was black and blue. His face
was all broken. Mom and Tess, well, I guess shifters aren’t good
enough to live, but they are good enough to fuck.” His jaw
clenched. “Tess looked at me and started crying. Her clothes were
so ripped they barely covered her. I tried to get to her. I tried.
Someone tackled me and I ended up tied to a tree that was close
enough so I could still see what was going to happen. Braw walked
up to them with that staff and they started to scream. Then there
was two of each of them. I didn’t see where the arrows came from,
but the next thing I knew their cats were laying there, dead and
then they collapsed. Just like that, it was done.”

He took a deep breath. “It took six
months of being beaten every day before I finally told him he was
right. I never believed it, mind you. I knew I had a better chance
of escaping if I was allowed to roam around. I was there two weeks
living among them when I ran into Beth. She had just crossed over
and had been brought straight to Paradin.” He smiled at the
memory.

“We lived outside of the keep, not too
far from the Wedelven River, actually. She convinced me to stay
close to her crossing. She was hoping to go back one day. We lived
there for six years. Then, just like that, Braw decided he needed
more men for his army. He sent patrols out to collect all of the
men in the area. Mandatory enlistment. I refused. Two of them
jumped me and Beth tried to stop them. A third guy hit her over the
head then helped the other two beat me to a pulp. I think they left
me there thinking I was going to die. I managed to live, but Beth
didn’t. I don’t know if he meant to kill her, but the blow to the
head did it. I spent the next year plotting my revenge. I was on my
way to the keep to try to kill Braw when I ran into William and his
crew who were on their way out. I had met him a few times in
Paradin when Beth and I went there for supplies.”

“I told him he was about to commit
suicide,” said William. “I told him if he truly wanted revenge that
he should come with me to find you; that you would do better than
just kill Braw. You would destroy the staff. Of course, I have to
admit that at the time, I wasn’t entirely sure what you had
planned. But that is what you have in mind, isn’t it Hayden? I
mean, why else would you be recruiting down here?”

I nodded. “That’s the plan. We’re on
our way to Howel to see if I can heal Damian. He’s the leader of
the Maj. Once that is done, we’re heading to Paradin. Melana, the
Namael queen, will meet us there with her army. This has to
end.”

“Do you think you can do it?” asked
Steven.

“I’m not sure. Not by myself. But I do
think that if I can pool my powers with Rainen’s, Damian’s, and
Marilynn’s we should be able to do it. What I want to do is exactly
what Braw wants me for. I’ll channel all of our powers and project
them. And keep my fingers crossed. Of course that means I have to
get close enough to the staff without getting close enough for it
to touch me because then I would be channeling its powers as well.”
I looked back and reached for Jasper’s hand. “If that happens…” I
took a deep breath. “It won’t happen. If Braw gets close enough to
use me, there’s only one way to make sure he can’t.”

Jasper growled low in his throat.
“Don’t talk stupid, Shlova.”

“Well, what am I supposed to do, Hun.
If Braw gets his hands on me, am I supposed to just let him use me
to wipe you out? I’m supposed to kill everyone I love?”

“He won’t get that close.”

“It’s an option we have to think
about.”

“No.”

“Jasper…”

“No.” He let go of my hand and walked
ahead of me.

Dodge snorted behind
me.
He’ll die before he lets you do
anything of the sort
.

I swallowed hard. “He’s used to being
able to save me. There’s nothing he can do against Braw. If he gets
close enough to attack Braw, then Braw is close enough to touch him
with that staff.”

Gina, who was usually very quiet, put a
hand on my shoulder. “But if Braw is busy separating Jasper from
his tiger, then that gives you that much more time to do your
thing.”

I looked up at her, shocked, but
knowing she had tapped into what Jasper had been thinking. I
glanced down the trail in time to see him shift and bound into the
woods.

“I’ll meet you guys at the campsite.”
Everyone nodded and I sprinted in the direction he had gone. Of
course, I had no chance of catching up to him. I couldn’t keep up
to him when he was a human, much less when he was a
tiger.

“Jasper!” I called out into the forest,
my heart beating hard from the run and my emotions. I swallowed and
tried to keep the sobs from starting. The thought of watching him
being separated overwhelmed me and I sat on a rock, trying to catch
my breath. The pain that I would feel if he weren’t around engulfed
me. I put my face in my hands and cried.

“Hayden.”

I looked up to see Jasper standing a
few feet away, his hands in his pockets, his shoulders hunched
over. I couldn’t remember ever seeing him looking this miserable. I
ran to him and wrapped my arms around him. He took a long
shuddering breath and tilted my head so I was looking at him. His
face was dirty where he had wiped his tears away.

“I can’t live without you,” he
whispered. “Do you understand? If you go and do a foolish thing
like that, I may as well die trying to stop it.” His eyes searched
my face. “Do you remember when I told you that you brought me back
to life the night you kissed me?”

I nodded and closed my eyes as he wiped
the tears from my face with his thumb.

“If you die, my reason for living is
gone.” He crushed me to his chest and I clung to him. “You can’t
leave me.” His voice was hoarse with emotion.

I took a deep breath. “I won’t,” I
whispered.

“Promise me.”

“I promise I won’t leave you.” I
reached up and put my hand against his cheek then did the same with
the other. His week-long stubble scratched against my palms and I
smoothed it with my thumbs. “But you don’t forget your promise.” I
cleared my throat. “You already promised me you wouldn’t leave
me.”