“You could try, but you will not succeed.”
Rage flashed across Max’s face. Jack pushed him back as he tried to lunge forward. Max struggled against him, but Jack was successful in keeping the smaller man pinned against the cave wall. “Stop it!” Arianna commanded loudly. “Stop!”
Her shaking was growing stronger by the moment, but he could also sense her anger growing beneath her terror. Max’s gaze raked scathingly over her, glaring at her from head to toe. Braith bristled beside her, pulling her further back from the infuriated boy. He didn’t trust Max. He knew that Max would kill him in a heartbeat, but he was beginning to fear that he might also hurt Arianna in his rage and hatred.
The other boy stepped forward, shooting Max a dark look as he placed himself in between them. “I’ll go up with her.”
“No William,” Arianna said softly, shaking back her dark hair. Braith took note of the striking similarities between Arianna and this boy. They had the same eyes, the same hair color, and the same lean build. He remembered Arianna telling him about her twin, remembered Jack talking about the similar hair color; it was more than obvious that this was him. “It’s safer for you to stay here.”
“I’m not letting you go up there alone.” His sapphire eyes were intense as they turned toward Braith. He studied him for a long moment, his gaze not trusting, but not hate filled either. Not like Max’s.
“I won’t be alone,” she said softly.
“Aria…”
“I’ll be ok William, really.”
William remained hesitant. “No Aria that is not going to happen.”
“I can keep her safe, I can’t promise that for you,” Braith told him.
William nodded. “That’s fine.”
“No,” Jack said forcefully. “I can’t risk the two of you being captured, especially with Daniel gone. That is too much leverage over your father should something go wrong.”
“I will keep her safe,” Braith growled. “And you don’t have an option here Jack; I’m taking her out of here no matter what you want.”
Arianna’s fingers curled tighter in his shirt, she pressed closer against him, her forehead resting briefly upon his chest. “You’re being foolish Braith. I know you don’t want to see her upset, but would rather see her dead? Damn Braith, be logical about this, she is safest down here!” Jack protested.
“I am being logical about this, and I am telling you what is going to happen. I will keep her safe. When you return above ground, you know where we’ll be.”
“You can’t take her to mother’s house. Caleb will go there.”
“I’m not taking her to the house.”
Jack was silent for a moment, and then realization finally filled his gaze. His mouth parted slightly, his fingers twitched at his sides. For a moment, his grip on Max eased. “You know what that means Braith.”
“I do. Find us when you are able to.” He turned his attention back to William. “You stay here. She will be fine, but I can’t protect you both.”
“No.” William was shaking his head forcefully. “Absolutely not. She may trust you, but I can’t.”
“You have to,” Jack said softly. “You can’t go with them William.”
“You can’t seriously be considering letting them leave here! Of letting this monster take her back!” Max exploded his face florid with rage. “Have you lost your mind?”
“Go,” Jack said softly.
“No way!” William was coming at them, his jaw locked in determination. Jack grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him back.
“He isn’t going to leave here without her,” Jack’s gaze was steady, yet sad as he stared at the two of them. “He isn’t going to be separated from her again, and he’ll kill you if you try to stop him. You cannot go William. This has to happen,” Jack said forcefully.
“We should kill him!” Max snarled.
Jack was pulling a struggling William back, pushing him toward Max as he fought to keep them away. “That will not be possible,” Jack muttered, his frustration growing.
“I knew it, you are a traitorous bastard. You are on their side, not ours. You’re giving her to him!”
“No Max,” Arianna said softly, her fingers digging into Braith’s shirt and skin. “I gave myself to him, long ago.”
Max went limp, his mouth dropped as his eyes bugged out of his head. “Aria,” William breathed.
She bowed her head for a moment before lifting it to gaze at her brother and friend again. “I’m sorry, I know you didn’t want to believe it but I tried to tell you.” She broke off a single tear slipping down her cheek as she swallowed heavily. “Neither of us wanted this, but it’s happened, and I can’t… I can’t let him go.”
Braith cradled her cheek for a moment, seeking to give her comfort in this tumultuous situation. “We must go,” he said softly.
“Wait.” Arianna broke away from him. Braith tried to catch hold of her, but she had already moved swiftly out of his reach. Jack caught hold of her, grasping her arms, holding her back as she tried to shove past him. She glared fiercely at Jack as she struggled to get free of his grasp. Braith reclaimed her, taking her gently from Jack’s grasp. “I want to say goodbye to my brother!” she protested angrily.
Braith glanced at her brother, he was afraid that William would not let her go. However, Jack had been right about one thing, Braith hated to see Arianna unhappy, and she would be miserable if he did not allow her to do this. He nodded briskly at Jack, who stepped aside to let William come swiftly forward. The siblings embraced tightly well Max glowered silently at them both.
CHAPTER 10
Aria clung tightly to Braith, burying her head against his back as he carried her swiftly through the forest. She was exhausted, her feet hurt, and all she wanted was to curl up and go to sleep, but Braith insisted that they keep moving, that they get as far from the caves, and that area of the woods, as possible. The moon was bright; it left a trail across the forest floor as it crept steadily higher into the night sky.
Though she tried, she was unable to suppress a yawn as she fought against the pull of sleep. She hadn’t slept well since she had last seen him, and now that she was with him again, she knew that she would sleep peacefully and soundly, and she could not wait for it. He stopped suddenly, tilting his head back as he studied the night sky. Ever so slowly, he let her down, dropping her onto her feet.
“You need some rest,” he said softly.
She nodded, pushing back the thick waves of hair that fell across her face. He pulled off his coat, laying it upon the ground. “I wish I could do something more.”
Aria managed a small smile for him. “I’m used to sleeping on the ground. Don’t worry.”
He studied her for a long moment, before coming back to her. His hand stroked over her face, cradling her gently as he bent to place a light kiss on the tip of her nose. “Hopefully not for much longer.”
“I like the woods. It’s where I belong.”
He grinned at her, kissing her again before slowly pulling away. “Yes, it is. But you also like beds.”
“I do,” she agreed. “And I love showers.” He laughed softly, shaking his head as he stepped away from her again. “Where are we going Braith?”
He knelt beside the coat as he held his hand out to her. She took it, slipping down beside him. “There’s a place I know where we should be safe.”
“And where is this place?”
“About fifty miles from here. I will get us there tomorrow.”
She stared at him in wide eyed surprise. “And Jack will know where we are?”
“Yes.”
She sat silently, watching him as he rose to his feet and began to move around the woods. “What is going to happen Braith?”
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly.
“Are you going to return to the palace?”
He stopped walking as he turned back toward her. “I will not be able to return again Arianna.”
She froze, her hands clen
ching tight upon her legs as she stared at him in wide eyed disbelief. “It is your family Braith, your heritage.”
He was immobile, his jaw locked tight as he watched the woods behind her for a long moment. Then, ever so slowly, his gaze came back to her. “You are my family now Arianna,” he said forcefully. “And I intend to make sure you stay safe.”
Her mouth parted slightly, tears sprang to her eyes. “Braith,” she breathed.
He was back before her in a heartbeat; his hand entwined in her hair, his mouth soft and firm against hers. Her toes curled as his kiss sent waves of heat and desire crashing through her body. She was trembling, shaking as she clung to him. She lost herself to his wonderful touch, scent, and feel. His presence was overwhelming, and yet so blissfully soothing. His hands were caressing as he stroked over her, pushing aside her clothes to caress her skin.
Aria’s trembling increased; she was inundated with swirling emotions. Her mind and body were spinning as he pushed her gently back onto the coat, his hard body pressing against hers as he came down on top of her. Aria clung to him, needing something solid in this spiraling, out of control world. The muscles in his arms were shaking as he enveloped her in his tight embrace. She could feel his fangs against her mouth, pressing against her as his excitement grew.
Her fingers entwined in his hair, she held him tighter, fighting back the tears of love and joy that burned her eyes. He pulled slightly back from her, his fingers caressing her cheeks ever so gently. “Arianna…”
“I love you,” she whispered, lightly stroking over his extended fangs.
His eyes sparked brightly, hunger blazed within his gaze. He bent, his mouth pressed against hers again, but the driving hunger had left his kiss to be replaced with a gentleness that left her breathless. She stroked him, guiding his head toward what he needed most right now. Her blood.
His lips skinned over her briefly, before biting down. Aria’s hands clenched upon his arms, a soft sigh escaped her as she felt the soft pull of her blood being drawn from her. She closed her eyes, savoring in the delightful feel of him feeding from her, taking nutrition from her body. She drifted in the bliss that rushed over her, consuming her within its wonderful cocoon of happiness and awe.
He pulled back from her, his breath warm against her skin, his fingers gentle as he stroked lightly over her. She was half asleep, drifting in a world of bliss and happiness when he offered her his wrist, allowing her to feed from him. Allowing her to take wonderful nourishment from his body also.
***
Aria stared at the small town, her gaze darting rapidly over the buildings as Braith led her down the broken streets. It was a poor town; that much was obvious by the rundown buildings, lack of vehicles, and the overly thin animals lurking within the shadows. Braith held tight to her hand as he led her swiftly forward. From behind some of the windows she could see people peering out at them, but no one came forth, and the curtains were swiftly dropped back into place when she glanced their way.
“What town is this?” she asked softly.
Braith shook his head, his hard gaze darting over the decrepit buildings. “I don’t know.”
He led her down another street, this one containing stores. There were a few people moving about in this area, hurrying from one place to another without stopping to talk to each other. They seemed terrified, beaten, broken by whatever events life had thrown at them. They were the saddest, most heart wrenching people she had ever seen.
“Braith…” His hand tightened upon hers, he pulled her closer against him as his stride quickened a little more. “These people…”
“Broken.”
Aria shuddered at the word, but it was the most appropriate way to describe the lost souls wandering down the streets. They turned another corner, hurrying forward as they slipped past houses that were even more worn down by time and poverty. There was a lump of anguish in Aria’s throat. The towns closer to the palace fared much better than this forgotten wasteland. Here they seemed to have nothing. There, though they were poor, there were more opportunities for employment, and more money was tossed around by the wealthy residents within the palace towns.
She fought back tears as a young boy darted out of an alleyway. His clothes were no more than rags, cloth was wrapped around his feet for shoes, and he was so dirty that she could not discern the true color of his hair. Braith tugged her back as she took a step toward the child, feeling as if she had to do something, but having no idea exactly what it was she was supposed to do. The boy stopped to stare at her, his eyes wide with surprise as he took her in.
“Keep moving Arianna,” Braith said softly.
“There has to be something…”
“They are not human.”
Aria’s mouth dropped as she spun toward him, her eyes wide in shock and horror. “What?” she whispered.
“They are vampires.”
Terror spurted through her as she took a step closer to him, pressing against his hard body. Her heart hammered, her breath became labored as she glanced wildly around the decrepit streets. She hadn’t known that there were vampires that lived like this, hadn’t known that there were vampires that had as little as she did within the forest. She had thought that they were all wealthy, that they all enjoyed the luxurious life that the palace had presented. But these vampires had so very little, and they were starving.
And she appeared to be the only morsel of food in this hell hole.
“Are they going to come after us?”
“Not if they want to live.”
A chill crept down Aria’s spine as he growled the words. He pulled her against him, wrapping his arm around her waist as he held her tightly. They turned another corner; the houses became sparser as the woods began to creep in on them again. Aria glanced over her shoulder, dismayed, and not at all surprised to see that they had attracted a small following. “They’re following us,” she breathed in horror.
“I know.” She swallowed nervously, trying hard to keep her panic under control as her heart thumped and pounded with renewed intensity. It was her that they were coming for, but they would kill Braith to get at her. She was shaking with fear now. “It’s why William could not come with us. I could not protect you both.” She managed a small nod as she bit nervously on her bottom lip. “They won’t get anywhere near you Arianna.”
“And you?” she whispered.
He shot her a small, arrogant grin that did not quite reach his eyes. “Impossible.”
Aria wished that she could take solace in his answer, but there were even more of them back there now. She was grateful for the reassuring weight of her arrows on her back, but she wasn’t sure that she had enough in her quiver to make a dent in the growing population behind them. “Keep your eyes forward,” Braith said softly.
She turned back around, her fingers twitching to grasp hold of her bow. She wanted the extra security of its weight in her hands. “Where are we going?”
They rounded another corner, the woods pressed closer to them. “You know that tree thing you can do?” Aria nodded at him. “Why don’t you scurry on up there now.”
“I’m not leaving you down here alone!” she hissed.
“I’ll be fine, Arianna. You need to get up there.”
“Braith…”
“Go Arianna, now!” It was the harshest he had spoken to her in a long time, and it left her stunned. Her heart leapt, her mouth went dry with terror as she glanced back at the growing crowd again. Braith was strong, but there were so many of them back there. “Go,” he urged, his voice a little softer.
Aria swallowed heavily, but she did not refuse him as he nudged her gently forward. “I’ll be fine Arianna, go.”
She scurried forward, grasping hold of the first lower branch she came across. She threw her arms around the limb, swung her legs over, and maneuvered swiftly up the large oak. She glanced back down at Braith; his head was tilted back as he watched her. She hesitated for a moment, loathe to leave him, but she needed a better spot,
and a better angle, if she was going to have any hope of taking any of the creatures out with her arrows.
She climbed higher, searching for the branch she could use to reach the next tree. Finding the right one, she ran across the limb. She leapt into the air, feeling a brief moment of elation and delight as the air rushed up around her. Her legs kicked briefly, she seized hold of the other limb. Her arms locked around it as she swung easily back into the leafy branches.
Braith moved swiftly across the ground beneath her, keeping his eyes straight as he walked. Aria glanced back as the crowd of fifteen hit the edge of the forest. She had to get the shaking of her hands under control if she was going to continue to make her way through the trees, and not get killed. She darted swiftly across another limb, leaping easily into another tree, and then another.
Braith kept pace with her, but the others were gaining on them, and she needed to get a little further ahead. She moved easily, running and leaping until she found a notch in a tree that would be a good place to set up. She pulled an arrow free, placing it easily into her bow. She loved the trembling feel of power that vibrated up the bow and into her hands. Braith studied her for a moment, shaking his head as he watched her.
She didn’t have time to fire the arrow as Braith suddenly launched forward, blurring with speed as he raced at their stalkers. Aria’s mouth dropped, her eyes widened as he grasped hold of the first one and slammed him into the ground. She was stunned, momentarily dazed by his display of speed and overwhelming power. A soft squeal escaped his victim, but it was short lived as the victim’s throat was crushed beneath the strength of his hand. Aria watched in horror as three others launched at Braith.
Pushing aside leaves with the tip of her arrow, she took aim at one of the creatures clawing at Braith’s back. The arrow released with a soft twang, it flew straight through the air, striking its intended target in the back.
The vampire fell off of Braith, squealing as it clawed at its back and squirmed and withered upon the ground in agony. Five pairs of red eyes swung her way as she drew their attention to her location within the tree. She had no fear that they would be able to get her out of the tree; they would have to catch her first in order to do so. Her main concern remained centered upon Braith. Aria quickly drew another arrow, notching it in the bow as she took aim at the next creature that had zeroed in on Braith.