Chosen: Book 2 A Realms of the Otherworld Book

by Jana LaPelle

  I sigh, “That’s all? Why does it feel as if the odds are always stacked against us?" I catch myself rubbing my forehead in agitation. I'm so very tired. I just want to lie down and take a nap, but I know that I can't. The sun has set, and it is only a matter of time now. The storm that looked to be on the horizon is rolling in as I look outside to see the lightening that lights up the darkening night and notice that the wind has picked up. I look at the women in the room, and I say, “I love you all, so much. Thank you for all that you have done and are doing. I'm going to retire to my chambers." I say, fingering my talisman as I get up to walk upstairs. The Keep is quiet as I make my way to the steps. That is when the first tendrils of dread begin to wrap around me. My breathing catches in my throat as I feel dark majic wrap around me. It has begun.

  Chapter 4

  (Alaric)

  From the moment I left, I’ve been uneasy. If I were being honest, I've been unsettled for days. Ashlinn has erected a barrier in our link, and I'm not sure why. The one thing I know is that she is trying to protect me from something. When I get back to the Keep, we’re going to discuss her need to protect me. We’re supposed to be equals, and I have given her long enough to come to terms with whatever is bothering her. What has me worried is that I can’t help but feel like Ashlinn was saying goodbye in her own way tonight before I left. None of this evening is sitting well with me. Since I rode out of the Keep, my chest has been tight, like steel bands have wrapped around my torso and I can hardly breathe. The further that I ride away from my kindred the worse the feeling has become. The storm is behind us now. It seems to be on a direct course for Glenndale Loch.

  We are close to being about an hour and a half out, and I'm suddenly only able to focus on my kindred. The wind is knocked out of my lungs as I double over Tempest and cling to his mane. The pain is excruciating as I feel the bond to my kindred being tampered with. I reach for her through our bond, and for a moment we connect, her love for me surges forth in a desperate attempt to reach me. It’s then that I realize what my kindred has been keeping from me, a child. As the realization of that sinks in, her torment becomes my own as the blood contract is taking hold of what is mine. I have to get to her. I cannot allow Tarron to take what is mine, my love, who is carrying my child. My beast rushes to the surface and before I know what is happening I have shifted. My panther has taken control, I find that we are running back the way we came and we’ve left Tempest behind in our desperate attempt to get to Ashlinn. I can hear Tolin following me as closely as he can. Urging us to slow down, but our need to get to her is riding us hard as we follow our connection back in the direction of the Keep. It’s only been moments since the torment began but the longer it goes on, the more muffled our connection is becoming. I’m frantic in my need to get to her.

  We crash to a halt as I feel our bond go dark. Looking left and right my panther shakes his head in a desperate attempt to shake the fog that is clouding our sense of her. I no longer feel her pain as my own, and we can no longer sense which direction to head. Before our link was like a beacon in the night, and her light drew me like a moth to a flame. Now we’re forced to search blindly, desperately for her. The link between us has grown dark and cold, and I now understand why Ashlinn was so fearful of this moment. Why she dreaded her premonition coming to fruition as I feel the dark majic take hold, wrapping its cold, menace hands around our bond in an attempt to block us from one another. My panther roars in frustration and alarm before taking off again in the only direction that we can, back to Glenndale Loch. We won’t rest until we are by her side. I swear to the gods and goddesses that I will not rest until I have her in my arms again. Tarron that bastard will know no mercy.

  (Ashlinn)

  I can hardly breathe as I fight against the dark pull. My vision is beginning to fade, and I reach blindly in front of me for something to stabilize my balance as I fall against a bust on a pedestal in the hallway. It crashes to the ground in a loud thundering clatter, and it burst into a million pieces, the sound echoing throughout the hall. I fall to my knees as my vision begins to go dark, I pant trying to keep my focus. I hear footsteps racing for me, and I gasp for breath. Darkness is consuming me, and I feel like I will never see the light of day again. I reach out to my creator and beg for relief from this oppressive constriction that has taken hold. Alaric is foremost in my mind as is the child that I have been keeping from him these last several days. For one brief moment, I can feel his love wrap around us before I feel our connection grow cold. A scream wrenches itself from the center of my being as I feel physical arms wrap around me, pulling me in. Trying to give me comfort, where no comfort lies. I can no longer feel my kindred and our connection. My panther is agitated but refuses to surface because of the child I carry. I know I must give into this dark majic, but I'm defiant to my last breath. I want nothing to do with this unnatural binding. It is dark and evil and will rip me away from all I know. A loud keening wail burst from my mouth as I continue to try to resist the pull.

  “Shhh… Baby girl, I’ve got you. I’m so sorry. I never wanted this for you. Tell me what I need to do to ease your suffering.” My mother asks while rocking me in her arms, smoothing my hair back from my face. We’re both on our knees before the landing to the stairs.

  In a wobbling voice, I say, “Take me to the roof.” I can barely breathe as I utter the words.

  Danu whisks me up, and before I know it, we are on the roof of the Keep. She must have traced us here. I hear a commotion below as my vision continues to fade in and out. The storm has increased as I listen to the thunder rumbling through the air surrounding me and can feel the electrical charge of the storm all around us. I’m focused on my inner turmoil when I hear a loud screech of a large bird as it draws near.

  "No! You will not take her!" My mother says as I slump to the ground wrapped up in my internal struggle.

  I'm not sure who she is talking to, but I feel myself being grasped in what feels like large talons. In a desperate attempt to keep my plan in place, I say, "Jasmine, get word to Jasmine," before the darkness overwhelms me.

  Coldness has wrapped around my entire being. I have never felt so much coldness before. As I surrender to it, I realize that I'm in the clutches of a giant raven and I'm being carried up and away from Glenndale Loch, away from my mother, and Lexie. As the blood contract begins to leech into my very being, I can no longer fight the pull, and I succumb to darkness.

  My consciousness stirs, and I jolt back to the present, to wings flapping and rising away from the keep. My mother is furiously slinging insults toward my abductor along with wayward balls of fire, but she and her insults are fast moving out of range. My disorientation dissipates as realization sets in. I was only out for a moment, but it feels much longer than that. I look up again to meet beady, black, intelligent eyes looking down at me. I’m not sure what terrifies me more, the fact that I’m being abducted by a giant black raven or that I know that this is an intelligent being. The pain that flared to life moments ago is settling in, and I’m positive that as long as my bond to Alaric is blocked, it will be there, a cold, deadened weight in my chest. Where once there was light, warmth, and love… Now my soul is crying out for our kindred and our lost connection.

  The night is now dark and ominous. The storm is building in intensity. Lightning erupts from the storm clouds all around me as my hair whips about me in the vicious wind. Looking down, I see that we are now over the forest and my fear of heights kicks in, our altitude is dizzying but before I close my eyes I see a tiny little speck heading straight for me. I can't believe my eyes. It’s Jasmine. She is desperately trying to make her way to me. She looks like a tiny little silver bullet that is being buffered by the wind. The closer she gets to me I can see that she has one arm out in front of her, her tiny hand fisted as if she is going to punch right through someone and she is on a collision course with me and my kidnapper. Her wings are fluttering at a furious pace and reflect the flash of the lightning that is coursing through the ni
ght sky.

  Once she reaches me, she latches on to me for dear life as she wheezes, clearly out of breath. Then she says, "Ash," she breathes heavily taking deep, gasping breaths, "Why… are… you… being carried away by a Sky Sentinel?" She asks while she continues to catch her breath.

  "I don't know! As the blood contract took effect, I felt an overwhelming urge to get to the roof. Danu and Lexie were able to get me to the top of the Keep, but I blacked out for a moment. When I came to, I was being lifted away, and Mother was yelling insults up toward this, overly large bird. Jasmine, you know I'm afraid of heights, and I can't look down. Where are we heading?" Another wave of pain rocks through me as I feel for a brief moment Alaric reaching for me before the dark majic snuffs out the connection. I breathe through the misery of not being able to connect to him. The pull to be closer to the dark prince is lessening, and I'm not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing since we are getting closer to our destination. I can breathe easier, thankful that the choice was taken from me once the giant raven abducted me. I no longer had to make the decision to make my way toward Tarron consciously. It has helped with my internal turmoil over my kindred and mate bond going silent. I’m struggling to assimilate all the conflicting feelings and strife of what has happened. My breathing becomes shallow as I realize that I’m moving further away from Alaric and closer to the Fomorian dark prince. I’m close to blacking out again.

  I wake with a start when I feel that we are descending. Jasmine has managed to hide in my clothing. Not my hair, never again, my hair. I can see that we are outside a Keep. Not as nice as Glenndale Loch and much darker in appearance but impressive, none the less. There are about twenty men astride their mounts all surrounding Tarron on either flank.

  I stagger as I'm released from the claws that imprisoned me before, and I drop to the ground in an unceremonious heap. All fight has left my body, and I am as weak as I have ever been. Someone reaches down to gently pick me up and then places me in Tarron's arms. I attempt to fight for even just a moment before all my strength leaves me. He is the total opposite of Alaric, and yet I feel the dark majic wrap around me circumventing my connection to my kindred and substituting Tarron in its place. I begin to tremble at this new found realization. My soul cries out in confusion. Our soulmate is Alaric, not this dark prince. I long to voice my thoughts but I find that I'm oddly mute. I breathe in heavily and for one insane moment find comfort in this imposter's arms. All strength evades my being, and the horror of how the blood contract will work its dark majic on me has begun to sink in. I find that I'm helpless but to succumb to darkness as the group urges their mounts forward.

  I wake as Tarron's mount paces. My exhaustion is palpable. I can tell that sunrise is just moments away. In my confusion, I look up and ask, "Where are we going?"

  The wrong face looks down at me to say, “The Mortal Realm. I will keep you out of The Morrígan’s reach as well as Alaric’s.”

  No, no, no…. I reach out through our bond and struggle to reach my kindred. For one brief moment, the spark flares to life but before I can communicate my predicament, the connection is snuffed. I can't help the miserable sob that issues forth from my inner turmoil. I can't reach my kindred. I feel lost in my despair. I slump against my captor and succumb once more to darkness as the pull of dark majic overwhelms me.

  I wake to the smell of the cool, salty air of the sea surrounding me. I'm not sure where I am, but I’ve been placed on a comfortable bed. A window has been opened just a crack. There is a certain damp, chill in the air, and I shiver while I look around to take in my surroundings. The day is dark and dreary, and I'm not exactly sure of what time it is. In the distance, I can hear the crash of ocean waves.

  “It’s only about time you woke, sleeping beauty.” Jasmine quips from across the room.

  Sitting up, I rub at the spot in my chest that feels cold and barren and my breath hitches before I ask, “How long have I been out? And where are we?”

  Jasmine looks me over with a critical eye before she says, "You've been asleep for about five hours. So not too long in the grand scheme of things, it's early morning here. You're back in the Mortal Realm, Ashlinn. We're situated somewhere on the ocean cliffs of Ireland, the Old Country. Once we arrived, Tarron carried you into the manor, and up to this room. That’s when I was discovered. I threatened the sexy incubus with a good old fashion pixie dusting if he came anywhere near you or me while you were sleeping."

  I can’t help the small smile that forms on my face, as the thought of that scene clicks into place in my mind, and I say, “No, you did not.”

  "I assure you, that I did. The arrogant male did not heed my warning. You should know that before he left you to sleep, the dark prince invited a witch in who attempted to cast a dark spell over you. It all happened so quickly that I really didn’t have time to react. I think the intent was to cause memory loss. The sneaky bastard thought that he could take your memories of Alaric and family from you through dark majic. I don't know exactly what happened next, but there was a deafening sound as the spell backfired on the witch, by the time she was ushered out of the room she was drooling and had no idea as to who she was. It was like she was a babe learning to speak and walk all over again. I've never seen anything like it. Ash, your talisman saved you from having all memories of Alaric wiped from your mind." Jasmine concludes as she settles on the bed beside me.

  I take a deep breath as I mutter more to myself than Jasmine, “Lexie made sure to protect me. I owe her, big time.”

  "Yeah, you do. Whatever she did to your talisman is pretty wicked. Tarron reached in to try to remove it and quickly found himself forcibly repelled, slamming into the opposite wall. I couldn't help my mirth as it just poured out of me. Before he could try anything further, I threatened him again with a double pixie dusting, which is twice the fun. But if he has his way, I won't be here long, Ash." Jasmine says with a sigh. "Prepare yourself. He will be here shortly. Garrik and another are stationed outside your rooms. It would appear that Garrik has been more than accepted into the ranks of Tarron’s horde. Why don't you take a quick shower and change before the "Master" arrives? And Ash, you need to take care of yourself. You know what I mean? I don't care how all of this is affecting you right now, there is more than yourself to consider."

  "Jaz, I know you're right. And I will do my best. Right now, I'm famished, and I think that I could eat an entire buffet on my own." I pause before continuing, "I miss him so much. Our bond… It's there, but I can't reach him… My heart feels so heavy. I don't know if I can do this. When I was in Tarron's arms, it was so confusing. The dark majic is messing with me, Jasmine. Like it was trying to override my feelings for Alaric and transfer them to Tarron. I'm really scared that this is all going to go downhill fast."

  "Listen here, princess, you are carrying a child you conceived with your kindred. If for one moment, you feel yourself being drawn to the dark side you just remember that. Do you hear me? I know you're feeling lost without Alaric. I know he's your anchor, but he will be here before long. You just need to stay the course. Get Tarron to trust you and willingly give you a few drops of his blood. Got it?" Jasmine is now in front of me, my face in her tiny hands as she stares intently into my eyes, furiously fluttering her wings in her agitation. Message received, loud and clear.

  Before I can utter a word, we vaguely hear footsteps coming down the outer hallway. I instantly tense as I feel the dark, oily pull of that wicked contract as Tarron draws near. The pull is similar but different from the kindred bond. It's not pure. By design, its pull is intended to deceive, but it's magnetic none the less. I swallow hard and back away from the door as I feel his approach, part of me is drawn to him, and I find that I am torn in my attraction to him, and he hasn't even walked in the room.

  Chapter 5

  (Alaric)

  She's gone. I haven't been able to connect with her no matter how hard I try. Our bond is still there, but it's being blocked. In my agitated state, I've been unable to shift
back. My panther wants its mate. He is desperate to protect her and the babe she carries, and now she has been torn away from us by our advisory. Our roar echo's throughout the valley as we pace back and forth, our tail twitching. My heart is but a cold, dreary, empty hole in my chest now that I cannot even sense her presence. As the realization sets in, I unleash my beast on everything and everyone in my path. Nothing will stop me from finding her. Nothing and no one, I can feel that I'm losing control of my panther and that he's taking over. I can no longer direct him. In my anguish of losing our connection to one another, I allow myself to relinquish control to my inner beast. He will find her. He is driven by instinct, and I place my faith in him as I retreat further into the background. I know there is a plan, but I can no longer remember what it was or what it was supposed to accomplish. My only thought is to get to her. To Ashlinn, to our mate, nothing else matters now.

  I hear voices calling to me from behind, but I cannot allow that to keep me from her as we race toward where instinct is driving us. We tune everything out as we continue our path running through the trees back through the forest that we have already traveled. The storm is dying down, and dawn is approaching. I know we are getting closer to our mate. I give him free reign as he races toward her faster than I have ever run before. I know that it is a dangerous thing to allow my beast total control, but in this very moment, I have ceased caring. The only thing that matters is getting to Ashlinn.