Page 109 of Bruised MC Bear

Reena cocked her eyebrow. “No. I thought she went with you to the meeting?”

“She did, but Xander refused to let her stay. Can you believe it?”

“Absolutely.”

“What? Why?”

“I have my reasons.”

“I think Coco may be avoiding me because of something Xander said after she left,” Kiera admitted. “Tell me something. Do you know if there is any truth to the eight Chosen or their familiars…dying after they performed the annual shifter transformation spells?”

Reena stiffened up and took a step away from her for the first time since she saw her today. That told Kiera everything. “Oh my God! Itistrue. Is it? You have to tell me, Reena.”

She took a while to respond, but eventually caved. “Yes.”

Now that the truth was staring her in the face, Kiera was not sure she could handle it. Her hand flew up to cover her forehead “How is it that I was never told? Were you ordered not to tell me?”

Reena pursed her lips. “Not in so many words, no.”

“So… the last eight Chosen?”

“Eight years in a row,” she admitted with much hesitation.

“So Avalyn? Carol? Fiona? Lima too?” Reena nodded after each name was called. “Are you telling me they are not in the Chamber of the Sacred, serving in the Regent’s sequestered coven?”

“Well, yes. And no. The Chosen are on the other side, Kiera. He conjures them.”

A wave of nausea overcame her. The room felt like it was spinning, and her breathing quickened. Suddenly, her reality was unraveling with each new revelation. Some of the concepts she believed to be true at their most fundamental levels…were false?

“All the Chosen?” Kiera asked again, hoping for a different answer.

Her best friend shook her head slowly, placing an arm on her shoulder. “Yes, love. All of them…and their familiars.”

“Every witch who performed the shifter transformation spell…died?”

“Noteverywitch. The Regent is still alive…although that is semantics of sorts. He can’t really be called a Chosen, since he coined the term. Really, if we’re being precise, you are the tenth witch to perform the transformation spell. Minassus was first, and he has been selecting one Chosen per year, so you are the ninth Chosen, and so the eight Chosen witches before you…yes, they’re all dead. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“You are rambling, Reena. So he is the only one who survived? How on God’s green earth was I not told a thing about this before!”

“You were not supposed to find out. Minassus does not want the Chosen witches to know.”

“You could have told me.”

“It was not my place, dear.”

“Not your place?” Kiera shouted. “You are my best friend!”

“And I also answer to the Regent, albeit with some belligerence. Look at you. You’re shaking. We should get you inside.”

“No! Oh my God. Xander was right. Coco lied to me. The Regent did too, and everyone in this fortress.” She jumped off the stool and stumbled toward the outer door. “I have to get out of here. I need…some air. If anyone asks for me, cover for me, okay? I want…I must get some answers.”