Page 63 of Chosen
Twenty-Three
JAMIE
Iran until my lungs were on fire. I fell to the ground, and got back up and attempted to run some more but my body wouldn’t cooperate. I didn’t want to leave Draken but he told me to run.
I was hoping to get to the tree marked with a snowflake symbol that Ayla told me about. When she’d come to collect me earlier she suspected that we were being watched because much of her access to the doors in the fortress had been cut off.
She told me that the communicators were also down. When I got dressed, she led me down a secret pathway and told me once I was outside to look for that marked tree. And that it would be westward. Ayla told me she’d meet me there and that she needed to go to the communications director’s office to unjam the signal.
I didn’t expect to get caught by a group of Enforcers. When I tried to fight back one of them had punched me in the face and I was once again met with that horrible Chancellor Braeden.
I could see the heartbreak on Draken’s face when his cousin had told him that he hated him.
I could only hope he could find a way out of this mess.
Using the last bit of my strength, I see a set of trees, but one stands out being its taller and wider than the others. In the middle of it is a carving of a snowflake.
I take shelter behind that tree and wait anxiously.
I’m tempted to go back and help Draken somehow but I know I’d just get in the way. I see several rocks on the ground that can be used as weapons. The longer I wait the more tempting they look.
I have to go back. I grab two of the biggest rocks off the ground with the intention of using them and I leave the tree to go back and help Draken but I stop when I see a figure coming my way.
It’s Ayla!
She runs toward me. There’s a smile on her usually stoic face. “It’s over! The Chancellor has been taken down.”
“Oh, thank goodness.”
I wobble from side to side as dizziness sets in making the world spin. My vision goes blurry and then suddenly everything is black.
I slowly openmy eyes and am suddenly hit by a bright blinding light. An older white clad physician is standing over me, with a pin light in one hand.
“You’re awake.”
“Where am I?” I look around at the sterile white room. I’m lying on a bed with white sheets, and I have a needle in my arm that’s connected to an IV.
“You’re in the infirmary, Miss. I’m Physician Gwyen and I’ll be taking care of you. You passed out after all the excitement andyou’re slightly dehydrated. You have to take care of yourself for the health of the child you carry.’
“What? Child? What are you talking about?” I’m sure I didn’t hear him correctly.
He pats my hand in reassurance. “It’s customary to give all of our female patients a pregnancy test before we administer treatment and you are indeed pregnant.”
My hand automatically touches my stomach. I’m not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand this is what I was assigned for, to bear the Sector Leader’s child. But another part actually felt excited to be carrying a piece of Draken.
I was so conflicted.
Now that I’ve served my purpose would he get rid of me?
“Have you told the Sector Leader?” I ask.
“Yes, I’ve been informed,” Draken says from behind him.
I didn’t notice that he’d entered the room. One of his eyes is swollen and there’s a bandage on his neck.
I gasp. “Oh no! They did that to you?”
He waves his hand dismissively. “I’ve suffered worse.” He walks over to me and takes the chair next to my bed.
