Chapters (132)
- COVER PAGE
- CHOSEN: LOST BOOK 1
- BEGINNINGS
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- INFIDEL: LOST BOOK 2
- BEGINNINGS
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- RENEGADE: LOST BOOK 3
- BEGINNINGS
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- CHAOS: LOST BOOK 4
- BEGINNINGS
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
“My . . . my husband. Is he still alive?” She was still whispering. The disease didn’t do this to a Forest Dweller; he knew because he’d been there. The fact that his mother was in this state on his account tightened the noose cinched around his throat. He wasn’t sure he could speak past the pain.
“Yes. And I’m going to take you home to him, Mother. I promise. I swear . . .”
The door flew open, and the priest strode in. Flung the gate wide. “Leave her if you want to see her alive tomorrow.”
“I will not leave her!” Johnis cried. “What have you done, you monster?”
“She stays too,” he said, pointing at Silvie.
“She will not! This isn’t right or humane!” He was screaming incoherently, but his desperation didn’t allow for anything else.
“Your mother has been preserved for this day. If you think she’s in bad shape now, just refuse me, and you’ll see what shape she’ll be in tomorrow.”
Silvie rushed to his side, eyes frantic. “Johnis . . .”
“Don’t worry, Silvie; I won’t let this happen!” But he knew they were just words. He was powerless.
She took his face in both hands and searched his eyes. “I love you, Johnis. Don’t let me die here. Save your mother and me. Swear it.”
“I swear it! I won’t let them hurt you.”
She kissed him on the lips and pulled back, teary eyed. “Don’t forget me.”
Johnis’s mother approached them. “Who’s this, Johnis? You have a woman?”
She was too far gone to feel the danger of the moment, being instead his mother for a moment again.
“Mother . . .” But Johnis couldn’t finish any reasonable thought.
“Keep her safe, Silvie. Keep my mother safe.”
“Enough, please,” the priest said. “We all know there’s no way anyone but me can keep anyone safe, so let’s get on with this.”
Johnis stopped at the door and stared back at the two women he’d put in this cage. He owed his life to both. “I swear it.”
The priest locked the gate and the door into the stairwell behind. Then they were in the library again, facing Jackov, the traitor, and General Martyn.
THE FURY THAT RAGED THROUGH JOHNIS FOGGED HIS MIND.
“If it’s any consolation,” Martyn said, “I didn’t approve of the way your mother’s been treated. But sometimes the greater mission must be served.”
Jackov stared at Johnis beside Martyn, eyes blank. And graying. He’d acted strange the last time they’d bathed; for all Johnis knew he hadn’t actually washed his skin at all.